Got A Spare 20 Minutes? I've Got A Workout For You.

Check out this bunch of exercises from Women's Health. It's called the "Power Pairs" workout. Think moves you already do, with the added pain of dumbbells. Simple but bloody effective.

It's Just A Little Crush.

Bubby And Bean

 
As the mornings get darker and colder, and it becomes harder to drag your booty out of bed and on route to the gym, there's one thing that can help... A harmless little crush.

You know that hottie that you've seen lifting weights, or the cycling instructor with the amazing AFL-worthy arms? He might be doing more for you than just providing a nice "atmosphere" to work out in. You see, gym crushes are great because, not only do they get you to the gym with a little extra pep in your step, trying to impress your gym crush by lifting bigger dumbells or coming to extra spin classes can work wonders. But here are the rules...

1. You can smile and chat away about trivial things, but you don't want to know about his relationship status. You don't want to have to get a new gym crush if you find out he's married. Or gay.

2. You don't want to impress your gym crush in the traditional Saturday-night-out-on-the-town way, with a smokey eye and perfect hair. Nope, you want to impress with your extreme fitness. But if that also involves a new outfit from Lorna Jane, so be it.

3. You can have a girl crush. In the same way I have an unhealthy obsession with Amber Heard right now (before that it was Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, but we had to break up when she got too skinny), it doesn't hurt to have someone in the gym that you can be inspired by and challenged to keep up with. Just don't get too competitive. No one wants a cardio room catfight.

4. Your gym crush is your little secret. Don't make it too obvious with prolonged staring. That's why the gym is full of mirrors. Subtlty is key.

5. For goodness sake, don't actually date your gym crush. Because if it all goes bad, you don't want to have to find a new place to work out.

Move It Like Kristen.

I like to think that if I ever met Kristen Bell, we would be BFFs. She's just so damn cute. And nice. And she's freaking Veronica Mars. I mean, you can't watch this and not love her.



And maybe, when we're being best friends – and between double dates with Dax Shepard – I think we could be awesome training buddies, too. Because K-Bell has the moves. Here's her fave exercise, as she reveals to Self magazine...

"Here's the one that packs the most punch. I call it The Bowler: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and bend slightly at the waist, holding a 5-pound weight in your right hand. Squat, then swing your right hand up and left, across your body, and sweep your right foot to the left behind you, as if you're bowling. Do about eight on each side. It's amazing for the butt cheeks!"

We're going to be the most bootylicious besties in town! I just know it.

Simple Swaps.

This week, I stumbled across this fabulous link to 89 Simple Swaps That Could Change Your Life at The Greatist. So basic, so easy to implement. Check out the full list, but here are a few of my faves...

• Incline for flat treadmill. In a perfect, outdoor world, flat roads rarely exist. (Sorry, Midwestern readers!) Add some hills to that treadmill run by cranking up the incline and feel the muscle-building burn! 

• Foam rolling for static stretching. Need to get the knots out? Try using a foam roller instead of sitting and stretching to the toes. It’s almost like a personal massage. 

• Homemade post-workout snack for a protein bar. Bring a PB&J or another post-workout snack to the gym rather than buying a protein bar. We need some after-exercise fuel, but don’t get it in the form of excess sugar! 

• Greek yoghurt for sour cream. Sour cream can taste pretty good in a burrito. To get that same creamy coolness, add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt to amp up the protein and slash the fat. 

• Frozen grapes for popsicles. It may sound a little weird, but hear us out. Stick a bunch of grapes in the freezer and snack on them a few hours later— it’s like eating bite-sized Popsicles with no added sugar! 

• Keeping the same bedtime for winging it. Setting a bedtime schedule may help us fall asleep faster, so pick a good time and try to stick to it!

Hot Fitness Trend: Tabata Training

Looking for a new way to torture yourself in the gym? Allow me to introduce you to Tabata training. It's a super high-intensity workout that lasts for... wait for it... four minutes. Yep, you read that right. Four measly minutes. Except that they'll be the longest, most exhausting four minutes of your life.

Tabata Exercise

It works like this: work to your maximum for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat that 8 times. Like any interval training, you can do it with sprints (although on the treadmill it's difficult to get on pace fast enough) but you can also do it with other cardio moves like squat jumps, burpees, skipping or mountain climbers. All you need is a good timer.

Want a bit more direction? Dowload this app. It's like your own personal Tabata coach.

Look Out Tracy Anderson, There's A New Celebrity Trainer In Town.

Body By Simone

Her name is Simone de la Rue and here are a few reasons why you need to know about her...

1. She's Aussie born. Don't you love her already?
2. She's a classically trained dancer who's appeared on Broadway and The West End – but she did't leave those skills at the door. Her Body By Simone workouts incorporate ballet moves with yoga and pilates techique.
3. You don't have to be a dancer. Matt Damon certainly isn't, but he loves Simone's program.
4. You'll never get bored. "Like me, a lot of celebrities can be a bit ADHD when it comes to working out – they need to be stimulated," she tells The Daily Mail. "The body needs variety, too. You constantly need to trick your muscles by introducing different types of exercise, otherwise they become lazy and you stop seeing any definition.
5. Still not impressed? Anne Hathaway and Sandra Bullock were. And if their bodies are any indication of what Simone can do, I'm sold.

The Week That Was...

Where I recap the last seven days Instagram-style...

The breakfast: Weetbix and banana – an oldie but man is it a goodie. Especially now that bananas are back in my price range...

The lunch: Tuna, veggies and brown rice. This one gets full marks for flavour and nutrition. 

 

 

 

The show: I've been going through seasons of Friday Night Lights faster than I go through underwear. 

 

The fitness: Walking at lunch time. Take an hour and feel the extra calorie burn. Just don't forget the deodorant. Think of your colleagues.

 

 

 

The fun stuff: Rekordelig – cider drinkers, memorize that name. This stuff is da bomb.

No Gym? No Problem.

Working out a gym that's connected to your place of work is tres convenient. But when the office shuts down for the holidays? Well, the gym does, too. So for the last three weeks, in the infamous words of Jason Derulo, I've been ridin' solo. No treadmill. No bike. No weights. No trainer screaming in my ear.

So what's a girl to do after ten too many rumballs? I did the logical thing and hit up my current celeb crush Jessica Biel for some much-needed inspiration. This is what her personal trainer Josh Walsh suggests...

Choose five heartrate-boosting exercises, like squat jumps, sprints, stairs, walking lunges and jumping jacks, and perform each exercise for 30 seconds, with a 30-second break in between. Oh, and then repeat the entire circuit five times. The Justin Timberlake soundtrack is optional.

This Year I Will...

Magnets, $12 @ HappyTownUSA

 
Read more, eat less, get organised, take up a new sport... It's that time of the year when we all make resolutions in an attempt to better our lives or better ourselves. Maybe you've already broken a few of the promises you made to yourself on January 1? That's okay, because the good news is, you've got another 350+ days to turn it around.

The best advice I ever got about New Year's Resolutions is this: break it down, keep it simple. Don't just say, "I need to visit my grandparents more" or "I want to start running". It's too broad and too vague. Instead, make it manageable – think about it not as a yearly resolution, but on a week-to-week basis. If you want to visit your grandparents, set aside one day a week and do it – make it a habit. If you want to start running, start with one morning a week, and go from there. It's only one morning a week – there's no room for excuses.

If you rush out of the starting blocks to fast, without thinking about how you're logistically going to maintain your resolution long-term, you'll get tired too fast and you'll fall off the wagon. And when the first day of 2013 rolls around, you'll be resolving all over again to achieve the exact same thing.

And if you're really serious about your resolutions – tell somebody. Having someone on board to help you might just be what you need to get you over the line on December 31.

It's 2012, Y'all!

Hey Look

I love the beginning of a new year. It's a chance to put the past behind you and start fresh. Yes, I know, it's corny – but I'm holding high hopes for the year ahead. And I hope you are, too.

Whether you're hoping to revamp your exercise routine or add a few new dishes to your diet, I hope you'll find at least a little inspiration here...

A New Kind Of Lunge.

It's New Move Monday and today has served up The Decline Lunge with a healthy side of pain. The positive? Buns of steel (hopefully).

Body & Soul

Why? Lunges are great for getting burn in the legs and butt. The decline version goes a step further.

How? With a bench about a metre behind you, stand on your right leg and reach back with your left leg. Place the toes of your left foot on the bench and position your foot so it's vertical. Jump your right foot forward a bit if you feel cramped. Bend your front knee and lower your back knee directly down towards the ground. Aim to get your front thigh horizontal. Don't let your front knee pass in front of your toe. Do all reps on one leg, then switch.

Sets and reps: Do 3 sets of as many reps as you can.

 Don't thank me, thank the folks at Body & Soul.

Running With A Heartrate Monitor.

RS100 Heartrate Monitor, $159 @ Polar Australia

 

It's the start of our seven-week countdown to Christmas and for day one, I decided to whip out the heartrate monitor. If you've never used one before, it's a nifty little gadget that straps on around your chest (invisible under a sports bra) and feeds your heart-rate info to you in a very profesh-looking watch. It's great for keeping track of exactly how hard you're working – whether you really are pushing your body as hard as it will go – and it keeps a very honest count of just how many calories you're burning. 

 

Weight loss is always going to come down to a simple equation – what you're putting in needs to be less than what your putting out – so it's well worth knowing just how much that sweat session has burned up. I don't use mine every time I work out – I find it becomes too intense as I'm constantly trying to one-up my last session (competitive, me?) – but it's a great tool to use to check your progress and give you a little reality check. I used it this morning and shaved a minute off my run. I don't quite know how but it seems knowing all my results will be there in black and white at the end of the run makes me move that much faster. We're off to a good start, folks.

It's Exactly Seven Weeks Til Christmas...

 

 

Christmas... It's the most wonderful time of the year. But before I go crazy, eating my weight in turkey and champagne and pudding, I'm going to try and get myself feeling fabulous for the festive season – so, come December 26, I'm not weighing in five kilos over my usual digits with a belly that could rival Saint Nick's. My aim? To eat healthier (for the main part) and introduce some new components into my training regime. I'll keep you updated here on how I go – what I'm doing, what's working and what's not. Come with me, if you want... Sometimes it's easier with a friend.

Get A Body Like Blake's.

Green Lantern may have been a totally rubbish film, but Blake Lively certainly looked good in it. And now her trainer Bobby Strom has told Health & Fitness mag exactly how she did it. As well as keeping a healthy diet, the actress trained for 60-90 minutes four days a week.

"We started with functional training," says Bobby. "Because of the way you’ve been conditioned to use your body in life, your dominant body side means you have weakened, underdeveloped areas, which prevents you from making muscle and strength gains. This training targets weak areas and activates other muscles to adapt and grow. It also helps stability and core strength too."

So given that it's New Move Monday, I've posted two of the moves Bobby had Blake doing below... Enjoy.

Yet ANOTHER Celeb That Loves Tracy Anderson.

Daily Mail

I've gotta say, Courteney Cox is looking pretty bangin' for 47. But even she admits that looking good after 40 is a "slippery slope". So what's her secret? Well, apparently the former Friends star does the Tracy Anderson Method four times a week.

Not familiar? I'm devoting this week's New Move Monday to the star trainer – because Courteney and Gwyneth and Madonna and Kate can't all be wrong...

New Move Monday.

Let me introduce you to one little exercise that had me in a whole lot of pain last week: The side lunge.

I tried this move from the Nike Training Club app in the morning. It didn't feel so bad. But when I attempted a pilates class later in the day. Oh, boy – was I in trouble! It took a couple (better make that five) days before my muscles were game enough to try them again, but at least I know they work. They really, really work.

Health Advice, Courtesy Of Eva Mendes.

Daily Mail

Finally, a celeb that loves bread and pasta! But Eva admits, "I mostly stick to wholemeal, though. When in doubt, go dark with the food – so I stay away from white pasta, white rice and white bread and that keeps things simple for me." As for fitness, the actress (and face of Reebok EasyTone) says she sticks to a mixture of cardio, weights and yoga for flexibility... 

"I hit the gym three to four times a week to do light weights – not too many repetitions – which target my whole body, and some serious cardio – normally sprinting and interval running... The minimum I do cardio for is 35 minutes, but you can get a lot done in that time if you use it wisely. And then I spend about an hour on the weight training. I also do yoga twice a week. It’s mostly astanga, but my yoga instructor creates a programme for me based around what I need – so if my muscles are tight from running, we’ll do poses to open everything up."

Why Are There No Men Like This In My Yoga Class?

UK Cosmopolitan

Just when I thought I was never going to get an opportunity to post naked pictures of Adam Levine on this blog, the universe gave me a bit of love and Adam gave Women's Health a little interview. So, let's hear what the Maroon 5 frontman has to say about doing the Downward Dog...  And while you're enjoying the pics, spare a thought for that hand model – it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

How'd you wind up at yoga?
A year and a half ago, my trainer recommended I try working with Alanna to help with my flexibility issues. I'm naturally very tight in lower back and my hips and hamstrings too. My first class felt like someone was ripping my body apart. It wasn't what you'd call peaceful. But I was excited by the idea that the more dedicated I became the more effortless it would become to relax and give in to that tightness. Yes, the torture subsided a bit over time.

How did your body change?
Physically I have always been on the slender side. When I started practicing I instantly felt more sculpted. Yoga carves you into a different person—and that is satisfying physically.

Did it change how you work out?
I had been lifting weights for years. After our first yoga session, I vowed never to lift another weight again.

Do you believe in the mind-body connection?
I was skeptical, to say the least. I was wary of the cliche´s associated with yoga: spirituality used as a marketing tool or Eastern philosophy sold at Starbucks to disenchanted lawyers and accountants looking for meaning. What I soon realized is that yoga welcomes everyone—that's extremely appealing.

How do you maintain your practice on tour?
Being a traveler, yoga is by far the most convenient way to exercise while I'm on the road. You don't need anything but a few feet of space and a mat. And I can always find at least an hour a day to practice. 

(Levine made videos with his teacher to take on the road with him.)

What is your advice to people who think they are too inflexible to do yoga?
Start simple. Yoga will drastically improve you in every way imaginable. But let's face it, I only practice yoga because the classes are always packed with beautiful women. (I am totally kidding.)

Vitamin Injections: Yay Or Nay?

Huffington Post

 
I am terrifed of needles. Every time my doctor suggests a bood test, I invariably spend the next twenty minutes quizzing him on just how necessary it is to have a needle prodded in my arm. I might be low in iron? That's cool. I'm fine with not knowing.

So the idea that some people would elect to have injections – that shiz is crazy. But that's exactly what Glee star Lea Michele claims is her weight-loss secret. She has vitamin injections. Willigly. By choice. Regularly.

And she's not the only one. Other celebs like Madonna and Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake are doing it too. Apparently these vitamin jabs increase energy levels and boost the metabolism, aiding weight loss.

That might be true, but I could never bring myself to request a poke in the arm with a needle. Just writing this is making me squirmy. Would you?

Jealousy Overload: Ashley Tisdale's Abs.

The Blemish

I haven't been giving this girl enough credit. Who knew she was so buff? And, more importantly, how do I get these abs of steel? Well, I've dedicated this week's New Move Monday to some creative core work, courtesy of Tracy Anderson and Marie Claire. Your abs can thank me later... or not.

The Click-Together Lift Crunch

Lie on your back, hands behind head, legs straight out and shoulder-width apart with knees facing ceiling.

Crunch up, but keep legs straight. Simultaneously lift legs 3 to 6 inches off the ground and touch together. As you return to floor, legs return to starting position. Do 50 reps.