FitSugar

Old-School Workouts We Want to See on the Gym Schedule

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:18:09 PDT

Fitness styles have had their ups and their downs, but just like striped leg warmers, all decent fitness trends need a comeback. Here are some workouts I wish would show up on my gym schedule again and be as cool now as they were back then.

Source: Thinkstock

DVD Review: Billy Banks Tae Bo Amped Series - On Sale!

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:30:00 PST

Last Winter, I worked out with the Billy Blanks Amped Full Throttle DVD and thoroughly enjoyed myself while burning up some serious calories. The DVD is part of the Amped Tae Bo series. In case you missed it, all four of Blanks's Amped DVDs are available (and on sale for $36) in one set, complete with the expandable accelerator weighted sculpting bar.

If you're not familiar with Tae Bo, it stands for Total Awareness Excellence Body Obedience. It's basically like boxing aerobics. Expect a lot of punching, kicking, heavy breathing, and very little resting.

To find out more about this DVD series

read more. These four cardio DVDs are intense, fast-paced, and high energy. They're the kinds of DVDs you pop in when you need to move, but can't get out for a run or to the gym. The Amped series will make you feel like you're in a real cardio class since Billy and 10 people behind him work it and glisten with sweat. You may find it comforting that everyone counts out loud for the entire video, but I found it a little annoying, so I just turned down the volume and pumped up my own music. You can use the three-pound accelerator bar to make the movements more intense, or just move your arms without it. Billy is one encouraging dude, and his little pep talks throughout the videos make you want to work hard. Get ready to burn some major calories with these four 30- to 55-minute workout DVDs. Order them straight from the Billy Blanks website.

Fitness at Your Fingertips: Tae Bo on YouTube

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:00 PDT

You can find more on YouTube than just hilarious videos. In fact, a friend told me the other day that she just worked out to her computer. When I asked how, she replied, "YouTube."

She proceeded to explain to me that she found a series of Tae Bo workouts all online. I did a little investigating and sure enough you can get in a good Tae Bo workout with the help of your computer. I thought it was such a great idea, so I thought I'd share. Here are the Tae Bo Cardio Billy Blanks workouts in five parts: Part one, part two, part three, part four, and part five. They're each broken up into about ten minute segments, so if you do all five you have a good workout ahead of you.

If you've found any great workouts online, I'd love to know about them. Share your finds below.

Healthy Dose Link Time: Stylish Yoga Mats For a Pretty Practice

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:55:22 PDT

Get on the mat with one of these stylish yoga mats - Fit Bottomed Girls
The six medical exams you should never miss - Real Simple
Slow down! Signs your workout is too tough - Fitbie
Get inside the mind of Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks - Daily Spark
Bill Clinton tells Dave Letterman what it's like to be vegan - Mind Body Green
Sneak in a workout regardless of how busy you are - Fitness
Want healthy skin? Eat these foods for breakfast - Prevention

An OnSugar Blog Gets Real About Weight Gain

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:53:18 PDT

Weight loss is no easy journey, and the following story told by the OnSugar blog, Lynsanity: Healthy Recipes Even He Will Eat is one that many of us may find familiar. This is her first blog post, so let's welcome her to the community!

I have always been on a diet. ALWAYS. I was quite plump at a young age and my mother put me on one. In fifth grade my favorite after school activity was Tae-Bo, and in high school Xenedrine still had phen-phen in it and was $18.99 at Longs. Up until high school, I am pretty sure I was around the same size since eight grade - I could wear the same jeans from freshman through senior year- and no matter how extreme my diet or workout routine became, my weight always juggled 5-10lbs.

Then college came - hello 10 lbs! Then work came, no one prepares you for 8hr+ days and what a toll that takes on your body! (I mean, yes, there are long classes in school, but after five hours you get up and walk half a mile to the next one!) Then I moved: the emotional strain (good and bad); the physical exhaustion of looking for a new place, making new friends, and finding your new favorite watering hole. When I moved to San Francisco last April, I lost 12lbs instantly, walking everywhere, running around, stressing about little things. And after about a month I gained it all back plus some . . . blah blah story of my life. Then I got the boyfriend - hello comfort weight! Well, finally I woke up one morning and thought . . . nope, not any more.

Read the rest of 2-4-1's story after the break!