FitSugar

Matthew Knows the Power of the Vest

FitSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT

Matthew McConaughey is at it again running about town, but this time he is not bare chested and he is actually bearing extra weight.

Wearing a weighted vest like Matthew while running or walking is another way to increase your workload and by doing so you will burn more calories. Plus it is safer than carrying hand weights or strapping weights around your ankles, since the extra weight is distributed through your shoulders and torso. Wearing a weighted vest is also a speed training method; you train with the vest and when you run without it you are faster.

If you should decide to take on the weighted vest challenge, start out light and gradually add weight – no more than two percent a week. Eventually you want to max out at twenty percent of your body weight. So, if you weigh 135 pounds, you want to eventually wear a 27 pound vest.

Me? I find running challenging enough. What about you? Tell me in the comments section below if you run or walk with a weighted vest.

Source

How Rihanna Got In Soldier-Worthy Shape For Battleship

Michele Foley — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:01:00 PDT

To get in shape to play Battleship's hard-hitting Petty Officer Cora Raikes, Rihanna geared up to work alongside the real-life Navy. From weapons training to boot camp, find out how the pop songstress got in shape for her big-screen debut.

Drop and give me 20: Forget what you think you know about bootcamp workouts. Rihanna's training was the real deal. She worked alongside Navy soldiers, performing drills that challenged her entire body. She describes the experience as "really intense with lots of yelling," and, of course, lots of push-ups. The goal was to get her in action-hero shape while also breaking her out of the "celebrity mindset." In order for Rihanna to really connect with her role, she needed to understand the mentality of a soldier. You can train just like Rihanna - minus all that yelling - by doing our 11 total-body bootcamp workouts.

A weighty affair: Wielding a big gun is no easy feat. Aside from a ton of weapons training, Rihanna needed serious upper-body strength to maneuver around with such a heavy arsenal. Her trainer's answer? Weighted sandbags. Working out while carrying added weight helped Rihanna prepare for running, jumping, and kicking her way across the screen with heavy artillery strapped to her chest. Feel like challenging yourself with military-style tactics? Get going on these CrossFit workouts that anyone can do, or wear a weighted vest the next time you hit the treadmill.

7 Money Mistakes Women Often Make

LearnVest — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:15:55 PDT

We all make mistakes - we're all human after all. LearnVest shares some of the common money mistakes that women often make so readers will learn not to make them, too.

Some of us handle our money flawlessly, perfectly, brilliantly, all of the time.

But most of us don't.

Most of us make mistakes here and there. We make some mistakes more than others, because of our personalities, or our upbringing . . . or sometimes even our gender.

It's ridiculous, but true.

We've heard it firsthand - from our readers. In fact, we went through hundreds of reader submissions and found examples of the most common stories that cross our desks every day.

Let's be clear: Not all women make these mistakes. Not all men avoid them. But in our experience, these are a few female financial problem areas that can lead to major debt and lots of stress.

RELATED: Are You a Social Shopper?

Ever bailed out an ex? Indulged in a little more retail therapy than you meant to? Or woken up one day and realized you didn't know as much as you thought you did about managing your money? You just might recognize yourself.

Of course, if you don't, good for you. We're just saying, bad money snafus happen to good people. But read on: We'll show you the top seven mistakes women make - and what to do instead.

Feeling Guilty

"When we were together, I let my ex stay with me rent-free until he found an apartment, lent him my furniture and paid for every date because I had a job and he didn't. When I lost my job, he paid for my rent for a few months and bills, etc. Now that we're broken up, he wants me to pay him back for the rent he insisted on covering. I am still on unemployment and barely getting by. I feel so guilty because we didn't end up as the forever couple and while I can't (nor would I . . . ) calculate all of my assistance getting him settled in NYC, he can quite easily."

A 2011 study from Eversave.com found that 67% of women have felt guilt about a purchase. But that's not the only opportunity for guilt: There's also staying in a job you feel guilty about abandoning, giving someone money because you feel guilty about their situation and, oh, doing the opposite of what you want when it comes to working after having children because you feel guilty about being a good mom (more on that here).

This guilt effect might not be limited to finances, either. Some studies suggest that women are more inclined than men to feel any kind of guilt. And we'd argue, more likely to bail out their exes, too.

Read on for more.

Healthy Dose Link Time: How Exercise Can Help Your Credit Score

Michele Foley — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:32:49 PDT

Get rid of debt through exercise? There's a link somewhere in there - LearnVest
Banish negative emotions with these hip-opening stretches - Yoga Journal
Hungry before dinner? Snacks that won't blow your waistline - Real Simple
Eat these 25 superfoods, have better sex - Shape
So maybe a detox diet is the key to weight loss . . . - Blisstree
Supermodel Elle Macpherson shares her 5 secrets to staying fit in her 40s - Fitness
Go ahead, take a seat - toning exercises you can do in a chair - Daily Spark
Maybe folks will start losing weight if they don't call it a diet - The Stir

Things to Never Do While on a Short-Distance Run

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:14:00 PDT

With last week's Boston Marathon kicking off marathon season, there's been a lot of talk about how to tackle long-distance runs and how to recover from an endurance run once it's over. All great advice, but for many of us, a 30- to 40-minute run is all we want to handle. For all you short-distance runners out there, here's a list of things to never do during your workout.

Skip the warmup: Even though you're not running for very long, you still need to warm up your cold muscles. Walk briskly, do some jumping jacks, or run up and down your stairs for five minutes to get your blood flowing and to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout ahead. Skip the warmup and you might as well sign yourself up for a pulled muscle.
Carbo load: Depending on how much you weigh and how fast you're moving, a half-hour run burns 300 calories, more or less. Compare that to someone burning 1,200 on a two-hour run and you'll see that it's not necessary to carbo load beforehand with a huge spaghetti lunch. Follow these tips for choosing an appropriate pre-workout snack, don't eat a thing during your workout, and when you're run is complete, nosh on one of these low-cal post-workout snacks.

Keep reading to find out more short-distance running mistakes to avoid.

Healthy Dose Link Time: See Before and After Weight Loss Photos of Women Just Like You

Michele Foley — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:09 PDT

See it to believe it: inspiring weight-loss pics from everyday women - Shape
Burn major calories with this 15-minute jump rope circuit workout - Fitness
Drop these processed foods! Each contains over 25 ingredients - HuffPost Healthy Living
Summer fitness tips from Les Mills: work that booty and core to the max! - Fit Celeb
Alison Sweeney's healthy swaps for indulging without the guilt - Fit Bottomed Girls
How to maintain your healthy lifestyle . . . even while at work - Mind Body Green
10 tips to ensure you'll be eating healthy all throughout Spring and Summer - Health
Stop saying yes! Why people pleasing can lead to weight gain - LearnVest

Lil Links: Why You Shouldn't Feel Guilty Vacationing Without Your Kids

LilSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:53:55 PDT

Why it's OK not to miss your kids while you're on vacation - Yahoo! Shine
Check out Victoria Beckham and baby Harper's stylish journey through Beijing - Celebrity Baby Blog
Learn which airline is banning kids from economy class - LearnVest
The little white lies we tell our babysitters - The Stir
Drew Barrymore was feted with a joint baby-bridal shower this weekend - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Do moms literally lift a ton of baby weight every day? - FitPregnancy
What no one tells you about having kids - Parenting
Can you guess who this model mom is? - BabyCenter Blog
Custom photo scarves bring new meaning to "baby wearing" - Cool Mom Picks
The Biggest Loser host shares workout playlists for all three trimesters - Circle of Moms
Hilary Duff on her favorite thing about breastfeeding - Momtastic

Healthy Dose Link Time: How to Lose 2 Pounds by the End of the Week

Michele Foley — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:31:28 PDT

Start this plan today and lose two pounds by Sunday - Self
Get ready for Summer with this beach-body Pilates routine - Shape
Recycle your bra, and 6 other weird ways to help the planet - Prevention
Celebrate Meatless Monday with these flavor-packed recipes - Health
Why Deena Nicole's weight loss won't make it to Summer at the Jersey Shore - The Stir
Anything but boring; exciting ways to liven up popcorn - Vegetarian Times
Got 9 bucks? Then you have what it takes to make this healthy curry - LearnVest
Tips for stocking your kitchen with healthy whole foods - Eating Bird Food

Lil Links: Jessica Alba's Getting Honest About Parenthood

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:32:57 PDT

Jessica Alba talks about motherhood - The Stir
Mariah Carey shares her 70 pound weight-loss secrets - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Taylor Hanson is expecting baby number five! - Celebrity Baby Blog
Working moms often feel like their kids have a secret life - FitPregnancy
Breastfeeding support videos provide help 24/7 - Parenting
One company is offering double pay to returning mothers - Momformation
A pregnant vegetarian's guide to eating healthy - Momtastic
Airline plans to ban kids from economy class - LearnVest
A dinner makeover for cooking with your kids - Real Simple
Your kids need you to focus on your marriage - HuffPost Parents

Lil Links: Should MTV Cancel Teen Mom?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:32:06 PDT

MTV is closing down Teen Mom - The Stir
Miranda Kerr visits the children's museum - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Charlize Theron says swaddling is "amazing" - Celebrity Baby Blog
Was this a case of wrongful birth or wrongful health care system? - FitPregnancy
Seven-minute dinner recipes for new moms - Parenting
Is your partner's diet killing his sperm? - The Bump
The 5 most disturbing children's songs - Momformation
The 5 best ways to lose weight after baby - Circle of Moms
Skipping preschool? Maybe a co-op is the way to go! - LearnVest
A baby bath that gives tots the spa experience – Child Mode