What’s at the top of my gym playlist this week?

Not Hot to Trot – Von Iva

$.99 Buy it now!  

I remember working in SF and being sent me this song for a little afternoon pump up.  I still love how girlie hardcore it is.  Thanks for the suggestion Brian James!

Every week, I’ll be highlighting a new or great old song that I’ve moved to the top of my exercise playlist. I’m definitely open to suggestions so comment below or shoot me a message about what is at the top of your workout playlist!

Last Week’s Exercise Song of the Week: Three 6 Mafia

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What’s at the top of my gym playlist this week?

Feel It (Three 6 Mafia vs. Tiesto) [with Sean Kingston & Flo Rida]

$1.29 Buy it now!   

This week’s workout song came as a suggestion from Tanya P. and I agree its going to make you want kick your cardio into high gear or at least start a dance party!  Thanks Tanya!

Every week, I’ll be highlighting a new or great old song that I’ve moved to the top of my exercise playlist. I’m definitely open to suggestions so comment below or shoot me a message about what is at the top of your workout playlist!

Last Week’s Exercise Song of the Week: Shot – Jonas Brothers

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After nearly 2 years of hiatus – Assercize is back! Not sure where the time went but a few hard drive crashes, a cross country move and several Fit Life videos later… Assercize has returned!

Ass Exercise 1 – Floor Bridge

Great for core and lower body training, this exercise is a great way to start the Assercize series!

Get ready for a full year’s worth of butt toning exercises!

Step-by-step slide show of how to do the floor bridge – ExerciseMoves.Me

Assercize was originally created for Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code.  Due to popular demand, we made it a full audio series and now we’ve spiced it up and are re-releasing it! Thank you to Greg Milk for my scandalous new music! Get ready to shape those gorgeous glutes!

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Smoothie stores hit big a few years ago and since then everyone from Starbucks to McDonalds has decided to offer ‘real fruit smoothies’. I’ve ranted against fast food smoothies for years (see book excerpt below) so why stop now?

It’s not that I’m a smoothie hater, it’s that I think its a health food poser. “They” call it a real fruit smoothie, picture it with berries sitting by the glass and people think its a healthy option at a fast food restaurant.  Sometimes you can even look at the calories, say 210 for a small McCafe strawberry banana smoothie, and you still think it might not be a terrible idea.  The real picture is that those 210 calories are empty, sugary calories that won’t fill you up and will let your sugar crash down.  You can eat a candy bar for 220 calories and have the same effect, or even a small McDonalds french fry. You are better off with a hamburger or a small yogurt parfait.  The calories are comparable but you’ll be fuller longer. Don’t even think about adding one of these smoothies to your meal… you’ll just make me cry.

Fact: Smoothies range from 150-1500 calories.

Fact: Nearly all fast food smoothies are full of added sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other empty yummy-tasting fillers.

Fact: A smoothie doesn’t have to be a bad food, it’s just not a good fast food restaurant choice.

How to make smoothie from home… Amy Mac’s 2-Minute recipe

• 1 mushy banana
• 4 large strawberries
• Handful of frozen blueberries
• Few spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt
• Blend.

This recipe keeps me full for 2-3 hours, it has a couple servings of fruit plus the probiotics and calcium from the yogurt.  Calories are around 150.  You can be more adventurous and add oatmeal, peanut butter and protein powders but this version is so fast and easy, why mess with it?

Fitness Attack Book excerpt…#33 Smoothie Store Smackdown

Call me old fashioned, but I’m a little confused.  I’ve seen several gyms with a smoothie shop located inside! This leads people to think that smoothies are healthy and part of your workout routine. I can’t tell you how many people I see walking on the treadmill with their supersized smoothie where the water bottle should be. Take a guess how many calories are in an average flavor regular size smoothie. I’m sorry, did you say as many as a soda? You are close…..triple that number and then add sugar and carbs galore along with a couple of servings of fruit. Yes, folks, there are generally a few hundred calories in that post workout treat. So you burn 400 calories and then put them right back in before you walk out the door. Don’t fall for the temptation or the trickery. I bet they are delicious, but check out the facts first.  If you are craving a banana after your workout – eat a banana.

Fit Links:
McDonald’s Smoothies: More Calories Than A Cheeseburger? – That’s Fit
Best and Worst Smoothies – WebMD

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It was rare that we would have an ice cream truck in our neighborhood growing up. However, on the occasional hot summer day when we did hear that ice cream truck’s odd jingle, we’d go running! I usually picked either the giant chocolate chip cookie (shocker) or the ice cream sandwich.  Now that I’m older and wiser, I can see how these treats could pack on the pounds to those who hit the ice cream truck all summer long. Back in my day, we spent our summers riding bikes, swimming and rollerskating, so all those ice cream calories were burned off and then some.  These days, kids (and adults) are on their computers or playing video games and calories are not so quick to evaporate.

AmyMac brilliant idea: The ice cream truck should make you jog the entire neighborhood before it stops and lets you buy a tasty treat!

Check out these nutrition facts on Ice Cream Truck treats. Which treat was your favorite?

Don’t see the frozen treat you’re looking for?

Then continue reading Calories from the Ice Cream Truck – FitSugar

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Natural disasters are occurring all over the world at a frightening rate. Being healthy, strong and in shape can be more beneficial than you think when it comes to survival of the fittest. This Fit Life video is part of the Discovery Channel’s The Colony social experiment.  It gives you 4 exercises that you should practice and master in case of a natural disaster.  In addition to those exercises, I give you simulations (best part of the video!) in which you can use these fitness survival skills. After you watch the video, head over to JoinTheColony.com and join the social experiment – it’s really awesome! I’m #stillhere!

Be fit to fight with these exercises:

Exercise 1- Pushups for upper body strength.

Exercise 2- Jump Squat for lower body strength.

Exercise 3- Baseline Gallop for speed and agility.

Exercise 4- Cardio for endurance.

<< Fitness Survival Guide Video – Watch Now! >>

Fit Links:

The Discovery Channel’s The Colony social experiment
How to make a survival kit – WAM
Discovery and Facebook show how a pandemic could affect you – Mashable

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What’s at the top of my gym playlist this week?

Video Girl – Jonas Brothers

$1.29 Buy it now!

I’ll admit it. When I’m in a pop mood, I enjoy the Jonas Brothers. The Video Girl song off their A Little Bit Longer album always perks me up.  I think that adding a pop song will be good to mix things up in our exercise playlist. In addition to using this song list to workout, I sometimes use it in the morning to get me going! Even my exercise playlist can multi-task, super cool!

Every week, I’ll be highlighting a new or great old song that I’ve moved to the top of my exercise playlist. I’m definitely open to suggestions so comment below or shoot me a message about what is at the top of your workout playlist!

Last Week’s Exercise Song of the Week: Shots – LMFAO

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If you’re like me, you need great songs to workout. I’ve been assembling the ultimate exercise song playlist of the “Best Workout Songs 2010″.  Each week I add a new song to the playlist.  Although, sometimes the best motivational song is one that brings back good memories so you’ll find some old school stuff in here as well.  I have the reason I chose the song and the music video, if available, included in the line links.  The second link will take you to iTunes to purchase the song.

DJ Khaled exercise song of the week - All I Do Is Win
Daft Punk exercise song of the week - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Foxy Shazam  exercise song of the week - Oh Lord – Foxy Shazam
Katy Perry exercise song of the week –  California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Black Eyed Peas exercise song of the week - Rock that Body
LMFAO exercise song of the week - Shots
Jonas Brothers exercise song of the week - Video Girl
Three 6 Mafia exercise song of the week - Feel It
Von Iva exercise song of the week - Not Hot to Trot

I’m always looking for suggestions so if you want to add to this workout playlist, leave a comment, shoot me an email – amy@withamymac.com or tweet me @fitness.

Amy Mac is a paid affiliate of iTunes.

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When you are strengthening your lower body, one of the basics is learning the lunge. There are a million ways to do lunges, but you have to start with the standard version so you can you learn proper technique.

Targets:
Butt
Thigh

Always make sure your knees don’t come over your toes.  Bending the back knee is key to keeping great form.  Squeeze the stomach, butt and don’t forget to breathe! I’ve got a step-by-step how to slide show and also a video linked below so you can learn exactly how to do a standing lunge.

<< Watch Standing Lunge slide show – ExerciseMoves.Me >>

Standing Lunge fitness video
Resistance band lunges exercise video

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I’m always looking for great, fun and easy summer dishes to serve or take to cookouts and bbqs.  Plus, I like doing something a little bit out of the ordinary that makes me seem like a better cook than I really am! I stumbled upon this one and thought it looked intriguing and delicious! I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it is definitely on my list. It seems easy to make and its healthy and light for the summer months.

Here are the ingredients to peak your interest and then you can head over to the Food Network site and get the full recipe and instructions.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 small melon (about 12 ounces), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted* see Cook’s Note

Giada’s Asparagus Melon Salad Recipe – Food Network

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A stability ball is a great way to exercise and see maximum results. The balance ball challenges your core muscles while you focus on other muscle groups.  Stability ball exercises can be used to strengthen and train your entire body. This stability ball hamstring curl is an advanced workout for the core and lower body. Make sure to focus on keeping your body balanced, your hips raised, stomach squeezed and don’t forget to breathe!

Targets:
Butt
Legs
Core

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl slide show – ExerciseMoves.Me

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl Video

Stability Ball Sizing Chart

Online discounts and promo codes – PromoCode.Me

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Every wonder how they flavor chocolate and strawberry milk?

Answer: Sugar. Lots of it.

A recent decision in Washington D.C. schools to ban flavored milk and sugary cereals from the cafeterias this fall is resulting in cheers from health conscious people.  Here’s to hoping that other schools will follow their lead.

from Mother Nature Network:
The move will affect the sales of chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milk, as well as sugary cereals such as Apple Jacks, Raisin Bran and chocolate-flavored Little Bite Mini-Wheats.
<< Full story: D.C. schools to ban flavored milk >>

The argument has always been that kids will drink more milk if it tastes good. Maybe its time we limit their choices and see what happens. It is a fact that the less sugar you eat, the less you crave. Fingers crossed that this brings kids one step closer to being healthy.

Fit Links:
Florida considered removing flavored milk from school menus – TampaBay.com
The Milk Debate Rages On – Rodale.com

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What’s at the top of my gym playlist this week?

Shots – LMFAO

$1.29 Buy it now!

If this song doesn’t get your butt in gear, than there probably isn’t a song that will!  Every song on the Party Rock – LMFAO album is a club hit and just plain awesome for working out, but this one in particular, gets me pumped!  Add this to the middle of your exercise playlist when your heart rate starts to slow down and you’ll be back up in range  by the 1st chorus!

Every week, I’ll be highlighting a new or great old song that I’ve moved to the top of my exercise playlist. I’m definitely open to suggestions so comment below or shoot me a message about what is at the top of your workout playlist!

Last Week’s Song: Rock That Body – Black Eyed Peas

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We talk about having flat abs, but what about thin abs? Working on your obliques is a great way to really cinch that waist by getting rid of those love handles.  But, it’s hard to work on the sides of your abs.  The oblique muscles work on a side-to-side movement so your regular crunches aren’t going to tone them.  This ab exercise requires a little bit of concentration but once you get the rhythm, you’ll be cycling away! The ab bicycle exercise has been around for decades – because it works!

Targets:
Obliques

Learn the Ab Bicycle Exercise with this slide show! – ExerciseMoves.Me

Fit Link:
Beat the Belly Bulge – WAM

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What’s at the top of my gym playlist this week?

Rock that Body — The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) – Black Eyed Peas

$1.29 Buy it now!

I picked Black Eyed Peas this week because I was having major dance flashbacks to their Elephunk album.  The E.N.D. album doesn’t quite have the nostalgia effect for me but I think you can really get some speed (jogging, biking, rowing) with the Rock that Body track.

Every week, I’ll be highlighting a new or great old song that I’ve moved to the top of my exercise playlist. I’m definitely open to suggestions so comment below or shoot me a message about what is at the top of your workout playlist!

Last Week’s Exercise Song of the Week: Katy Perry’s California Gurls

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from Fit Sugar: Australian Government to Media: Step Away From Photoshop

In a self-proclaimed first, the Australian government is backing a new series of initiatives to promote healthy body image. The initiatives — which take aim at Australia’s youth population — include a voluntary code of conduct, which will earn fashion and media outlets a “body image friendly” stamp of approval if they choose to comply. Under the new code, models would have hips, celebs wouldn’t be flawless, and a size two or higher would be the norm on a runway… <full story>

I’ve been a part of the professional fitness world for 6 years and video production for 4. I have a loose no-photoshop rule on myself because I think it’s important to be ‘real’. However, I do allow color correcting so my skin tone is pleasant. I think photoshopping in moderation is acceptable. Sure, take away some blemishes and fly-away hairs (you can’t cancel a shoot because you have a pimple and sometimes the wind carries your hair away) – but keep the integrity of the picture. There is no reason for arms, waists and hips to be reduced. If you couldn’t fix it with makeup (I could get a spray tan), you shouldn’t fix it in edit!

What do you think?

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Summer is heating up and that means the shorts and dresses are showing off your legs. And buns of steel are a dream of every girl that owns a swimsuit! There are a few butt exercises that should be in your exercise arsenal to help you reach those fitness goals.  The bridge is one of them, no matter what your fitness level, you should be doing a bridge!

If you’ve mastered the floor bridge, then you are ready to move on to the advanced stability ball bridge exercise!

If you need a step-by-step fitness how to guide to either of these bridge exercises, click on the links below.

Stability Ball Bridge Exercise Slide Show – ExerciseMoves.Me

Floor Bridge Exercise Slide Show – ExerciseMoves.Me

Targets:
Butt
Thighs
Core

Fit Links:
Our Best Stability Ball Exercises – Fitness Magazine
Core Exercises for the Stability Ball – Good Housekeeping

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When you think ‘diet food’, you think salads, but this is a myth that can lead to packing on the pounds. Salads can be healthy, you just have to think before you eat (and order)! In this Fit Life, I give you 3 tips to avoid sabotaging your diet.  Salad mistakes can be made at home too so be cautious when adding high calorie items to that bed of lettuce.  It is also super easy to make your own salad dressings at home so can really keep track of how healthy you are eating. I’ve put a link to Mark Bittman’s easy homemade salad dressing below.  I’ve tried every one of them and they taste great!

Fit Links:
Mark Bittman Salad Dressing Recipes – Today Show NBC
When did salads become unhealthy? – WithAmyMac
Spectacular Salad Recipes – WithAmyMac

<< Watch Tips to Healthy Salads video >>

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What’s at the top of my gym playlist this week?

California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg) – Single – Katy Perry

$1.29 – Buy it now!   

It’s the 4th song selection in my quest to build a kickass exercise playlist for this year. I picked this song because I was in SF last week and heard this song every morning while driving to work and listening to Greg and Fernando prepare for Pride.  It made me smile and I decided it would be a great upbeat ‘make you want to move’ song for the week.

California Gurls Video – YouTube

Every week, I’ll be highlighting a new or great old song that I’ve moved to the top of my exercise playlist. I’m definitely open to suggestions so comment below or shoot me a message about what is at the top of your workout playlist!

Last Week’s Exercise Song of the Week: Foxy Shazam’s Oh Lord

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