FitSugar

Move It At Home: Billy Blanks Full Throttle Amped

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:00:00 -0800

Did you know that Billy Blanks is still kicking ol’ school? He just released a new series of DVDs and the other night I checked out Billy Blanks Amped ($17.99). I was impressed that the DVD wasn’t over produced and you could tell that the workout was shot in one take with many cameras, so the folks exercising on the DVD were working with you. Billy Blanks does not slow down. He has, however, lost the ability to count and has hired a young, cute but fierce, fitness professional to count on set for him. Together they make quite a team.

The workout is tough and when using the amplifier sculpting bar, an extendable hand weight, it gets even tougher. The amplifier weighs just a little over three pounds (according to my kitchen scale).The workout is shot with only half the class participants using the amplifiers, so if you don’t have one there is still plenty for you to do. The class goes through many kick boxing motions at different speeds, so you're working both your endurance and your speed, your slow muscle fibers as well as the quick twitch. Bouts of straight up kick boxing moves are thrown into the mix ensuring that your heart rate stays in the upper zone of moderate and the lower zone of intense. I wore my trusty heart rate monitor and burned well over 300 calories for my time investment of just under 60 minutes low impact.

I love that you can see everyone sweating. It inspires you to work hard. Blanks likes to get up close to the camera and tell you to push harder and not to give up. It is part Mr. T, part inspiring coach and oddly effective.

To see what the amplifier looks like, just read more

You can order this DVD from Amazon. Or you could go for the entire Amped package for $39.95, which includes 5 DVDs, the amplifier body sculpting bar, and other health perks!

Get in Gear: Nike Amp+ Sport Remote Control Is Here!

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:30:00 -0700

If you love to track the time, speed, distance and amount of calories you burn on your walks and runs, then the new iPod nano and Nike + iPod Sport Kit are a must have for you too. Now Nike just made it even easier to use with their new Nike Amp+ Sport Remote Control.

Want to know how it works? Then read more

Let's start from the beginning. Normally when you use your nano with the Nike+ Sports Kit, it comes with a a receiver that plugs into your nano, and a sensor that you wear on your shoe (I attach mine with the RunAway holder). When I go for a run, I clip the nano (with the receiver plugged in) to my waist, and it's kind of annoying trying to reach for the controls when I want to skip a song or hear my progress.

When you slap this new Nike Amp+ Remote Control on your wrist, you can tuck your nano in your pocket for safe keeping, since the remote control connects wirelessly to your nano. Now you have easy access to the controls on the wristband, so you can concentrate more on your workout. Want to know how many miles you've gone? Just press the center button on the remote, and you'll hear instant voice feedback of your time, pace, calories burned, and distance. Very cool.

You can also wear the "remote control" alone as a watch. There's an LED screen that displays the time of day when it's not being used with your iPod nano. The strap is made of durable polyurethane that you can cut to your exact wrist size, and it closes with a stainless steel buckle. You can even run in the rain, sweat profusely, or take a quick dip with this sucker because it's water resistant up to 50m. Order it from Nike for $79.

Fit's Tips: Don't forget that after you go for a run using the iPod nano and the Nike + Sports Kit, you just plug your nano into your computer, and your workouts will be automatically uploaded to the NikePlus.com website. You can keep track of your progress, set goals for yourself, and you even win virtual medals when you accomplish them. It's a great way to motivate.

Get Your Butt in Gear: Nike Amp+ Wireless iPod Remote

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:30:00 -0800

The Nike Amp+ Wireless iPod Remote is an amazing idea. It works with your Nike+ iPod for your Nano. It's a remote control that's attached to your wrist. So now instead of futzing with your Nano that's wrapped around your arm or stashed in your pocket, you'll be able to change tunes or re-set your work out wirelessly (with Bluetooth).

I love my Nike+ iPod immensely, but I get so frustrated when I want to skip songs - my headphones get unplugged and I end up dropping my poor Nano in the process. Ladies, do you feel my pain?

Help is on the way, well, hopefully. (This hasn't actually been released yet from Nike or Apple, but it somehow sneaked its way into the 2007 Men's Health Tech Guide.)

I can't wait to see it. No word on exactly when we should be seeing this gadget in stores, but it should be running you (ha, no pun intended) around $80 when it does.

DVD Review: Billy Banks Tae Bo Amped Series - On Sale!

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:30:00 -0800

Last Winter, I worked out with the Billy Blanks Amped Full Throttle DVD and thoroughly enjoyed myself while burning up some serious calories. The DVD is part of the Amped Tae Bo series. In case you missed it, all four of Blanks's Amped DVDs are available (and on sale for $36) in one set, complete with the expandable accelerator weighted sculpting bar.

If you're not familiar with Tae Bo, it stands for Total Awareness Excellence Body Obedience. It's basically like boxing aerobics. Expect a lot of punching, kicking, heavy breathing, and very little resting.

To find out more about this DVD series read more.

These four cardio DVDs are intense, fast-paced, and high energy. They're the kinds of DVDs you pop in when you need to move, but can't get out for a run or to the gym. The Amped series will make you feel like you're in a real cardio class since Billy and 10 people behind him work it and glisten with sweat. You may find it comforting that everyone counts out loud for the entire video, but I found it a little annoying, so I just turned down the volume and pumped up my own music. You can use the three-pound accelerator bar to make the movements more intense, or just move your arms without it. Billy is one encouraging dude, and his little pep talks throughout the videos make you want to work hard. Get ready to burn some major calories with these four 30- to 55-minute workout DVDs. Order them straight from the Billy Blanks website.

DVD Review: Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:00:31 -0700

I know that many of your share my admiration for Jillian Michaels of Biggest Loser fame, with her no nonsense approach to exercising and her ability to get the contestants up and moving. So I was excited to check out her workout DVD, Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred ($11).

As the title implies, the workout promises visible results in a month, if you do it every day for 30 days. (“Up to 20 lbs. in 30 days!”) Though that may seem like a big undertaking, the commitment is small - just about 25 minutes a day. Between the short workout sessions and Michaels’s motivation, I was feeling amped that I had a winning DVD on my hands.

To hear more about the 30 Day Shred, read more.

Sure, I got a hint of Michaels's hardcore ways when watching The Biggest Loser, but it did not prepare me for my first day, as I was completely worked over. Don't be alarmed - as with most fitness DVDs on the market, Michaels makes sure to include workouts aimed at the beginner, intermediate, and more advanced viewers.

The 30 Day Shred is a nonstop, heart pounding, super-intense cardio workout based on Michaels's "3-2-1 method," which combines a repeating cycle of three minutes of cardio, two minutes of strength, and one minute of abs into a single routine. The exercises and instructions are clear and straightforward, and as seen on The Biggest Loser, Michaels is incredibly motivating. I like that the workout stays at a fast pace and doesn't get boring since Michaels changes the exercises in each six-minute set.

If you're looking for a short and sweet workout, this is a great DVD to pick up. It won't steal a huge chunk of your day and has the big plus of burning fat and toning muscle simultaneously. Have you tried this DVD? Tell me what you thought about it in the comments section below.

SATC Helped Tyra Banks Shape Up

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:31:00 -0700

What began as a three-month fitness challenge among friends last January turned into a new lifestyle for Tyra Banks.

Once she began tracking calories, Tyra bought an elliptical machine to amp up her exercise. She explained her cardio regimen on her show recently like this:

I didn't work out like crazy, [but] I would exercise. I actually bought a treadmill and elliptical. I got rid of one of my couches in my living room and I watched Sex and the City episodes on the elliptical and treadmill. So Sex and the City lasted 30 minutes and that's how long I was on the elliptical.

Tyra also mentioned that her modeling career changed as her metabolism slowed. To hear why, read more.

Working out doesn't come naturally to Tyra, she had to train herself to get off the couch - just like most of us. She didn't exercise while modeling and just relied on her metabolism. So when it changed, she moved on. She says,

My career as model changed because my metabolism changed. I didn't do Victoria's Secret because I wanted to. I did Victoria's Secret because my ass was getting big and I couldn't fit in Armani runway anymore.

I'd say that career move paid off, wouldn't you?

Alicia Silverstone Talks Eating Vegan and Gardening Naked

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:30:05 -0700

Alicia Silverstone knows that eating well can help the planet, which is one reason she decided to swear off meat and dairy and adopt a vegan lifestyle. But it's not all selfless: she also appreciates how her improved diet makes her look younger and glowing.

In a new interview with Health, the Clueless star talks about her eating philosophy, her line of cruelty-free beauty products, and her book The Kind Diet, coming out in October. Here are highlights:

On why she wrote the book: "Once you're informed, then you can be really gentle and kind to yourself, by giving yourself all the gifts life has to offer - like mental clarity and vitality - all while making the planet better."
On why she went vegan: "I didn't come at it, honestly, from a health point of view. I was 21 when I went vegan. And when anybody told me to be healthy, I thought people were just telling me [to lose weight] because I'm in this business. So I was like, 'Go F yourself!' [Laughs.] Yet when I look at those pictures from back then, I can see the puffiness in my eyes. It's weird to be 32 now and feel and look younger. . . . Right after I first made the switch to a plant-based diet, people were literally telling me, 'What have you done? You’re sparkling.'"

To read more highlights - including what Silverstone has to say about being naked in her backyard - read more.

On reports that she likes to garden naked: "It's true. It probably started when I was doing my garden the first time. I'd be out there, and it would be scorching hot, so I would take off all of my clothes and garden. And then I would jump in the pool and swim - and I always get in the pool naked, because why would you want to put on a bathing suit? . . . I don't want anybody to take a picture of me naked. But in my own home, in my garden, [nudity]'s OK."
On losing weight: "Diet first, exercise second. Exercise is fantastic, and when I need to be a certain way quickly, I amp up my exercise by walking the dogs and doing yoga."

What do you think about Silvertone's perspective? Are you interested in buying her book? If you've ever tried a vegan diet, tell me what you thought about how it affected your overall health below.

Which Foods Fuel Your Sex Drive?

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Food can do more than fuel your workouts; it's also good for revving up your sex drive. Eating mood-boosting foods is a subtle way to lubricate your libido, so amp up your desire and reap the healthy benefits of having sex. Do you know which foods are known to help with your sex drive?

Take the quiz

Hitting the Gym? Check Your Etiquette

FitSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:30:00 -0700

The gym is a shared space where we sweat, work hard and relax. There are some important spoken and unspoken rules when it comes to working out with others, so please keep these in mind the next time you go to work out. Some of these are FitSugar readers' ideas.

"Don't go to the gym if you're sick." - jkat
Come clean. Your clothes should be washed and smelling fresh. Also, Spectra says, "Please wear deodorant at the gym, especially if you plan on getting really sweaty. "
AMP says "Please no perfume [or cologne] at the gym." The powerful smell could cause an allergic reaction in tight quarters.
Leave your cell phone in the car or locker room. If you're expecting a call, turn off the ringer and call the person back once you're away from other gym-goers. No one wants to here you gabbing away.
Don't be a hog. The equipment is there to share so be mindful of the time limits on cardio and weight machines. If you're training for a marathon and need the treadmill for more than an hour, hit the gym mid-day when it's not so crowded.
LesleyP825 also says, "You know what I hate? Hovering. Like if I'm on a machine in the middle of a set and someone is standing over you. Then when I get off they practically jump on top of me to use it. Have some patience!"

For more etiquette advice read more.

Don't stare. Aside from being rude, keep in mind that people aren't always looking to meet while they're sweating. If you're interested, talk to the person after the workout.
Get to classes at least five minutes early. It's nice to settle in and find your spot, and it ensures that you don't interrupt the class once it's already begun. If you're late, sneak in as quietly as possible.
"Don't chat to your friends during class." - syako
Clean off the equipment properly. Renees3 reminds us not to use the same towel you wiped up your sweaty face with to clean the machine. Use a clean towel or paper towel and cleaning spray offered by the gym to wipe down handles, buttons, and everything you touched to prevent passing on your germs.
"Don't leave your bags, jackets, towels, etc. where people can trip on them!" - millarci
"Please don't sit naked on the bench in the locker room. Seriously, for your sake and mine, put down a towel." - spider_pig

Source

FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:30:00 -0700

I'm getting excited for Spring, are you? In eager anticipation of sundress and bikini season, I have amped up my strength training sessions. I tried a Shape workout and loved having sore hamstrings for a couple of days after the workout. To see what else you might have missed, just start the slideshow.

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