FitSugar

Get the Bod: Halle Berry's Back and Shoulders

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Spring is just around the corner and warmer weather is on everyone's mind. With a much-anticipated increase in daily temps comes more revealing fashion - bring on the strapless dresses and tank tops. I've always been inspired by Halle Berry's upper back and shoulders. Her trainer Harley Pasternak admits that Halle is a fan of rowing exercises, and he recommends this move to achieve sculpted shoulders and a toned upper back. Start the slideshow to learn some rowing variations to incorporate into your next strength training session.

Source

How-To: Bent Over Row

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:00:00 PST

Bikini season is approaching so many of us are focusing on getting our upper bodies toned. One exercise that is great for working your upper back, mid-back and triceps is the Bent Over Row. For this exercise, you'll need a workout bench (or chair) and a dumbbell.

Here's how to do it:

Grab a dumbbell - weight depends on your level but it should exhaust your muscles by the 12th rep.
Position your right knee and right hand on the bench so your back is parallel to the floor. Your left leg should be on the ground and your left hand should be hanging straight down - perpendicular to your body - holding the dumbbell.
Using your left arm, lift the dumbbell straight up to torso level. Be sure to keep your elbow in and pointed upwards.
Then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position (#1) to complete one rep.
Do three sets of 12 reps on each side.

Fit's Tip: Don't arch or round your back, keep a neutral spine.

Functional Fitness: More than a Trend

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:15:00 PDT

You work all day. You go to the gym for 60 minutes. You go home and continue your life. Do you ever feel like the work you do at the gym has nothing to do with the life you lead? Well let me tell you, workouts - they are a changing.

Functional fitness has been identified as the biggest fitness trend of the year. But by the looks of it, it is anything but "trendy." More and more personal trainers are creating work outs to help their clients with the tasks of daily life, as well as the physicality of their jobs.
For example take a new mom, a functional workout would have her lift a weight through a movement path that mimics hoisting a heavy stroller into her trunk. This motion trains her entire body to handle the stroller, where bicep curls would just, well...work her biceps. Or another example would be an avid skier training with one legged squats instead of leg pressing a lot of weight at a machine. The standing one legged squat will challenge the skiers leg strength, balance and core in a functional position - yep, that'd be standing.

A great comparison is the bent over row using free weight versus the seated row using weight machines. The bent over row has you lifting while bent over - how many time a day do you lift things bent over? From teaching rehabilitative Pilates for years, I can tell you just bending over correctly is an art unto itself. Add some free weights into the mix and you are training your entire body (legs, core, back and arms) for real tasks. The seated row using a machine will just isolate specific muscle groups without integrating them into real movement.

I like to think of a workout, or a Pilates session for that matter, as time in a body laboratory where you can train your body in a controlled environment to have good movement patterns while strengthening your muscles. So when you are out in the world and something unexpected happens, your body knows how to deal with it.

Fit's Tip: If you are shopping for a trainer ask if they work on functional fitness and go to them with certain daily tasks that you would like to make easier. Be it lifting the hood of your car or running with your two year old thrown over your shoulder, a good personal trainer will help these tasks become easier.

10 Tone-Up Tweaks to Get a Better Burn

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:39:36 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

It happens to the best of us. Your gym routine becomes just that - a routine. Bust out of your plateau and burn more fat with these strength-training tweaks from the pros.

Make Every Day Your Best Burn Yet
Supercharge your gym routine by ditching the moves that have stopped delivering results and replacing them with ones that will challenge and build more muscle. Start with these total-body toning tips from some of our favorite trainers.

Arms: Change the Weight
Dumbbell curls are great for your arms, but unless you're changing up the sets and reps, your biceps will get accustomed to the level of stress you're placing on them, meaning you'll stop seeing the sculpting results. "Few people use the proper weight and even fewer graduate the amount of weight being used during arm exercises," says Richard Miller, owner and CEO of GymSource in New York City.

When you curl the same weight for a long period of time, your body send nutrients to the muscle you're working to help recover. If you pick up an eight-pound dumbbell every time, your muscles aren't experiencing varied stress and won't add new nutrient masses to that area, making your arms fall flat. Use this cheat sheet to know when it's time to step it up a notch:

You should feel fatigue at 15 reps or fewer. If you don't, add more weight.
Aim to increase weight by less than 10 percent. If you normally lift eight-pound weights, up it to 10 pounds, and so on.

See more helpful tips after the break!

How to Run a Faster 5K

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:23:54 PST

You've been running regularly for some time and have completed a few 5K fun runs. But now it's time to step it up and take this distance seriously. Here are some tips to help you beat your personal record when running 3.1 miles.

During Training

Add speedwork: If you want to run a faster 5K, you have to practice running faster. Coach Andrew Kastor recommends adding 80-meter sprints into your training schedule, and here's his plan for running a faster 5K in four weeks. Remember: sprinting can be hard on the body, so make sure to start off with shorter sprints and build up to the full 80 meters, especially if you're new to speed work.
Add short uphills: Hills require strength and endurance, so if you practice them during your training, you'll develop speed and muscle power, and just as with plyometrics (jump exercises), hill sprints will increase flexibility in your muscles and tendons, which reduces your risk of injury. In your training, tackle shorter steep hills (about six to 10 percent incline). Sprint up for 10 seconds, then walk downhill backwards to avoid pressure on the knees. Repeat, eventually building up to eight 10-second sprints. It's a surefire way to stronger, faster legs.
Incorporate strength training moves that target your shins, calves, quads, glutes, and core: Running alone won't increase your speed. You need to strengthen the muscles that make you move so your actions will be more powerful and more efficient. Incorporate variations of squats, lunges, step-ups, calf raises, bent over rows, and these three booty moves from celebrity trainer David Kirsch.
Become familiar with the route: Obtain a map of the 5K course, and if the route is open (like in a neighborhood or wooded trail), practice running it to familiarize yourself with the hills, curves, and mile markers. Knowing the course in advance will give you confidence and an added advantage over runners who are running it for the first time.

Keep reading to find out what to do on race day to run a faster 5K.

You Asked: Gardening and Back Pain

Susi May — Sat, 21 May 2011 02:53:53 PDT

Hi Fit!
I've been going to the gym regularly for some time now. I do cardio and some strength training and I thought I was fit. Then I started a part-time job gardening. Now I'm wrangling hoses, hauling wheelbarrows and plants all over the place, digging, and squatting while weeding and planting. It is kicking my ass. Yesterday my back was just killing me after just three hours of planting fifty pots and hauling mulch. Good news is I have actually lost five pounds since I started this job, but do you have any suggestions for relieving that back pain issue?
- Green Thumb, Bad Back

I feel your pain, literally. Gardening is hard work and can really do a doozy on your spine. I recently did an entire Pilates session with a gardener dealing with back pain and will share my tips with you when you continue reading.

If You're Going to Push It, You Better Pull It

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:40:26 PDT

I love push-ups. Dropping and doing 20 makes me feel strong and tough. But as Lauren my Equinox trainer reminded me, it's important to offset all the pushing with some pulling. Although the glorious push-up feels like a full body exercise (it certainly works your core), it primarily works your chest and arms. When the pecs get too tight, they pull your shoulders forward, which is not only unattractive but puts the shoulder joint in a compromised position and can lead to injury. Ouch. To maintain balance in your upper body, be sure to mix it up. Here are a few push-to-pull workout combinations to add to your fitness life:

Push-ups followed with sprints on a rowing machine. Be sure to read up on proper rowing technique if you're unfamiliar with the machine.
Chest press with bent over rows, or go more full body with a tipping row to challenge your balance and work your lower body too.
The versatility of the cable pulley machine means you can combine pushing and pulling into one fluid move. Start facing the machine, and begin with a standing row. When you have pulled your hand to your chest, rotate away from the machine and push your arm out. It feels a bit like you're drawing a sword (pull) and then thrusting it out (push).

In my experience the muscles on the front of the body, the ones that pull you into the fetal position, are much stronger than the muscles on your back. Be sure to work that pulling motion to strengthen your upper back, especially the rhomboids. Remember, if it's an exercise you tend to avoid, it's probably one your body needs the most.