FitSugar

Thigh Time: Heels vs. Toes

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:30:00 PDT

After tying our sneakers, most of us don't give much thought to our feet while working out, but how you use your feet affects how you work the muscles in your thighs. By changing your footing you can target the front or back of your thigh.

When using an elliptical, a stationary bike, or a stair stepper, pressing with your toes works your quads more, while pressing with the heels targets your hamstrings and your tush. Pay attention to your feet next time you hop on a cardio machine and feel the difference between your toes and heels.

4 Reasons to Try TRX Suspension Training

Leta Shy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:45:17 PST

It may have been developed for the Navy SEALs, but you don't have to be in secret-weapon shape to work out with TRX. The concept of the TRX suspension training is pretty basic: you use two cables on your feet or hands to partially suspend your body and use your own body weight as resistance. The muscle groups you work as well as how hard you work them all depend on the positioning of your body on the cables.

To find out more about the benefits of the workout, I spoke with Randy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and current CEO and founder of TRX, at the unveiling of the newly expanded TRX Training Center in San Francisco, CA. If you've ever wondered about all those odd-looking straps hanging in your gym, read on to find out more about working out with TRX.

It's for anyone: So, who should do TRX? Everyone, Randy says. "People who like yoga and Pilates tend to like TRX because there are some crossovers. But it's also great for runners, cyclists, or anyone who is an endurance athlete and wants to have more strength training." Even reluctant "power lifters" are usually swayed by the workout once they see how effective it can be at building muscle, he says.
It's beginner-friendly: Another reason to try a TRX class - it's easy to tweak exercises to your own level of difficulty and ramp up when necessary. "It's all user-defined," Randy says. "You determine how hard or how easy you really want to go. So really advanced or really beginners can work out in the same class and get what's right for them."

Read on for more reasons to try TRX.

Cardio Workout: Elliptical Full Body Workout

Susi May — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:05:01 PST

Love it or hate it, a major plus to sweating it out on the elliptical is that you can work your body in a variety of ways using this machine. Pedaling forward works your quads while going backward targets the hamstrings and booty. Focus on pushing the handles gets your chest, and pulling them focuses the work in your upper back. And letting go of the handles while keeping your pace steady challenges your core stability. Plus, the elliptical is joint friendly making it the perfect machine for a recovery workout or starting your fitness routine if you're new to aerobic workouts and cardio machines.

I consider this to be a beginning workout for the elliptical; it's mellow while working your entire body. If you're beyond a beginner level, this workout is a great complement to a strength training session - I use it as my warmup.

To see the workout, just keep reading.

From the Community: Printable 5-4-3-2-1 At-Home Circuit Workout

Fit Community — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:57:05 PST

Reader FitFabCities has a simple 15-minute workout for you - no equipment needed! She shared it with us in our FitSugar Community.

This printable workout gives you total-body toning plus cardio and it's as easy as 5-4-3-2-1! The whole thing is only 15 minutes long so it's perfect to squeeze into a busy day. Plus you don't need any equipment or a gym; simply push your coffee table out of the way and you're good to go!

Happy Workout!

TIPS

Feel free to take as many breaks as you need
Just starting out: go through once
Intermediate: go through twice
Advanced: go through three or four times
Take breaks between each round and make sure you drink plenty of water

You can get the printable version here: Fit Fab Cities

Share your own workouts, find a new one, or just get inspired in our FitSugar Community!

More Kettlebell, Please! 4 Calorie-Torching Exercises

Leta Shy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:53:58 PST

Kettlebell fans love the heavy round-shaped weights for a reason - kettlebell exercises combine cardio and strength training together for a time-saving calorie burn. The amount of calories you can burn using kettlebells can be amazingly high: a study by the American Council on Exercise found that the average person burns 272 calories in 20 minutes when doing kettlebell exercises. More research has found that regularly exercising with kettlebells significantly reduces back, neck, and shoulder pain by strengthening core and upper body muscles.

Does all that convince you to add more kettlebell to your life? Read on for tips on choosing the right kettlebell and four calorie-torching exercises to try.

Source: Thinkstock

Cardio Workout: Beginner Treadmill

Susi May — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:55:34 PST

If one of your goals for 2012 is to start running, already don't panic that it's the fourth week of January. There is still time! Working out on a treadmill during the inclement weather of Winter is a fine way to get into the sport, and we have a workout for you to try.

I am a firm believer in easing into your relationship with running to give your body time to adjust to the physical demands - you don't want to get so sore that you never want to run again. Mixing walking and running is a great way to get your heart rate up while priming your body for distance and speed. Here's a 40-minute walking/running workout, and if you're new to running you should certainly check it out.

Take a look at the workout when you read more.

Hilary Duff's High-Energy Prenatal Piloxing Workout

Self — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:39:32 PST

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

Some women may take it easy during their last trimester, but Hilary Duff isn't the type to let her workouts slide just because she's eating for two. The singer-actress may be seven months pregnant, but according to her trainer of eight years, Vivica Jensen, she's still staying fit with biweekly Piloxing sessions. "Piloxing is the first fitness program that blends the best of Pilates, boxing, and dance into a high-energy, hour-long interval workout," says Jensen, who created the hybrid class. "I put a lot of focus into balance and alignment, which can be thrown off when you're pregnant. You also get a great cardio workout, and the boxing element tones your arms and legs."

Although Jensen has tweaked Duff's workouts to accommodate her pregnancy, she's quick to point out that the mom-to-be is no slouch in the gym. "Since Hilary was already in good shape, she's able to do everything but at her own pace with a few modifications like taking more breaks to drink water and catch her breath when her heart rate goes up and not doing advanced ab exercises," says Jensen.

As her due date draws near, the former Lizzie McGuire star is also preparing her body for the hardships of labor. That means plenty of arm, leg, chest, and core exercises. "For now, I'm focusing on her core muscles because I want those muscles intact so she has an easier delivery," says Jensen. Just don't expect Mrs. Comrie to stay bedridden for very long since "Hilary loves being healthy and has always been very active. Once she gets the OK from her doctor, we're really going to kick it up a notch," says Jensen. "She's tough with amazing form, so I'm able to work her hard and really kick her butt!"

Want to stay fit throughout all nine months of your pregnancy (or even if you're not eating for two!)? Incorporate four moves into your regular workout routine to get buff like Duff. Read on for the moves.

From the Community: Everything You Need to Know About Tabata Training

Fit Community — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:24:34 PST

FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin gives us a primer on Tabata training, a type of high-intensity interval workout.

You've probably heard the word Tabata by now (and if you haven't, you will!). So what exactly is this hot new fitness trend, and why you should care about it?

What is Tabata?

The term Tabata was coined after the Japanese researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata, who compared the effectiveness of short, very high-intensity training (bursts of maximal effort for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of recovery, repeated for four minutes in total) to a traditional 60-minute aerobic workout.

Who should do it?

Anyone looking to amp up their fitness level, maximize their cardio time, burn more calories, and blast off more fat in way less time. The key to a successful Tabata session is being able to hit the high levels of intensity (the participants in the Tabata study worked at 170 percent of their VO2 Max - that's killer!). If you are new to exercise, or returning after a long hiatus, you may want to progress slowly with trying a Tabata workout.

Learn more about Tabata, after the break!

Gym Time: Elliptical Tips

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:30:00 PST

Elliptical trainers are a gym favorite. Not only is this cardio machine joint friendly, but it is also super versatile. You can go forward and backward, work your arms and legs, or focus on your core. Here a some tips to get the most out of this machine and your next elliptical workout.

If your focus is cardio: Focus on your strides per minute. SPM is the number of times your legs go around, a stat the elliptical tracks for you. Try to keep your strides per minute between 140 and 160. If you're doing intervals on the elliptical, make sure your "sprints" are closer to 160.
If your focus is toning your thighs: Pay attention to your feet. Pressing more with your heels will work your hamstrings and booty more, while pressing more with your toes will tone your quads on the front of your thighs.

Interested in a few more tips? Then

The Consequences of Overtraining, and How to Prevent Them

Leta Shy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:20:20 PST

We may want to push ourselves to meet new goals, but there can be a fine line between pushing ourselves to the limit and overtraining. And research has shown that more and more of us are actually pushing ourselves past what is healthy for our bodies when we train.

Serious athletes are trained to exert their bodies to their max point, and many recreational exercisers, from the grunting guy straining to lift too much at your gym to your friend who always complains she feels dizzy after a workout, may think they should do the same, all the time. The problem is that recreational athletes may lack the knowledge to know when their bodies are telling them to rest, which makes them perform worse - and, as a consequence, just want to train even more to start seeing results. That can lead to a vicious, painful, and exhausting never-ending cycle of overuse injuries, constant fatigue, and worsening athletic performance.

When it comes to your own workout, don't be that person. Read on for some important tips for preventing those unpleasant consequences of overtraining