FitSugar

Starter Arms: Exercise Video

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

Here is the third installment of the Test Case series: Starter Arms. This video is all about toning the upper arms to get you ready for springtime tank tops.

You will need a set of 5 to 8 pound dumbbells. If you don't have weights experiment with soup cans or full water bottles. Try to do this every other day for 2 weeks and see if your arm tone changes. Consider it an experiment or a challenge.

Some of the exercises are done with just one weight, but experiment and see if you can handle using both. Feel free to repeat the series once or twice.

Why not print this chart out to take these moves to the gym.

Starter Arms to Take to the Gym

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

Strength training is so important, plus doing this Starter Arms series will get your arms toned for spring time. Watch the video first then you can print out this printer friendly version to take with you to the gym.

All exercises have 10 reps. Each arm area is targeted 3 times. Feel free to repeat the sequence once or twice for a total of two or three rounds.

I recommend weights between 5 and 10 pounds for this series.

Exercise

Move 1

Move 2

Bicep Curls
Do's and Don'ts:

Move smoothly in both directions
Exhale as you bend your elbows, and engage your abs
Don't rock back onto your heels when you lift

Tricep Kick Backs
Do's and Don'ts:

Stand with your same leg back as arm that is working
Don't snap your elbow straight, keep the motion smooth
Pull your abs toward your belly button
Pause at the top of the motion to really work the triceps

There's a lot more exercises, so

Bent Over Rows Do's and Don'ts: Bend forward at your hips - do not round your low back Feel your shoulder blades squeeze together at the top of the motion By now you know I am going to say - engage your abs, so do it, already
Zipper Do's and Don'ts: Pull your abs up and in as you lift your arms - zipper your abs while you zipper your arms Don't raise your shoulders as you lift your arms Exhale as your raise your arms
Pulling the Bag Do's and Don'ts: This exercise is like pulling a bag of groceries into your chest - so this is a functional exercise for the biceps Exhale as you pull your arms into your chest Don't lean forward to meet the weight, pull it into your chest
Overhead Tricep Do's and Don'ts: Drop your chin down a little so you don't whack yourself in the head Your elbows will not get all the way to straight Exhale as you straighten your elbows
Arm Raises Do's and Don'ts: Exhale as you lift your arms up Don't raise your shoulders as you lift your arms Only raise your arms to shoulder height Make sure not to lean back as you lift your arms
Push Ups Do's and Don'ts: Exhale as you push the ground away to straighten your arms Use your core to support you - this way your shoulders will not get strained Really spread your fingers out wide and keep pressure in your finger tips - this keeps pressure out of your wrists Try these on your toes or your knees
Tricep Dips Do's and Don'ts: Finger tips point towards your pelvis Don't jam your elbows straight Make sure you are really bending and straightening your elbows, not just pumping your pelvis up and down

Holiday Happy Hour: Candy Cane Cocktail

Nancy Einhart — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:11:26 PST

File this holiday cocktail recipe under "don't knock it till you've tried it." More often than not, when I offer this cocktail to guests, they will refuse it, then take a sip of someone else's and immediately demand one of their own.

Somehow, even though this cocktail is sweet, creamy, and minty, it doesn't taste like candy but instead like a refined and delicious drink. Garnished with a playful peppermint stick, the candy cane cocktail is a great holiday party-starter or an excellent after-dinner drink. I plan on making them at a cocktail party this weekend and I expect my arm will get a good workout. Get the recipe now.

10 Sneaky Toning Moves You Can Do at Work

Self — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:30:38 PDT

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

Your office nemesis isn't that know-it-all in the cubicle over, it's lurking right beneath you: your chair!

The more you're sitting, the less calories you're burning... not the ideal bikini body plan.

Picture this: when sitting, your activity in your muscles drops and the calorie-burning rate decreases to just about one per minute. And, women who spent more than six hours per day of sitting (less than a full day of work!) had a 37 percent higher death rate, according to a study from the American Cancer Society. It's scary stuff.

Since I haven't quite mastered the art of jogging while responding to emails, I asked creator of the MELT Method Sue Hitzmann and creator of FitKit Office Amie Hoff to share tips for combating the effects of being chair-bound. And since turning your office into a pseudo-gym can garner a few strange looks, they've kept their exercises as sneaky as possible. Just tell your bosses what's good for your health is good for their bottom line, and try to convince them to bring these healthy vending machines to the break room!

Check out these easy moves after the break!

True Blood Bites: "Cold Grey Light of Dawn"

Rose Curiel — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:15:10 PDT

It was the dead versus the undead on True Blood this week, and Antonia strikes the first blow against the vampires. Bon Temps’s residents started choosing sides in what already seems like an inevitable war. With those who love vampires standing protectively by their coffins, and those who have been hurt by them ready to join the resurrected witch.

King Bill emerged as a savvy leader during this episode, though it still remains to be seen what role other characters, like Lafayette, will play in the battle. It leads up to one nail-biting cliffhanger, so let's break it down when you

Worst beauty treatment: After being mistaken for a zombie by a group of camera-toting locals, Pam decides to seek professional help to try to regain her good looks. In what is undoubtedly the most literal - and painful - version of a skin peel, Pam’s flesh is ripped from her body. As for rejuvenating the skin, Pam is instructed to take six injections four times a day for an overall beauty regimen that makes Brazilians and Botox look like a walk in the park. Whether or not the beautifying process will work remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Pam will continue to rot on the inside and get closer to death every day.
Weakest attempt to Kill Bill: Puppet-master Antonia sends her new plaything, Luis, to tell Bill she has returned. Luis then makes an assassination attempt on the vampire king, but is woefully inept for a 400-something-year-old immortal. He misses a kill shot to Bill’s heart and instead hits him in the abdomen, prompting a battle to the death between the two. Bill eventually pins Luis and stakes him, which can only mean that Antonia wanted Luis to die, since Bill is a much younger, and therefore weaker, vampire. Instead, Luis’s sole purpose appears to have been to inform Bill of the impending resurrection whereby Antonia will compel vampires to walk the sun. Now the real question is why Antonia wanted warn the vamps of her attack.
Most shrewd move by a vampire king: Bill wastes no time devising a plan to protect his kingdom and orders all vampires to evacuate the state or bind themselves with silver during the day so to prevent themselves from falling victim to Antonia’s call to the sun. Though his sheriffs are incredulous, Bill is adamant, and his plan appears to work for all but a homely vampiress with rollers in her hair - and Jessica, who manages to break free from what turns out to be an inadequate amount of silver chains.
Most ragtag coven: Antonia, in the meantime, is busy forming an army and manages to recruit Tara, who in turn gathers a handful of Bon Temps’s other witches, including Holly, and a man who all too readily reveals that he doesn’t know any people outside of the coven. I couldn’t help but wonder why Tara didn’t ask Lafayette or Jesus to join, considering they introduced her to the witches in the first place. Of course, his absence from the coven easily allows him to face off with Antonia at some point.
Creepiest peekaboo game: When Lafayette, whom we discover is armed with the rare magical gift of being a medium, engages baby Mikey in a game of peekaboo, he follows the infant’s wandering gaze and spots the mysterious female ghost that appeared in last week’s episode. We learn the woman speaks French, which automatically makes me think she’s related to baby Mikey through his Cajun father, Rene. We know that Jesus’s uncle came from beyond the grave to protect his nephew’s life during last week’s episode, so could this spirit be hanging around Mikey for the same reasons? And how will Lafayette’s interaction with this spirit play out? It seems like he and Bon Temps's other resident medium, Marnie, will inevitably face off, but perhaps Lafayette will enlist the help of more than one spirit in the fight?
Worst "aha!" moment: Discovering your brother took your form and slept with your girlfriend is a pretty nasty secret to uncover, but the truth is nevertheless a significant moment for Sam. For starters, it helps end the confusion between him and Luna and gives the shifters a chance - however slim due to the creepiness of the situation - to perhaps salvage the relationship. It also seemed to have effectively ruined his relationship with Tommy, who is permanently kicked out of Sam’s place and life.
Most in need of a "Do Not Disturb" sign: Debbie and Alcide finally join their local neighborhood pack and are welcomed into the group with a dab of deer blood to the forehead. The initiation gets worse for Debbie, who resents the fact that Alcide spends the entire night worrying about Sookie. When the couple wander off to look for her and make sure she’s all right, they stumble on a more-than-fine Sookie getting busy with Eric. The ramifications of this sighting spills over to Alcide and Debbie’s bedroom, where their post-initiation sex flounders, because Debbie continues to think Alcide’s in love with Sookie. Alcide assures her that she has nothing to worry about, but I’m not so convinced. He did look kind of bummed when he walked in on Sookie and Eric.
Best sex montage: Which brings us to the second installment of Eric and Sookie’s hookup. A few of you were disappointed with the first sex scene between the pair during last week’s episode, calling it tame and underwhelming. Hopefully, this week’s montage of their lovemaking (along with the fact that they were so consumed with each other that they walked back to her place naked), makes up for it. As an outsider, Bill remarks that the reunion seemed to go well, and Eric - to Sookie's embarrassment - readily agrees.
Best hero in the making When Jason learns from Sookie that Eric doesn’t stand a chance of surviving Antonia’s curse without her help, he immediately thinks of Jessica and runs toward Bill’s mansion. In a swoonworthy moment, he tackles one of Bill’s armed guards in an attempt to get to her before it is too late. As the episode closes, Jessica opens the doors to the sunlight, but will Jason get to her in time?

What do you think? Will Jason be able to save Jess before she bursts into flames - and how will Hoyt react if he does? How do you think the standoff between vampires and witches will develop? Let me know in the comments section.

Photo courtesy of HBO

Clean Up Your Act: Baby-Safe Solutions For an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

LilSugar — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:25:49 PDT

The kitchen is the center of the home, and for families with young kids, it's generally a very messy center. From sinks filled with bottles to floors (and walls and ceilings) splattered with toddlers' leftovers, parents spend as much time cleaning up after their children, as they do feeding them. How parents clean it up takes on new meaning once kids are in the home - both for the health of their tots, and for the good of our planet.

From left:

Bon Ami Liquid All-Purpose Cleaner ($4): Bon ami was making natural products far before natural was something to aspire to - since the 80s, the 1880s. Made with recycled and recyclable packaging, this all purpose cleanser works without phosphates or chlorine, and without leaving any residue.
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda ($3): It's not the sexiest cleaner available, but in terms of green cleaning, plain old Arm & Hammer baking soda is pretty tough to beat. The uses of this ubiquitous household staple go far beyond protection against a funky smelling fridge. Baking soda is perfect for safely cleaning dirt and residue off fresh fruits and vegetables, and for cleaning counters, stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, microwaves, plastic containers, lunch boxes - even for polishing silver.
iQ All-Purpose Cleaner Starter Kit ($4): Though the word innovative is overused, it really is the only way to describe iQ products. Made from plant-based and ecologically sustainable ingredients, the line of household cleaners allows users to reduce plastic waste by 80 percent. Instead of buying a whole new container of cleaner, iQ comes in concentrated recyclable cartridges. To make a bottle of cleaner, consumers just fill the re-usable iQ bottle with their own tap water and drop in the cartridge.
Dapple Dish Liquid ($6): Parents are very conscious about using baby friendly detergents on their tots' tiny clothes, but not everyone pays such close attention to the type of dish soap they use. Not all dish soaps rinse completely clean, and lingering suds can wind up right in your baby's mouth. Dapple Dish Liquid is designed specifically for households with babies and children - made using natural-based ingredients, with no harmful SLES, parabens, phthalates, dyes, or synthetic fragrances - and it really works to remove all traces and odors from food, breastmilk, and formula.