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May 11, 2013

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The right medicine for building muscles and saving time

Here's a new way to use that medicine ball and challenge your muscles all the way from calves to shoulders.

May 4, 2013

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Rocking your way to stronger abs

Do you want rocking abs this spring? Try this popular CrossFit move to strengthen your entire core.

April 20, 2013

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Iobella offers oxygen, heat and electricity, for a price

Even the most jaded fitness aficionados (of which L.A. has plenty) would have to admit Santa Monica's exclusive new Iobella studio resembles nothing else they've seen before.

April 13, 2013

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Cassey Ho's triangle lift sculpts the lower body

If you want your legs to look good from all angles, try this challenging lower-body sculptor.

April 6, 2013

'Elephant ears' massage helps kids perk up

If you're dealing with tired, sluggish kids who aren't able to listen or pay attention, try this quick mind-body trick.

March 30, 2013

A semi-serpent-style push-up

If you're not a fan of traditional straight-leg push-ups, here's a new twist on them that still provides the same killer workout for arms, but also works the neglected lower back.

March 9, 2013

Try This: The skull crusher, for toned triceps

If you don't want your upper arms waving long after you've said goodbye, you'll need to work on your triceps.

March 2, 2013

Try This: A graceful stretch to the tips of the fingers

Sometimes you just don't know how much tension you're holding until you take a good stretch. This quick upper-body loosener, demonstrated by fitness expert Jennifer Kries, from her "Hot Body Cool Mind" DVD series, is sweet relief in the middle or at the end of the workday.

February 23, 2013

Try This: The humming breath, a virtual hug for kids

The humming breath is a great way for children to calm and soothe themselves. It's sort of like a virtual hug, giving you that "everything is going to be OK" feeling, says Leah Kalish, founder of Move With Me Action Adventures, which trains teachers in movement education.

February 9, 2013

Try This: The scorpion reach to open up the hips

Think of the scorpion reach as one of your favorite hip-opening yoga moves on steroids. It's challenging, but it leaves you feeling strong and limber and ready for anything.

January 26, 2013

Try This: The shoelace, a yin yoga back reliever

If lower back pain, sciatica or stiffness is slowing you down, steal this move from yin yoga, a gentle style of practice known for its longer-held stretches.

January 19, 2013

Try This: The Superman, for a strong back

You may think you're a man or woman of steel, but without a strong back, those rippling abs don't mean a thing.

January 12, 2013

Try This: Yogi crunches

Have you ever seen a yogi with a paunch? Yeah, I thought not. Yoga moves, like these yogi crunches — a variation of the popular boat pose — challenge the core muscles, giving practitioners flat abs and a supported back.

January 5, 2013

Try This: The old-school half Turkish get-up

For a stronger body and greater mobility, steal this old-school exercise from wrestlers. Called the half Turkish get-up, it's a total body workout all in one move, says Amy Dixon, celebrity personal trainer and head of group fitness at Equinox Santa Monica, who uses it in her "Give Me 10: Core Cuts" DVD. All you need is one hand weight. Women should use a dumbbell or kettle bell that's 5 to 10 pounds; men can use up to a 15-pound weight.

December 29, 2012

Try This: Lateral traveling ape

Cardio doesn't have to be deadly dull and serious. In this fun animal-inspired exercise, you'll get your heart rate up, build muscle and you might even crack a smile.

December 15, 2012

Try This! Dancers' stretch good for runners too

This tried-and-true warm-up exercise for dancers is a total body strengthener and provides good cross-training for runners with tight hamstrings.

December 8, 2012

Try This: The reverse fly to bring back balance

Most people pay more attention to the muscles on the front of the body than the ones on the back, leaving them hunched and their shoulders prone to injury.

December 1, 2012

Try This: Stretch with the crab reach

You might not think of the crab as nature's most graceful creature, but if you mimic its stance when you stretch, you'll open up the tight muscles of your front body and give your backside a workout at the same time.

November 17, 2012

Try This: The up and over

If time is short and you want to start burning calories quickly, try the up and over. This uncomplicated cardio drill helps you work on your balance and turn a strength workout into a sweaty cardio circuit. Amy Dixon, personal trainer and head of group fitness at Equinox Santa Monica, uses it on her "Breathless Body, Vol. 2: The Edge" DVD and demonstrates it here.

November 3, 2012

Try This: Shoulder-opening stretch

After a long hard day hunched over the computer, a good shoulder-opening stretch can help melt away muscle tension and create more space for your lungs to breathe deeply, thereby creating a more relaxed you.

October 27, 2012

Try This: Bringing fluidity back

Sitting in front of a computer all day can take a toll on the back. This flowing sequence, demonstrated by fitness expert Jennifer Kries, who uses it on her "Hot Body Cool Mind" DVD series, helps to restore the mobility and ease to your spine using some of the same stretches your pets use. Do it in the middle of the afternoon when you need to release stiffness and get energized.

October 20, 2012

Try This: Skater lunges

You want your legs to look great from all angles? Why aren't you doing a lunge that works your thighs all the way around?

October 13, 2012

Try This: Russian twist with stability ball

A stability ball is a powerful ally in your quest for flatter abdominals and a cinched waist. Not only can it make that plank or crunch more challenging, it also ups the ante on standing abdominal work such as the Russian twist, demonstrated here by celebrity trainer and group fitness instructor Amy Dixon, who uses the move on her "Give Me 10 Core Cuts" DVD.

October 6, 2012

Try This: The energizing tabletop lever

Are you having trouble starting your engine in the morning? This move, called the tabletop lever and derived from the Five Tibetans, a series of exercises used by monks or lamas for more than 2,500 years, helps to energize and strengthen your entire body in about the same time it takes to pour a cup of coffee.

September 29, 2012

Try This: Deep breathing in the eagle pose

Yogis know that breathing is more than a necessity, it's a luxury, especially in times of stress. Just five minutes of deep breathing can calm your mind and diminish the stress-related cortisol hormone coursing through your body.

September 22, 2012

Try This: The wood chop with leg swing

Whittle your waist with this move, which uses the arms and legs as levers to up the abdominal burn and strengthen your back. Amy Dixon, personal trainer and head of group fitness at Equinox Santa Monica, uses the wood chop with leg swing in her "Give Me 10: Core Cuts" DVD. It's a nice change of pace from the traditional bicycle crunch.

September 15, 2012

Try This! The powerful warrior three squat

Too many athletes ignore yoga, thinking it's solely about flexibility and relaxation. This move, the warrior three squat, proves it's also a powerful tool for building strength. It's also a good move for travelers to remember, so they can stay fit on the road using just their body weight.

September 8, 2012

Try This: Curtsy side lift, then take a bow

This move, with the genteel name of the curtsy side lift, is no lightweight. It works the major muscle groups of the lower body with a blend of dance and fitness. It comes from Pasadena-based Tracey Mallett, the founder of Booty Barre, a technique that combines elements of dance, yoga and Pilates to strengthen and stretch the body. Ballet-inspired barre workouts became popular because the exercises increase flexibility and tone the muscles without adding bulk.

September 1, 2012

Try This! The Russian dance

Take your weight routine to the next level with this high-intensity cardio drill. The Russian dance is a favorite of personal trainer and group fitness instructor Amy Dixon, who uses it on her latest high-intensity interval training video, "Breathless Body Volume 2: The Edge." Sandwich this drill between weight-bearing exercises to create a circuit that packs in a cardio and strength workout at the same time.

August 25, 2012

Get ready to fly: Try this rail balancing move

Many exercises require balance, and Michael "Frosti" Zernow, a Parkour athlete and instructor, focuses on that skill in this rail balancing move. Parkour is made up of many skills, each of which contributes to the ability to "fly" through the air.

11:59 AM CDT, August 17, 2012

A new trick for the downward-facing dog: A push-up

Looking for a total body exercise that stretches and strengthens? Try the down dog push-up. Demonstrated by Tamal Dodge, co-founder of Santa Monica's Yoga Collective and the yogi behind Element's Hatha & Flow Yoga for Beginners DVD, this move tones your upper and lower body, while loosening up your hips and hamstrings.

August 11, 2012

Triceps kick

The exercise is called a triceps kick, but it will give a workout to several other parts of the body too. It's demonstrated by Pasadena-based fitness expert, video host and teacher Tracey Mallett (www.traceymallett.com). She is the founder of Booty Barre, a technique that combines elements of dance, yoga and Pilates to strengthen and stretch the body. As you do the exercise, make sure that the spine, neck and head are aligned and that the movements are slow and deliberate.

August 4, 2012

Kneeling lat pull lean-back strengthens all around

If you want to tone and tighten your midsection — all the way around, from front to back — this exercise is for you. Demonstrated by personal trainer and fitness instructor Amy Dixon, who uses it on her "Give Me 10: Core Cuts" DVD, the kneeling lat pull lean-back accomplishes a lot at once. So, dust off that stability ball, get your mat and head down to the floor.

July 28, 2012

Jackie Warner recommends sprawls for an upper-body workout

Trainer Jackie Warner says she loves the exercise called sprawls because it is based on mixed martial arts practices. It focuses on the upper body and is very challenging, says Warner, whose latest book is "10 Pounds in 10 Days."

July 21, 2012

Parkour top-out move

Parkour is a form of fitness that's made up of many skills, all of which combine to enable the practitioner to seem to fly through the air the way Michael "Frosti" Zernow can. Here he demonstrates the wall climb or top-out move.

July 14, 2012

Sumo squat with hitch-a-ride pulses

Pasadena-based fitness expert, video host and teacher Tracey Mallett (www.traceymallett.com) has a two-part exercise that works lower-body muscles and then the muscles of the upper back. It's good for posture, which often gets compromised on long days sitting at a desk.

July 7, 2012

Yoga's crescent tones legs, builds balance

Yoga is a great way for athletes of any stripe to build lean muscle and improve their balance. No knowledge of Sanskrit is necessary.

June 30, 2012

Vault a wall

Michael "Frosti" Zernow might like life's obstacles more than most of us.

June 23, 2012

Tone upper arms with bench tricep dip

Women come to Jackie Warner all the time and ask, "How do I get toned arms?" Warner, the author of the book "10 Pounds in 10 Days" and a fitness expert, has an answer: the bench tricep dip.

June 9, 2012

The MMA drop-knee

This exercise is called a drop-knee, and it is based on mixed martial arts, or MMA, movements. It comes from trainer Jackie Warner, author of the recent book "10 Pounds in 10 Days." It's a very challenging move because it requires that you let your back drop. Warner says to always concentrate on form and breathe through the movements.

June 2, 2012

Get the jump on animal push-ups

Feeling strong? How about trying some animal push-ups? This is an exercise in which the sand helps absorb the impact of your movements, but it's also one that requires strength and determination. Animal push-ups take the traditional and go further, demonstrated by celebrity personal trainer Mike Donavanik (www.mikedfitness.com). This is a plyometric exercise: one that develops power using quick, explosive movements.

May 26, 2012

Make your own endurance sports drink and save money

Take a look at the most popular endurance sport drinks and you'll notice a surprising similarity in ingredients.

May 19, 2012

Tracey Mallett's praying mantis exercise

Good form makes for a better workout, and that's one of the keys to ballet-inspired barre workouts. These exercises also increase flexibility and tone the muscles without adding bulk. Pasadena-based fitness expert, video host and teacher Tracey Mallett (www.traceymallett.com) is the founder of Booty Barre, a technique that combines elements of dance, yoga and Pilates to strengthen and stretch the body. No prior experience in any of those disciplines is necessary. Make sure the spine, neck and head are aligned and the movements are slow and deliberate.

May 12, 2012

Firm up with step-ups

Taking a stroll? Here's a move that makes a walk in the park, well, less of a walk in a park. Jackie Warner (www.jackiewarner.com), star of Bravo's fitness reality show "Work Out" and author of the new book "10 Pounds in 10 Days," demonstrates step-ups that you can do on a bench.

May 5, 2012

A great leap

Don't forget to bring water to your workout, and not just to quench your thirst. Two water bottles are handy for this simple drill, demonstrated below by celebrity personal trainer Mike Donavanik (www.mikedfitness.com).

April 28, 2012

Plie side kicks

You don't need to get up en pointe to take a ballet approach to getting fit. Ballet-inspired barre workouts are super-popular now — they increase flexibility and tone muscles without adding bulk.

April 21, 2012

Go ahead and jump

Jumping and landing properly is a basic parkour skill, "the first thing I would teach anybody," Michael Zernow says. You'll work your core as well as your legs, calves and feet.

April 14, 2012

Close-to-wide squat

You don't need a gym or pricey fitness machines to get a great workout. Jackie Warner, star of Bravo's fitness reality show "Work Out," demonstrates a close-to-wide squat. You need a flat surface and a way to demark a circle.

April 7, 2012

Skateboard pike

Still got a skateboard buried somewhere in a corner of the garage? Celebrity personal trainer Mike Donavanik suggests you drag it out and repurpose it for this simple and effective fitness move, the skateboard pike.

March 24, 2012

A ballet-inspired 'booty lifter'

You don't need to don a tutu to try a ballet-inspired barre workout. These drills are super-popular now and for good reason: They increase flexibility and tone muscles without adding bulk.

March 17, 2012

An off-the-wall workout

Most of us traverse the environment by walking. Not Michael "Frosti" Zernow — he prefers to vault, flip and catapult his way from A to B.

March 10, 2012

The ladder drill

Sick of the sweaty, fluorescent-lit, loud-music gym scene? Don't want to cough up dough for memberships you'll never be able to cancel short of divine intervention? Try getting fit at the park. Or the beach.