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How to Be More Confident in the Weight Room, Dance Class, and More
Category Archives: Fitness
16 Weight Loss Secrets of the Kardashians
From the clean snacks they swear by to their go-to workouts, these are the stay-slim tricks the famous family has used over the years—plus, a few of their weight-loss strategies you should skip.
5 Band Exercises for Your Best Butt Ever
This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.
Resistance bands are a priceless tool to have in your toning arsenal. For starters, they’re inexpensive and easy to take on the road. Even better: “They’re joint-friendly and provide a more functional movement in comparison to free weights,” says Bec Donlan, a certified personal trainer in NYC who teaches band-based classes at Bandier’s Studio B.
You can get these bands in different forms, too. Loop resistance bands — the kind that forms a circle, rather than one long strip — around your thighs or ankles during exercise. This makes them especially effective for pinpointing the muscles that make up your backside, says Donlan.
“[They] directly target your glutes, in particular your medial glute — which is a muscle that often refuses to fire for the majority of people,” explains the Australian native. “When it doesn’t activate, the muscles around it overcompensate and start doing all the work.” That can lead to imbalances (think oversized quads but a flat booty) and injuries. Whomp, whomp.
The bands also add ascending resistance to your weight room routine, meaning the exercises get tougher as you move through the full range of motion. That doesn’t happen with free weights, which give a constant resistance throughout the move. More intensity, more stability — aka efficiency at its best.
Convinced to join the band yet? Take on these five band exercises to fire up your glutes, and the rest of your lower body! We promise you’ll love the booty-toning benefits, and the strength upsides, too.
RELATED: 50 Butt Exercises to Sculpt Stronger Glutes
5 Band Exercises to Build a Stronger Butt
GIF: Mallory Creveling / Life by Daily Burn; Filmed at Bandier’s Studio B
1. Banded Side Step
This is one of the best band exercises to work your hips, abductors and the connective tissue in your legs, slashing your chance of injury. But it’s also a perfect way to prime your backside to work hard. Donlan recommends adding it to every warm-up to ensure your medial glutes fire up throughout your workout.
How to: Stand with feet hip-width apart, band around ankles and holding a dumbbell at chest height in front of you (a). Lower into a squat (b). Staying low, take one step to the right and back, then one step to the left and back for one rep (c). Do 3 sets of 20 reps.
GIF: Mallory Creveling / Life by Daily Burn; Filmed at Bandier’s Studio B
2. Deep Squat
Adding a band takes your typical squat to the next level. “Your glutes have to work seriously hard to fight against the band to ensure your knees don’t collapse,” says Donlan. Try it as a goblet squat (holding a dumbbell vertically at chest height in front of you) or as a bodyweight banded squat.
How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, band around thighs right above knees (a). Push your hips back and lower down to the ground until thighs are parallel to the ground (b). Stand back up to start (c). Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
RELATED: How Low Should You Squat? (And How to Improve It)
GIF: Mallory Creveling / Life by Daily Burn; Filmed at Bandier’s Studio B
3. Curtsy Lunge
A favorite among runners, this move “is a great bang-for-your-buck exercise,” says Donlan. “It works all parts of your glutes, hip abductors and core.” She suggests holding a kettlebell in front of your chest or two dumbbells at your sides when you’re ready to up the intensity.
How to: Stand with feet hip-width apart, band around thighs (a). Step your left foot behind you and to the right, lowering until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (b). Return to standing (c). Do 10 reps, then repeat on the opposite side.
GIF: Mallory Creveling / Life by Daily Burn; Filmed at Bandier’s Studio B
4. Single-Leg Deadlift
Deadlifts do wonders for your entire posterior chain — back, glutes, hamstrings — which people often ignore in the weight room. The single-leg version also challenges your balance, which strengthens your core muscles as well.
How to: Put a band under your right foot and hold it with your right hand (a). Split your stance, right foot in front and left foot behind. Transfer your weight to right leg (b). Keeping your back straight and core engaged, bend your right knee slightly and slowly hinge forward at the hips, lowering until your hand reaches mid-calf (c). Stand back up to start (d). Do 10 to 15 reps, then repeat on opposite side.
RELATED: Are You Doing the Deadlift All Wrong?
GIF: Mallory Creveling / Life by Daily Burn; Filmed at Bandier’s Studio B
5. Butt Kick Back
Your glutes will be begging for mercy by the time you finish this burner. It primarily targets your butt, says Donlan, but gets your hamstrings in on the action, too.
How to: Start one all fours with a band around your right hand and the bottom of your right foot (a). Extend your right foot behind you, keeping the band straight, and lower for 1 rep (b). Do 10 to 15 reps, then repeat on opposite side.
No, You Don’t Need Spanx’s New “Arm Tights.” Try These Arm-Sculpting Strength Exercises Instead
Leave it to the creative minds at Spanx to come up with a new type of shapewear you may not have realized you need.
Called Arm Tights, the new product is a sheer, lightweight, seamless crop top. It comes in a variety of colors, and it's billed as a "wardrobe game-changer" that can be worn for layering and to smooth out arm flab—though these "Spanx for your arms" don't feature the compression fabric the company is known for. Spanx’s website touts the tights as having “360 degrees of flawless arm coverage.”
RELATED: 6 Things You Should Know About Having Sex During Your Period
We're all for wearing garments that make you feel confident and attractive. But covering up your arms, whether you have a little jiggle or a lot, is totally unnecessary. However, if you do want a tighter upper body, skip the Spanx and do these simple strength exercises. Check out our favorites for toning and building lean muscle below.
Oil rigger
Start in a tabletop position, with palms flat and fingers wide. Lift one leg up toward the ceiling, making sure your knee is still facing the floor. As you raise your leg, dip your chin down and out beyond your fingertips, keeping your elbows right next to your ribs. Exhale and lift back up to tabletop. Complete 10 on each side. Check out the video below to see Cassey Ho demonstrate; it’s the first exercise.
[brightcove:4630023870001 default]Upper cut and forward punch
Start with feet wider than hip-width apart, holding a 3-pound dumbbell in each hand at hip level. Keeping your elbow bent, punch your right arm up and across your body toward your left shoulder. Return to start, then punch right arm forward. Return to start. Do 30 reps on each side. Watch Tracy Anderson perform the move in the clip below. Pro tip: Shift your weight with each punch.
[brightcove:4300049746001 default]Triceps kickback
Start with a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees and hinge at the waist, keeping your back flat and your neck in a neutral position. Hold the weights at your chest, then extend both arms straight back, flexing your triceps. Bend them forward and repeat for 30 seconds, up to five times, resting in between. Watch Emily Skye demo the move in the video below.
[brightcove:5244736693001 default]
9 Fitness Trainers to Follow on Instagram
Add these to your social media feed for fitness motivation on the go
The Flat-Belly Workouts Celebrities Swear By for Sexy, Sculpted Abs
Want a toned tummy like J.Lo or Kim Kardashian? These are the exercises celebrities actually use to get their super-sculpted abs.
Is the Apple Watch Series 3 Worth Buying? Our Fitness Editor Weighs In
Nothing gets folks more excited than a new gadget, and today the world is all abuzz with news of Apple’s latest release: the Apple Watch Series 3 has officially arrived.
Available in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, and gold aluminum (in addition to classic silver, space gray aluminum, stainless steel, or space black stainless steel), this new wrist bling makes major functional strides from previous versions. The most notable change is built-in cellular access that shares the same number as your iPhone, starting at $399. (There is also a version without cellular that starts at $329.) This is huge. No longer tethered to your phone, you can go off into the world (or maybe just for a run, bike ride, or errand) and leave your smartphone at home, but still be able to make calls, receive texts, use GPS, stream music through Apple Music (available later this fall), talk to Siri, and, yes, pay for that post-run cup of Starbucks. The extra convenience comes at a cost, of course—for cellular access, you’ll pay more in your current monthly cell phone bill (prices vary depending on provider).
To buy: Starting at $329; apple.com
Equally cool, Apple was able to add technology upgrades (hello, 70% faster dual-core processor, in-screen antenna, and eSIM card) into the Series 3 without noticeably altering its size. It's physically comparable to the Series 2, save for the extended back crystal, which is about as thick as two sheets of paper. Not bad. The only other visual cue that you're sporting the newer version is a red dot on the crown of the watch, which is meant to distinguish between the cellular and non-cellular versions.
Let’s talk battery life, always a big concern for consumers. The Series 3 is supposed to be able to keep on ticking all day long, and thanks to the bigger processor, it should run more efficiently too. Keep in mind, though, that this device is not intended to totally replace your smartphone (at least not yet)—it’s more for mixed-usage purposes. In other words, a hours-long gabfest with your bestie via your wrist could definitely drain the battery.
Also good: the new operating system, watchOS 4, which comes with the Series 3, is pretty cool. You’ll have access to a slew of new features, including an updated Heart Rate app (it alerts you to spikes in heart rate even when you're not working out), a new Siri watch face, upgraded Workout app with custom HIIT workout type, and more. It's also worth noting that it's possible to download the new watchOS 4 operating system on older models (I did so on my Series 2) and reap most of the upgrades.
So should you buy the Apple Watch Series 3? I just got my hands on one and I’ll be testing it for the next week. But so far, I've been impressed with how intuitive the Series 3 seems to be compared to previous versions. The upgrades to the Workout app also caught my eye (my favorite feature: when you start running, a little icon of a person runs on the screen with you). I even made my first watch-based call with a little help from Siri, and it was exciting to not have to rely on my phone.
There have been reports of issues with the cellular function on the Series 3 (some of the watches are allegedly connecting to unauthenticated wireless networks, and the company is investigating a fix). That said, if you're someone who wants to be able to go phone-free, this may be the wearable you’ve been waiting for. If that's not a major concern for you, perhaps consider the non-cellular version.
For all the runners out there, keep in mind that there's an Apple Watch Nike+ Series 3 version launching in October. So many choices, so little time.
We Love That These 8 Celebrities Over 50 Are Still Rocking Bikinis
From Sharon Stone and Kathy Griffin to Cindy Crawford and Jennifer Grey, these women over 50 are still killing it in their bikinis.
This 4-Move Dumbbell Circuit is the Best Way to Start Strength Training
Follow along once with us, then repeat it as many times as you want.
This Look-Better-Naked Workout From Tracy Anderson Will Give You Serious Body Confidence
The key to feeling amazing without a stitch on? Being comfortable in your frame. This slimming series does just that, upping your mind-body connection, getting you moving more dynamically, and fostering self-confidence (like all exercise!). Do 30 reps of each move in the series on one side, then repeat the sequence on the other side. Don't forget your 30 to 60 minutes of cardio six times a week.
Tracy's wearing: Aqua Classic Strappy Bralette ($18; bloomingdales.com), Ultracor leopard-print leggings ($185; bandier.com for similar), Nike Air Max Thea SE Metallic sneakers ($115; bloomingdales.com for similar).
1. Step Coupé to Single-Leg Plank
Stand with right leg slightly in front of left. Bend knees, reaching left palm to floor, right hand resting on hip. Lift left foot, rotating leg slightly so inner lower leg is tucked behind right leg ( A). Step left foot back, followed by right, to come into a plank ( B). Lift right leg, opening it out on a diagonal ( C). Step feet back in and rise to return to “A.”
2. Wide Stretch to Jazz Split
Start in a standing straddle; lower torso, placing left forearm and right hand on floor (A). Keeping left forearm on floor, bend left knee to kneeling, coming onto left hip as you extend right leg straight out (B). Continue rolling over, carrying right leg to other side until right toes are touching floor. Place right hand down and lift hips, coming onto left toes as you extend left arm up (C). Sit down and roll back to start; repeat.
3. Sit Back Lift Extend
Start seated with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Bend right leg in front of you and left leg behind you. Walk hands forward and lower down, coming onto right forearm and left palm (A). Pressing into right forearm and left palm, lift up onto right knee as you extend and lift left leg out to the side; raise left arm straight up (B). Lower back to “A” and repeat.
4. Kneeling Swing-Around Arabesque
Start kneeling; lift left knee up so left leg forms the top part of a triangle, with left hand on waist and right arm extended on a diagonal toward knee (A). Lower to left knee, placing right forearm and left hand on floor as you extend right leg up and back (B). Return right knee to floor, then lift left knee to return to “A.”
5. Crossed Split Side Plank and Lift
Start in a plank with legs wide; swing left leg counterclockwise, rotating torso as you lift left arm up (A). Rotate back to wide plank and come down to left knee as you sweep right leg up so inner thigh is parallel to floor (B). Return to start and repeat.
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