To anyone who’ll listen!!!!!

Damnation and tar nation week 2 has been a mess for me with this challenge. My work schedule’s ramped up like never before. You’d think there would be enough hours in the day but every time I think I’ve got a few minutes to put in another set of 30 I’ve been getting called up for this, that, the other thing, and that thing nobody really wants to do so I have to do it.

In other words, the second week has been a freaking hectic one, people! Fortunately, I’ve got some good news and some bad news.

Bad news first: I’ve been getting pains in my lower back that weren’t there before. Comes upward from the back of my hip. This is probably as much a reflection of poor posture, sitting at a desk all day, and lack of stretching the muscle group in the lower lumbar region. But it’s a hindrance nonetheless.

General soreness is something I’m getting used to, it’s eased a bit as the week’s progressed but the rule of thumb is: if you’re not sore then you’re not working the muscle. Read More »

Your obliques! They’re awesome. Why, you ask? Allow me to explain.

Most people think of their obliques as the “side” abdominal muscles, on either side of the “six pack” (actually called the rectus abdominis). That’s sort of true – your obliques are visible on either side of the rectus abdominis. But they’re actually a deeper layer of muscle – two layers, in fact – situated underneath the rectus abdominis. And those two layers of muscle wrap around your waist, kind of like a corset.

Blah blah blah, but what does it all mean? Here’s the thing: as you tone and strengthen your obliques, they actually pull in, making your waist smaller. Like a corset! But without whalebone and pain. And because I don’t advocate pain or the killing of whales for their bones, here’s an oblique workout that will slim your waist the natural way.

1. Bicycle

You know this one! An oldie and a goodie. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. Bend your right knee and twist your upper body toward it, then switch and twist toward the left leg. Repeat without stopping for one minute. Imagine pulling your bellybutton toward your spine the entire time, so your abdominals are scooping in, not bulging out.

2. Side Plank

Hold on the right side for 30 seconds, then switch and hold on the left. While this might feel like a big arm and back workout, your obliques are really what’s supporting you here. Think of the same idea – your bellybutton pulling in toward your spine – to maintain the alignment of your back.

What I’m wearing: top by The North Face, pants by Soybu, shoes by Nike.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

Rumors have been swirling that Miley Cyrus is anorexic. However celebuzz.com reports the singer/actress is denying such rumors, attributing her weight loss to a gluten and lactose allergy. Surprisingly, I believe her. Several studies have shown that cutting out gluten from your diet can lead to weight loss. Gluten is in practically everything, so Miley has had to cut out the majority of foods. Miley has even encouraged cutting out gluten in one of her recent tweets:

“Everyone should try no gluten for a week! The change in your skin, phyisical and mental health is amazing! U won’t go back!”

Read More »

Would you work out in a 105 degree room? How about 110? Hot workouts are all the rage in gyms across the country, especially in New York and Los Angeles, where some gyms are adding heat to just about every class.

You’ve probably heard of Bikram yoga, or some of the other hot yoga styles that have been popping up over the past few decades. But now, you can take classes in Pilates, the Bar Method, cycling, martial arts and more — all while roasting in a room that’s 100 degrees or even hotter.

Devotees of these classes love them because they leave every workout dripping with sweat. They see quick weight loss results, and think that all the sweat is helping them detox. But are they really doing that much good? Or are these benefits outweighed by the possible risks of exercising in extreme heat?

Experts have debated the safety of Bikram and other hot yoga styles for years. Bikram is practiced in a 105 degree room, with at least 40 percent humidity. First of all, doing intense exercise at temperatures that high puts you at risk for severe dehydration, or even heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In order to remain properly hydrated during a Bikram class, you would have to drink 4 ounces of water every 15 minutes. However, hardly any students drink that much water during class. Most of the weight loss experienced by people who work out in the heat is just water weight. And that’s not the kind of weight you want to lose. It isn’t uncommon for students to faint during hot yoga classes – I don’t know about you, but that scares me. Read More »

Like most people, I have a love/hate relationship with the gym. In fact, our flame is so hot and cold that I sometimes I stare at the door the entire time I’m working out, counting down the minutes ’til it’s time to leave. There are, of course, other days where I am so excited to go to the gym its like okay, who put the steroids in my coffee?

I hate going to a packed gym, so I always try and go when it’s inconvenient for me and everyone else. Lunch? No thanks, you guys go munch on delicious flat-breads, I’m gonna go pump some iron and have a protein shake. Sleep? Eh, I think I’ll run six miles instead.

Even though it’s a vicious cycle, I do love the gym. But I always feel like a trip to the gym is like looking through a digital People of Walmart magazine. I just want to say to the guys lifting weights in work boots and the preteen girls reapplying mascara in the locker room…. what are you doing? This is the gym. A place where it’s okay to sweat, pant, and guzzle your water down so quickly it’s like Y2K is a threat all over again.

Read More »

The squat is the go-to exercise for toning the butt. It’s easy, can be done at home or in the gym, and with or without added weight. So basically, squats are pretty awesome. But they get old, and it’s always good to switch up your exercise routine to continue challenging yourself.

Recently, the American Council on Exercise conducted a study to determine which exercises are best for toning the glutes and hamstrings. Good old squats and lunges were high on the list, but the top exercise for hamstring and glutes was the quadruped hip extension. What’s that, you ask? You’re about to find out. Read on and check out this quick quadruped hip extension series that can be done easily at home or in the gym.

Quadruped Hip Extension Series

You will do this entire series of three exercises with your right leg, and then repeat the whole thing with the left leg.

1. Begin on your hands and knees. Extend your right leg straight behind you, hovering your toes just off the floor. Lift your leg up so that it is level with your back, and lower down so that your toes are just off the floor. Don’t touch your right leg to the floor until you are finished with the set! Repeat 10 times.

2. Hold your right leg straight behind you, level with your back. Trying your best to keep your leg at the same height, bend your knee and draw your right foot in toward your butt. Then extend your leg straight again. Repeat 10 times.

3. Hold your right leg out behind you, bent at the knee. Now lift your leg up, as if you were going to put the sole of your foot on the ceiling, and lower down again. Repeat 10 times.

Repeat the full series with the left leg.

What I’m wearing: top by Zobha, pants by Soybu, shoes by New Balance

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

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Next time you’re in a classroom, look around. You’ll notice that there are very, very few people who always sit with perfect posture. Especially students. We spend such long hours sitting in class and studying that it’s really tempting to slump. I know I do.

So for this week’s workout, I’ve put together a few exercises that will engage the muscles in your core and back that contribute to your posture. You don’t need much room, so if you’re really daring, just do them right in the library. No shame.

1. Tripod Balance

Begin on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Engage your abs to support your lower back, and imagine your shoulder blades gliding down your back as opposed to hunching up toward your ears. Lift your right arm off the ground and hold it in line with your back. Hold for 30 seconds, then do the same with the left arm.

2. Contralateral Balance

Lift your right arm and your left leg off the ground. They should be in line with your back, making a long straight line from your right hand to your left foot. Really pull your bellybutton toward your spine to maintain the alignment of your back. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

3. Moving contralateral balance

Start the same way as in exercise 2, lifting your right arm and left leg off the ground. Next, pull your right elbow and left knee in toward the center of your body. Imagine drawing them in toward your bellybutton. Then, extend your right arm and left leg back out into a straight line. Do this 10 times and then repeat on the other side.

What I’m wearing: top by Zobha, pants by Soybu, shoes by New Balance.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter.

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