Kivivi Blog - Filed under 'Workout'

September 9, 2009

Trainer spills secrets of Michelle Obama's arms

WASHINGTON — At last, the secret to first lady Michelle Obama's sculpted arms? Tricep pushdowns and hammer curls.

So says Cornell McClellan, Mrs. Obama's longtime personal trainer, who described the workout routine of his famous client in the October issue of Women's Health magazine. She began working with McClellan in 1997 at his Chicago fitness studio.

"She's truly committed herself to the importance of health and fitness," he says.

McClellan said that at the end of an intense routine of cardio workouts and weight training, Mrs. Obama finishes with the "arm-shaping superset" of tricep pushdowns and hammer curls to tone one of the most commented-upon pair of arms in the world. Mrs. Obama often wears sleeveless outfits.

How to get arms like Mrs. Obama's?

Strength Training Plan by celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza

Strength training is a true body changer: It firms anything that jiggles, gives you sexy definition and builds lean muscle, which helps boost metabolism. This workout, created exclusively for Body by Glamour by celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza, has been customized with moves that zero in on the area you told us you want to shape up most. You’ll get a new workout routine every month.

31 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise

How do you find motivation to exercise when you just don’t feel like getting off your butt? I ask myself this question every now and then, and I have the feeling I’m not the only one.
A few weeks ago, I wrote 4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit … and the fourth and final step was to add motivation as needed until the habit sticks. This post is to help you with that fourth step.
There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually, but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!), logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding myself.

Lean Times Bring Workouts Home

By ANJALI ATHAVALEY
Perre DiCarlo and his girlfriend, Frida Stein, used to shell out hundreds of dollars a year for everything from gym memberships to yoga classes at a local studio. About a month ago they stumbled upon a cheaper way to get toned: streaming workout videos from Netflix, a DVD rental site that offers them on demand to subscribers for no extra charge.
"It's one of those things where you are embarrassed how easily it came to you," says Mr. DiCarlo, a 34-year-old author in Los Angeles. He and his girlfriend now roll out their exercise mats in the living room of his apartment twice a week for Pilates and yoga classes displayed on his movie projector screen. "It's just so convenient. Spending money on [a gym] doesn't make much sense to me anymore."

Read the rest of the story via online.wsj.com

Filed under // Fitness Gym Health Pilates Workout Yoga

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April 20, 2009

Celebrity Trainers' All-time Best Workout Advice

“One of the biggest fitness mistakes women make is just doing cardio,” says Los Angeles trainer Ramona Braganza, who works with Jessica Alba, Halle Berry and Kate Beckinsale. “That leads to being ‘skinny fat’: looking thin but lacking definition.” Doing strength workouts like Pilates and moves like squats and lunges twice a week help create sexy, lean muscles and give you a slight metabolism boost.

Forget the crazy detox diet du jour. These six star workout truths will help you shape up fast-and for good via glamour.com

Filed under // Advice Fitness Health Metabolism Pilates Workout

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April 19, 2009

Yoga for beginners

Don't believe the meatheads at the gym. Yoga is not new-age mumbo-jumbo. It's an intense workout that can add years to your life, strengthen your muscles, relieve stress, and improve your flexibility. It can also be confusing, intimidating and difficult to learn.
This simple primer will set you on the path to learning about yoga in all its varied forms and might even inspire you to explore other alternatives to traditional workouts.

Read the primer via askmen.com

Filed under // Fitness Health Primer Workout Yoga

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April 17, 2009

Evan Longoria's Eight-Week Plan

"Whether riding a bike for 10 minutes or getting a 30-minute workout, never shut yourself down," says Longoria, who went on to become the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year. He continued his morning maintenance during the offseason when he also hit the gym three times a week, working through a series of exercises that improve strength, agility, and core strength.

Longoria's entire eight-week off-season training plan can be downloaded and printed below via mensfitness.com

Filed under // Exercise Fitness Gym Health Workout

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April 14, 2009

Workouts on the Web

Streaming workout videos -- for cardio, Pilates, strength training, yoga and more -- are now available on dozens of sites for absolutely nada. The only thing they'll cost you is your patience: Most have less-than-perfect picture quality, a barrage of advertising and the occasional broadband hiccup or video lag to contend with.

But for the time-strapped individual who doesn't mind doing a squat thrust in front of a computer, these workouts are a perfect way to squeeze in a few minutes of exercise at home or in a hotel room, says Gregory Florez, chief executive of health coaching service fitadvisor.com and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise.

Read on for a sampler of some of the best Web workout sites and what you can expect from them via latimes.com

Filed under // Exercise Fitness Health Pilates Workout Yoga

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April 9, 2009

Nia workout satisfies heart and mind

By GateHouse News Service

White-belt instructor Debby Gaines, who leads classes at Womanspace and Pranayama Yoga Studio in Illinois, said the nine movement forms involved in Nia not only combine into a sweat-inducing cardiovascular workout, they also produce a joy of movement that keeps her and her students motivated.

“I’ve had a hard time in the past sticking to fitness regimens, because they were all about ‘you should do this and you should do that,’ ” said Gaines, who decided to learn Nia after she encountered it on a church retreat in 2007. “With Nia, I don’t have to think about it. I just enjoy doing it. And when it’s fun, it feels like dancing on a Saturday night with your friends.”

Best of New York 2009 - Beauty, Health & Self

For Cheap Women's Cut; Men's Salon; Deep-Tissue Massage; Cheap, Fast Facial; Highlights; Intense Workout; Yoga for Beginners, Guy-Friendly Class at nymag.com

Filed under // Beauty Facial Fitness Gym Hair Haircut Health Highlights Massage New York NYC Personal Care Salon Workout Yoga

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By ANJALI ATHAVALEY