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How Long Does It Take to Fall Out of Shape?

Self — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:06 PDT

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

As we move into the dog days of August, that going-to-get-my-best-body-ever summer motivation starts to wane, and we're more likely to skip a few days or weeks worth of workouts.

This often leaves us wondering just how much damage we've done. I mean, if we take two weeks off, are we (gulp) back where we started?

For a little morale boost and a dose of reality, we called on Craig Rasmussen, a fitness coach in Newhall, Calif.

Obviously, just how quickly you lose fitness depends on your starting fitness level, as well as other factors such as age and genetics. But Rasmussen's general take is this:

After two weeks off . . .
"We will probably start to see a decline in general fitness levels," says Rasmussen. "These can occur at different rates in the muscular and cardiovascular systems." At this point, it's probably safe to jump back in at the same intensity you were cranking at before the hiatus.

Secret shortcut: Cardio levels decrease faster than strength - the magic of muscle memory. To take advantage of this phenomenon, during hellish work weeks, do just one set of five strength exercises - studies show that 50 to 90 percent of your strength gains come from your first set (though when your schedule eases up - to build muscle and ward off bone loss - go back to 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 exercises 2 or 3 days a week).

Learn what happens after 14 days of skipping workouts when you read more.

Brooke Shields on Shape, Talks About Being Out of Shape

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:00 PDT

Brooke Shields, despite being a big star, still has her fair share of fitness issues. She knows the importance of staying healthy but understands that life can throw you curve balls. In the October issue of Shape, she opens up about how she overcomes such shake-ups. Here are highlights

Sure, it’s easy - as Brooke knows - to stick to a healthy eating and regular exercise program when everything is going according to schedule. It’s when your day-to-day routine gets an unexpected shake-up that your skills are put to the test. "I was worried about getting out of shape and gaining weight after the [foot] surgery," says Brooke. "So just as I did with my pregnancies, I decided to go into it at my physical best." For her, that meant ramping up her exercise routine to preemptively drop a few pounds before her operation.

To see what her go-to workout is for dropping a few pounds, just

"Spinning is the only way I ever lose weight," she says. "It’s purely about keeping my heart rate up and burning calories." Now, two months after surgery, she’s gained 9 pounds. "That was a little more than I’d hoped, but by giving myself that cushion, I know I’ll get back into shape pretty quickly once I can start Spinning again," she says.

How true is that? And one of the hardest things is to stay on track when things are not on schedule – um hello, holidays. Have you ever experienced a little (or big) shake-up in your life that put your health and fitness goals on hold? If so, share with us below!

Jennifer Garner Doesn't Like Her Belly Either

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:00:00 PST

Not liking the shape you're in or the shape of your body these days. Well you are not alone.

Here's what Jennifer Garner recently told Elle about the state of her body:

"My trainer just shakes her head and says, 'This is a disaster.' I am as physically unfit as I've probably been in my whole life. It's such a horror in front of the mirror without any clothes on...." (She lifts her sweater and squeezes her tummy) You still have that little bit of extra skin, know what I mean? But still, it's enough for people to think that you're knocked up. No, everyone calm down. Nobody's pregnant."

Her daughter just turned one, and I know that the first year of mothering is hard. But I think she should make a New Year's Resolution to occasionally put herself and fitness first. If you're making the same resolution or any resolution, join my Declare IT: Fit's New Year's Resolution Group. I would love to hear what you are up to.

Source

8 Myths About Sex Differences

The Good Men Project — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:49 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Agustín Fuentes points out that when it comes to men and women, what "everyone knows" isn’t what science shows.

Everyone knows that men and women are really different. We think differently and act differently because we are wired differently. I mean look at our brains and genitals: they are just plain different. Right?

Wrong.

What if many of the things we assume about the biology of difference are not so different at all? What if it is not our “wiring” but the ways in which our bodies and minds develop and play out in society that makes us seem so unalike? Could it be that men and women are more similar than we think?

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Yes, women give birth and lactate and men do not. And yes, men are, on average, slightly larger than women and usually have greater upper body strength. There are these basic biological differences between the sexes and they are important . . . but why always focus on the differences and not the biological, and behavioral, similarities? Ahh, that would be because of gender.

Gender is a powerful reality; it is the perception and expectation of differences between males and females and it shapes both our bodies and our society. Gender differences are real and important, but they are not hard wired or even static. There is no biological or evolutionary mandate that only women really care for babies and show emotions, or that males are the best at economics and politics and prefer beers and skirt-chasing to domestic bliss. These are patterns of gender roles and expectations that shape the ways we look at our biology and behavior. They influence the way we expect the world to be. It is the strength of the societal myths about sex that fool us into thinking that men and women are so different by nature.

So let’s bust some of those myths.

Gender and sex are the same thing.

Sex and gender are interconnected, but not the same thing. Sex is a biological state that is measured via what chromosomes you have (XX or XY, usually) and aspects of your body and physiology. Gender includes the roles, expectations and perceptions that a given society has for the sexes. Most societies have two genders on a masculinity-femininity continuum. Some have more. We are born with a biological sex, but acquire gender. There is a ton of individual diversity within societies and sexes in regards to how sex and gender play out in behavior and personality.

There is an extensive body of data demonstrating this, but people interested only in specific differences between men and women choose to ignore it.

Male and female genitals are totally different.

Most people think that male and female genitals are about as different as can be: penis=male and vagina=female. But even this basic dichotomy is not quite correct: the genitals emerge from the same mass of embryonic tissue. For the first six weeks of life the tissue masses develop identically. At about 6-7 weeks, depending on whether the fetus has XX or XY chromosomes (usually), the tissues to start to differentiate. One part of the tissues begins to form the clitoris or penis and another forms the labia or scrotum. Another area begins to form into either the testes or the ovaries. This means that physiologically, male and female genitals are made of the same stuff and work in similar ways.

Male and female brains are different.

If there were really deep seated differences between male and female human behavior and biology they should show up in the brain. The genitals start in the same place and end up looking different, the brain does not. Our brains are pretty much the same. Male brains are a bit bigger than females’ (like their bodies) and females’ brains stop growing earlier than males (as with their bodies). However, whatever one may believe about other organs, in the case of healthy brains, size really does NOT matter one iota. There also might be a few differences in a small part of the brain called the straight gyrus (need more testing in this one). Other than these minor aspects there are no consistent and replicated reliable differences in male and female brains; it is a human brain . . . but how we use it is another matter.

Hormones make the difference.

Everyone thinks that males and females have different hormones . . . testosterone for men and estrogen for women. Nope, all the actual hormones in males and females are the same: there are no male-only or female-only hormones. Both men and women can get a flood of testosterone when they get into a fight or take part in an exhilarating sports match. Both men and women can get a flood of oxytocin and prolactin when they pick up a newborn baby. There can be differences in the levels, patterns, and impacts of some of these hormones in male and female bodies, but individual variation is often more important than the variation between the sexes.

Keep reading for the rest.

Insanity's Shaun T's Last-Minute Diet and Exercise Tips

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:34:46 PDT

Shaun T, the personal trainer who's motivated millions with his at-home workouts, knows how to get people in shape in a short amount of time. After all, his Insanity workout program promises incredible results in just 60 days of sweating and jumping in front of your TV.

With Summer a mere few weeks away, we spoke with Shaun about how to get in shape for anything - whether it's a beach holiday, wedding, or event - when you've only got a little time. Find out his recommendations below!

Watch your drink calories: "Don't drink your calories. That's the number one rule of thumb: not to drink your calories. It will eliminate so many calories in your body. Everybody knows that sugar that's not burnt off eventually turns into fat," says Shaun, who's also holding live workouts nationwide to promote his partnership with Powerade Zero. Shaun recommends portion control and cutting the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet in half, but "still ensure you have enough energy during the day," he says.

Kick it up a notch: "If you're a person who works out at the gym, try to take [fewer] breaks," Shaun recommends. "If you're a weight lifter, while you're not doing weights, try to do some different cardio exercise in between to try to ramp up the calorie burn."

Keep reading for more of Shaun T's last-minute diet and exercise advice!

Nighttime Fasting: A New Way to Lose Weight?

Shape — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:09:52 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

If you couldn’t let anything cross your lips from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., but you were allowed to eat anything you wanted for eight hours a day and still lose weight, would you try it? That’s the apparent bottom line of a rat study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, which recently stirred up the weight loss pot.

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Scientists put groups of mice on different diet regimens for 100 days. One group of rodents ate healthy food while animals in two of the groups chowed down on high-fat, high-calorie feed. Half of the junk food eaters were allowed to munch whenever they wanted to while the others only had access to feed for the eight hours they were most active. The conclusion: even though they ate a fatty diet, the mice who were forced to fast for 16 hours were almost as lean as those who ate the healthy fare. Interestingly, the round the clock junk food eaters became obese and developed health problems, even though they consumed about the same amount of fat and calories as the time-restricted junk food fed mice.

See if a nutritionist thinks nighttime fasting works after the break!

6 Beach Workouts For a Sunny Memorial Day Weekend

Leta Shy — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:52:50 PDT

Hopefully this weekend will involve some fun in the sun, but that doesn't have to be limited to sipping a frozen cocktail on a deck chair. To get you inspired for an outdoor sweat session, we've rounded up some fun fitness routines for the beach - check off your daily workout for the day while enjoying the sun!

Fit and fast: Got 12 minutes? Do this simple CrossFit circuit workout as hard as you can. Bonus: after the intense session, all you have to do is take a dip in the sea!
Leg up: Want to tone legs and thighs? This leg workout from a FitSugar reader helps save your knees from too many squats - and you can do the moves while laying out in the sun.
On the ball: If you happen to have an exercise ball handy, this Kerri Walsh-approved full-body workout will get you in pro-athlete shape.

More beach workouts to inspire you after the break!

DIY: Learn How to Make This Quirky Clothespin Chandelier

Stylelist Home — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:20 PDT

We're happy to present a post from one of our favorite sites, Stylelist Home.

Ordinary clothespins become the basis for a stand-out chandelier with this Craft Of The Day. This light fixture, made entirely of clothespins, is a quirky, fun way to add oomph and texture to any room. We think it's a great accent to a living room or bedroom, but it would obviously be fitting in a laundry room too! Keep reading for the how to.

What You'll Need:

Light Kit (like this cord set from Ikea)
Ceiling Canopy (of your choice)
Wire Fencing (Simliar products available at Lowes)
White Gloss Spray Paint
22-gauge craft store wire
Gloves
Metal Snips (such as these metal snips from Grainger.com)
Eight bags of medium sized clothes pins
Three heavy-duty ceiling hooks

Keep reading to learn how to make this clothespin chandelier.

Barre Workouts are Expensive! Try This At-Home Alternative Instead

Self — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:23:06 PDT

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

Barre classes may make you easy on the eyes, but at $20 or more a pop, they're definitely not easy on the wallet. Rather than take a second job to pay for our latest fitness addiction, we turned to Beverly Hill-based Cardio Barre instructor Stacey Bosworth to get the inside scoop on scoring a long, lean dancer's body in your living room. "This at-home workout is effective because it targets the whole lower body. Cardio Barre is amazing because it is a no-impact workout that allows you to lengthen and strengthen your muscles while burning fat. It will also help increase your flexibility and strength," says Bosworth.

Celebrity devotees, including Dakota Fanning, Neve Campbell, and Heather Morris, can all attest to the fact that Cardio Barre has given them "a lifted tush and leaner, dancer-like legs!" Incorporate these three moves into your regular routine three times a week for maximum results.

Butt Blaster
Come down to the floor on both forearms with your knees bent. Your left hip is directly over your left knee. Your right leg is bent to a 90-degree angle with your foot flexed. Extend your right leg toward the ceiling as if you were pushing the ceiling away from you (see photo above). Bring your right leg down past your left hip and then back up toward the ceiling, keeping your leg parallel to the floor with your kneecap pointing toward the ground and your foot flexed. You are doing a full range of motion, trying to imagine extending your leg all the way through the ceiling.

Keep reading for more barre moves you can do at home!

Say Goodbye to the Bloat With These Healthy Asparagus Recipes

Michele Foley — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:19:20 PDT

If you're getting in shape for a big event like a wedding, or want to look your best for bikini season, what you eat makes all the difference. Besides helping with weight loss, the right foods can also minimize bloating. Here's where asparagus comes in: this Spring veggie encourages colon health and also stimulates the growth of probiotics in the body. From breakfast to dinner, help give your digestive system a little support with these healthy asparagus recipes.

Spring Veggie Frittata
Start your morning off with a asparagus-filled frittata. What's great is that you can make this recipe on a Sunday and portion it out to enjoy over the course of the week. Omit the cheese to keep the recipe flat-belly-friendly.

Marinated Mushroom and Asparagus Salad
Vegan and gluten-free, this salad puts you in asparagus heaven. Earthy enough to stand up on its own, it's also great when paired with tofu, fish, or chicken.

See what's for dinner after the break!