FitSugar

Take It to the Gym: Printable Booty Workout

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Working the booty is always a great thing to do, plus it is great prep for the upcoming swimsuit season. Watch the video first then you can print out this printer friendly version to take with you to the gym.

Kicks
(10 reps each leg)
Do's and Don'ts

Keep elbows directly under your knees
Start with your toes on the ground and your foot flexed
Do not allow your back to arch, just use the glute to lift your leg
Keep abs engaged - this exercise works your core too.

Donkey Kicks
(10 small pulses each leg)
Do's and Don'ts

Keep your knee pointed down towards the floor
Keep the motion small and concentrated
Use your abdominals to stabilize - pull them away from the floor

There's more, so

Charlie Chaplin (20 pointed feet, 20 flexed) Do's and Don'ts Do 20 small clicks of the heels with toes pointed Then do 20 small clicks of the heels with feet flexed Keep knees straight and move from the upper inner thigh Keep your abs up and lifted - your hand under your belly is there to remind you to pull the abs up and away from the floor
Bridge with Pulses (10 small pulses) Do's and Don'ts Keep your legs parallel (try this with a small ball or pillow between your knees Place your heels close to your pelvis to work the glutes more
Bridge with kicks (5 reps each leg) Do's and Don'ts Work the glute of the foot that is in on the ground - this will help steady the pelvis Don't lower just until it is even with the other knee - use control Flex the foot as you lower the leg, reach through that heel
Raise the leg with a pointed foot
Squats on 3 Levels (10 pulses on each level) Do's and Don'ts Really stick your booty out - DO NOT tuck your pelvis under Feel like you are sitting back in a chair You should be able to see your toes, because you are keeping your weight in your heels to fire up the glutes Do ten squats, then lower your bum for 10 more, then go even lower for the last 10 For more details on squats - check out You Don't Know Squat
Plié Squats (10 slow pulses) Do's and Don'ts Open your legs super wide, so when you bend your knees they are right over your toes Spiral your thigh bones away from each other to open your knees - they should be in line with your big toe Pulse up from your sits bones squeezing together
Pulsing Lunges (10 pulses each leg) Do's and Don'ts: Ideally, both knees should be at 90 degrees Do not push with the back leg, initiate the pulse from the glute of the front leg Use weights to increase the difficulty of the exercise

Give Some One a Kick From Your Kicks

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:15:00 PST

Were you gifted a new pair of sneakers this holiday season? Instead of chucking your old sneaks, donate them to someone who really needs them.

One World Running is a fabulous international non-profit program promoting an awareness of health, fitness and nutrition by providing running shoes to those in need in the United States and around the world.

To help provide shoes to someone who needs them, send your gently worn, worn or new shoes to:
Daily Camera Newspaper
Attn: Sports Department
1048 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302

To find out more, visit the One World Running website.

How Supermodel Miranda Kerr Got Her Prebaby Body Back

Self — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:17:28 PST

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

Sure, your chances of becoming a Victoria's Secret model may be as remote as winning the lottery, but looking like one is an entirely different story. When Miranda Kerr needed to tone up fast after giving birth to son Flynn with actor Orlando Bloom, she turned to FITiST celebrity trainer Andie Hecker to whip her back into supermodel shape.

"She came to me shortly after Flynn was born so we needed to I focused on pulling her abs back to Victoria's Secret model-flat and strengthening and toning her arms so she could easily and safely tote her growing baby around," says Hecker, founder of LA-based dance studio Ballet Bodies.

Their workout routine consists of Pilates fused with ballet techniques, a fat-blasting combo that burns 300 to 500 calories per workout. "Ballet Bodies is a classical ballet-based workout," she explains. "It's actually a workout that utilizes true ballet fundamentals placed atop Pilates, traditional personal training, and various cardiovascular activities such as jumping and kicking."

To do Kerr's postbaby arm workout at home, incorporate these four moves into your regular workout four to six times a week. Add one- or two-pound hand weights for "optimum muscle exhaustion and results." Get the workout after the break!

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Heart"

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:00:21 PST

It's Valentine's Day at McKinley, and everyone gets in on the action in this week's episode of Glee. For the lesson, Mr. Schuester wants everyone to choose a great love song to perform, which means a lot of the action takes place in the relationship department. Finn and Rachel try to get everyone excited about their upcoming nuptials; Brittany and Santana deal with scrutiny of the nature of their relationship, and Mercedes and Sam may love each other, but they just can't seem to get it together.

At first, I was pretty excited that "Heart" was going to be an episode full of musical numbers, but it feels a little plot driven for my taste. Regardless, there's a lot happened this week, so get in on all details after the jump.

Miranda Kerr Spreads the Valentine's Love in Sydney

Lauren Turner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:27:34 PST

Miranda Kerr kicked off her Valentine's Day celebrations with an appearance at Australian department store David Jones yesterday. She had her mom Therese on hand as she promoted her skincare line, Kora Organics, greeted fans, and gifted supporters with personalized Valentine's Day cards. Miranda's been in her native Australia all month, and while she's been working during her stay, she's also enjoyed downtime with her family. Miranda, Orlando Bloom, and Flynn relaxed poolside with friends last week, and the trio were back together for lunch just yesterday - Flynn showed off his walking skills during the afternoon outing!

The Artist Has a Big Night at the BAFTAs With Brad, George, Penelope, and More

Lauren Turner — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:55:48 PST

London's Royal Opera House was buzzing with stars as the BAFTAs kicked off last night. Brad Pitt popped up on the UK red carpet after attending the Berlin Film Festival premiere of In the Land of Blood and Honey with Angelina Jolie on Saturday. He was up for best actor, as was his pal George Clooney, who mingled with Colin Firth and his wife, Livia Giuggioli, on their way into the show. Presenter Penelope Cruz got glamorous in red while nominees Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, and Meryl Streep followed suit in gorgeous gowns. Michael Fassbender was back in front of the cameras following a win at yesterday's Irish Film and Television Awards in Dublin. Other guys to suit up for the event included Jon Hamm, Jonah Hill, Gary Oldman, and Jean Dujardin. Chris Hemsworth, who is up for the rising star award, also went with black-tie and posed alongside his pregnant wife, Elsa Pataky. What did you think of all the BAFTA red-carpet looks?

Brad, who wore a coat by Dolce & Gabbana over his tuxedo, didn't end up taking home BAFTA gold, since The Artist's Jean Dujardin was declared best actor. Meryl Streep added to her trophy collection with a best actress accolade for The Iron Lady. Octavia Spencer from The Help won best supporting actress, and the corresponding male honor went to Christopher Plummer for Beginners. The Artist also won best picture and best director. Whether they won or lost, many celebs were in a happy mood following the show. Meryl, Octavia, Chris, Elsa, and more went to the official afterparty, and the Weinstein Company hosted another of their famous bashes.

Jenny Packham Fall 2012

Hannah Weil — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:13 PST

A smoky backdrop and a slinky red gown set the stage for Jenny Packham's '40s-inspired collection of sequined, curve-conscious evening wear. Once the mellow jazz kicked in, Packham's perfectly coiffed film noir girls hit the catwalk in a bevvy of the designer's era-infused shorter frocks - all with bow-tied red or black belts - hitting that pitch-perfect styling note between pretty and sexy. There are the softer confections in pretty pastel pink and blue - the gowns we suspect Packham fan Kate Middleton will gravitate toward - but the bulk of the collection is devoted to the more vixen-like beauty in body-clinging detail, plunging necklines, and open backs. There's an underlying sense of sex appeal and a definitively glam finish with every piece, thanks to intricate shoulder embellishment, a subtle flash of skin, or a pretty dose of sparkle.

Trends: '40s glamour, cutouts, shoulder embellishment.
Colors: Black, red, nude, silver, pastel pink and blue.
Key Piece: We fell hard for the slinky gold-sequined gown.
Accessories: Crisscross black Louboutin pumps; red and black belts.
Who Would Wear It: Kate Middleton; red-carpet beauties with an eye for sexy silhouettes and pretty detail.

Madison Square Garden Goes to the Dogs For Westminster

Sara Yoo — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:30:00 PST

While last-minute shoppers rush to order flowers for their loved ones, another kind of frenzy has hit the Big Apple. The 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show kicked off the canine festivities with a fun fashion show on Friday night, but now it's down to business as the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding breeds and groups take to the ring today to narrow down the Best in Show pool. Take a look at the activity so far - including an appearance by Martha Stewart! - and check back for more updates throughout the day!

Nina Dobrev Joins Ashley Greene and Camila Alves For Fashion Week Fun

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:21:25 PST

Nina Dobrev spent the weekend in style as she hit up several New York Fashion Week shows. The Vampire Diaries star kicked things off on Saturday at Christian Siriano before joining her friend Camila Alves at Herve Leger by Max Azria and at Monique Lhuillier. The pair made a quick change between the latter two shows, as Camila swapped her sexy Hervé top in favor of a bright-yellow dress, and Nina changed out of a simple, black look and into a bold, blue sheath. Yesterday, Nina was back on the scene as she teamed up with another star of a bloodsucking franchise, Ashley Greene, at the DKNY presentation. The actresses claimed coveted spots right along the runway and chatted up their seatmate, model Coco Rocha, during the show. Nina had to leave the fashionable festivities shortly after DKNY wrapped, however, tweeting that she had a 6 a.m. call time on The Vampire Diaries set today. Nonetheless, there are still many more shows to come as NYFW continues, so don't forget to stay tuned to Fab and Fashionologie for all the latest looks and backstage coverage!

Kristen Stewart Talks Badass Fairy Tales, Bella Swan, and Her New Leading Man on Snow White Set Visit

Molly Goodson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:01:00 PST

Last October, we were so excited to pay a visit to the set of Snow White and the Huntsman outside London. We got a sneak peek into the amazing world Kristen Stewart and her costars, including Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Charlize Theron, and more, inhabited while shooting the action-packed fairy-tale movie. We have tons to come from our day poking around the remarkable set and learning about everything from the costumes to the fight scenes. While we were there, we even got to see the aftermath of Kristen accidentally actually punching Chris Hemsworth in the face filming a scene. Check out our chat with Kristen and stay tuned for lots from the set:

Is there something you admire about Snow White?

Yes. It’s strange playing a character that you actually could never truly embody. Her spirit affects people. . . I can’t have Snow White’s effect on people. I can’t actually be completely selfless because nobody is. You can only really play a character like that in a fairy tale and play it with an awful load of integrity. She’s very fully formed, but very farfetched-from-the-reality-that-we-live-in type of person. She also is strong in a very different way than you’d expect. Strength, yeah, but also gusto. I mean, she’s strong. She can kick ass. It hurts very much to do so and so it’s not like you’re watching her go take down a kingdom. You’re not watching going, "Yeah! Kill him!" Really it’s more like you’re watching someone having to do something that doesn’t just go against your sensibilities or that you agree with. It’s gutting. It’s physically gutting, literally. A million reasons, but she’s special.

Do you like that she’s not like your prissy fairy tale?

Yeah, because that’s just a very surface, though she is prissy sometimes. That’s the other thing. It takes her the whole movie basically to become who I’m talking about now. I’m really sort of talking in retrospect. It’s strange. It’s a total identity movie. It’s all about not finding yourself, but actually just being OK with who you always have been and not being ashamed of being the only one who sees the light. It’s an enormous burden and she’s so stunted. She was put away when she was 7 years old and your mother and your father were killed basically right in front of you. We’re not doing the version of a fairy tale that wouldn’t deal with all of those things, where you just sort of skim over all those things, and it's like all of these things are actually really important to the characters. She literally bleeds for her land and her people, and that’s just such a cool concept for me because it’s other people caring about people. It’s very simple, but it’s so common. Every day all the time you see people not caring about each other, and this is just about that.

She learns to be a leader or she’s born a leader inside, do you think?

She’s definitely a born leader. I mean, it’s literally pumping through those veins, but it’s been taken from her. She’s been so stolen from.

To read the rest of the interview, including her thoughts on Bella vs. Snow White and what it was like to punch Chris just

read more. Is it helping you get into the character's mindset to wear those cool costumes? Absolutely. If you look down and something doesn’t feel like you would definitely be wearing it, or if you go to grab your knife and it flops around or - basically [Colleen Atwood] thinks about every detail. It’s so wearable. I also have puffy sleeves. Somehow she manages to make puffy sleeves look butch. I was always expecting to personally wind up in a - basically what I’m wearing underneath it, like that little blue dress, which is just thin and wispy. I was really happy that she’s got something heavy on - a bit of armor before she actually finds her own armor. How did you feel the first time you put on the armor? Did you feel more badass? Yeah. That’s the first thing you want to [pound your chest]. Also, my armor doesn’t have a huge top on it. All the guys, unfortunately, they [raise their arms] and they hit themselves in the head. I can run around in mine. Somehow the armor on the men - unless they’re on horseback and they look amazing, but there’s also something kind of dainty about it, too, like pointy toes. It fits a woman’s body better, I feel. I don’t know, the guys running around suddenly look like little toys - slightly feminine little toys. Both Snow White and Bella had traumatizing experiences in the woods - being led out to die or have her heart broken - compare those two experiences? Well, it’s funny. I think [Snow White] genuinely lacks that innate fear of death that we all have. She’s got a serious, fierce survival - not skills, but insights. But she isn’t afraid of anything. What’s harder is to have dreams and hopes that you lived your whole life sort of be just shattered in front of you. So I think probably it’s totally impossible to compare the two. And I know that doesn’t make sense, but I kind of can’t compare. Can you compare the movies in general? Are there similarities at all? Bella and Snow White both come to find that they’re leaders. I mean, that’s definitely a similarity. They’re different. They’re very, very, very, different people. Also, I guess in a very sort of righteous way as well it’s all very like - everyone’s telling them “no” and both of them I guess see the light. Both of them are sort of a little more intuitive and spiritually, for whatever reason, connected and their gut is always sort of dead right. What about working with Chris surprised you? Did you have any preconceptions of him? Before I met him, I was like, "gosh, so charming." You know what I mean? Like he’s so ridiculously, seemingly nice. Movie-star caliber nice. But he really actually just is. But then again, it’s strange working - cause I mean it’s not a secret. It was completely different part before. It was totally like a rethought. So when he came in it was like "Wow! This is f*cking interesting!" I mean, it was like they really elevated it. Chris is an amazing, nice guy and also [has] great instincts and he can roll with everything on set. He’s really relaxed, whereas I’m always like, "oh my god!" I use my anxiety to do this and he’s always sort of like - he’s a good energy for me. I really like working with him. You actually punched Chris filming a scene and gave him a black eye? It’s actually a very confidence building experience. I don’t like punching anyone. So, you know, when you dream and your hand just slides right down their face, it doesn’t do that in real life. It really works. God, that really made me feel horrible, though. I mean, like instantly hot tears and I was like "oops!" We were watching it. It looks - it’ll be in the movie. Favorite fairy tale as a kid? I honestly don’t - somebody asked this the other day. I wasn’t here til the end of fairy tales. I really liked The Jungle Book. I was obsessed with The Jungle Book. Chris said Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. He is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and he was always like humming Enya as we were trudging up the mountain. I was saying basically, "You should make a remake of Lord of the Rings. Why are you doing this? . . . We’re doing Snow White and the Huntsman, Chris!" Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures