FitSugar

Work Your Backside With These 3 Booty Moves

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:21:11 PDT

If toning your backside is on your to-do list, here are three booty moves you can do at home - no equipment required! These exercise are not your basic (read: boring) lunges and squats. Not only are they fun to do, but they will also work your glute muscles from a variety of angles to really firm and lift your bum. Let's kick that big booty to the curb.

Want more FitSugarTV in your life? Try our Yoga Abs video to tone your midsection.

Get Fit For Summer: FitSugar Readers Share Their Favorite Exercises

Fit Community — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:35:17 PDT

We love getting inspiration from you, our readers, and when we asked you what your favorite strength training move is, you didn't disappoint! Here are the most popular strength training exercises you all shared in the Get Fit For Summer community group as part of the eighth challenge in the Get Fit For Summer giveaway. By doing so, you're eligible to win a $100 New Balance gift card!

Source: Thinkstock

5 Places to Get Your Lunge On

Michele Bell — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 09:00:24 PST

Want sexy legs and a tight tush? Get going on the lunges. A simple "no equipment necessary" kind of exercise, these can truly be done anywhere, anytime. It may look a little odd if you start doing them in the middle of a meeting with your boss, but there are some other unusual places that actually make sense. Come check them out.

Beyond the Basics: 5 Lunge Variations

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:50:41 PDT

I have a thing for lunges, and for good reason. Lunges help bring the booty, sculpt powerful legs, and create better overall balance. But if you tweak the move a bit, you'll see even bigger rewards. Here are five variations of the classic lunge to get you started - your arms, tush, thighs, and legs are going to love you!

Turn a Hike Into a Mini Boot Camp

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:47:04 PDT

While hiking in the Sequoia National Forest recently, I was inspired by a post from the Get Fit For 2010 community group. FitSugar reader caffeinecaptain adds variety to her workout by turning a nearby playground into an outdoor gym. I thought, "what the heck, I'm turning this hike into my own mini boot camp!" By the time I reached the end of the trail, I was feeling pretty worked. I was also pretty elated: exercising outdoors boots self-esteem levels, and it's good for the planet! Here's how I turned my weekend hike into a kick-ass boot camp:

Plyometrics. Adding up and down movement to a hike adds a new level of intensity. I included short intervals of skipping and hopping, which helps engage muscle groups that may not be used otherwise. To really step things up, I also did short bursts of trail running.
Make use of trees and boulders. It's amazing how easy it is to turn nature into gym equipment. Do incline push-ups off of trees, and use boulders for triceps dips.
Why walk when you can lunge? Really challenge yourself when hiking up an incline by doing a set of walking lunges. Work your arms by using rocks as dumbbells to add bicep curls or lateral raises.

This Weekend, Box It Out

FitSugar — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:30:09 PDT

My July/August issue of Fitness has a really cool feature in it that's inspired me to try out boxing. The mag paired four of its readers with celebrity trainers, one of which included Michael Olajide Jr., owner of Aerospace gym and trainer to Eva Mendes. I mean, who wouldn't want Eva's sexy shoulders? Michael's week-long workout included a 60-minute cardio boxing class, a boxing lesson, an entire hour of lunges and squats with a punching bag, and a sparring session. Yowza.

A good friend of mine has been going to a boxing gym for over a year now, and says that she feels stronger, more agile, and confident. I'll be using this weekend to shadow her workouts and hopefully get the same results that she and the Fitness reader got from their experiences. For me, the added leisure time of the weekend makes it a great opportunity to learn something new.

If you want to try out boxing, find a gym in your area, or look for a boxing fitness DVD at your library. The workout will have your heartbeat up, and your lower body feeling stronger by the minute!

Get Lifted: Glider Side Lunge

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:00:47 PDT

If you need a new exercise to add to your strength-training routine that will target your quads, inner thighs, and glutes, check out this fun, yet effective, exercise. You need one of those discs like the Valslide, but if you don't have one, just use the lid of a plastic container and do this move on carpet. Or wear socks and do it on a wood floor.

To learn some tricks for doing this pose properly

You Asked: Knee Friendly Alternatives to Lunges?

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:50:10 PDT

Recently, I wrote about loving lunges and urged everyone to add them to their workout. I forgot that this move can be hard on some joints and this comment reminded me of that problem:

"I like lunges in theory, but my knees do not agree with them. Any way to work around this, Fit?" - The New Black

There are indeed work-arounds that will work your lower body, while being kind to your knees. You can try to replace lunges with squats or leg presses on the machine. Some folks find that reverse lunges are gentler on the knee joint so you can experiment with that variation of the move. An alternative that I especially love is Step Ups because they work a lot of the same muscles that lunges would work.
Learn how to do Step Ups.

Three Ways to Add Arm Work to Your Lunges

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:00:49 PDT

If you're pressed for time at the gym (and these days, who isn't), time-saving exercises are a must. Adding arm work to the ever-classic lunge is a great way to work more of you in one move. Here are three ways to get more bang for your buck.

Newbie: If you're new to lunges, just stepping out and returning to your starting stance can be challenging enough. Don't sweat it. Simply hold dumbbells to push yourself to the next level. Holding weights, five to 10 pounds, will make both your booty and arms work more.

Up the ante: Add bicep curls to backward lunges. As your leg lunges back, bend both elbows, bringing hand weights to your shoulders. This is a great multitasking move and is pictured above.

Learn one more killer variation.

Learn to Love: Lunges

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Lunges are one of those exercises people either love or hate. There is however one powerful reason to love them: they sculpt a lovely tush. They also make your legs incredibly strong, which is a bonus as well.

Considered a compound exercise, lunges work your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, just like ever popular squats. Lunges, though, require more finesse, since you move through the motion - stepping forward, back, or to the side to lunge. This movement makes your core work more than in a squat, since you need it to maintain your balance as you move through space, especially if you are holding a weight over your head. The push-off motion, to move out of the lunge, and back to standing position translate into function fitness for running, as well as cutting on a basketball court or lunging to make a shot on the tennis court. The lunge has many variations. I like taking my lunges for a walk to help my running. Backward lunges really work my booty, and side lunges work the inner and outer thighs. You can hold dumbbells while you lunge, and you can also add bicep curls and overhead presses too. Holding a weight in one hand and lunging is also a nice challenge to your balance. Or you can always add a resistance band to your lunges as well.

Tell me below if you love or hate lunges.