“For this workout you’ll need a roman chair, a set of 5 pound weights, 10 pound weights, and 12.5 pound weights, a Bosu ball, an incline bench, a cable machine, a pull-up bar, two resistance bands, a mat and a partner.”

WTF?

Whenever I see workouts in magazines/online that tell me that I need 23,494,201 pieces of equipment to get a full-body workout all I think is, “I’ll stick to the elliptical thankyouverymuch!” But while the elliptical is a great cardio workout, it’s not enough to get into shape and stay healthy. A girl’s gotta lift some weights.

But where? And how?

Typically, the weight room on college campuses is the “man’s domain” (as we control the cardio machine kingdom), so walking in there – never-mind actually using different machines while frat guys look on with tongues hanging out – seems less than appealing for many women. You think I’m gonna do some squats while that meat head looks on? No thank you.

And that’s pretty much why I designed this workout. The routine hits all the important areas of the body and doesn’t require a lot of time, equiptment, or beefy guys staring at you as you fumble with the inner/outer thigh machine. All you need is one flat bench and a set of weights, anywhere between 5 and 15 pounds depending on your strength level.

I recommend starting with the biggest muscles (legs) and then moving on from there, but the order is totally up to you! Read More »

So you’re determined to get those rock-hard, washboard, Jessica Alba abs. And you even stepped up the intensity of your workout by increasing those crunches and sit-ups to ensure that your stomach is flat in no time.

Well, its time to stop that.
Right now.

Turns out, crunches are not good for you.

I know you’ve spent your whole life thinking those painful and annoying little exercises were getting you one step closer to a Britney body (circa 2001), but, sadly, the main thing that crunches do is crunch your spine. And yes that really is as bad as it sounds. According to and article in the New York Times, the way to visualize this concept is to “think of the spine as a fishing rod supported by muscular guy wires. If all of the wires are tensed equally, the rod stays straight.” However, focusing only on the deep abdominal muscles can cause the spine to buckle. To avoid this, it is important to strengthen the entire core. Read More »

Katrina doing the Fitness Model Circuit Workout

Do you ever look at pictures in Shape or Self magazine and wonder how the models get their perfect bodies? Well, most likely they have been Photoshopped to perfection, but in real life, they are not far from it.

When I was in California recently, I was lucky enough to have Karena Dawn, a fitness model, show me and my pal Katrina the workout she used to get in shape for a recent shoot with Shape Magazine. It’s a total body fat burning circuit workout you can complete in just 20 minutes! Try this routine three days a week and you will have a magazine-cover body in no time.

Self Magazine Fitness Model Workout

This workout is 20 minutes, and includes a resistance move followed by 30-60 seconds of cardio, like running up stairs, jumping rope, running, or even jumping jacks. Best part: you do not need any equipment or a gym membership to complete this workout. You have no excuse not to get in shape! Read More »

The sun is shining, the breeze is warm and Spring is in full swing. Who wants to waste such a beautiful day slaving away on a treadmill indoors? Research shows that sharing your sweat session with Mother Nature decreases your stress levels and ups your calorie burn due to the varied terrain and fluctuating temperatures. It’s time to lace up your Nikes and head to the nearest park.

-Your cardio doesn’t have to be boring when you’re hoofing it under the sun. After a quick warm-up, try jogging backwards. Experts say it burns a fifth more calories and improves your balance by engaging your core. Afraid of looking silly? Don’t be.  All anyone will think would be, “Hey! She knows something I don’t!”

-Now, let’s build our endurance. Find some stairs and sprint from the bottom to the top without stopping or skipping steps. Walk back down and finish up with 4 more sets. Just like having a Stairmaster outdoors, this exercise will increase your heart and lung capacity while building killer legs for those adorable minis.

-How about you pull your forgotten roller blades out of the back of your closet and lace them up? While also a great cardio workout, rollerblading tones your inner and outer thighs along with your beautiful booty. To torch about 450 calories in 30 minutes, alternate one minute of tucked, speed skating with one minute of upright, relaxed skating. Be sure to wear your knee and elbow pads! I hear scrapes and bruises are out this season. Read More »

With finals right around the corner, you may be feeling pressed for time. Instead of skipping that workout, here are a few ideas on how to get the most from the time you have when it comes to exercise.

1 Minute Abs
The one minute abs workout can be done anywhere – from the gym to your dorm. It’s a routine that works every ab muscle and will get results if done properly without rest in between moves. It’s a combination of 3 moves, each for 20 seconds.

*Leg Lifts – To get started, lie on your back with legs straight, lifted about 6 inches above the ground. Feel free to put your hands underneath your butt so your low back doesn’t arch. Lift legs to 90 degrees so they are right above your hips and lower them. Repeat for a total of 20 seconds. This move is commonly referred to as leg lifts.
*Toe Taps – Immediately go into the next move called toe taps. Bring legs above hips, out straight or with a slight bend and reach your hands towards your toes. When you come back down, stay about 3 inches above the ground and reach right back up. You don’t have to actually touch your toes but reach as far as you can without putting too much strain on your neck. Complete toe taps for 20 seconds. Read More »

As a fitness blogger, there is one question I hear more than any other: “How do I get flat abs?”

People think by doing 100 crunches every night will give them a six pack when it’s actually almost the opposite. With Spring Break coming up, you may or may not be half way there to your ideal bikini body. Lucky for you, I’m sharing the best kept secrets when it comes to getting amazing abs in no time at all.

The most important thing to fix when trying to get flat abs is your diet. Start making smart choices by limiting the number of carbs you eat. Swap refined white carby foods like white rice or white bread for whole grains. Sprouted grain bread, like Ezekial, is amazingly filling and delicious. Your body actually digests this minimally processed food like a vegetable. To reduce bloating and water retention, limit sodium intake to no more than double the amount of calories per serving (i.e. If it has 100 calories, the sodium should not exceed 200 grams). Recently I was amazed at how this simple salt reduction made me simply feel skinnier. Rather than counting your calories, try and stick to real foods like vegetables, fruits, and lean protein. If you have a layer of fat over your abdominal muscles, the hard work spent doing crunches will never be appreciated. Read More »

Is that…Brad Pitt?

Oh yeah, ‘peen in slow motion

How the world would vote for our President

Hot and Hotter get married

Surviving a broken heart: week one

 Adnan: could we hate you more?

Oh Posh…you confuse me

Laugh your abs into shape

Heather Locklear’s arrest on tape

Amy Winehouse knows she’s effed

Celebrities need protection too, okay?

Katy Perry: trying too hard?

If you’ve never heard the name of Gina Carano before, that’s fine.  We haven’t either.  But today she’s busting up the Internet for two big reasons 1) Carano is an MMA Fighter (often appearing on American Gladiators as “Crush”) who’s got a big match on October 4 with rival Kelly Kobald, and 2) recently appeared in Maxim Magazine — tastefully.

26-year-old Carano seems determined to show the world that you can be hot without ripping off all your clothes, while also illustrating how attractive “tough girls” can be. While most Maxim readers are probably calling up the magazine in protest of the lack of side-boob, we here at CC salute a hot girl who isn’t into shameless sex-promotion.

Also, it’s cool that she can kick just about anyone’s ass.

So here’s to you, Gina Carson.  Here’s to you and your fabulous abs

(Get it!? Fish Issue? A Fish-ue? HA!)

I have a love/hate relationship with David Beckham.

I love him because: he’s f-ing hot, he plays soccer, his abs are ridonkulus.

I hate him because: I can’t have him, he’s almost too perfect.

Not anymore! Becks has a flaw (besides the fact that he’s taken): fishy breath.

Is it weird that I love him more for it? I mean, let’s be honest – would you toss this guy out of your bed because of a slight breath issue?

We all know the obvious reasons to throw on those lululemons, lace up the Nikes and sweat it out at the gym: calories burned, harder abs, a flatter ass, a better shape, weight loss, etc. Those are all well and good, but there are many rarely-mentioned benefits to working out that are even more important to your body.

Daily exercise:

Improves Memory: Working out boosts blood flow to the brain, which improves your mental abilities. So, each trip to the gym is doing double duty: working your quads and your brain! Exercising is a sure-fire preventative measure to keep your brain working and sharp as you age.

Reduces Your Risk of Breast Cancer: By up to 60%! Exercise lowers the production of two ovarian hormones that are linked to the production of breast cancer tumors. Working out also delays ovulation until later in your menstrual cycle, which reduces the time women are most susceptible to these hormones.

Helps You Sleep Better: This seems like such an obvious one — working out makes you tired, so you sleep – but it’s deeper than that. Physical activity for 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week has been proven to help you stay asleep longer and enjoy more of the deep sleep, which is the stuff we benefit most from. But, the workouts have to be in the morning or afternoon, because exercising at night will energize you too much to sleep. Read More »