FitSugar

6 Ways to a Fitter and Flatter Belly

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:00:04 -0700

It is the height of bikini season and hopefully you feel great about baring your belly. If you consider your bikini body a work in progress, let me remind you that no matter how many crunches you do, you cannot spot reduce your midsection. If you are battling with your tummy, here are six ways to make peace with your midriff.

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The Heidi Workout Coming Soon

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:40:14 -0700

Excited by the feedback she received on her body at the shoot for her upcoming Playboy cover, Heidi Montag has decided to make a video - a fitness video.

Heidi has decided to share her fitness and nutritional secrets with the public at large. We've seen her bikini body on the The Hills, and her upcoming downloadable workout, created by her fitness trainer Chad Waterbury, will be full of the "full body, intense resistance exercises" that created that toned physique. We know that a fit body requires fuel, so Heidi's video will include some nutritional tips as well.

Learn more about the Heidi workout.

Celeb Trainer Valerie Waters on Biel's Booty and Burning Fat

FitSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:50:54 -0700

There's no hiding bellies or behinds when all you're wearing is a bikini. Shape recruited celebrity trainer Valerie Waters for a few tips on getting ready to bare it all - who better than a woman who has worked with clients like Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel?

Valerie insists that eating clean (and eating breakfast) are big parts of the equation for achieving the body you want, and making your workouts count is the other factor in getting your figure bikini-ready. Her plan: Strength train three days a week, focusing on the big muscles (legs, chest, back, and arms). Increase the amount of fat you burn by doing interval training the other three days.

To learn what Valerie recommends for getting a shapely booty like Jessica's, read more.

Valerie plugged her product when she told Shape, "The Valslide is the secret weapon for a lot of celebrities because it will change your butt faster than anything you've seen. It's like using a slide board except that's it's smaller." She added, "You can do so much to work your butt with no equipment: squats, lunges, step-ups." If you're not in the market for her $30 fitness tool, print out my nine-exercise glutes and hamstrings workout. Take it to the gym with you, and start working that booty.

5 Things: Cellulite

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:50:48 -0700

Celeb trainer Jillian Michaels is no stranger to cellulite. And neither is starlet Kim Kardashian. In fact it is estimated that between 80 to 95 percent of women have cellulite somewhere on their body. If you have been worrying about of bit of dimpling on your backside, fear not, because you are not alone. Here are five things I think you should know about cellulite.

From a purely medical standpoint cellulite doesn't exist; it is nothing more than fat. The word cellulite is French and was first used in medical literature around 150 years ago.
Cellulite is more prominent in women than in men due to the structural differences of stored fat between the sexes. The connective tissues that create these storage units in men works on diagonals, where as we lucky ladies store our fat in a large vertical honeycomb like structure. This structural form enhances the appearance of the dimples.
Here's the bad news – there is no way to get rid of cellulite. None of those creams, lotions or rubs will get rid of the dimples caused by cellulite. Topical creams cannot penetrate the three layers of skin to eliminate the fat.

Learn what you can do about cellulite.

Athleta on ShopStyle

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:04:00 -0700

One of my longtime favorite brands, Athleta, is now on ShopStyle. Not only can you create different looks in ShopStyle, which is fun to do with all of Athleta's mix and match swimwear, but you can create sale alerts for specific items or the entire brand. If you have a mental block about finding a new bikini, this new partnership can certainly help get the process started.

Here are some suits I have my eye on and a couple of coverups as well.

Riva Splash Swim Bottom - $49.00	Paradise Reversible Beach Start Bottom - $38.00
Paradise Crazy 8's One Piece - $74.00	Stripe Halter Top - $49.00
Longboard Short - $54.00	Dockside Dress - $69.00
Davika Coverup - $59.00

Get Beach-Ready: Hip, Thighs, and Tush Workout

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

If you've been working your abs and toning your backside to get ready for bikini season, here are some more exercises you can rotate into your strength-training sessions. This series of exercises from ACE (American Council on Exercise) will target your hips, thighs, and booty.

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Bikini-Clad Country Stars Discuss Diet and Self-Esteem

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Not one, not two, but three country music stars are showing off their bikini bodies on the cover of the July issue of Shape magazine. LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, and Julianne Hough look smokin' in their metallic suits. The ladies admit it takes work to look so trim and tell Shape that, as role models, it's important for their fans (and Martina's daughters) to know they take a healthy approach.

The singers chat about how frustrating it can be to watch their husbands scarf down anything they want to eat and confide that being in the spotlight isn't always peachy. All three women take responsibility for promoting a healthy way of life, especially eating a well-balanced diet, and emphasize that beauty isn't just a physical attribute. Julianne won me over with this statement:

There are a lot of teenagers out there who look at me and say, "Well, she's 21, I want to look like her." But I want everyone to know - especially young girls - I eat. I am not starving myself. I'm concerned about young women and their self-esteem being based on what they see on TV or in magazines. It's not about being beautiful on the outside, it's about loving yourself and who you are.

It's encouraging to see a young star reach out with a positive message. Keep it coming!

Are You Trying to Get in Shape For Bikini Season?

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:04 -0700

It's official: Summer is here! The warmest season is most welcome; the longer days are perfect for working out outside and grilling healthy meals with friends and family. Summer also lends itself to weekends at the beach or pool and vacations to places with even more beautiful beaches and exceptional weather - all of which suggest skin-baring bathing suit attire.

Are your workouts these days motivated by the bikini-clad months ahead?

Beware Bikini Waxing

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Along with toning body parts hidden from the sun all Winter, beach season often means waxing. Unfortunately, the bikini wax presents a whole new set of Summer dangers.

Bluntly put, we have hair in our nether regions to protect the sensitive skin and mucous membranes found in the genital area. When you wax your bikini line or go all the way with a Brazilian, you strip away a layer of the body's protection - and little bits of skin are torn off as well. This allows bacteria to slip through the barrier and cause an infection under your skin. The waxing process also creates inflammation, which can exacerbate the potential infection by trapping bacteria. Some physicians caution those with compromised immune systems or diabetes, chronic kidney, or liver disease to skip waxing completely.

If you do opt for a bikini wax, make sure the facility is licensed and ask around and get recommendations from friends. It also helps to keep the inflammation down with one percent hydrocortisone cream, and you can aim to prevent infection with a topical antibiotic cream as well.

Have you ever had an infection from getting waxed?

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Print It: FitSugar Glutes and Hamstring Workout

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

If you have been working your abs to get ready for bikini season, I am here to remind you not to forget your booty and the backs of your legs. All styles of suits bare your backside, so get your bum beach-ready with FitSugar's Glutes and Hamstrings workout. We made a convenient printable version of the nine-exercise workout.

Download and print this PDF - it looks best printed in color. Tape it to your fridge. Take it to the gym. Just remember to work your booty.