FitSugar

Multitasking Move: Tipping Row

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:30:33 PDT

I like to make the most of my limited gym time by working multiple body parts with one exercise; the Tipping Row is one such multitasking move. The rowing action targets the upper back and shoulders while the tipping seriously challenges the core. Not to mention, lifting your leg behind you works your back side. That's a lot of bang for your buck.

For details on the Tipping Row, just

With a five-pound dumbbell in each hand, bring your right leg behind you, keeping your left knee slightly bent.
Exhale and pulling your abs toward your spine tip your torso forward while lifting your right leg up as your torso lowers (make one long line from the tip of your right toe to the top of your head). Bend your elbows out to the sides squeezing your shoulder blades together, bringing the weights to your chest (just like the Bent Over Row).
Inhale and return to starting upright position.
For a slightly easier variation, try tipping forward then rowing rather than doing both actions simultaneously.
Do two to three sets of 10 reps standing on each side.

Make sure your are adequately warmed up before doing this exercise - you don't want to pull a hamstring. Also, if balancing on one leg proves difficult, practice Warrior 3; the pose is a great prep for the tipped over position.

Overlooked and Underappreciated: How to Use the Rowing Machine

Leta Shy — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:25:42 PDT

The rowing machine can be intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, it's an effective way to spice up your cardio routine. But while the rowing machine, also called an ergometer, is a calorie buster (about 280 calories in 30 minutes for an 130-pound woman) and a good leg and core workout, improper form can lead to back injuries if you're not careful. Read on for our tips on proper rowing form.

Before you start, there are a few things to note about using the rowing machine. Make sure you wear formfitting clothes, otherwise you risk getting fabric caught in it while working out. Don't set the resistance too high - experienced rowers generally use the rowing machine at 3-5 during their workouts, so setting the machine at 2 or 3 is perfect for a beginner. Keep your strokes per minute somewhere in the low- to mid-20s as well.

There are different ways to measure your workout, so use the change display button on your machine to track your strokes per minute, calories burned, kilometers traveled, or your split (how many minutes it takes you to travel 500 meters).

Beginning Position

For your first row, set the resistance low while you figure out your form, then slowly ramp it up on subsequent rows.
Secure your feet on the pads with the straps tight enough so your feet don't move around as you slide.
Bring your knees up and slide to the top of the machine. Grab the handle using an overhand grip, but don't hold too tightly.
Pull the handle with you as you slide to the end of the machine. Your legs should be straight, but knees should still have a slight bend in them so they aren't locked. Lean back slightly and pull your hands up to your chest, holding the handle so it is right below your breasts, with elbows pointing down against your sides. This is the position where you should begin your workout, and it's also your ending position once you complete a full stroke (see below).

Keep reading for the rest of our tips for proper rowing machine form.

How Not to Destroy Your Marriage

The Good Men Project — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:30:42 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Mark Tyrrell offers eight relationship tools to make your marriage work.

"All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble." - Raymond Hull

So how do you make your marriage work? Or do you just blindly hope it'll take care of itself?

Think of a hot, successful date with someone you’re attracted to. You have fun, great conversation and more sexual chemistry than a warehouse full of pheromones. You don’t have to “work at” the date because it’s self sustaining. It runs as smoothly as the gliding hand of a classical guitar maestro and you can’t wait for another rendition.

Teenage Dating in a Twilight-Hunger Games World

But marriage, or any long term relationship; well that’s a whole other caboodle.

If we’re not careful, marriage can deteriorate into little more than a torturous assault course; littered with routine boredoms, frustrations and resentments. Couple all that with external pressures and sometimes marriage feels not worth the effort. But there are major benefits to being hitched or committed, other than just a beneficial tax regime.

Healthy marriage; healthy people.

Being happily married bestows heaps of health benefits. You might be forgiven for thinking that if you’re married you don’t live longer it just seems like it but, no, a good marriage really can help you clock up more years (1) and married people are happier (2) even though they don’t always look it from the outside.

But when marriage doesn’t work it can feel being manacled to a maniac, marooned with a misogynist or nailed to a nag. And I don’t care what the studies say, that’s not healthy. You may hear couples say stuff like: “We are making our marriage work!” but how do we do this?

Making it work.

We pay lip service to “working on the marriage” but what is the work we need to do? Marriage vows such as “to love and to cherish” and “forsaking all others, for better or for worse” don’t really tell us how to make it work, although they give us a clue.

Fortunately a ton of research has been done on what to do and not do to make your marriage, or any intimate relationship work. Follow the guidelines here to become “good at marriage."

Tip one: Be romantic but keep it real.

We are all (force?) fed romance in movies and novels. The handsome man gets the beautiful woman. But what I wonder is what happens after our romantic couple ride off into the sunset together? What do they do exactly? Bicker? Moan at one another? Start to ignore each other?

After all that romance, our beautiful couple is bound to have massive expectations of their life together. But when rose tinted expectations clash with day to reality, watch out!

Romance is vital in any relationship. Always seeing the best in your partner helps to keep things intimate and love should be expressed. But if you have been raised on Mills and Boon Romance novels or feel-good movies, then your own romantic expectations can work against the sustainability of your long term relationship.

When day to day life fails to live up to the giddy, heady lust-filled days of the pre-settled down romance people can become angry, even blame one another: “This wasn’t what I signed up for." They find it hard to take the rough with the smooth because they never really figured there would be any rough.

Expectations not diluted with at least a dash of realism can be a royal road to relationship ruin. Your partner may be an angel, but they have feet of clay. You must learn to love those feet or at least accept them a bit!

Get the rest after the jump!

Fit Tip: Relax on the Treadmill

Leta Shy — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:01:22 PDT

More so than running outside, I find myself tensing up when it comes to running on the treadmill. And when I look down the row of machines, I see the same thing - runners leaning forward, hunching their shoulders, or running too close to the top of the treadmill.

The same running form issues are common no matter if you're running inside or outside, but I've found that the pulling motion of the treadmill belt can cause me to crowd the front of the treadmill or lean forward if I'm not practicing body awareness. Not only that, but paying attention to the TV or watching the clock can also distract me from having a less-tense run.

The next time you're on a treadmill, remember to keep your shoulders relaxed and your body upright, not leaning forward and tense. Check where you are on the treadmill, too; sometimes you can end up right next to the hand bar when you have more room behind you to run. And pay attention to the rest of your running form; your arms should stay by your side while they move (not crossing your body), and your abs should be engaged. Read more tips on proper running form here.

If You're Going to Push It, You Better Pull It

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:40:26 PDT

I love push-ups. Dropping and doing 20 makes me feel strong and tough. But as Lauren my Equinox trainer reminded me, it's important to offset all the pushing with some pulling. Although the glorious push-up feels like a full body exercise (it certainly works your core), it primarily works your chest and arms. When the pecs get too tight, they pull your shoulders forward, which is not only unattractive but puts the shoulder joint in a compromised position and can lead to injury. Ouch. To maintain balance in your upper body, be sure to mix it up. Here are a few push-to-pull workout combinations to add to your fitness life:

Push-ups followed with sprints on a rowing machine. Be sure to read up on proper rowing technique if you're unfamiliar with the machine.
Chest press with bent over rows, or go more full body with a tipping row to challenge your balance and work your lower body too.
The versatility of the cable pulley machine means you can combine pushing and pulling into one fluid move. Start facing the machine, and begin with a standing row. When you have pulled your hand to your chest, rotate away from the machine and push your arm out. It feels a bit like you're drawing a sword (pull) and then thrusting it out (push).

In my experience the muscles on the front of the body, the ones that pull you into the fetal position, are much stronger than the muscles on your back. Be sure to work that pulling motion to strengthen your upper back, especially the rhomboids. Remember, if it's an exercise you tend to avoid, it's probably one your body needs the most.

3 Machines That Help Burn Fat Faster

Self — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:35:17 PDT

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

There are the run-of-the-mill, hop-on-the-elliptical-machine-for-20-minutes cardio workouts, then there are the kick-butt, leave-you-breathless cardio workouts that practically melt fat off the body. Which would you prefer to do?

Trainer Jeff Halevy, CEO of Halevy Life in New York City, is an expert at helping clients shed unwanted layers of fat fast. To make sure you're maximizing the fat-burning effect of your workout, it might be time to give your cardio routine a makeover. (Bonus: head over to Self.com to get more of Jeff's fat-loss tips - he dishes on the scientific cheats to a sexy, healthy body in record time. Grab your copy now!)

"The biggest takeaway about using any type of cardio machine is that it will be most beneficial to fat loss if high-intensity intervals are utilized, and if either weight lifting or lighter, steady-state cardio is done immediately after - yes, after. This is not a recipe for maximal muscle growth but is the recipe for maximal fat loss," Jeff says.

Check out these top three cardio machines that will give you the most fat-loss bang for your buck at the gym, and cheats on how to make sure you're using them properly, after the break.

Which Trends Work Best With Your Body

Lucky — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:30:57 PDT

Lucky magazine is one of our favorite sources for great shopping tips. We're thrilled to share this fabulous story from our friends at Lucky!

Whenever women say that they don't follow trends and dress for their body shape instead, I don't really get it.

It's one thing to be a Lauren Hutton-type with a closet full of The Row, who cringes at loud, hyped about things like nail art or neon clutches. But it's another thing to shy away from eye-catching, ultra-popular pieces (crazy printed pants, peplums) because "trendy and body-flattering" seems contradictory. It's not; each of spring's biggest trends has its figure-enhancing capabilities. Click through the slideshow below to see what they are, and why having fun with trends and dressing for your figure aren't, actually, mutually exclusive:

Surfwear

Sturdy neoprene paves over lovehandles without the tight, clingy Spanx feel.

"Jasmine" dress, $225, Lisa Marie Fernandez, blueandcream.com

Click over to Lucky to see and shop the whole story.

For more fashion and style from Lucky, here are more Lucky stories.

How to Make Your Push-Ups More Effective

Leta Shy — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:38:08 PDT

Push-ups may be basic, but it takes some time, strength, and awareness to do them correctly. Once you get the hang of this simple exercise, you'll be amazed at how sculpted and strong your arms, chest, core, and shoulders will be. Here are some tips for perfecting your push-up and making it work for you.

Find your form: Before you can move on, make sure you're actually doing a push-up the right way. Be aware of these four things as you execute a push-up: your body alignment, hands, abs, and breath. Make sure your shoulders are aligned over your wrists and your fingers and palms are spread wide, with pressure focused in your fingertips. Pull your belly button in, keeping your spine straight so your body is in a straight line; make sure to connect your breath with your movements. As you lower, bend your elbows outward to the sides. For more information on how to do a push-up correctly, read this guide.

Change it up: Don't stick to boring basic push-ups. While the exercise is great for your upper body, adding props or changing the positions of your hands can make push-ups harder and will work different areas of your body. Add an exercise ball to your feet, for example, to challenge core muscles, and point hands inward to work your triceps more. We've got more ideas - here are 14 push-up variations to try.

More tips for your push-ups after the break.

Danny Seo Shares His House Styling Secrets!

Guest Writer — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:03:22 PDT

I'm excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo.

As a former magazine editor, I produced and styled dozens of decorating and entertaining stories for a number of publications including Country Home, Better Homes & Gardens, Elle, Everyday With Rachael Ray, and InStyle. Every shoot was different than the next one in terms of style and goal, but I still stuck to my bargain basement styling secrets to pull them off. For the first time ever, I'm sharing my Top 5 tips to get that magazine look for way less right here at CasaSugar.

Goodwill, Salvation Army and Thrift Shops! Tarnished silver-plated ornate trays, milky glass bottles and vases, and vintage style plates to adorn an entire wall can be very pricey if you shop at antique stores to source them. Thrift stores - especially those in small towns across America - can be a treasure trove of unusual home decor items at a fraction of the cost. One celebrity client whose home I styled for a magazine shoot was insistent nothing from Goodwill could enter her home, so I simply wrapped my thrift store finds in tissue paper and tossed it into an Anthropologie shopping bag. She loved it. Can you believe that half the items on the dining table came from Goodwill?

Brown Thumb? Rent Plants. One way to make a patio or garden look lush and gorgeous is to rent mature palm trees and flowering bushes. If you're planning to have an outdoor party but don't want the cost of expensive plants, ask your local nursery if they'll rent them to you. At about 10 -20 percent of cost, they'll deliver the plants, set them up, and take them away after the party (or in my case, the photo shoot).

Keep reading for the rest of Danny's tips for styling your house so it looks like it's in the pages of a magazine!

Learn How to Conquer Your Fear of Color

Angela Swinderman Elias — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:00:58 PDT

Even though you may admire colorful spaces, it's sometimes hard to muster up the courage to introduce non-neutrals into your own home. Deciding on a hue that you like enough to splash across a room is already anxiety inducing, but then there's the dilemma of figuring out how much of it to use, what other colors to use with it, and of course, where to put it. If this sounds like a fitting diagnosis, try to embrace color by following these insightful tips!

Choose one color, but use many hues

Designer DD Allen chose a blue palette in a variety of shades for this Long Island home. The custom watery blue of the polished Venetian plaster walls echoes the blue in the floor tiles.

Keep pink in check

Designer Barry Dixon chose a feminine pink but tempered it with a masculine shade of brown for the living room in this Capitol Hill row house. The result is a sophisticated, gender-neutral palette that feels perfectly balanced.

To discover the five other tips for conquering color, check out the full story at House Beautiful!