Valerie Waters Says "Wake Up and Work Out"

Working out in the morning is always difficult for me, and even more so with the sun rising an hour later thanks to daylight saving . Due to my mom duties, I cannot take advantage of the extra evening light, so mornings it is. After talking to celeb trainer Valerie Waters , I am more inspired to set my alarm, and then get up and go, for simple non-fitness reasons. On the topic of morning workouts, she told me, “I believe that exercise makes you feel better. It makes you feel more confident and relaxed. If you exercise in the morning, you tend to be more aware of food intake throughout the day.” I heard this little snippet run through my head after turning off my alarm this morning. Rather than roll over and snooze, Val’s voice helped motivate me onto the elliptical downstairs. Since I want whatever calories I burned before dawn to have an impact, I abstained from the sugar cookies making the rounds at Sugar Inc. and snacked on fruit and nuts instead. Thanks Val !

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Valerie Waters Says "Wake Up and Work Out"

Speak Up: Preventing Weight Gain When Dating

When you first start dating someone it’s an exciting time where you’re spending a lot of time together. The problem is, those times together include going out to eat, catching coffee and dessert, and sharing bottles of wine. You’re also more likely to skip out on your regular workouts in exchange for hours of cuddling on the couch. All this can translate to numbers going up on the scale, so tell me, what are your tips on avoiding weight gain when dating?

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Speak Up: Preventing Weight Gain When Dating

Work Out Like Lady Gaga

For the last 10 years, celeb trainer Harley Pasternak has worked hard on his ever-evolving 5 Factor philosophy of diet and exercise. And people are listening: Lady Gaga , Eva Mendes , and Mandy Moore are just a few of the celebs who have all turned to him for their fitness needs. The 5 Factor exercise regimen is tailor-made for busy individuals too. When I spoke to Harley last week he told me that all you need is 25 minutes a day; that’s it. If you can do more, great, but he promises that 25 minutes on his plan will give you results. This seems to be counterintuitive to almost everything we’ve heard about weight loss. First 30 minutes was enough, then 45 - now 25? “There is a big difference in training hard and training smart,” says Harley. “And when you combine cardiovascular and resistance training you’ve hit two birds with one stone.” Harley says that resistance training is key because it keeps your metabolism and resting heart rate elevated throughout the workout and beyond. “So even though you’re only doing a five minute cardio warmup, and five-minute cardio cooldown, you’re in your fat burning zone for the entire 25 minute workout.” To get the most out of a 5 Factor workout , focus on two main body parts and the abs - do this every day, for five days a week. And while you should shift the areas of the body you focus on, Harley says that you should always do ab work. To see the moves Harley gives to his celeb clients, read more. Deadlifts . “This is a great exercise for the hamstrings, which a lot of people overlook,” says Harley. “I know women, in particular,  always want to get their abs tight, but deadlifts are great for working the butt.” Reverse incline dumbbell rows . “Quite often, women slouch,” says Harley. “This exercise strengthens the upper back and posture muscles. Better posture makes your abdominals look leaner and tighter and gives you a natural boob lift.” To do this move: Lie facedown on an incline bench, with your chest flat against the elevated pad. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, letting your arms hang down to the floor, palms facing each other. Keeping your chest on the bench and your arms close to your torso, pull both dumbbells up to the sides of your chest. Slowly lower your arms back down and repeat. If you don’t have a bench, try a tipping row instead. Dumbbell side bends . Harley says that side bends are a favorite of Lady Gaga’s because they help keep her love handles tight. Side bends are also a great alternative to sit-ups; just make sure you avoid the common mistakes associated with side bends . Ab rotations . Lady Gaga is big into working her abs and it shows. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, hold a five-pound medicine ball or dumbbell at chest height. Want to see what one of his workouts is like? Then give this 5 Factor workout Harley created for FitSugar readers a try.

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Work Out Like Lady Gaga

How Do You Pass Time on Cardio Machines?

One benefit of gym membership is the wide variety of cardio machines. Treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, stepmills . . . but while I find these machines a convenient way to get my hear rate up, I get bored easily when doing an aerobic workout indoors. I have created some strategies to fight cardio machine ennui, like mixing it up with interval workouts and rocking out to new playlists. What about you? How Do You Pass Time on Cardio Machines? I listen to music. I watch TV. I read a book or magazine. I use the time to think. I do intervals. I do something else, and I will tell you below. I don’t use cardio machines.

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How Do You Pass Time on Cardio Machines?

Link Time! Urban Workouts, Dealing with Sweat, and More

City dwellers — getting tired of hitting the gym or taking a run through the park? Get creative and enjoy your “natural” surroundings with urban workouts from Mark’s Daily Apple. Workouts mean sweat, but sweat isn’t always socially acceptable. If you’re squeezing in a workout during lunch, Starling Fitness has some tips for not driving your friends and co-workers away. Continue reading…

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Link Time! Urban Workouts, Dealing with Sweat, and More

Celebrate Daylight Saving With an Evening Workout Outside

It’s that time of year to “Spring ahead,” and although you’ll set your clocks ahead and lose an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 14 , you’ll also be gaining an extra hour of sunshine in the evening. That means if you could never pull yourself out of bed for morning workouts in the Fall and Winter when the mornings were brightest, you can now shift your workouts to after work, when it’ll still be light enough outside to walk, hike, or run outside. So tomorrow, celebrate the first day of daylight saving time with an evening workout outside. Take a bike ride in the park, go for a run with your pooch around the neighborhood, or do some yoga on your back deck (if it’s warm enough where you live). It’ll feel so good to expose yourself to fresh air and all-natural vitamin D, and it’s a great way to celebrate Spring. An evening workout will also tire you out so that you’ll be able to fall asleep at your normal bedtime. If you stay up an hour later, it’ll disrupt your sleep patterns and make it really difficult to get up Monday morning. Tell me, are you excited about having an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, or are you bummed because you’re a morning exerciser ?

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Celebrate Daylight Saving With an Evening Workout Outside

Speak Up: What Is Your Current Favorite Workout Song?

Like many of you, I was totally working out to “Telephone” by Lady Gaga and Beyonce last year. Actually, I was working out to everything Lady Gaga - I can’t even tell you how many times “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” motivated me to push through an extra 10 minutes at the gym. And just like the rest of her “little monsters,” I was so excited to finally see the video for “Telephone” this week - it has everything you’d expect from Gaga and more, including some seriously buff women lifting weights. Love her or hate her, Lady Gaga’s music is perfect for working out - well, at least for me it is! The video has definitely refreshed the song for me and I can’t wait to work out to it at the gym. Tell me, what song is currently on repeat during your workouts?

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Speak Up: What Is Your Current Favorite Workout Song?

Gear Review: New Balance WX710 Cross-Trainer Shoes

When it comes to working out, I like to be outside. For outdoor runs I wear my Lunar Glides , and when I’m trekking in the mountains I stick to my Nike Wildedge approach shoes . Unfortunately, getting an outdoor workout isn’t always in the cards, in which case, I hit the gym near my office. Since I don’t like lugging around a lot of stuff and I’m pretty non-committal about what piece of gym equipment I use, I wanted a light and versatile pair of gym sneakers. It also made sense that they shouldn’t be too pricey since they weren’t going to be my primary kicks. So when New Balance sent me a pair of its WX710 cross-trainers ($60), I was stoked to try them out. These shoes are light, way light. At 7.6 ounces per shoe, they weigh less than any sneaker I’ve owned and I barely even feel them in my bag. Apparently, the cushions of the shoes are made with a patented foam that’s 12 percent lighter than other foams on the market. Weight seems like a small point to make, but when you’re lugging around workout clothes, a laptop, and stuff from the office, every ounce you can shave off counts. And with all the caps on baggage allowances these days, I’m definitely making these sneakers my go-to fitness shoes for traveling. To see what I liked and didn’t like about these shoes, read more. I’m not going to lie, these are not the cutest looking shoes. I’ve never been a fan of white sneakers and these have that sort of generic ’90s gym shoe look that I hate. But I’m not at the gym to look good so I got over how bright they were pretty quickly. They fit well and provide support in all the right places without feeling too cushiony or soft, which is a plus. I definitely am the type of person who likes to still feel my foot working inside of my shoes. Also, the lightness of the shoe really came into play while working out on the stationary bike because I didn’t have a heavy foot weighing down the pedals. They have good traction too - there was one day in particular that I rode the bike without pedal buckles and my feet didn’t slip off once. On top of that, the mesh is pretty breathable so my feet stayed nice and cool during my workouts. While I wouldn’t recommend these shoes for running - I think your feet will feel too vulnerable in them - they make a good all-around gym, strength training, or walking shoe. If white is not your thing, don’t worry, they come in silver and black too.

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Gear Review: New Balance WX710 Cross-Trainer Shoes

Short on Time? Push Yourself Twice as Hard

It’s almost 6 p.m. and you just couldn’t pull yourself away from work to get in a workout until now. The only problem is, the sun is going down and you won’t be able to fit in your normal 45-minute routine. When you’re short on time, definitely don’t skip out on your workout, and don’t give up on getting in a good sweat session. Use the time you have to push yourself twice as hard. Move a little faster, add incline to your run or bike ride, do faster sets of strength training moves, increase the size dumbbells you normally use, or do something new that will work weaker muscles. Short workouts at a high intensity can be great for burning mega calories and for endurance, so use the time you have to work it.

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Short on Time? Push Yourself Twice as Hard

Lose a Pound of Fat and Get Motivated

Losing one pound of fat isn’t that impressive to some people but knowing how to do so can make a world of difference for someone else. Losing just one pound means that you can lose two, three, and continue until you reach your goal. There are a lot of ways to go about losing pounds but nothing will take the place of healthy eating and physical activity. Yet, eating healthy and exercising can be often neglected due to busy lifestyles. It can be hard for most people to fit in fitness. Below are some tips that may help you get on the right track of losing a pound and staying motivated to meet your weight loss goal. 1. Keep food simple - Fitting in healthy eating means keeping food simple in terms of the food you choose to eat. Simple doesn’t mean ordering through a drive-thru. It means eating food that isn’t full of ingredients you can’t pronounce or have no clue to what they are. The more natural your food the better. Think of lean meats, seafood, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and good fats. 2. Make the most of your workouts - If your biggest excuse is not having time to workout then you will need to make the most of each workout that you do. Burning fat should be the goal and a great way to do this is by building muscle. Good fat burning exercises are strength training, calisthenics, and interval training. 3. Don’t weigh yourself daily - Our weight can fluctuate from day to day so if you weigh yourself everyday you may freak out wondering why you are a pound heavier than the day before. Keep in mind that there is water weight to consider as well as gaining muscle that puts on weight. This happens over time so it is probably better to do weekly weigh-ins. 4. Make small goals - Let’s say you have 20 pounds or more to lose. Setting a huge goal can make it seem unachievable. Set a realistic goal of losing one pound per week. When you see that you can lose a pound a week, it gets you motivated. It’s nicer to reach small goals and feel good along the way. The small goals add up to your much larger one. If you can lose one pound, you can lose the rest that are keeping you overweight. It is all about baby steps, seeing progress, and staying motivated. Have you reached your weight loss goal or working towards it? What are some of your tips?

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Lose a Pound of Fat and Get Motivated

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