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Get Lifted: Bent Over Lateral Raises

FitSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

It is tank top time! Lateral raises are great for toning your shoulders, but if you also want to target your upper back and the posterior deltoid, try this variation. It's really challenging so you may have to start off with a lighter set of dumbbells.

To find out how to do this move read more.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet hips-width distance apart. Keep a slight bend in your knees. Fold your torso forward so your back is almost parallel with the floor, and your hands are under your shoulders. Draw your abs in to protect your lower back.
As you exhale, lift your arms out to the side so they are in line with your shoulders. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. To get the upper back working, think of sliding your shoulder blades together. As you inhale, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Get Lifted: Lateral Raises

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Lateral Raises, also called side-arm raises or shoulder raises, work your (you guessed it) shoulders and more specifically your deltoids. It also strengthens your upper back. For this exercise, you'll need a set of 4 to 8 lb. dumbbells.

Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms face in towards the sides of your body.
Start with the right side first. With control, keep your arm straight (but don't lock that elbow) and as you inhale, raise your right hand up towards the ceiling. You want your palm to be facing down, and your arm to be parallel to the floor. Then as you exhale, slowly lower your hand back to your body. You should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision. So your arm isn't directly out to the side, but slightly forward.
Do the same move with your left arm.
Then do both your right and left arms at the same time.
Continue these moves of right, left, together, right, left, together, for a total of 10 to 12 reps. Do two sets.

Source

Get the Bod: Brooke Burke

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:00:00 -0800

Brooke Burke may be pregnant but she is still super hot. Now we know why... she is doing squats combined with lateral raises on a BOSU!

Looks like Brooke is working what she can while she's preggers: her legs and her shoulders. To do Brooke's killer BOSU work out read more

For this work out you are going to need a BOSU and free weights.

Start by holding 5-8 pound dumb bells.
Stand on (in the center) of a BOSU -- take a moment to gain your balance before going further. Keep the weights at your side.
Slowly, squat down, using the heels of your feet and the weights to balance you.
Bring yourself slowly back up to the starting position.

Now do one regular front raise (still standing in the center of the BOSU), which completes one rep.
Do 3 sets of 10.

Fit's Tip: For the proper ways to do squats and front raises, be sure to click on the words above. Use your judgement on how much is too much - if you are struggling to do 10, then start with 8 and work your way up to 10 in a few weeks. If 10 is too easy, then start with 12. Also, if you're experienced with weight training you may want to use heavier weights and if this is your first time, you may want to go lighter. If you are as preggers as Brooke and haven't been exercising regularly, you should start with lighter weights and stand on the ground (not on a BOSU) and consult your OB first.

Source

What Size Dumbbells to Use When

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:15 -0800

Dumbbells are an active girl's best friend because they're fairly inexpensive, compact, easy to use, and allow you to tone every part of your body. Using them can be a little confusing since they come in so many sizes, and many people may not realize that one size doesn't fit all exercises. For example, since biceps tend to be stronger than their neighbor muscles, the triceps, you'd want to use a heavier weight when doing bicep curls.

If strength training with dumbbells leaves you in the dark about what size weights to use for which exercise, here's a little cheat sheet. Since lifting too much can lead to a pulled muscle, here are the dumbbell weights you should start off with. Once your body becomes stronger, you can choose to gradually increase the amount.

To see the chart read on

Get Lifted: Water Pump

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:29 -0700

Just because Summer is over, doesn't mean you can neglect sculpting your shoulders. Here's a strength training move that will tone your deltoid, triceps, and biceps.

So grab a pair of dumbbells and read more.

Stand with your feet hip distance apart, arms by your sides, with a dumbbell in each hand. Engage your abs to create a stable base.
Take a breath in and as you exhale, do reach your right arm out to the side doing a lateral side raise until your arm is parallel to the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbow. Simultaneously, bring your left hand toward your armpit by bending your left elbow out to the side.
Inhale to return back to the starting position.
This counts as one rep. Complete three sets of 12 to 15 reps on each side.

Lunafest Film Festival Supports Breast Cancer Fund

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:30:36 -0700

Luna, maker of the sports bar for women's nutritional needs and super stylin' biking gear, also dabbles in the arts. Every October to coordinate with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, for the past nine years Luna has put on Lunafest, a festival of short films, by, for, and about women; the proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Fund.

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the premiere here in San Francisco. It was inspirational - both creatively and health-wise. The Breast Cancer Fund's mission is cancer prevention through educating women on environmental factors, including household cleaners and beauty products, that might play a part in the disease, as well as how healthy living - diet and exercise - help prevent it.

The cool thing is, you can host a Lunafest event, too, to raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund as well as a local nonprofit - more details on that later this month. There are already 110 screenings of the festival planned across the nation. Here's the calendar of events so you can find when the festival will be coming to a theater near you. One of the 10 films features Laura Dern (it's nice to see her again) in Courteney Cox's directorial debut, the charming 19-minute film Monday Before Thanksgiving.

I highly recommend this evening of films. How often do you get to raise funds for a good cause while sitting in the dark eating popcorn?

Weekend Workout: Biceps, Triceps, and Deltoids

FitSugar — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:30:00 -0700

If you're looking for a quick workout to target your upper arms, give this strength-training routine a try. You'll need a resistance band, a set of dumbbells, and a mat. Repeat all three exercises for a total of three rounds.

Resistance Band
Hammer Curls

Balancing Tricep
Kickback

Bent Over
Lateral Raises

Still itching for more? Check out these Weekend Workouts to learn how to tone other areas of your body.

Three Ways to Add Arm Work to Your Lunges

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:00:49 -0700

If you're pressed for time at the gym (and these days, who isn't), time-saving exercises are a must. Adding arm work to the ever-classic lunge is a great way to work more of you in one move. Here are three ways to get more bang for your buck.

Newbie: If you're new to lunges, just stepping out and returning to your starting stance can be challenging enough. Don't sweat it. Simply hold dumbbells to push yourself to the next level. Holding weights, five to 10 pounds, will make both your booty and arms work more.

Up the ante: Add bicep curls to backward lunges. As your leg lunges back, bend both elbows, bringing hand weights to your shoulders. This is a great multitasking move and is pictured above.

Learn one more killer variation.

Lifting Tip: Warm Up With 10 Minutes of Cardio

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:00:21 -0700

If you have a regular fitness routine, you may prefer alternating between days of cardio and days of strength training. On your strength training days, don't just jump right into your squats and lateral raises. Do a little cardio before you lift. Warm up for five minutes of easy cardio such as speed walking or jogging, and ramp up your pace for another five minutes with running, biking, or jumping rope. It's just enough to get your blood flowing and your heart rate up, and will also warm your muscles and tendons. This increases your muscles’ elasticity, allowing you to endure a longer workout, and prevent injury.

Late-Night Exercise Ideas

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0700

You missed your morning workout because you overslept. You couldn't make it to the gym on your lunch break because you had a doctor's appointment, and after work, you had to stay late for a meeting. You were starving by the time you got out, so a workout at that time was not going to happen. Now it's after 9 p.m., and heading to the gym is the last thing you want to do. Here are some late-evening workout ideas you can do at home.

Strength train with dumbbells. The exercise called Half Boat With Bicep Curl will work your upper body and your abs. Dumbbell Squats will target your quads and glutes. Or do Bent Over Lateral Raises to tone your upper back.
Strength train with no equipment. Do some Push-ups, work your core with Scissor Abs, or tone your bum with Lying Butt Lifts.

What else can you do at home? To find out read more.

Strength train with a yoga ball. Lie on your belly and do Superman Booty Lifts to tone the back of your body. Bicycle crunches are great at working your core, but if you do them with a ball, they're much more challenging. Or strengthen your upper body by doing Balancing Push-ups.
Pop in an exercise DVD - here are some that I have reviewed. Choose a fast-paced video if you feel like getting your heart rate up, or choose a mellow one if you want to do something relaxing before bed.
Stretch or do yoga. Flexibility training is an essential part of fitness that is quiet and easy to do. Plus, it is a great way to calm down after a busy day, and prepare you for a restful night of sleep

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