FitSugar

Pilates and Control

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:30:00 PDT

It is no joke that Joe Pilates nicknamed his exercise method Contrology, as in the study of control. While it is easy to mock for sounding so very anal retentive, it is actually a great movement principal to use in most forms of exercise.
Labeled a body / mind exercise, Pilates is about consciously moving your body with control. Haphazard and sloppy movement is a serious no-no in the Pilates method, in both the mat work and when using the machines. Focusing on motions emanating from your core helps you control the movements of your body. Basically you never really get to give into momentum in Pilates instead you control the momentum. You move your body actively and stabilize your core while your limbs move all about.

This movement fundamental can be applied to almost everything. I like to use it when I am lifting weights either free weights or weight machines. Slow and controlled lift up and slow and controlled lowering. If I am trying out a new piece of cardio equipment like the StepMill, I know I have figured out the basics when I can start focusing on this element of control. Step aerobics is another place to finely tune control. Step quietly on the step and you are using control.

Fit's Tip: Being conscious of your body movements while working out is great for injury prevention. Flinging free weights about is a sure fire way to over tax your joints.

Essential Exercises For Your Lower Body

Leta Shy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:12:24 PST

As Summer nears, our thoughts turn to what's underneath those layers of Winter clothes. If you're looking to tone your backside and legs before bikini season, here are five essential lower-body moves fundamental to any workout. And don't worry - you can do them anywhere!

The squat: That burning in your upper thighs as you hold a squat tells you just how great this move is for lower body muscles like hamstrings, glutes, quads, and the lower back, not to mention helping with your balance.
Don't forget: While doing squats, remember to keep your weight in your heels, not your toes, and as you lower yourself, pretend that you are sitting in a chair. Learn more on how to do a perfect squat and different squat variations here.

The lunge: This leg-strengthening move works the same muscles as a squat, but the movement required in the exercise helps you work your core muscles and balance as well. Another plus: between walking (forward or backward) or adding weights to your lunge workout, the possibilities are endless when it comes to lunge compound moves.
Don't forget: Make sure that your upper body is straight and upright, with shoulders down and chin up. When lowering your body, your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle, with the front knee never going past your ankle and bottom knee never touching the floor. Engaging your core muscles will help keep you centered and balanced. When you've mastered that, here are five lunge variations to try.

Read on for more essential lower-body exercises.

5 Reasons Not to Be Intimidated By Free Weights

FitSugar — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:08:31 PST

The free weights section of the gym can be a bit daunting thanks to floor-to-ceiling mirrors, stacks of barbells and dumbbells, and a crowd of bodybuilding types. But the benefits of free weight exercises are great, so it's important to boost your dumbbell confidence. Here are five reasons you should take a break from the weight machines:

Your know more than you think you know. There aren't any black-and-white guidelines for using free weights, but that's no reason to walk away, since free weight exercises are based on the popular moves you already know, like squats, lunges, chest press, shoulder press, bicep, and triceps curls. Plus, any additional movements that you usually perform on weight machines can also be done with free weights - with the added physical benefit (and challenge) of maintaining your stability.
It's not all about the pounds. Balance is one of the biggest benefits of free weights, and you don't need to be lifting twenty pounds to see results. Grab light dumbbells and perform standard exercises on one foot to strengthen the stabilizing muscles that are often overlooked.

Keep reading for more reasons to use free weights.

4 Ways Pilates Makes Everything Better

Susi May — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:43:46 PDT

Pilates has a rep as a girly exercise form that attracts ladies who lunch. Private sessions can be pricey, but mat classes will work your entire body. Originally called Contrology, the practice was actually developed to rehab injured soldiers after WW I - talk about functional fitness! After teaching the method for years (and rehabbing my own chronic back injury with it), I have decided Pilates makes everything better, from life's basics like sitting to things more extreme like CrossFit. Here are four Pilates fundamentals that everyone can benefit from learning.

Breathing
The most basic human function, breathing supports life and a fit life, too. A proper inhale fuels your muscles with oxygen, and a powerful exhale helps you engage your deep abs to protect your spine and support your torso. The conscious and studied breathing in Pilates might feel tedious at first, but learning how to breathe into your lower lungs, rather than just your chest, helps makes you a more efficient cardio machine. The Pilates method of inhaling wide through the ribs and exhaling by contracting the deep abs to push the diaphragm into the lungs also means you can keep your upper body and neck relaxed as you take in air.

Learn three more benefits when you keep reading.

DVD Review: Bar Method Dancer's Body Advanced Workout

Angelica Marden — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:20:43 PST

Barre-based workouts have become increasing popular thanks to Natalie Portman's dancer bod in Black Swan, the Tracy Anderson Method, and barre3; and Bar Method, a ballet-inspired sculpting program with studios across the US, is no exception. The method, which is taught as an hour-long class, focuses on isometric movements, light weight work, stretching, and subtle moves at the barre. It is also one of the workouts Kelly Osborne used to get fit. As someone who practices it weekly, I can attest it's a serious workout, so I was excited (and even a little scared) to challenge myself with the Bar Method Dancer's Body Advanced Workout DVD ($20).

Led by cheery and pretty-to-look-at-while-you-are-sweating Bar Method teacher and actress Marnie Alton, the DVD offers a variety of the method's staple moves. Like the class, it starts off slow with leg lifts, light arm exercises (it's recommended you use two- to four-pound weights), and then jumps into the method's secret sauce: intense leg work at the barre. They recommend you use a chair or portable barre, but I found a ledge in my living room worked just fine for the "water-ski thigh-work" and more balletic "arabesque" exercises, and the floor and my yoga mat worked swell for the abdominal "clam shell" exercises. The routine was tough, and like the last "Accelerated" Bar Method DVD the ab exercises were killer. I wish the DVD included a chapter showcasing a few of the moves that are easier to perform with a makeshift barre, but the chapters with form instruction made up for it.

Is this DVD good for beginners? Keep on reading for the answer and a video clip of the workout.