FitSugar

Back to Basics: Walking Forward Lunge

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:30:00 PDT

Skin is in this spring, so before you sport your cute shorts, do a few of these leg toning walking forward lunges.

Here's how to do it:

Stand upright, feet together, holding two light (5-8 pound) dumbbells at your sides (palms facing in).
Take a controlled step forward with your left leg.
Lower hips toward the floor and bend both knees (almost at 90 degree angles). The back knee should come close but never touch the ground. Your front knee should be directly over the ankle and the back knee should be pointing down toward the floor.
Push off the with your right foot and bring it forward to starting position (#1). This completes one rep.
Next step forward and repeat with the right leg.
Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings and quads.

Fit's Tip: If it is too hard to do with light weights, instead of holding dumbbells, you can place your hands on your waist instead.

Back to Basics: Stationary Reverse Lunge

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 08:45:17 PDT

Spring is coming, which means so are shorts and bikinis! Get killer legs with these stationary reverse lunges.

Here is how to do stationary reverse lunges, step by step:

To begin, your feet should be shoulder width apart, torso erect with arms hanging straight at your sides, palms facing in.
Take a slow, controlled lunge (or large step) backwards with your left foot.
Lower your hips so that your right thigh (front leg) becomes parallel to the floor. At this point your right knee should be positioned directly over your ankle and your right foot should be pointing straight ahead.
Your left knee should be bent at a 90-degree angle and pointing toward the floor. Your left heel should be lifted.
After reaching the bottom of the movement (when your left knee is almost touching the floor), pause for a moment, or a breath, then push with your left, or back foot to move almost straighten both legs (photo on the left). Keep both feet on the ground - you are not returning to the starting position, just raising your pelvis up a bit and almost straightening your knees.
This completes one, now bend your knees and lower your pelvis down to complete another. Do 10.
Return to the starting position (standing with both feet underneath your pelvis), now repeat the movement on the other side, stepping back with the right foot. Do ten up and downs (or reps) on this side now too.

Do 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg.
I have some pointers, so

Keep your torso as upright as possible during any Lunge exercise to minimize the stress on the back. Start slow and don't go too low if you are new to the reverse lunge. As you progress you will be able to lunge deeper and to work your glutes more and more. Really press the heel of your front foot into the ground to feel the glutes activate and engage.

Don't do this in a herky-jerky manner. Move slowly down and up - this will work your muscles more without jarring your knees.

I know it seems like a good idea to push on your knee with your hands to help yourself up but that is cheating, so don't do it.

To make this a little more challenging, hold dumbbells at your sides while you lunge. To help maintain balance, look straight ahead instead of down at your legs.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, butt and calves.

Fit's Tip: The reverse Lunge places less stress on the knees because the knees cannot extend beyond the toes, which makes the reverse lunge a good starter lunge.

Inversion Issues: How to Remedy Common Shoulderstand Complaints

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:14:27 PDT

You're loving your yoga class from Half Moon to Pigeon Pose, but as soon as you get to Shoulderstand, you're less than psyched. Although a basic - challenging, but basic - pose, Shoulderstand can put you at risk of strain and injury when done incorrectly. Turn this pose into your favorite by checking out these common complaints and ways to remedy them.

"I Can't Breathe"
If you're well endowed or carry extra weight in your belly, then gravity causes added pressure on the lungs and throat, making it tough to take in a deep breath. A supportive bra and fitted top can help, but if you still have trouble breathing, then changing how you do the pose will make a huge improvement. Instead of stacking your pelvis and feet directly over your shoulders, hinge at your hips slightly, pressing them away from your face so your feet extend slightly behind your head.

Still can't breathe? Try the Legs Up the Wall variation; rest your lower back on your mat or, to give your hips a little lift, rest your lower back on a folded-up blanket or flat bolster.

Continue reading to learn how to alleviate neck pain and feelings of imbalance while in Shoulderstand.

4 Reasons to Add an Exercise Ball to Your Home Gym

Leta Shy — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:58:44 PDT

The exercise ball may occupy a lot of room in your home gym, but it's one versatile piece of equipment. Find out how to get the most out of your exercise ball below.

A healthier seat: Ditch your normal seat on the couch and sit on an exercise ball instead. Using a ball to sit helps correct your posture, tones your abs, and encourages you to stretch, all of which sounds a lot better than the lower back pain that too much sitting on the couch can cause.

Routine shakeup: Adding an exercise ball to your normal mat routines can shake things up and challenge you. For example, you can plank using an exercise ball at your feet to make holding your pose that much harder, or sit or lay on your exercise ball while you execute arm exercises. Even just practicing your balance by kneeling on the exercise ball can help you tone and whittle. Need some ideas? Try these amazingly effective ab and butt workouts using the exercise ball:

Find out how to do the plank pike and the hamstring curl using an exercise ball with this advanced exercise ball workout video.
Skip boring crunches and do this ball pass ab exercise instead.
Challenge your core and balance with this single-leg squat, done against a wall using an exercise ball.
Lie on the ball and work your arms with this chest press move.

Read on for more reasons to use an exercise ball.

Know Your Basics: How to Do a Lunge

Leta Shy — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:07:30 PDT

Lunges are a quintessential exercise; you can do them anywhere and the effects can be seen in no time, in the form of shapely, toned legs and backside (just in time for bikini season!). If you're planning on incorporating lunges into your routine, however, make sure you're not doing more harm than good. Find out how to do lunges correctly below.

The basics: It's important to do lunges properly so you don't put unwanted strain on your joints. Here's how to perfect your form:

Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don't keep looking down). Always engage your core.
Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn't touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position.

Challenge your muscles: Now that you have the basics down, you can modify your lunge workouts in many different ways in order to work different muscles. For example, Crunch gym personal training manager Tim Rich recommends reverse lunges (stepping back instead of forward) as a good way to complement the forward movements in your daily life. "We always move forward," Tim says. "Moving in a reverse direction requires more skill and helps regain some balance and athleticism." Here are more recommended lunge variations to try:

Do a bicep curl with dumbbells while you lunge to work your upper body while you strengthen your legs.
Do this walking forward lunge workout to further challenge your balance.
Change it up with side lunges so you can work your lower body muscles in a different way than you normally do. Find out the correct way to do a side lunge here.

Injury prevention: Even though lunges are one of the best ways to work your lower body, some people tend to avoid lunges because it can put too much strain on the knees. If you feel pain, Tim recommends you take smaller steps as you lunge. "Reducing the range of motion will still develop good strength and alignment," Tim says. Slowly increase your lunge distance as your pain gets better. Some people also find that doing a reverse lunge instead of a forward lunge also helps reduce knee strain.

Do you like doing lunges?

5 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Your Outdoor Run

Shape — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:11:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to celebrity trainer Jay Cardiello for some help!

The weather is getting nice and you may have been bitten by the "run bug." To make the transition from indoor runs to the great outdoors seamless and safe, I compiled a list of my top five tricks to get the most out of your outdoor run. Whether you have had some success running on the treadmill, or you are completely new to outdoor running, there are two crucial factors that you must understand.

25 Most Deceiving Exercises (They Tone More Than You Think).

First, let's talk about a little guy named Newton. See, Newton has this law that states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Are you with me so far? Good. Well, with runners, the concern is what we run on. The harder the surface the greater the ground reaction force, which is basically the force exerted by the ground back onto the body (in this case, our little legs) that are in contact with it, is. To simplify this, surfaces like concrete and pavement will cause a greater reaction back into our joints and legs than an energy absorbing treadmill. This not only makes us work harder, but will tire us out faster and cause greater stress on our joints.

Are Your Workouts Causing Pain? How to Find Out.

Second, the treadmill is a flat belt that provides consistency with each step. There are no stones, traffic, or inclement weather activity that would cause you to be off balance or have to change your gait. Running outdoors forces the body to make constant small adjustments. That said, here is what’s going to make your outdoor run a successful one.

5 Unique Ways to Make the Most of Your Treadmill.

Learn how to make the most out of your outdoor runs after the break!

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Moment of Truth"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:29:56 PDT

As the title of this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy suggests, the moment the Seattle Grace residents have been waiting for has finally arrived: the boards. Jackson, Cristina, April, Meredith, and Karev are all gearing up for the big day, but they each have very different obstacles in their way. April is naturally freaking out, Karev can't get his mind off Morgan and Tommy, and Meredith comes down with the stomach flu at the worst possible time.

And then there are the doctors who aren't taking the test: Lexie is still taunted by her feelings for Mark, Teddy and Owen are at each other's throats, and Webber gives himself a break - with the help of Jackson's mom. Let's break down all the highlights of the episode when you

As the big day inches steadily closer, April is panicking more than ever. When she's not crying or snapping at people, she also finds time to accidentally tip off a fellow doctor that she snatched up the job he wanted for next year. Later, the same doctor drunkenly confronts her about the situation and April really loses her cool - she punches the guy out! High on confidence from her moment, she lunges at Jackson and tells him she's ready to lose her virginity. Jackson is actually really sweet about the whole situation, but April is clearly having some regrets immediately after. First, she kicks Jackson out of bed, then she hilariously freaks out about Jesus "hating her." It initially seems like a little sex might be just what April needs to chill out, but now I'm thinking she may have dug her own grave by giving herself yet another issue to agonize over.
While Jackson is busy making a woman out of his best friend, his mom is also getting a little action. Was anyone else a little weirded out by the way Jackson's sex scene is juxtaposed with his mom's? Mrs. Avery runs to Dr. Webber at the test site in San Francisco, and it's not long before she's whipping out all of her moves over dinner. Dr. Webber acquiesces, and they hop into the sack. It all seems well and good - Webber doesn't even seem to be having any regrets about Adele - until Jackson comes knocking on the door looking for his lucky pencil and instead finds the former chief in a bathrobe. Whoops.
One person who isn't getting any is Lexie, though it's not for lack of wanting. With Jackson away, Mark's a little restless around the hospital, so he turns his attention to Lexie. She does her best to try to keep her distance, but she can't help flirting a little. She even comes close to admitting her feelings but stalls when Mark tells her that she and Jackson made a great couple. Poor Lexie ends up literally crying on Derek's shoulder about how much the situation sucks - but I have a feeling it's all leading up to a big season finale reunion. On a related note - when was the last time Mark even mentioned his girlfriend?
With Meredith battling the flu, Cristina comes to her rescue with lots of Gatorade and other reinforcements (behind the safety of a surgical mask and closed door). The two have a heart to heart where Cristina finally opens up about her issues with Owen, but Meredith has a hard time consoling her when Cristina keeps going back and forth about what she wants to do with Owen. I was fully convinced that these two are done, but now it seems like Cristina is warming up to the idea of a reconciliation - what do you think?
Alex has been keeping his distance since his fallout with Morgan, but he can't stay away from her and baby Tommy this week. Arizona basically has to force him onto the shuttle to San Francisco, but even then he continues to call her every hour with ideas. Eventually he can't take any more and hops back on a plane to Seattle, but he's too late. Arizona informs Karev that it's finally over, and he sits with Morgan as she watches Tommy takes his final breaths. After the heartbreaking scene, Arizona convinces Alex that he should try to get back to SF in time for his boards, but in the final moments of the episode, we learn that he doesn't make it.

With only a few episodes to go, it seems like things are finally starting to get juicy on Grey's. Were you surprised about April and Jackson? Which doctors do you think will pass the boards?

Beyoncé's Fit Philosophy

Leta Shy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:05:51 PDT

How does someone become crowned People magazine's World's Most Beautiful Woman? Genetics, of course, play a major part, but so does having a healthy and happy lifestyle. Here's how 2012's winner Beyoncé has stayed fit throughout the years.

She's realistic: "I can't eat what I want, and I can't not go to the gym," Beyoncé told Self. She also has the right outlook; she knows that there isn't a quick fix when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. "The truth is, it's a lot of sacrifice. It's more about your mental strength than physical strength. You have to push yourself. It doesn't matter what trainer you have. And it doesn't matter what program you're on. You have to be healthy and make the right choices," she said.

She saves time: Beyoncé is a fan of celebrity trainer Marco Borges, who trains her using his signature Power Moves philosophy. This system helps Beyoncé save time since it relies on exercises that work several muscle groups at once. She also saves time by interval training, alternating between sprinting and running while on the treadmill, to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.

Learn more about Beyoncé's diet and fitness routine after the break!

Hollywood Secrets For Long, Lean Legs!

Self — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:30:18 PDT

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

Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz . . . Who hasn't watched their favorite movie stars walk the red carpet and grown a little envious of their mile-long legs? Granted, most leading ladies are blessed with superior DNA, but that doesn't mean you can't score long, lean gams too! "What is possible for others is possible for you," says Barry's Bootcamp cofounder Barry Jay, the celebrity trainer behind Eliza Dushku's, Stacy Keibler's, and Juliette Lewis's fit physiques. "But be patient! If you want legs that look like Jessica Biel's, do the work!"

That means ditching the late-night pizza runs and sticking to a healthy diet. Also remember to maintain proper form during those calorie-torching sweat sessions or all of your hard work will be for naught. "Form is everything," says Jay. "Don't just do it. Do it right!"

To get started, incorporate these three moves using a set of five- to eight-pound hand weights (or set a timer for one minute per exercise if hand weights are unavailable) into your regular routine twice a week. "Good legs are important because they help your whole body change," says Jay. "You burn the most calories when you work out your legs. They are the foundation of your body, a gift, and they deserve to look their best!"

Read on for the workout.