FitSugar

A Boot Camp You Can Fit into Your Lunch Break

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:00:00 PDT

Bikini season is at its peak, so how come we've lost motivation at the gym? Probably because we're bored!

We've gone full force leading up until Summer and then we run out of ideas to keep us motivated. The same old routine is just that, routine. If you're looking to change up your exercise program and really keep your motivation going, then try out my mini-boot camp. It's only six minutes and it's a sure way to work your legs, arms, and abs. All you need is your body weight and six minutes to spare. Ready? Go!

I often do the boot camp as a supplement to my outdoor runs and stair climbing, but you could also do it inside as well. Let me know what you think when you try it. I'll bet you thought it was a lot harder than it looks. If you liked it, then be sure to print out the exercises so you can do it without your computer in the future.

A Week In Review: FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PDT

Watch the Mini Boot Camp exercise video, then print out the Take It To the Gym chart of the exercises. Have fun!!!!

Saka Yoga Bag Giveaway!!! Have you already left your comment about your favorite yoga pose? If not, leave one to enter to win this great bag. Comments section will close at 9:15 am PST...so you should do it now.

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The Katherine Heigl interview in "Glamour" is pretty interesting - She talks about her weight loss regimen for her role in Knocked Up.

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Tight hamstrings? Try the seated forward bend. It feels great and stretching your legs is a great thing you can do for your body.

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Here are a few tips on easing the pain of your sunburn, in case you didn't use enough sunscreen.

Tell me, which do you like less: arm work or ab work.

Take It to the Gym: Mini Boot Camp

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PDT

You saw the video and now here's the print out of the Mini boot camp so you can take it to the gym or the park or your backyard. Click here for the printer friendly version.

Boot Strappers 20 reps Only straighten your legs as far as you can while still keeping your hands on the ground Do not jam or pop your knees to straight Relax your neck and look at your shins Exhale as you straighten your legs and use your abs pulling toward the sky to initiate the motion
Boot Strappers Move 2 Come into a full crouched position with your heels raised Inhale as you bend your knees
Push Ups 10 reps Exhale as you push the ground away
Plank with Leg Raise 10 sets - alternating legs Focus on the glutes and hamstrings lifting the leg Keep your core engaged Do not let your back sway to lift your leg

Is there more??!!?? You betcha! Just

Push Ups 10 more reps Move to your knees only if you have to If your arms feel like they can't take it, try to stay in a plank and just make the motion smaller
Squats 10 reps Really stick your booty out as you bend your knees Keep your weight in your heels Keep your chest up and look forward Do not round your back, keep it neutral
Squat with Heel Raise 10 sets - alternating heels Hold your squat position and just lift one heel Keep your chest up
Squats 10 more reps
Twisting Side Lunges 10 sets - alternating sides Touch your hand to the outside of your foot Exhale as you twist down, inhale as you return to standing If your inner thighs are tight, you should stretch them first Focus on your obliques making the twisting motion
Alternating Forward Lunges 10 reps, stop with LEFT foot forward Aim to get both knees to 90 degree angles Really push off with the front foot to return to standing, this gets that back of the leg to work Keep your gaze straight out Your arms out to the sides helps with balance
Lunge with Twist to Left 10 reps Keep your torso long as your twist your ribs to the left Your pelvis should stay aimed forward Reach through your back heel to engage your glute muscle Exhale as you twist and imagine your waist wringing out like a wet washcloth
Alternating Forward Lunges 10 reps, stop with RIGHT foot forward Use "Diver Arms" position this round to challenge your balance more "Diver Arms" are arms overhead with elbows straight and hands overlapping
Lunge with Twist to Right 10 reps Keep your torso long as your twist your ribs to the right Genie Arms may feel stupid, but they make it harder to cheat and just move your shoulders to the right
Standing Knee Touch 10 sets - alternating sides This old school marching works the abs, so imagine the knee coming up because the navel is pulling to the spine Reach your arms up as the leg goes down You are bringing the opposite elbow down to the opposite knee
Isometric Crab Hold hold for 30 seconds Finger tips should point toward your bum Keep the pelvis at the same level for the entire 30 seconds, don't let it drop Let your head relax all the way back

Exercise Video: Mini Boot Camp

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:30:00 PDT

Looking for some moves to add to your workout? Moves that don't require any props or accessories, just a healthy "can do" attitude?

Well here's 6 minutes worth of moves that work your legs, arms, and abs. These are whole body, multitasking moves. You get some serious bang for your buck here. Add this workout into your routine and use it to split up time on a cardio equipment, or after your run. So the routine would go something like this: 10 minutes on the treadmill, mini boot camp, 10 minutes on elliptical, mini boot camp . . . you get the idea. Try it out and let me know what you think.

There is an isometric crab at the end of the video, if you feel you heart rate is still high you should hold off since the abrupt stop in motion is not the best for your heart.

There are a few tips, to see them just

Boot Strappers:
If you have tight hamstrings, straighten your knees only as far as is comfortable, but DO keep your hands on the ground.
Don't jam your knees to a hyper-extended position. Straighten them using your muscles not, brute force and momentum.
Exhale as you straighten your knees and really engage your abs while you do this by pulling your belly button to your spine.
Push Ups:
Try to do full body push ups, but move to your knees when your arms feel like they are about to give out.
Plank with Leg Lifts
Just hold steady and really keep your center engaged.
Squats
Go as low as you can to really work your back side.
Alternating Side Lunges
Take this move easy if you have tight inner thighs - stretch them like this.

Here's the Take It to the Gym printer friendly version of the Mini Boot Camp. Seriously, you should print it out and take it with you to the gym!!!

C&J Nutrition's Tips For Giving Up a Vice

Guest Writer — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:16:18 PDT

Not only is a nutritional counseling session with C&J Nutrition part of the grand prize for our Get Fit For 2011 giveaway, but the duo of registered dietitians want to help you catch up on your Get Fit For 2011 challenges. These gals have some great advice for giving up a vice, the 10th challenge of the contest. Here are their tips.

Very few people can quit a vice cold turkey. Most of us need some sort of ongoing support to stick with healthy changes until they're ingrained in our life enough to make them permanent. That support comes from many different places - co-workers, family, friends, etc. - but the most important source of support is YOU. Here are a few tips for helping yourself stick with the plan to give up a vice, both immediately and in the longterm.

Set goals that are challenging yet attainable. It feels great to meet a goal. It feels even better to struggle a bit and feel challenged and finally meet a goal. On the other hand, it doesn't do you any good to set a goal that is unrealistic for your life. Instead, set a goal that you can achieve but that will challenge you. In order to determine this, ask yourself what it would take on a daily basis to achieve your goal/give up your vice. If your list of daily activities to achieve the goal are things that are feasible with some effort, then it's challenging yet realistic. If your list gives you an ulcer because you're pretty sure you can't (or won't) do most of the things on it consistently, then it's probably not a realistic goal for you right now.
Make mini-goals and track them daily. What are the daily habits it will take to make your goal a reality? If you're giving up mindless snacking in front of the TV at night, the daily mini-goals might be: Making a list of things to do other than eating at night and checking it when you feel like snacking; doing exercises in between commercial breaks on TV; putting all food into cabinets and out of sight after a certain time; eating all snacks from a portioned out bowl - not straight from the container. Once you have your mini-goals solidified, write them down, visit them daily, and keep track of your achievements.

Keep reading for two more great tips!

Smart Snacking With Tips From C&J Nutrition

Guest Writer — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:10:24 PST

The following post was written by C&J Nutrition, a duo of registered dietitians based in NYC and LA, to help you get a handle on this week's Get Fit For 2011 giveaway snacking challenge.

We are big fans of snacking. Why do we love snacks? Our top 3 reasons are . . .

Knowing we'll be having a snack in between one meal and the next makes it easier to stop eating a meal when we're "satisfied" versus "full."
Snacking keeps us from arriving at meal time ravenous - helping to avoid "grab the first thing I see and eat a lot of it" situations.
Snacks help us fit in nutrients we may not otherwise get enough of in our meals. Low on calcium-rich foods in meals? Try yogurt as a snack. Not fitting many veggies into meals? Pair some crudites with hummus. Short on fruit? Dip apple slices into peanut butter.

We're regular snackers and suggest AT LEAST one snack per day to all of our clients. We recommend pairing two of the three main nutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein) together into a snack. Other than this general premise, we get pretty creative with our snacks and hope you take some of our ideas and give them your own awesome spin.

Apple slices with peanut buttery dip
Baby carrots and grape tomatoes with hummus: Pair 1/2 cup grape tomatoes with 1/2 cup baby carrots and 1/4 cup Tribe Origins hummus. (Tribe doesn't use any artificial preservatives!)

Keep on reading for more snack ideas!

Boot Camp For Beginners: 7 Things You Should Know

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:45:40 PDT

I prefer Pilates and dance classes over high-intensity workouts, but a few weeks ago, I decided to try out my gym's bootcamp class. Thinking "boot camp" would consist of a bunch of girls doing some squats and jogging around the room, I figured I could handle it no problem. You can imagine my shock when I entered a room full of beefy men and started sweating profusely within the first five minutes of class as the tough instructor with a buzz cut barked a series of training exercises that had me gasping for breath.

For the next hour, I felt as humiliated and weak as a middle school football player, and even a few classmates gave me supportive high fives as I consecutively came in last place on the relays, outside sprints, and mat sequences. For the next week, my entire body ached, and I could have given up all together. However, I decided to persevere and attend the next class better prepared. The second class, I felt a million times stronger and more resilient, and now I'm on a total bootcamp kick. If you are considering taking your first bootcamp class, feel prepared and confident to dominate this intense workout by following my tips.

Yoga Styles Decoded

Shape — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:34:24 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Hatha Yoga

Origin: Introduced in 15th-century India by Hindu sage, Yogi Swatmarama, Hatha poses - Downward Facing Dog, Cobra, Eagle, and Wheel, for example - make up most yoga sequences practiced today.
Philosophy: The goal of Hatha yoga is to bridge the body and mind with the breath in a series of physical poses called asanas.
What to Expect: Prepare for a gentle routine that often includes Sun Salutations, balancing poses, forward bends, and back bends to work the body and focus the mind. These movements all lead up to the final relaxation - the blissful Savasana at the end of class.

Try it if…
… you want an easy-going class that will challenge without overwhelming.

Ashtanga Yoga

Origin: One of the oldest forms of yoga, Ashtanga yoga was first recorded in ancient Indian manuscripts, but brought to life by K. Pattabhi Jois, who has been teaching it since 1948. Ashtanga (which literally translates to eight-limbed yoga) is influenced by Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, a yogic guideline for a meaningful life.
Philosophy: The Ashtanga technique is concerned with linking breath and movement - also known as Vinyasa. The advanced practice utilizes the dristi (the gaze) and the bandhas (internal body locks), which assist in holding the challenging poses of the sequence.
What to Expect: Think of traditional Ashtanga as the zen form of yoga. You'll flow from pose to pose with your breath - no props, no music, and no self-help lecturing - staying present in the moment. You'll earn your Savasana, the final relaxation pose, with plenty of arm strengthening chaturangas, inversions, and other advanced poses.
Try it if…
… you're looking for an old-school, kick-ass practice that's rooted in tradition rather than trend.

See even more styles of yoga decoded after the break!