FitSugar

What's More Important to You: Flat Belly or Toned Tush?

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:30:00 PDT

We all eat right and work out to feel energetic, and to prevent ourselves from getting sick, but let's face it - many of us are conscientious about diet and exercise because we love how it makes us look. Who doesn't want a slim and toned body, right? There's nothing wrong with being proud of your appearance.

With that said, everyone has certain parts of their body they love to work on so I'm wondering . . .

Source

Move It: Full Sit Up with Bridge

FitSugar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:30:00 PDT

In a recent poll, I asked you all if your summer fitness goal is to have flat abs or a toned tush. Now, while the majority voted for flat abs I thought I'd share this exercise with you all that works both areas of concern. It's a full sit-up/bridge combo and it works your backs side and your torso splendidly.

Start with a basic bridge.
On an exhale, push your pelvis up. Keep your back straight and in neutral spine - imagine your abs and back muscles sandwiching your spine.

You will feel your hamstrings and glutes work.
If you want to work your inner thighs a bit, place something between your knees (like a pillow) and hold it there for the duration of the series.
Lower your pelvis down to the ground as you inhale. As your pelvis lowers, bring your arms up.

Next, do a full sit up.

Exhale and roll all the way up to sitting with your hands behind your head. You put your hands behind so you can't jerk yourself up by swinging your arms up.

Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground.
Focus on pulling your deep abs to your spine as your roll up. Work the abs not the hip flexors.

Roll down and onto your back.
Inhale generously into your back as you roll down, keeping the navel pulled to the spine.

Focus on hollowing out your abs even though you are moving quickly, move with control.
Get ready to bring your hands to your sides as bridge up again.

That completes one set.

Aim to to do 20 reps, but remember quality is more important than quality and speed. Do not fling your self up and down, use your abs and focus on control.

Fit's tip: If I were my trainer, I would definitely stick a small pillow between my knees. Work to keep your legs truly parallel through out this exercise, it is much better form.

Which is Your Goal This Summer: Toned Tush or Flat Abs?

FitSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 07:30:00 PDT

We've all got our goals for summer (like get over fear of sharks)... For many of us, especially if you're reading FitSugar right now, that goal is to be comfortable (and looking good) in a bikini but that can be different for everyone.

So which is your goal from your workout this summer: Toned tush or flat abs?

Get Lady Gaga's Booty With This Simple Workout

Zelana Montminy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:04:51 PST

Known for her crazy costumes and her cut abs, Lady Gaga also has quite a shapely backside. To get the scoop on her booty moves, we talked to her trainer Harley Pasternak. Here, he shows us three exercises you can do to tone your tush.

Take a Pure Barre Class in Your Own Home

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:08:00 PST

When you're looking to tone your derriere, sometimes you need to go minimal. That's the philosophy behind the Pure Barre method, where micro movements rule the workout. We were curious to explore this toning technique and took a tutorial from Pure Barre instructor Gina Ragnone on three moves that tone the tush. Get ready to move small but burn big with this booty workout you can do in the comfort of your own home.

If you need a printout of the workout, click here.

Sweat and Tone! Cardio That Works Your Bum

Susi May — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:31:29 PST

Cardio is great for burning calories, but it can also help give you a shapely tush. Don't miss out on the potential to pull double duty in your workout.

Running: Hills are a great for building cardio endurance and toning your backside. Running on an incline targets the glutes and the hamstrings, so be sure to add hills to your outdoor runs. If you're more the treadmill type, use our rolling-hills treadmill workout.

Elliptical: If the elliptical is your cardio jam, work your glutes and hamstrings by focusing on the connection of your heel on the pedal. Pedaling backward also targets the back of your legs and butt, so remember to reverse direction often. Work the incline with this butt-toning elliptical workout.

Cardio Cycling: Sitting while biking won't do much for your booty, but once you stand to pedal, your glutes kick into action. Keep you butt over the bike seat while you lean forward to maximize the booty work.

Stairs: Think of the stair-climbing as a bunch of step-ups (a great strength-training move for toning the backside) strung together. As you climb the stairs, either on a StepMill or actual steps, your glute kicks into action. Put you mind where you want the action to be and actively engage your glutes as you straighten your leg while stepping up.

Get Your Bum Bikini-Ready With These Yoga Poses

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:06:35 PDT

Summer is here, which means showing a bit more skin. Our tushes can never be too toned, so here's an intermediate yoga sequence that will strengthen your seat and make you feel proud prancing around in your bikini bottoms. After going through all eight poses with the right leg, repeat this sequence again on the left side.

Source: Thinkstock

How Many Extra Calories Incline Really Burns

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:37 PST

Pumping up the incline on the treadmill not only tones your tush and legs, increases your endurance, and can help you improve your speed, it also burns crazy calories - significantly more than with no incline. Need a little more proof? Check out the chart below for some inspiring numbers.

*All calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.

Pace (minutes per mile)	Calories burned in 30 min at 0% incline	Calories burned in 30 min at 5% incline	Calories burned in 30 min at 10% incline	Calories burned in 30 min at 15% incline
7	391	526	615	708
8	338	464	550	630
9	300	420	482	558
10	270	363	420	482
11	243	326	392	432
12	216	296	362	394

Weekend Workout: Arms, Abs, and Booty on the Ball

FitSugar — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 03:05:46 PDT

If you're pressed for time and can't fit in a long workout, you can still effectively tone your upper body, core, and tush. Grab an exercise ball and do 20 reps of each exercise, and cycle through the routine three times.

Push-Ups With Tuck Crunch

Crunches on an Exercise Ball

Plank Booty Leg Lifts

Itching for more short workouts? Check out these Weekend Workouts to learn how to tone other areas of your body.

Faster, Harder, Longer: How to Maximize a Treadmill Workout

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:29:43 PST

Numb fingers. Black ice. Risk of frostbite. These are all common reasons to skip running outside in Winter and take refuge in a warm, dry gym. Treadmills might feel safer, but you might even find the workout feels a little easier. Don't sell yourself short! Use these tips to upgrade your treadmill time and maximize the benefits of your run.

To Burn More Calories

Do intervals. Running at a consistent pace is great for longer training runs, but during your intense workouts, take advantage of intervals. By alternating between running a few minutes at a moderate pace and throwing in bursts at a quicker pace (or even sprinting), you'll burn more calories, build endurance, and become a faster, stronger runner. Not to mention, intervals have also been proven to fight belly fat. Here's a 30-minute treadmill interval workout for you to try.
Gradually increase your speed throughout your workout. You definitely don't want to start your run at a seven mile per hour (mph) pace since you need to give your body a chance to warm up. Start out with a brisk walk (4 mph) and every five to 10 minutes, give your speed a little push until you're running at a 5 to 8 mph pace.
Run longer. It's good to mix up the type of running workouts you do, so on days that you're not running intervals or building up speed, do a longer run at a consistent pace. If you run for 30 minutes (at a pace of 10 minutes per mile) you'll burn 270 calories. Forty-five minutes burns 405 calories, and even longer, an hour-long run burns 540 calories.

Keep reading to learn ways to tone your muscles and become a faster runner.