FitSugar

Bikini Boot Camp in Mexico: Amansala

FitSugar — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 04:00:00 PST

Amansala, a super fabulous Mexican eco-resort and spa, offers a six-night Bikini Boot Camp program that is limited to 25 men and women, held on the beautiful, remote beach of Tulum, Mexico. Could there be a better place to get bikini ready? Possibly not.

While doing the Bikini Boot Camp, your days start with a beach or jungle power walk followed by a combination of body sculpting, power ab sessions or Pilates and end with yoga and meditation. When you're not doing that, there are excursions to the nearby jungle for swimming and snorkeling in fresh water swimming holes, visits to Mayan ruins and pampering with beach side massages, Mayan Clay Treatments and plenty of sunshine. Yes please.

It's not all about exercise at Bikini Boot Camp, the low fat diet consists of all local chemical free food such as fresh caught grilled fish, mangos, jicima salads and other delicious low calorie selections. Yum.

To see some beautiful pics of what you'll be seeing while you're there,

View 10 Photos ›

The relaxing, beautiful setting, along with the healthy meals, and activity filled days make for a perfect way to get your body bikini ready. It definitely doesn't hurt that you'll be in a beautiful part of Mexico as well as surrounded by people with the same goals in mind. Six night programs are held year round. Three & four night programs available upon request. 6 nights will run you $1,842 per person but it is all inclusive, so it could be worse. For more information and to make a reservation, please visit Amansala online.

Pilates Moves For Your Arms and Core From Kim Kardashian's Trainer

Self — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:18:48 PST

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

If you're a novice like me, you might not realize that there are many different kinds of Pilates. And those incarnations are not defined as "hard, very hard, and nearly impossible."

Celebrity trainer Sara Kapuchinski just opened her new LA studio i heart fitness xo, where she teaches West Coast-style Pilates to a revolving A-list clientele including Khloe and Kim Kardashian, Christina Ricci, Modern Family's Sofia Vergara and Glee's Romy Rosemont.

Kapuchinski started out as a weekend trainer, whose day job was as an A & R executive in the music industry. Soon, she realized that teaching fitness felt more personally satisfying. "Music was fun, but I was more gratified training people," she recalls. "After sitting at a desk from 9 to 5 and staying up 'til all hours, I was experiencing a lot of neck and back pain. And, like most people, I was amazed that classic Pilates did the things that it was supposed to do: my posture improved, I lost inches in my waist and my neck and back pain basically disappeared."

After a bit of investigation, the trainer found that Pilates on the West Coast, which is heavier on cardio, was more her speed: "Pilates is so great for your body, for your core (that mysterious thing), but a lot of times you leave a class feeling like you need to sweat. I wanted something that was a bit more cardio-driven without having to go take a Boot Camp."

Read on for three of Kapuchinski's heart-pounding Pilates moves!

Fit Over 40: Why Time Is Key (Even For Celebrities)

Self — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:22:42 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Halle Berry . . . these days, when a 40-something woman steps out in a bikini, it makes news.

Turns out, there's a scientific explanation for why we're so fascinated by these lean, toned, impossibly supple bodies. In some ways, these apparent genetic wonders are defying the aging process.

"Once a man or woman gets beyond their 30s, they're in a situation where unless they are really proactive about what they do from an exercise standpoint as well as eating sensibly, they are going to lose some muscle tissue," says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., FACSM, Chief Science Officer for The American Council on Exercise.

Read the rest of this post after the break!

3 More Fitness DVDs Reviewed by Our Readers

FitSugar — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:00:34 PST

For the eighth challenge of the Get Fit For 2011 giveaway, we're asking you to review a fitness DVD or workout - tell us why you love it or why you'd leave it. Besides getting the chance to win some fantastic prizes, you'll also be sharing valuable information with the FitSugar Community. Check out what readers are saying about these workouts from trainers Shiva Rea, Denise Austin, and Shape magazine.

Yoga Shakti with Shiva Rea - FitSugar reader shaneelyse loves that she can personalize her workout with Shiva Rea's Yoga Shakti DVD by using the matrix to pick and chose poses. The DVD is set in India and the Maldives, but what's even more inspiring than the scenery, she writes, is "Shiva Rea's instruction. It is clear and concise, and the practices, which range from advanced beginner/intermediate to very challenging, are filled with options and modifications."
Shape: Ultimate Bikini Body Workout - sleepydean was pleasantly surprised by Shape's bikini body DVD. She found the trainer is tough but likable and explained: "I have various other circuit type training DVDs but this one changes things up with cardio bursts that I haven't seen before."
Denise Austin Fat-Blasting Yoga - ladyboarder9669 likes how Denise keeps the workout moving: "I think it's perfect for the intermediate yogi. It doesn't have too advanced poses but great poses that help you work up a sweat by the end of the workout."

Be sure to share your DVD review in our Get Fit For 2011 group to enter our weekly giveaway of a $100 Nike gift card and a chance to win our grand prize - a four-day fitness boot camp in LA, which includes a nutritional consultation with the C&J Nutrition team!