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I Don't Buy It: AB-DOer Xtreme

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Who doesn't want to have a thin, sculpted belly? People are even getting 6-Pack Surgery, but if you're like most people, you won't go under the knife to get flat abs. Fitness equipment companies know this, so they create numerous devices that supposedly melt away belly fat.

Here's a new one I came upon called the AB-DOer Xtreme ($100). Get this - it's a machine that "works your entire waistline and helps you lose weight, burn fat and build muscle...Not only is it possible to lose weight and inches, but it's fast and easy." Hmm...

I do like that this machine gets you moving, but come on! The ad says you will lose 10 pounds in a month by using the machine! It's such a scam that so many people fall for. Here's the deal. You can't get rock hard abs just by toning your belly. You've also got to do cardio to burn calories and get rid of the layer of fat that's covering your muscles.

Fit's Tips: You don't need to spend $100 on the AB-DOer, or any other ab strengthening piece of fitness equipment (like the Excel Body Gym). My advice is to get yourself a pair of sneakers and start walking or running to burn calories. Then work on strength training exercises (that you can do on the carpet) to tone your mid-section. It's cheaper, healthier for your body since you're working your heart and other muscles, and more effective too.

Six-Pack Surgery?

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:30:00 -0800

With the invention and creativity of cosmetic surgery, if there's something about your body that you don't like, and if you have the money and the guts to go under the knife, you can get almost anything done. Body modification isn't just about breast implants and nose jobs anymore. You can get calf implants, butt implants, and guys are even getting pectoral implants. I guess I didn't realize that men are also feeling the pressures of society's standards to look good.

I just came across a new kind of surgery that blew me away. Six-pack surgery. More professionally known as abdominal etching, this procedure will turn your pudgy belly into a washboard. It's a kind of precision liposuction, where the doctor sucks fat from your belly, revealing the abdominal muscles that lie underneath. At first, when I saw the name of this procedure, I thought they carved out or put little implants in your belly to make it look like you have a 6-pack, but that's not the case. You actually have to have the muscular definition, either naturally or from working out.

How much does it cost to get six-pack abs? To find out read more

Abdominal etching costs between $4,000 and $6,000 and is only recommended for certain patients. If you have too much or too little fat on your belly, it won't turn out as well (an inch or two of pinchable belly fat is the key here).

This procedure has actually been around for decades, but it can take a really long time to get the desired look, so not many people go for it. The surgery takes only about an hour or two, but a patient can feel pain for days, and swelling can persist for weeks or even months. You may also experience complications such as bleeding, infection, or a build-up of fluid known as seroma (that can be drained with a needle).

No thanks. I think I'll stick to good old-fashioned cardio to burn fat and crunches to strengthen and tone my abs. Exercising not only makes me feel good, but when I work hard for my results, I also feel proud and confident.

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What's the Deal With: Diastasis

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

It should come as no surprise that pregnancy can pull quite a number on a woman’s body. The weight gain, the hormonal changes, the carrying a nine pound bowling ball in your belly – these things all add up and can change a few things anatomically. One very common after effect of pregnancy is diastasis when the top layer of abdominals, the rectus abdominis, separate by pulling away from the center line of the body known as the linea alba.

While that may sound painful, the muscles slowly stretch and separate over the course of the nine months so there really is no pain involved. The pain actually may occur sometime later, in the form of back pain since the spine relies on strong abdominals for support.

Diastasis is fairly common and the muscles will come together on their own about 6 months after labor. Post pregnancy, it is considered healed/normal when only 2 fingers fit in the gap between the abs. Working the deep abdominals, primarily the transversus abdominis, TVA, is your best bet for strengthening your abs and reducing the gap. The TVA pulls all 4 layers of abdominal muscles toward the spine and in essence fills in the gap created by the diastasis. By working the deep abs you can decrease the gap!

To see how to test for the condition read more

Test for Diastasis

Begin by lying on your back with your feet on floor and your knees bent. Your feet should be about 12" from your bum.
Put one hand on your belly with your finger tips parallel to the line of your waist (this is how your will measure the gap). Put your other hand hand behind your head for support.
Using your arm, lift your head and shoulders off the floor keeping your abs completely relaxed. You are putting your body in a position on an "upper ab curl" or a "crunch."
Use your fingertips to feel for a gap between the left and right sides of your rectus abdominis (the six pack abs). Feel above and below your belly button.
Keeping fingers cross wise, insert your finger tips and see how many fingers fit.

Fit's Tip: Once your TVA is strong you can start strengthening your upper abs, but do splint them by crossing your arms, placing the heel of your hands close to the diastasis and squeezing the palms of your hands together. If you just squeeze your abs without crossing your arms you run the risk of pushing the abs up instead of together. So crossing the arms is key.

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I Don't Buy It: Excel Body Gym

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:45:00 -0700

With a name like Gadget Universe, this site might not be the most reliable source for exercise equipment. I found this machine that is just over-the-top enough to share. Called the Multi-Core-Flex Excel Body Gym, it promises that for only $69.95 "you’ll be able to get 6-pack abs while simultaneously getting a back massage."

I do believe it will give my back a general, all over kind of massage, but the claim that you can get six-pack abs from using it gives me serious pause. I'm not saying this crazy machine doesn't work your abs, but the text gives the impression that it's a quick fix - that all you need to do is "ride" this machine and voilà! Instant washboard belly.

This makes me think of Leg Magic, another stupid piece of exercise equipment. That along with Suzanne Somer's Thigh Master just makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. These machines just work to isolate certain muscle groups, but guess what? The toned muscles will just be hidden under a layer of flab.

If you're trying to lose or maintain your weight, using just these "gadgets" isn't enough. You need cardio in your routine to exercise your heart and to burn fat (so you can see your flat abs). You also need to do weight bearing exercises that challenge your muscles and stimulate them to grow.

So don't fall for this scam, ladies. There really is no easy way to work your entire body, other than to work your entire body, and unfortunately the Excel Body Gym just doesn't cut it.

Hilary Duff Hearts Pilates

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Pilates has been all the rage for a while now, but now the younger generation of Hollywood hipsters is getting hip to working their core. Could Pilates be how Hilary Duff went from being self described as too skinny to being in the best shape of her life? She credits her long and lean body to doing Pilates 3 times a week.

It is no secret that I love Pilates too, and here's why:

Flat Belly: The most fundamental move in Pilates is pulling your navel to your spine with every exhale to engage your deep abs. You keep the deep abs engaged while you inhale too. Working your deep abs flattens your belly and decreases the diameter of your waist. When you work the tops layer of abs, the 6 pack muscles, they bulge out. Not only is that not too attractive, it doesn't support your spine or pelvis. Every breath you take is another opportunity to work your abs.
Long and Lean Muscles: Pilates is all about controlling motion, this way you work the muscles as they shorten and lengthen. This way when new muscle is formed it is long, not bulky.

There are more reasons and more pics of Hilary, so read more

Springs: It is the spring resistance on all the Pilates equipment that makes them unique. The play in the springs forces you to control your motion in every exercise. Plus as the spring becomes taut it provides more resistance, challenging your muscles even more.
Flexibility: You work all your joints through their entire range of motion, so your muscles get stretched in almost every exercise. This also helps those muscles lengthen as they strengthen.

My only word of caution: If you find an instructor you love, don't tell everyone you know about her. Hilary's only complaint about Pilates, as she told Self magazine, is her teacher is so over booked since she raved about her to all her friends; she has trouble getting an appointment.

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Move It at Home: Winsor Pilates Ab Sculpting

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Sometimes getting to the gym or a Pilates class is just impossible! It is those times that make us all thankful for DVD players. It can be almost as difficult to find a good exercise DVD, as it is to get to the gym. Well I am here to tell you, and so are my abs, that the Winsor Pilates Ab Sculpting workout really packs a punch - in a good way.

The ab workout is about 20 minutes and includes all the classic Pilates abdominal exercises - like the 100s, single leg stretch and rolling like a ball. If you have never studied Pilates those names might be a little intriguing, and this DVD might not be the best place to learn the exercises so make sure to start with one of the beginner DVDs from Winsor included in the set with this one. You could also take a mat class or even better a Pilates private and the fundamentals of working your core and deep abs can be clarified for you. There are a few modifications offered in the DVD but not for every exercise.

On the other hand, if you have studied Pilates this is a great video leading you through the classic repertory without getting bogged down with too many of those fundamental details that can make exercising with a DVD frustrating. The pace is quick which is great, and this way you do quite a few different exercises in a short 20 minute workout. In fact one of my favorite elements of the routine is changing the tempo or pace of some of the exercises - starting with 10 slow repetitions followed by 10 or 20 quick reps. This would be a great routine to do 3 to 4 times a week.

The Ab Sculpting DVD is sold in a package with other Winsor Pilates DVDs. You can buy the package from Winsor Pilates directly for $59.80. The package includes 6 DVDs, and an exercise planner and a Sculpting Circle (similar to the Magic Circle).

Exercises For A Summer Six Pack

DearSugar — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 17:23:06 -0700

Dear Sugar
I am a teenage girl who loves her body...well, most of it. I love my arms, I love my legs--but I don't love my stomach. I'm very self-conscious about it, and I was wondering if you know of any exercises I could do to maybe flatten out my abs?

I wouldn't say I eat unhealthily, but I'm not on a diet or anything. Do simple crunches work? - Or are there some fancy at-home exercises I can do?

I don't want a 6-pack stomach, but with summer just arriving, I'd like it to be more flat and toned--I'd like a stomach I can wear a bikini in, and that doesn't make me hate my midsection. Ab-less Addy

Dear Ab-less Addy
There are currently over 200 abdominal exercises for your 3 major stomach muscles groups; your upper abdominals, lower abdominals and obliques.

Working your obliques is what's going to create that pretty, hourglass shape you are looking for, and working your abdominals is going to build toward a 6 pack. Try these 3 exercises targeted at each of the muscles groups. I've also recommended 3 more on a recent post titled "How To Lose Your Muffin Top".

Upper Abdominals: The Basic Crunch:

Lie down flat on your back with your hands behind your head, elbows bent and open to the ceiling.
With your legs bent at the knees and your feet firmly placed on the floor - sink the small of your back into the floor and raise your upper body upwards, so that your shoulders leave the floor.
Repeat 25 Times. Do 4 reps, build to 8 reps.

Lower Abdominals: Lying Leg Raises

Lie on your back with your hands, palms facing down under your buttocks.
Raise your legs about 12 inches off of the floor and hold. Now, trying to use just your lower abdominals, raise your legs by another 6 inches. Do this by tilting your pelvis instead of lifting your legs. Be sure that your knees are slightly bent.
Repeat 25 times. Do 4 reps, build to 8 reps.

Obliques: The Twisted Crunch

Lie on your back as though you were in sit-up position. Bend your knees slightly and twist the lower half of your body so that your knees are together resting on the floor.
Lifting your back off the floor about 6 - 8 inches, lift both your legs and your upper body simultaneously. Your upper body should feel like it's "crunching" toward your waist to try and reach your ankles. Rest.
Repeat 12 times. Do 3 reps, build to 6 reps. (If your neck hurts, hold it with your hands, with your elbows bent. Keep your arms open, not crunched at the ears).

Here is a list of the different Techniques for Sit Ups. Try and increase the amount of reps that you perform each week by 2, until you can comfortably perform 10 reps of each exercise.

The best way to strengthen your abdominal muscles is to vary both the exercises you perform, and watch what you are eating. When your goal is muscle definition, eat more protein and less fat than usual.

Remember to stretch after you've completed your work out. Exercise slowly and breathe - concentrating on maximizing each rep. Really feel as the burn spreads through your stomach like wildfire.

The Original LL Gets Fit

PopSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 07:48:16 -0800

LL Cool J is known for his six-pack abs and now he is sharing his secret on how to get his rock hard body. His latest endeavor is a fitness book where he gives you his platinum workout. The guide he wrote promises to help anyone get his famous 6-pack abs. Sounds like a good way to kick-start all those new year's resolutions.

More of LL signing his book and showing off those arms at Barnes & Noble in NYC so read more

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I Want A Slimmer Tummy and Thighs

DearSugar — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 19:15:03 -0800

Dear Sugar
I need some advice on how to get a slimmer tummy and thighs. Any advice on exercises or meal plans? Also are there any websites that have guides for this sort of thing? Love the site!
Slimmer L

Dear Slimmer L
I wish that I had a magic pill or a secret answer for you - what you read about everywhere is true. Unless you have genes like Gisele it's just going to take some old fashioned hard work. Here's the formula; eat 6 small meals a day that are full of protein and low in fat. Exercise regularly, drink lots of water and get ample rest. You should be eating about every 3 hours, so have 3 square meals and then little snacks in between such as; dried fruit, nuts or a smoothie. Oh, and don't eat after 9:00pm. If you are looking to thin out your thighs - cardio is really what's going to do it. Run at least 20-30 minutes 4 times a week to burn fat and calories and combine your runs with machine reps for toning. Your stomach will improve by doing cardio as well. You can't expect to get a six pack until you've burned off the spare tire around your waist. Start out with core strengthening exercises that will work both your abs and back and then concentrate on the 3 major ab areas; lower, upper and obliques. It just takes time. You should start to see results within about 6 weeks - (if you don't cheat). Power to you!

Which Type of Body Would You Rather Have?

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I'm sure we are all striving to have healthy bodies, and to maintain a healthy weight for our height. I'm sure you also have a goal in mind for your body. You can be lean, and have toned muscles. Or you can take it a step further and have ripped 6-pack abs and defined muscles. So I want to know...

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