FitSugar

Superset Your Workouts to Save Time, but Add Intensity

Michele Foley — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:11:00 PDT

After missing a session with my Crunch trainer last week - c'mon, it was a hectic week! - I poked his brain on how to maximize my workouts when I'm short on time. One word: supersets. While I was unfamiliar with the term, I had already experienced the concept of supersets in a few of our training sessions. During supersets, you pair up two different sets of exercises, one right after the other, without resting in between sets. By doing so, you save time, add intensity, and help build muscle while also getting your heart rate up - hello, cardio!

Supersets are beneficial for cutting down time spent in the gym, but they're also a way to maximize what you're doing while there. If you don't have time for separate cardio and strength sessions, supersets come in handy. Because you move quickly through strength training exercises, your heart responds with an elevated rate as it pumps oxygen to your muscles. Supersets can also aid in overloading muscle groups that need more targeting.

Learn how to use supersets in your next workout after the break!

What's Your Favorite Body Part to Strength Train?

Leta Shy — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:37:51 PDT

At my first session with my trainer at Crunch gym, he led me through a short session doing planks using the TRX suspension system. After holding for a few seconds, it was clear: my core needed a lot of work. Just that small workout showed me how much I need to strengthen and build my muscles; I was trembling and sweating while my trainer counted down.

While the Summer months can have you wanting to tone every inch of your body in order to look your best in a bikini, increasing your strength is important for more than just looks. A strong core, for example, helps you in everything from better posture to better balance, and strength training in general helps increase bone density, reduce pain, and reduce the risk of injury.

Tell me: do you like to focus on a certain area when you strength train?

Maximize Your Workout: Get Kirsched! in a New York Minute

Guest Writer — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:47:05 PDT

The following post was written by New York-based trainer David Kirsch.

It’s Autumn in Manhattan, and the days are growing shorter by the minute. Although time is always of the essence for a busy New Yorker, you know you're in for a serious time crunch when even the New York minute seems to lose a few seconds.

Down in the dumps because you don't have enough time to exercise? Stop the clock, and give yourself a little credit. Even the most skilled of multitaskers have trouble accomplishing all on the daily checklist - especially when you think your wellness program requires you to devote 90 minutes to exercise!

Don't get me wrong, a well-rounded cardio and cardio sculpting routine is essential to getting your best body. With that said, the talent of getting in - and getting out - of the gym is a necessary skill for those with a hectic schedule. Learn to maximize your workout and get the same results with this ultimate cardio-sculpting circuit. You’ll feel an entire body burn, including your arms, abs, legs, and butt- with this fat-blasting sequence:

Practicing my signature combination moves will scorch the calories, burn the fat, and tone sexy, sinewy muscles . . . All in one workout! Now that’s a serious Kirsching! For more cardio-sculpting routines, you can find them in the Ultimate New York Body Plan.

Add these three time-saving moves to your next workout.

View 5 Photos ›

For more tips, recipes, and workouts, be sure to check out all of David's posts here on FitSugar.

Weight Training News: Size Doesn't Matter

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:30:48 PDT

A little muscle tone is a good thing, and based on new research it looks like lighter weights can help you achieve that goal. A new study, conducted at Canada's McMaster University, found that it's not the size of the weights that matter but rather fatiguing the muscle. To work your muscle to the magic exhaustion point to stimulate your muscle growth, you can either lift heavier weights for fewer reps or lighter weights for more reps; as long as you reach "muscle fatigue" you will be building muscle fibers.

McMaster's associate professor of kinesiology Stuart Phillips explained the process to Science Daily:

"Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can't lift it anymore. We're convinced that growing muscle means stimulating your muscle to make new muscle proteins, a process in the body that over time accumulates into bigger muscles."

This is good news for a variety of reasons. While working with heavy weights can make you feel like a super toughie, they can be hard on your joints. Creating joint pain is not what you want out of a strength training session. Plus, lighter weights are less intimidating, so if you're not ready for 20-pound dumbbells no worries. Just be sure to do enough reps to thoroughly exhaust the muscle.

Booty Move: Deadlifts

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:00:57 PDT

The name of the exercise may sound macabre, but deadlifts will help you get a perky backside. Often done with feet hip width apart, bringing your feet together on this exercise targets a different part of the muscle. And, as the name suggests, the glute max is a big muscle, and you want to work the entire muscle. I suggest changing up your foot placement at your next workout so you can feel the difference for yourself.

Learn the details of the deadlift when you

Stand holding a pair of medium-weight dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly bend at your hip joint, not your waist, and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight. Looking forward, not at the ground, will help you avoid rounding your back. Keep the weights close to, almost touching, your legs.
Now squeeze your glutes to slowly pull yourself up. Don't use your back and do not round your spine.
Do three sets of 12 reps.

Along with working your glute, this exercise works your hamstrings and low back, too. After doing three sets or 12 to 15 reps, I like to take child's pose to stretch out my back.

Lift Heavier Weights to Lose the Weight

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:30:04 PDT

Weight training is a slippery slope for a lot of women. Many are afraid of bulking up and skip it altogether, while others - including actress Kristen Bell - use lighter weights to avoid looking too muscular. The accepted logic is that heavier weights equal big muscles and using lighter weights is the best way to slim down and maintain "womanly" tone. Not so, says a recent article in the New York Times: using heavier weights is more slimming than you think.

First things first. The article challenges the notion that lifting big weights means you're going to get big muscles. There is a reason that bodybuilders are so fond of those mega-calorie extreme protein shakes; if you want to go big, you have to eat big. Those bulked up folks you see now and again are probably eating an excess of 2,000 calories a day.

To find out what weights you should be lifting to lose body fat,

If you want to be stronger and toned but still look slim, the suggestion is to challenge yourself with heavier weights and fewer repetitions. A 2002 study that looked at women doing both low- and high-intensity resistance exercises found that those who lifted heavier weights with fewer repetitions burned more calories and had a bigger metabolic boost than the women who lifted lighter weights with increased repetitions. When deciding how much weight you should be lifting, the women with the greatest success in the study did two sets of eight repetitions at 85-percent of their maximum ability. Using this measure, you should pick a weight that you can lift eight times without straining, and whichever muscle you are working should feel tired (but not exhausted) upon your final rep of the first set.

Additional evidence supports this claim: in a study published last year, scientists followed 122 women for six years and found that those who did less repetitions with heavier weights lost the most body fat. If you need physical evidence, look at Cameron Diaz. Cameron uses 20-pound weights in her everyday workouts - I challenge anyone to compare her svelte frame to that of the Incredible Hulk!

Pay Attention to That Dumbbell!

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:30:34 PDT

Today's lesson: be careful when strength training. Research findings show that injuries related to weight training have increased by almost 50 percent between 1990 and 2007. During this period, US emergency rooms treated almost 100,000 weight-training injuries - about 6,000 per year. The good news for women is that men suffered the brunt of the injuries, making up 82 percent of the group. Individuals between the ages of 13 and 24 came in second, accounting for almost half of those injured.

The report, which was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, says that almost all of the injuries were caused by people using free weights, and most often because the weights were dropped on someone. Luckily, the majority of the injuries weren't too serious - sprains and strains - but a sprain is serious enough to set your fitness regimen back a few weeks.

To avoid injury, consult a trainer on proper technique when using free weights. Also make sure you are lifting the right amount of weight when working out. If it isn't possible to consult a trainer, limit your chances of injury by using weight machines, resistance bands, or doing strengthening moves that require no equipment. If you do hurt yourself, make sure to take care of your sports injury in the best way possible.

Kettlebells and You

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:08 PST

They've been around for decades, but only recently have kettlebells been gaining popularity. You may be thinking, "What's so great about kettlebells? They seem like dumbbells with handles, so why not just use dumbbells?" Your answer comes when you pick up a kettlebell; you'll notice that it's much harder to handle, which is what makes it more effective for strength training. The off-centered weight forces you to engage multiple muscle groups at once in order help stabilize your body. Your body as a whole will become stronger, especially your core. When using a kettlebell, you can execute the same exercises you can do with dumbbells, plus many more that involve swinging, pushing, and balancing the bell.

These cast iron weights come in a range of sizes from two pounds to 100 pounds (for the really strong ladies and gents). Proper use of kettlebells requires strength and coordination, so it's best to start off with a light weight at first. If you are a healthy and fit female, begin using one that's about 15 pounds (8 kg). If you haven't strength trained in a while (or ever), start with a lighter bell, such as five or eight pounds. To figure out if you've chosen the right size, try these three exercises after you

Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Holding the handle with both hands, squat down and dangle the bell in between your legs. Hold for a few seconds and then straighten your legs. You should be able to do this without your lower back or shoulders hurting.
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart, and hold a kettlebell with both hands between your legs. Bend your knees slightly and then swing the kettlebell forward. You should be able to explosively straighten your legs and lift the kettlebell up so it's above shoulder height.
Place a kettlebell in one hand and lift it above your head. You should be able to lift your arm all the way up without arching your back, and should be able to hold the weight up there for a few seconds.

It's better to start off with a lighter weight and learn correct technique and posture. Then you can gradually increase to a heavier kettlebell as you become stronger. Since many of the exercises involve ballistic (fast) work, you want to be sure you get some personal instruction on how to use them, since you can end up tearing a muscle if you lift too much or move the wrong way. If this is your first time using this type of weight, I'll warn you that it can be very strenuous on the body and feel awkward at first. But as with anything, practicing will make you feel more comfortable. Source

You Asked: Does Running With Weights Burn More Calories?

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:00:53 PST

Dear Fit,
I'm trying to lose 15 pounds before my wedding this Summer. I don't have a lot of time to work out each day, only about 30 minutes, so I was trying to think of ways to burn more calories per workout. What do you think about running with dumbbells? I figured I could burn more calories and tone my arms at the same time. Is this the best way to slim down before the Big Day?
-Bride-to-Be

First of all, congrats on your engagement. How exciting! A woman wants to look her best on her wedding day, and you're not alone in trying to lose weight and tone up. I'm very against running while holding hand weights, though. To find out why and learn ways to maximize your gym time

read more. Running or walking with dumbbells seems like a brilliant way to kill two birds with one stone - burn calories while toning your upper body - but it's a bad idea. Swinging that extra weight will most likely cause you to tear a muscle or injure your shoulder joint. The same goes for ankle weights. If you wear them while walking or running, you might as well sign yourself up for a knee injury. Besides, for every 10 pounds you add to your body while moving, you only burn about five to eight extra calories per mile. If you want to get the most out of your cardio workouts, instead of picking up weights, pick up the pace. Moving even a little faster will burn more calories. So even though you only have 30 minutes, running at a pace of 6 mph (10-minute miles) will burn 292 calories. If you run a little faster at a pace of 6.5 mph (9:14 minutes per mile), you'll burn 309 calories. While that may not seem like a huge difference, after five days of running, you'll end up burning 85 extra calories. Intervals offer more caloric burning bang for your cardio buck. Play with speed and try this interval running workout to start. Find other times to strength train. Either use the 30 minutes you have each day to do weights a couple times a week, or fit in exercises here and there. Do triceps dips on your chair at work, do bicep curls while chatting on the phone, or do 20 push-ups before bed. Since working out alone won't help you lose weight, also make sure you're eating a balanced diet that includes lean protein, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and veggies. Watch your portions by measuring out your serving sizes and keeping a food journal. Remember that slow and steady wins the race, and if you continue with regular exercise and a healthy diet, you'll gradually melt the pounds and will more likely be able to keep them off after you say "I do."

Skip It: Triceps Kickback

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:30:00 PDT

Sometimes referred to as "bingo arms," the back of the upper arm can be toned and tightened by working the triceps. Unfortunately, most of us chose to do kickbacks to work the muscle group, and this might not be the most effective way to work your triceps. The body position required for the exercise - leaned over with elbow pinned to your side - not only makes it hard to overload the muscle to really work it, but you are only really working the muscle for the last quarter of the motion. Plus, you're just working one muscle when you could be saving time by challenging multiple muscles at once while working the triceps more effectively. See some alternative exercises, when you

Triceps dips: This move is simple and as a full body exercise you will be working more than just one muscle. If you do this exercise on the floor, try alternating it with crab walks, by staying in table top position and walking 10 steps forward and then ten backward.
Push-ups: When you place your hands directly under your shoulders and keep your elbows in, you will effectively work your tris.
Triceps Presses: This exercise is not a full body exercise, but because of the arm position you work your triceps as you press the weights up, as well as when you lower them back to starting position due to your relationship to gravity. To make this exercise a full body move, make a tabletop position with your head and upper back on a physio ball.

Source