FitSugar

Beyond the Basics: 5 Lunge Variations

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:50:41 PDT

I have a thing for lunges, and for good reason. Lunges help bring the booty, sculpt powerful legs, and create better overall balance. But if you tweak the move a bit, you'll see even bigger rewards. Here are five variations of the classic lunge to get you started - your arms, tush, thighs, and legs are going to love you!

Back to Basics: Walking Forward Lunge

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:30:00 PDT

Skin is in this spring, so before you sport your cute shorts, do a few of these leg toning walking forward lunges.

Here's how to do it:

Stand upright, feet together, holding two light (5-8 pound) dumbbells at your sides (palms facing in).
Take a controlled step forward with your left leg.
Lower hips toward the floor and bend both knees (almost at 90 degree angles). The back knee should come close but never touch the ground. Your front knee should be directly over the ankle and the back knee should be pointing down toward the floor.
Push off the with your right foot and bring it forward to starting position (#1). This completes one rep.
Next step forward and repeat with the right leg.
Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings and quads.

Fit's Tip: If it is too hard to do with light weights, instead of holding dumbbells, you can place your hands on your waist instead.

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?

3 Leg Stretches Runners Should Do Daily

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:41:42 PDT

I don't think I've ever met a runner who doesn't suffer from tight hips, hamstrings, or a lower back. The receptive movements and strengthening aspect of running can cause tight muscles that need extra attention. Of course you should never skip the stretching session after a run, but here are three lower-body stretches you should do every day - even on the days you don't run.

Open Lizard

What it stretches: sides of the hips and hip flexors

How to do it:

Come into a lunge position with the right foot forward and the left leg extended behind you, toes relaxed. Make sure there's enough distance between your feet so your front knee is at a 90-degree angle. Lower your hands to the floor to the left of your right foot.
Keep your front foot where it is and slowly lower your right knee outward, so you're resting on the outside of your right flexed foot. Keep your arms straight, pressing your chest forward just like in Upward Facing Dog; this will help encourage your hips to lower, increasing the stretch.
Gaze forward and enjoy Open Lizard for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

Keep reading to find out how to do the above stretch and one more that will target your hamstrings.

How Celeb Trainer Gunnar Peterson Keeps Sofia Looking Hot

Leta Shy — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:48:31 PDT

Whether she's hamming it up in front of Saturday Night Live cameras or going glam on the red carpet, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara always looks the part. But the self-described gym hater also works hard to keep fit. We spoke to her trainer Gunnar Peterson (whose clients have also included Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie), to learn more about how Sofia stays fit. Read his tips below.

Make it fun: How does Gunnar keep his celebrity clients sticking to their routine? "I try to keep it fun. I try and put a little bit of levity in it, but at the same time, I don’t sacrifice the work. We may goof around and stuff, but we’re definitely going to goof around while we’re working." A boring workout is one you won't want to stick to, so read our tips on how to keep a workout fun.

Whole-body workout: Gunnar doesn't like to waste time with isolated moves. Burn more calories and work more of your body at the same time instead. "I don’t do that many isolation movements, like single joint stuff," Gunnar says. "I do bigger movements. If we’re going to do a lunge, we’re probably going to add an upper body component to it, like a lunge with a wood chop, a side lunge with a wood chop, or a rear lunge with a lateral raise, or a forward lunge with a front raise." Try it yourself: incorporate this medicine ball wood chop the next time you do lunges, and check out Gunnar's cutting-edge double-duty gym equipment here.

Read on for more tips from celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson.

13 Ways to De-Stress During the Workday

Laura Marie Given — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:15:13 PDT

It's natural for work to leave you a little stressed, but if you're a frazzled mess from nine to five, it's important to step back and relax. Not sure how to loosen up? From doodling to redecorating, here are 13 easy ways to de-stress during the workday:

Finish the tough stuff first. Try to get your most complicated tasks out of the way early in the day so that they're not looming over you for hours. Think of it as a "best for last" technique and you'll start to look forward to your afternoons.
Make exercise a priority. Whether it's a quick walk around the block or a full-on gym session during your lunch hour, moving your body is crucial for your sanity. Aim to stretch every hour, too, in an effort to clear your head.
Savor your snack. Rather than mindlessly munching on whatever snacks are handy, bring your favorite treat from home and take the time to relish every bite. Make it a healthy bite to really rev up your mood and energy.
Connect with a friend. Socializing is one of the easiest ways to distract yourself from everyday anxieties, so call up a pal to chat for a few minutes. Try to avoid any work-related venting and stick to fun, tension-free topics instead.
Congregate at the water cooler. It's important to engage with your co-workers on a day-to-day basis. Not only will kitchen small talk free up your mind for a few minutes, but it will also help you build positive relationships around the office.
Take five to do something lighthearted. Were you the type who doodled during class? For five (and only five) quick minutes, draw, catch up on Instagram, or browse Pinterest to improve your attitude and recharge your batteries.

Read on for more de-stress tips

Essential Exercises For Your Lower Body

Leta Shy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:12:24 PST

As Summer nears, our thoughts turn to what's underneath those layers of Winter clothes. If you're looking to tone your backside and legs before bikini season, here are five essential lower-body moves fundamental to any workout. And don't worry - you can do them anywhere!

The squat: That burning in your upper thighs as you hold a squat tells you just how great this move is for lower body muscles like hamstrings, glutes, quads, and the lower back, not to mention helping with your balance.
Don't forget: While doing squats, remember to keep your weight in your heels, not your toes, and as you lower yourself, pretend that you are sitting in a chair. Learn more on how to do a perfect squat and different squat variations here.

The lunge: This leg-strengthening move works the same muscles as a squat, but the movement required in the exercise helps you work your core muscles and balance as well. Another plus: between walking (forward or backward) or adding weights to your lunge workout, the possibilities are endless when it comes to lunge compound moves.
Don't forget: Make sure that your upper body is straight and upright, with shoulders down and chin up. When lowering your body, your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle, with the front knee never going past your ankle and bottom knee never touching the floor. Engaging your core muscles will help keep you centered and balanced. When you've mastered that, here are five lunge variations to try.

Read on for more essential lower-body exercises.

Last Chance! An End-of-Season Workout to Up Your Ski Game

Leta Shy — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:14:27 PST

Even with this mild Winter, we've still seen our fair share of snow in the mountains. And while Spring is just around the corner, late-season storms around the country have given us the gift of fresh powder. If you're planning a snowy mountain weekend anytime soon, here's a circuit workout that works your core, lower body, and balance - courtesy of Erick Northrup, a district fitness manager at Crunch and avid skier - to keep in your workout rotation before you head to the slopes.

Get the workout after the break!

Gym 101: Strength-Training Warmup

Susi May — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:12:55 PST

A solid warmup sets you up for a solid workout. When it comes to prepping for strength training, an active warmup primes the joints and muscles, prepping them for the heavy lifting. Lauren, my Equinox trainer, introduced me to these moves, and after a little light cardio - for me, it's five minutes running on a treadmill at a 6 mph pace, but the elliptical or a little jump rope would work - Lauren has me do three out of these five moves. Mix and match the exercises however you please, or do them all for a very thorough warmup.

Rocking Lunge
Give an active stretch to both your hips and hamstrings with the rocking lunge. Start in a deep lunge with your right leg forward; you can even bring your left knee to the floor. Straighten your right knee to rock your weight back and onto your left foot to lengthen the hamstring. Flex your right toes as you rock into the hamstring stretch. Return back to your deep lunge and repeat for a total of 10 times on each side.

Toy Soldier
A walking kick, the toy soldier stretches out the back of the leg, both hamstrings and calves. Step forward on your right foot, and kick your left leg forward, bringing your left toes toward your right hand. Step onto your left foot and kick the right leg, bringing right foot toward left hand. Take 20 steps total.

Keep reading for three more moves.

Strength Training No-Nos: What Not to Do When in Squats

Susi May — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:02:53 PST

No matter your fitness passion, from snowboarding to CrossFit, you likely do squats in your sweat sessions - they're a fitness staple. Sometimes, the more simple the move, the more careless we become when doing it, and before you know it you have sloppy squats. Here are four common mistakes that plague the standard squat. Next time you head to the gym, take a little time to get back to basics and run through this list. Not only will these corrections make the exercise more effective, but they prevent injuries too.

Mistake: Weight Too Far Forward
To take care of your knees and really engage your glutes, keep your weight in your heels. You should be able to freely wiggle your toes as you sit back into your squat. Weighting your heels also keeps the knees from moving beyond your toes, which can seriously strain that joint.
The Fix:
Practice squatting with a stable chair or weight bench behind you, and aim to lower your booty onto the front third of the seat - quietly and with control, no plopping down. This will help you shift your weight far enough back to truly challenge your glutes.

Mistake: Leaning Forward
When squatting, you want to keep your torso fairly upright, but tight hips can pull the upper body forward, straining the knees and the low back. Leaning forward also interferes with your ability to go deep in the squat, decreasing the amount of work for your backside.
The Fix:
Before a strength training session, do a dynamic warmup to open the front of the hips. Walking lunges work well as an active stretch for the tight hip flexors. To keep your torso upright, use an exercise ball at the wall for your squats and single leg squats too. Here are details on how to set yourself up for ball squats at the wall - just make sure you're going deep enough into the squat so your thighs are parallel to the ground.

Keep on reading for more about squats after the break.