FitSugar

Dumbass of the Day

TresSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:00:00 -0700

A Bloomington, MN, man is in stable condition in spite of falling off a bridge while pretending to fall. That's right: a 23-year-old man, after some drinking (surprise, surprise!), asked his friend to pull over to the emergency lane of a bridge over the Minnesota River so he could urinate.

He climbed over the ledge, looked over at his friend, and - while pretending to fall - actually fell. Police had to use a chair to retrieve the man 30 feet below the bridge since he was stuck in a marsh. Great to see tax dollars being put to good use!

Source

Get Lifted: Bridge Booty With a Band

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

I'm always looking for ways to work my bum and I love to vary the way I do basic exercises. This move is similar to the Booty Lift Chest Press, but it targets your bum even more.

To hear how to get into this read more.

Start on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip distance apart.
Place a band over your hips and hold onto either end with your hands, so the band is tight against your body.
Keep holding the band with your arms pressed into the ground, and lift your hips as high as you can. Adjust the band according to your needs, in order to feel more or less resistance.
Lower your bum back to the ground, but stop an inch or two above the floor.
Repeat for 12-15 times, for a total of three sets.

Move It: Full Sit Up with Bridge

FitSugar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:30:00 -0700

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.

Take It to the Gym: Printable Booty Workout

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Working the booty is always a great thing to do, plus it is great prep for the upcoming swimsuit season. Watch the video first then you can print out this printer friendly version to take with you to the gym.

Kicks
(10 reps each leg)
Do's and Don'ts

Keep elbows directly under your knees
Start with your toes on the ground and your foot flexed
Do not allow your back to arch, just use the glute to lift your leg
Keep abs engaged - this exercise works your core too.

Donkey Kicks
(10 small pulses each leg)
Do's and Don'ts

Keep your knee pointed down towards the floor
Keep the motion small and concentrated
Use your abdominals to stabilize - pull them away from the floor

There's more, so read more

Charlie Chaplin (20 pointed feet, 20 flexed) Do's and Don'ts Do 20 small clicks of the heels with toes pointed Then do 20 small clicks of the heels with feet flexed Keep knees straight and move from the upper inner thigh Keep your abs up and lifted - your hand under your belly is there to remind you to pull the abs up and away from the floor
Bridge with Pulses (10 small pulses) Do's and Don'ts Keep your legs parallel (try this with a small ball or pillow between your knees Place your heels close to your pelvis to work the glutes more
Bridge with kicks (5 reps each leg) Do's and Don'ts Work the glute of the foot that is in on the ground - this will help steady the pelvis Don't lower just until it is even with the other knee - use control Flex the foot as you lower the leg, reach through that heel
Raise the leg with a pointed foot
Squats on 3 Levels (10 pulses on each level) Do's and Don'ts Really stick your booty out - DO NOT tuck your pelvis under Feel like you are sitting back in a chair You should be able to see your toes, because you are keeping your weight in your heels to fire up the glutes Do ten squats, then lower your bum for 10 more, then go even lower for the last 10 For more details on squats - check out You Don't Know Squat
Plié Squats (10 slow pulses) Do's and Don'ts Open your legs super wide, so when you bend your knees they are right over your toes Spiral your thigh bones away from each other to open your knees - they should be in line with your big toe Pulse up from your sits bones squeezing together
Pulsing Lunges (10 pulses each leg) Do's and Don'ts: Ideally, both knees should be at 90 degrees Do not push with the back leg, initiate the pulse from the glute of the front leg Use weights to increase the difficulty of the exercise

4 minute Booty Workout Video

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:19:21 -0700

Springtime is upon us and so are mini skirts and hot pants. Swimsuit season is just around the corner, so it is time to start toning the booty area. For me, a toned backside is really great for all season, but soon we will be showing more of it so let's get down to business.

Here is a 4 minute exercise video for you to try.

I will have the printable gym version ready for you all tomorrow, since I have never seen someone working out with a laptop at the gym.

Here are a few tips:

Use a soft mat when performing the first 3 exercises - be nice to your knees.
In Charlie Chaplin really pull your abs away from the floor and your hand. This will help keep your low back muscles relaxed to ensure more work in your glutes - which is what we want, right?
Bridge with your legs in parallel (heels in line with sits bones) and your heels close to your booty (this will make the hamstrings work less and the glutes more). You can use a small ball or a pillow between your knees to get the inner thighs more active too.
Read this post You don't know SQUAT for more on the technique of Squats.
For Plié Squats and Lunges remember to not tuck your pelvis under and you'll be golden.

REMEMBER: If a move hurts or feels weird, try the motion smaller. If the move still feels weird, stop and try it again in a couple of days.

Click here for: Take it to the Gym -Print out of the video.

It Is Thigh Time: Bridge with Pillow

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 09:02:32 -0800

Here is another IT IS THIGH TIME exercise video. To slim down muscular thighs you need to strengthen the hamstrings and glutes to balance out the overworking quads and IT band. What is great about this exercise is that you can do it anywhere. You just need a pillow (a ball or towel) to place between your knees.

Let me know how it goes by commenting below.

Keep a look out for more exercise videos. New ones are coming soon.

Let Pilates Move You: Bridge with a Kick

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:30:00 -0800

This Pilates move will work your backside, toning your hamstrings and glutes. Lie on your back with your arms resting by your sides and your knees bent and heels in line with your sits bones (yep, those bones that you feel on your bottom when you're sitting). Using your legs press your pelvis up into a bridge. But go only as far as you can so you still see your knees - so not as far up as the bridge pose in yoga (see photo of "wrong move" below).

Engage your core, feeling the abdominals and the back muscles sandwich the spine. Use these muscles to keep your pelvis as steady as possible while doing the following exercise. No rocking and rolling. I always say - it's not really Pilates if you are not working your deep abs.

Press your right heel into the floor to feel your right hamstrings and right booty working. Reach your left leg toward the ceiling and flex your foot (pull your toe toward your head). To continue this exercise read more

On an exhale slowly lower your left leg until it is even with your right knee. Really reach through your heel. Taking about 4 slow counts to lower the leg.

Inhale and point the toes of your left foot and quickly bring the left leg up. Repeat 3 - 5 more times then switch legs.

If this seems a bit daunting, just practice the bridge part of the exercise - pressing the pelvis up and lowering the pelvis with control. If your hamstrings are cramping, give them a gentle stretch and focus on your glutes working to spread the work out.

View 3 Photos ›

To see how not to do this exercise

Movie Preview: Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:36:05 -0800

The trailer for Crazy Heart notes that both stars Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal have been nominated for Oscars, and the solemn, raw tone of the film looks an awful lot like awards show bait for these two big talents. Jeff Bridges stars as Bad Blake, a grizzled, hard-livin', lovin', and drinkin' country singer/songwriter who's known for his amazing music, and Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the journalist he eventually falls for.

We don't see a ton of plot in the trailer, but the story seems like a familiar one, complete with introspection and a soft country anthem that fits the title. Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall also star in the film, which features original songs by celebrated songwriter T-Bone Burnett.

To see the trailer and predict for yourself if this is one you're going to be seeing in the Oscar race, just read more.

The Men Who Stare at Goats: Glaringly Unfocused

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

I went into The Men Who Stare at Goats with high expectations. How could a film possibly disappoint when you have the acting trifecta of George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges? But unfortunately, while the pros work hard to generate laughs - and they do deliver at times - the film on the whole is all over the place.

Goats is based on the non-fiction book by Jon Ronson. That's right - non-fiction. The film opens with the line, "More of this is true than you would believe," which is a nice reminder, because the plot is intentionally convoluted. At first, this far-fetched quality makes the story feel fun and quirky, but as time goes on, it gets mucked up in its own self-aware confusion and starts to feel stale. To see what I mean, read more.

McGregor stars as the movie's hero, Bob Wilton, a small-town journalist whose wife has just left him for his editor. So Bob decides to do what most men do when they're heartbroken - he goes to war. Or at least he tries to, but he only gets as far as a hotel pool bar in Kuwait. That's where he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a former "Jedi warrior" with the U.S. Army - or simply put: soldiers with superpowers. (Yes, note the coincidence: McGregor and Jedis.)

Lyn begins to tell Bob about the former founder of his unit, Bill Djanjo (Jeff Bridges), a vet who goes to find himself after Vietnam in the drug and orgy, peace and love '70s. Armed with a new, zen persona, Bill returns to the Army to share his more peaceful point of view and take charge of a new special force that uses mind control over traditional weapons. That's when Lyn comes in. As a new recruit, Lyn is exceptionally psychic, and he quickly gets a reputation for being able to find anyone, including terrorists, strictly using his mind.

So Bob and Lyn begin on a journey into Iraq. Where they're headed, Lyn's not exactly sure. He just assumes he'll find it, thanks to his extra sixth sense. As for the audience, we're sort of in the same boat - along for the ride without any real direction.

The movie tries to comment on the inhumanity (and stupidity) of war, but has a difficult time making its point alongside the slapstick elements. The actors are great with comedic timing and deliver one-liners to entertain the audience in many moments, but that was ultimately the only aspect that held my interest. (That and Jeff Bridges's sweet hippie braided hair.) What had the potential to be a funny, original story or a satire instead starts to feel boring. The characters wander aimlessly, the flashbacks float in and out, and without a clear focus, you stop caring. And that's not an easy feat where Clooney's usually concerned.

A Google For Recipes: Recipe Bridge

GeekSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:25:46 -0700

Don't ask me how it happened, but I have some weird and random food ingredients in my kitchen. Take the can of chickpeas that have been sitting in my cupboard for two weeks - after the urge for hummus subsided, they were left to sit and wait until I could figure out some other way to use them.

No need to wait any longer, little chickpeas, I've found Recipe Bridge. Like a Google for recipes, just type in an ingredient, and you'll get thousands of recipe options for that particular item. Who knew there were so many ways to use chickpeas in a meal?!

And for other amazing recipes, be sure to head on over to YumSugar!

Found a useful website you'd like to share? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!