FitSugar

Get Lifted: Bent Over Lateral Raises

FitSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:00:00 PDT

It is tank top time! Lateral raises are great for toning your shoulders, but if you also want to target your upper back and the posterior deltoid, try this variation. It's really challenging so you may have to start off with a lighter set of dumbbells.

To find out how to do this move

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet hips-width distance apart. Keep a slight bend in your knees. Fold your torso forward so your back is almost parallel with the floor, and your hands are under your shoulders. Draw your abs in to protect your lower back.
As you exhale, lift your arms out to the side so they are in line with your shoulders. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. To get the upper back working, think of sliding your shoulder blades together. As you inhale, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Stretch It: Upper-Back Camel Against the Wall

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:30:00 PDT

Backbends feel so invigorating, but doing a full backbend requires so much energy and upper-body strength that sometimes I need a less-intense stretch. This is a variation of the Yoga pose Camel, and it utilizes a wall to help you bring the stretch more into your chest, shoulders, and upper back. It feels so different than doing it on your own.

To give this one a go

Kneel down in front of a wall, and place your knees all the way up to the edge where the floor and wall meet.
Now arch back and bring both hands to your heels. Release your head between your shoulder blades.
As you lean back, actively press your thighs and hips against the wall, and put weight into your hands so you can lift your chest up and bring the stretch into your upper back.
Stay here for 30 seconds, continuing to press your pelvis forward and your ribs toward the ceiling.
Then lift your torso back up, walk your knees away from the wall, and release your lower back by folding forward into Child's Pose.

Get Lifted: Reverse Fly

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PDT

If you're working on strengthening and toning your upper back and shoulders, this exercise has your name on it. You'll need a set of dumbbells and a sturdy place to sit.

To find out how to do this exercise,

Sit on a chair or the end of a bench.
Place a light dumbbell in each hand and lean over your thighs. Don't collapse onto your legs, but keep your chest about six inches from your quads. Try to straighten your spine and engage your abs.
Now at the same time, lift both arms up, drawing your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Then with control, lower the dumbbells back toward the ground.
Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Get Lifted: Seated Rows

FitSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT

Rowing is a great exercise for the upper back and there are so many variations of this simple move. Here's another way to add rowing into your strength training routine. If you don't have access to a rowing machine, or the weight machines at the gym, you can use a resistance band or tube instead.

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Secure the band around the bottoms of your feet and hold on to either end of the band.
Sit up nice and tall with your shoulders over your hips. Not only will this protect your back from injury, but it will also strengthen your core and improve your posture.
Keep your arms in a neutral position, with your elbows slightly bent. Inhale to prepare and as you exhale, pull the band back and bend your elbows behind you. Try not to move your torso, since you're trying to target your upper back and arms in this exercise. Focus on making your movements slow and with control. This is one repetition.
Repeat for a set of 12 to 15 repetitions.

How-To: Bent Over Row

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:00:00 PST

Bikini season is approaching so many of us are focusing on getting our upper bodies toned. One exercise that is great for working your upper back, mid-back and triceps is the Bent Over Row. For this exercise, you'll need a workout bench (or chair) and a dumbbell.

Here's how to do it:

Grab a dumbbell - weight depends on your level but it should exhaust your muscles by the 12th rep.
Position your right knee and right hand on the bench so your back is parallel to the floor. Your left leg should be on the ground and your left hand should be hanging straight down - perpendicular to your body - holding the dumbbell.
Using your left arm, lift the dumbbell straight up to torso level. Be sure to keep your elbow in and pointed upwards.
Then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position (#1) to complete one rep.
Do three sets of 12 reps on each side.

Fit's Tip: Don't arch or round your back, keep a neutral spine.

4 Reasons to Add an Exercise Ball to Your Home Gym

Leta Shy — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:58:44 PDT

The exercise ball may occupy a lot of room in your home gym, but it's one versatile piece of equipment. Find out how to get the most out of your exercise ball below.

A healthier seat: Ditch your normal seat on the couch and sit on an exercise ball instead. Using a ball to sit helps correct your posture, tones your abs, and encourages you to stretch, all of which sounds a lot better than the lower back pain that too much sitting on the couch can cause.

Routine shakeup: Adding an exercise ball to your normal mat routines can shake things up and challenge you. For example, you can plank using an exercise ball at your feet to make holding your pose that much harder, or sit or lay on your exercise ball while you execute arm exercises. Even just practicing your balance by kneeling on the exercise ball can help you tone and whittle. Need some ideas? Try these amazingly effective ab and butt workouts using the exercise ball:

Find out how to do the plank pike and the hamstring curl using an exercise ball with this advanced exercise ball workout video.
Skip boring crunches and do this ball pass ab exercise instead.
Challenge your core and balance with this single-leg squat, done against a wall using an exercise ball.
Lie on the ball and work your arms with this chest press move.

Read on for more reasons to use an exercise ball.

5 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Your Outdoor Run

Shape — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:11:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to celebrity trainer Jay Cardiello for some help!

The weather is getting nice and you may have been bitten by the "run bug." To make the transition from indoor runs to the great outdoors seamless and safe, I compiled a list of my top five tricks to get the most out of your outdoor run. Whether you have had some success running on the treadmill, or you are completely new to outdoor running, there are two crucial factors that you must understand.

25 Most Deceiving Exercises (They Tone More Than You Think).

First, let's talk about a little guy named Newton. See, Newton has this law that states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Are you with me so far? Good. Well, with runners, the concern is what we run on. The harder the surface the greater the ground reaction force, which is basically the force exerted by the ground back onto the body (in this case, our little legs) that are in contact with it, is. To simplify this, surfaces like concrete and pavement will cause a greater reaction back into our joints and legs than an energy absorbing treadmill. This not only makes us work harder, but will tire us out faster and cause greater stress on our joints.

Are Your Workouts Causing Pain? How to Find Out.

Second, the treadmill is a flat belt that provides consistency with each step. There are no stones, traffic, or inclement weather activity that would cause you to be off balance or have to change your gait. Running outdoors forces the body to make constant small adjustments. That said, here is what’s going to make your outdoor run a successful one.

5 Unique Ways to Make the Most of Your Treadmill.

Learn how to make the most out of your outdoor runs after the break!

3 Reasons to Work Your Back in Time For Summer

Leta Shy — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:17:24 PDT

When it comes to looking your best on the beach, it's not all about how to build a six-pack or which exercises make your backside look the best in a bikini. In fact, having a healthy and strong back can make you feel your best on the beach in more ways than one. Here are some essential back exercises and why they will help you rock a swimsuit with confidence.

Stand tall and slim: Wanna look five or 10 pounds lighter without dropping a number on the scale? Stand correctly! Having bad posture pushes out your belly and rounds out your shoulders, making you look shorter and fatter in an instant, so it's important to add posture-building workouts to your bikini-ready routine. Stand tall with this standing reverse fly exercise and these eight back and shoulder exercises and stretches to combat any workday slouching.

Help banish the muffin top: While all the spot-training in the world won't melt away your muffin top, doing specific workouts that target your torso and upper back will create a slimmer, more toned look. If you're dreading showing off any of the extra padding you've accumulated around your waistline, try a few of our back-strengthening exercises to help you tone, like this video of how to do the Superman exercise and these exercises that will help you get rid of your muffin top.

Stay injury-free: A strong back helps keep you injury-free by preventing imbalances and unnecessary strain. If you're looking forward to an active Summer burning calories outdoors, start working on your back muscles to make sure an injury doesn't sideline your fitness fun. Get more bang for your buck with this butt-lifting, back-strengthening single leg dumbbell row or try these four spine- and torso-stabilizing exercises to keep your back healthy and strong.

Know Your Basics: How to Do a Lunge

Leta Shy — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:07:30 PDT

Lunges are a quintessential exercise; you can do them anywhere and the effects can be seen in no time, in the form of shapely, toned legs and backside (just in time for bikini season!). If you're planning on incorporating lunges into your routine, however, make sure you're not doing more harm than good. Find out how to do lunges correctly below.

The basics: It's important to do lunges properly so you don't put unwanted strain on your joints. Here's how to perfect your form:

Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don't keep looking down). Always engage your core.
Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn't touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position.

Challenge your muscles: Now that you have the basics down, you can modify your lunge workouts in many different ways in order to work different muscles. For example, Crunch gym personal training manager Tim Rich recommends reverse lunges (stepping back instead of forward) as a good way to complement the forward movements in your daily life. "We always move forward," Tim says. "Moving in a reverse direction requires more skill and helps regain some balance and athleticism." Here are more recommended lunge variations to try:

Do a bicep curl with dumbbells while you lunge to work your upper body while you strengthen your legs.
Do this walking forward lunge workout to further challenge your balance.
Change it up with side lunges so you can work your lower body muscles in a different way than you normally do. Find out the correct way to do a side lunge here.

Injury prevention: Even though lunges are one of the best ways to work your lower body, some people tend to avoid lunges because it can put too much strain on the knees. If you feel pain, Tim recommends you take smaller steps as you lunge. "Reducing the range of motion will still develop good strength and alignment," Tim says. Slowly increase your lunge distance as your pain gets better. Some people also find that doing a reverse lunge instead of a forward lunge also helps reduce knee strain.

Do you like doing lunges?

Hollywood Secrets For Long, Lean Legs!

Self — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:30:18 PDT

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

Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz . . . Who hasn't watched their favorite movie stars walk the red carpet and grown a little envious of their mile-long legs? Granted, most leading ladies are blessed with superior DNA, but that doesn't mean you can't score long, lean gams too! "What is possible for others is possible for you," says Barry's Bootcamp cofounder Barry Jay, the celebrity trainer behind Eliza Dushku's, Stacy Keibler's, and Juliette Lewis's fit physiques. "But be patient! If you want legs that look like Jessica Biel's, do the work!"

That means ditching the late-night pizza runs and sticking to a healthy diet. Also remember to maintain proper form during those calorie-torching sweat sessions or all of your hard work will be for naught. "Form is everything," says Jay. "Don't just do it. Do it right!"

To get started, incorporate these three moves using a set of five- to eight-pound hand weights (or set a timer for one minute per exercise if hand weights are unavailable) into your regular routine twice a week. "Good legs are important because they help your whole body change," says Jay. "You burn the most calories when you work out your legs. They are the foundation of your body, a gift, and they deserve to look their best!"

Read on for the workout.