FitSugar

Jillian Michaels Kicking Butt on Own Her Show

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:00 -0700

If you love watching Jillian Michaels' antics on The Biggest Loser, then you will be psyched to know she's getting her own TV show - Losing It With Jillian. The eight-episode series will air in 2010 on NBC. This fitness-obsessed health nut is traveling the country and moving in with desperate families for an entire week, picking out their bad habits, and showing them how to live healthier and happier. Jillian says, "When your health is out of balance everything else suffers - finances, relationships, work, and family dynamics." This tough-love trainer isn't doing it alone. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone will also be offering tips on nutrition, portion sizes, and how to cook with healthy ingredients.

Jillian explained the inspiration for the show like this:

"In a way, it [the show] is a response to the comments we always get on Loser. We always hear, 'It’s so easy to lose weight when you move into the camp and you’re living with trainers.' and 'Would they really be able to lose the weight if there wasn’t money on the line?'"

Well, I guess we'll find out.

Whose Celebrity Trainer Would You Want?

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:00:08 -0700

Actresses and singers are always in the spotlight, so it's important that they feel confident about their appearances. Since they make tons of moola, they can afford to hire the best personal trainers to whip them into tip-top shape. If you could have any celeb's trainer, who would you want to hire to kick your butt at the gym?

Shape Your Tush With Tips From Booty Master David Kirsch

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:30:36 -0700

Celebrity trainer David Kirsch's tips are all about the backside in his aptly titled upcoming book, Butt Book. Supermodel Karolina Kurkova was so impressed with Kirsch's ability to shape her booty that she affectionately calls him "Master of the Ass." High praise from someone whose job is looking hot in little clothing.

While promoting his book, the master shared some of his sculpting tips with Shape and suggests doing a variety of moves, like sumo lunges, platypus walk, and plié squats. To see what he recommends for people who worry about their quadriceps becoming bulky while strengthening and shaping their booty, read more.

Kirsch told Shape that anyone worried about bulking up their quads should stay away from traditional squats and explained,

They're going to [want] do a wide-stance squat or a plié squat, which is second position dance, opening up your legs and bringing the focus to the inner thighs and not to the quads. Don't use excessive weight and keep repetitions high. I use body weight or a medicine ball or light hand weights.

There you have it, from the master himself. Would you buy his book that's all about achieving your ideal booty?

Can't Run? Celeb Trainer Suggests the Treadmill Climb

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:00:05 -0700

Running isn't for everyone. While it makes me feel amazing, it's not so easy on the joints, which prevents some people from enjoying this form of cardio. If an injury has you searching for an alternative that provides similar physical benefits to running, celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak has a wonderfully grueling substitute.

Pasternak has trained celebrities like Alicia Keys, Eva Mendes, and Halle Berry, and recently he's been whipping The Fast and the Furious actress Jordana Brewster into fantastic shape. Women's Health interviewed Jordana and got the scoop about her workouts, learning that she likes having a routine "because everything else . . . is so unpredictable." She shared her routine with WH and said,

I do cardio six days a week, with weight resistance in between. I also work with [celebrity trainer] Harley Pasternak three times a week. I used to run, but can't anymore because [it hurts my knees]. But what's just as effective? Putting the treadmill at an incline of 12- that's steep!-and climbing for 30 to 40 minutes.

Sounds like a workout that would definitely work up a sweat. Here's an uphill treadmill hike workout for you to try. Has an injury prevented you from running?

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.

Celebrity Trainer David Kirsch Loves Push-Ups and Hates Processed Carbs

FitSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Celeb trainer David Kirsch took time out of his busy schedule - his days start with a 5 a.m. workout before training clients at his gym in Manhattan - to speak with me yesterday. David helped Heidi Klum walk gorgeously down the runway eight weeks after having her third child. His client list also includes Anne Hathaway, Liv Tyler, and Faith Hill.

He launched his Summer Slimdown program for free, so I decided the time was right to ask him for more fitness advice. Always curious what personal trainers do for exercise, I asked David his favorite core move; he recommends planks, and planks rolling into a T-position, as well as work on the stability ball. Kirsch believes in fitting fitness into a busy life, and when pressed for time push-ups are the one move he thinks you should do.

When I asked him how I could increase my metabolism he told me:
“You have to move your body faster to burn more calories. Combine good strength training exercises with a form of cardio, and it doesn’t have to be running. It can be circuit training or one of my boot camps as long as it keeps your heart rate up.” He follows his own advice. His early morning 45-minutes workouts are heart pumping circuits, which he does four to five days a week.

Learn David’s favorite foods and what he thinks about “cheat days,” when you read more.

When it comes to diet, David believes in eating well and listed salmon burgers, quinoa, and beans among his favorite foods. I asked if he believes in cheat days and he wholeheartedly replied, “Sure! But be smart about it. Pick a meal, or a certain food, but don’t eat five million pieces of it.” Once again, we learn from an expert that moderation is key. David also loves to cook and prepares Thanksgiving dinner for 30 to 40 guests every year. I asked him if he used butter for his T-day dishes and he said, “No” before I could say the second syllable of butter. His stuffing does sound divine: cornbread with chestnuts, herbs, turkey sausage, red peppers, apples, and apricots.

David does have a couple of suggestions on how to get beach ready. First he suggests that you fine-tune your diet, limit dairy, get rid of cheese completely, and stay away from processed carbs. Secondly, he says, “You should assess your body and see where you need work and be strategic. Do more plié squats if the inner thighs need toning. Do more Pilates if your abs need toning. Do push-ups if the triceps need toning. Maybe you need a little bit of all over toning so do it all over. Be strategic and come up with a process that is good for you."

Source

Celebrity Trainer Gunnar Peterson Says Get More Sleep

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:30:00 -0800

Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson is no stranger to pet projects. Not only did he help Jennifer Lopez train for her triathlon last Fall, he also teamed up with Molly Sims to help the canine set get some more exercise with the PetFit Challenge. These days he is teaming up with Gatorade to spread the fitness word, which he did at the G Gym during the Sundance Film Festival. Recently, I was able to do a brief interview with him - he is a busy man. More a man of action than words, I went right to the heart of the matter and asked about core work.

FitSugar: Let's get down to business - what is your favorite core exercise?
Gunnar Peterson: I’m a big fan of the wood chop, whether it’s standing with a medicine ball, kneeling with a cable, or on a stability ball with a dumbbell.

FS: If I only have time for one strength training move at the gym, what multitasking move should I do?
GP: Squat with bicep curl and overhead dumbbell press, all in one.

FS: What do you recommend for a post-workout snack, after a 60-minute training session of cardio and strength training?
GP: This is what I would consider perfect eating after a workout: salmon, a yam, broccoli and Gatorade.

FS: Speaking of Gatorade, what is your favorite flavor, and when do you think sports drinks come in handy?
GP: I am a lemon lime lover! The original G (Gatorade) for the original G (Gunnar)! You should drink Gatorade during a vigorous workout and post vigorous workout, sports drinks are best.

To hear what Gunnar has to say about training celebs, read more.

FS: Tell us one thing we don’t know about celeb fitness. What is your typical day like? When do you work out?
GP: My typical day starts at 4 a.m. I train before my clients, and I work with seven to nine people between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. While that may not sound like a great day to some, it’s a great day to me. Celebrities work out a lot harder and a lot more consistently than they’re given credit for. They do what they do as well as they do it in peak condition under a microscope. That’s a tall order to fill.

FS: If we could change one thing to live fitter/healthier lives, what would it be?
GP: Get more sleep.

FS: What do you think of reality weight loss TV shows, like the Biggest Loser? What about Jackie Warner’s Workout?
GP: Any show that motivates people to do more for health and fitness than they’re currently doing is a success in my book.

FS: Any advice for folks making New Year’s resolutions to lose weight?
GP: Don’t make a big deal out of the resolution. Of the three “D’s” involved - decide, discuss, and do - eliminate “discuss.”

Guess Who Said It?

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Which celebrity trainer said this about exercise in 2009?

"The big exercise trend is going to be group fitness classes. A spin class is considerably less money than paying for a personal trainer."

Source and Source

DVD Review: Tracy Anderson Dance Cardio Workout

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Years ago, I used to dance around, high impact aerobic style to Madonna's first album (sing with me "I'm burning up, burning up for your love"), so I find it humorous that over 20 years later I am dancing around my living room with Madonna's trainer. Well not actually with Tracy Anderson, but with her new Cardio Dance Workout DVD ($30).

Anderson believes that dance cardio is the perfect aerobic workout for creating long, lean muscles and a feminine, toned physique. When dancing you work your muscles from a wide variety of angles as opposed to running or biking, which are repetitive in one direction, which in her opinion can create bulk. This workout is high energy dancing, dare I say high impact aerobics, full of hopping, jumping, high kicks and even the 60s dance step the Pony. The eight combinations that make up the workout are like a jazzy version of petite allegro (the jumping section of a dance class). Even though it is high energy and full of movement, I was able to dance almost full out in my tiny living room.

To see how the workout is broken down, just read more.

Tracy begins the workout with a brief explanation of her fitness philosophy, and tells you that you should do this workout four to six days a week. Then in a very detailed, but unfortunately music free section, Tracy breaks down the movement of the eight cardio dance combinations. In this 47-minute section, she teaches the combination facing away from you so you watch her back, just like you would in an actual dance class. She also shows you the moves once from the front so you get a feel for the dance. Learning the combinations is a workout unto itself, since you dance and hop around, which is why I was confused to have a five minute warm up follow this section and appear at the beginning of the actual dance workout. You can follow the 45-minute dance workout section with Tracy facing you or facing away from you. I found it much easier to follow her back, since this is how I learned the combinations. The camera work for the workout section is a little busy so if you don't have the movements down, which you won't after just one viewing, you might find yourself bouncing around until you catch up with Tracy. There is no cool down stretching section at the end of the workout, which my legs really needed after dancing for a total of 90 minutes. Since Tracy rarely talks during this section, it felt like I was having a personal dance party in my living room, or in her beautiful dance studio.

This DVD is challenging and my legs are feeling it in a good way today. There is little chance of you getting bored with the DVD since the dance steps are complicated and fun, and I think it would take multiple viewings to really learn them. I would love to take one of her classes in person because the group energy of dancing would be very motivational and maybe I would run into Madonna or Gwyneth if they were in LA.

If you want to dance your heart out to get your heart rate up, you can purchase this DVD from the Tracy Anderson Method website.

Speak Up: Whose Celebrity Trainer Would You Want to Hire?

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0700

We are surrounded by TV, movies, and magazines, making it hard not to notice gorgeous celebrities. I know they get paid to look good, and they definitely have some help along the way. I'd give away my iPod nano in a second for just one hour with Madonna's trainer. How about you? Who's celebrity fitness trainer would you want to hire to kick your booty?