Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Lose Belly Fat, Shred Abs: Fat BURN Fusion Core Transformer Kit SAVE 25%. Limited time FREE Shipping


Fat BURN Fusion Kit
Core Transformer Fat BURN Fusion Kit
Lose belly fat, shred your abs! Save 25% with our new Fat BURN Fusion Core Transformer kit that includes 3D Fat BURN Fusion DVD and improved, super durable resistance band with rubber foot guard--just in time to lose weight and get healthy with the New Year! The Fat BURN Fusion DVD gives you two fat-blasting High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) fusion workouts using the total body core, 3-dimensional, constant resistance Core Transformer® system that keeps you in your customized, MAXIMUM fat-burning zone and as a bonus, our new super durable, specialty Core Transformer resistance exercise band. You’ll build lean muscle in all the right places, plus you’ll sculpt your shoulders and back, tame that triceps jiggle, build a tighter butt, and build core strength for flat abs and a strong back.
Kit Includes:
Core Transformer Resistance Band and Fat BURN Fusion DVD
DVD Programming:
Workout 1: The 30-Minute 3D Fat BURN Fusion Standing and Mat Fusion Workout is based upon the popular Hollywood Core Transformer® group fitness class that’s been packing them in with standing room-only at Crunch WeHo. It’s the perfect combination of standing total-body ab and core work and core-mat work that blends functional training with yoga and Pilates inspired moves—all intensified by using the constant, 3-dimensional resistance of the Core Transformer® tubing method. By blending standing moves followed by mat exercises, your body will resist the challenge to plateau, so you’ll be burning maximal calories all the way through! At 30 minutes, it’s a well-rounded workout that easily fits into any busy lifestyle.
Workout 2: The bonus 15-Minute Quick HIIT TORCH athletic performance workout is a sure-fire routine to blitz hundreds of calories in a jiffy. It will also boost your metabolism—the rate at which you burn calories all day long--with our best belly fat burning total body core movement progression sequences. 
*The Core Transformer® resistance band is eco-friendly and made from natural, sustainable rubber trees.
About the Creator: Core performance guru Linda LaRue, RN MEd, ATC creator of the Core Transformer®, is a Registered Nurse and Athletic Trainer with a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia. She has been a pioneer in functional, total body core performance training for 20 years. As a Master Personal Trainer and fitness instructor, she has consulted with top health and fitness experts, and professional sports teams.
Teri Ann Krefting is the dynamic lead talent for the 15 Minute Quick TORCH HIIT Challenge. Teri Ann is a certified personal trainer, sought-after veteran workout DVD star, and one of Hollywood’s hottest group instructors. With Teri Ann expertly cueing and motivating you through these challenging workouts, you’ll sweat, smile and melt body fat fast!
DURATION: Approx 50 min.


To purchase the new Fat BURN Fusion Kit click here. Post submitted by core performance guru, Linda LaRue, RN MEd, ATC.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Wanderlust Wining


THE OUTDOORSY OENOPHILE’S WINE COUNTRY COMPANION by Stefani Jackenthal (my friend Stephani's first book. WooHoo!)

Written by one of the world’s foremost wine and travel experts Wanderlust Wining available at Amazon click here, is a fun delicious journey through many of America’s finest wine countries; exploring their outdoor activities and wine tasting specialties. It’s a one-stop-read to crafting active wine tasting trips in unique (and familiar) wine countries all over the United States.

Discover how to kick off mornings with action-packed activities and spend the remainder of the day sniffing, swirling and sipping through local wineries. Learn how to taste wine like a pro and be in the “local know” about the best hiking and mountain biking trails or places to paddle, surf and sail. Visit creameries, galleries or savor a sustainable wine dinner served in the middle of a vineyard.

Each fast-paced, easy-to-understand chapter offers light-handed wine education and historic facts about the area’s wines, local parks and sports outfitter, “must-go” restaurants, art galleries, markets, vineyards, and more.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

♪ FitHits: We’re Gleeked (And a Giveaway!)


By Linda LaRue, RN MEd, ATC

We’ve been a little Glee obsessed here at FBG HQ for a few months now. What can we say? We just love “spontaneous” choreographed dance so much. So when Linda LaRue, the creator of Crunchless Abs and the new, constant resistance, 3-dimensional workout, The CORE TRANSFORMER, shared our Gleekness and wanted to write a workout playlist featuring songs the show, we were pretty much like, “Yes!” Times 1,000 with jazz hands.

Channel Your Inner Gleek Workout Playlist
If you like to sweat to mash-up songs or have ever felt like an underdog, this workout playlist will make your face and heart smile—while also inspiring your feet to fly faster on the treadmill. In fact, “Don’t Stop Believin’” has become my personal theme song. It has kept me going more than a few times lately—especially when I’m flat-out exhausted or when I hit major life road blocks. So grab your water bottle, your Nikes and start believing—and Gleeking out!
  1. (3:50) Don’t Stop Believin’, Glee Cast: Go on a journey with this one! Get it? Har har!
  2. (4:07) U Can’t Touch This, Glee Cast: With your fly cardio moves, no one can touch you!
  3. (2:17) Borderline/Open Your Heart, Glee Cast: Hands down, the Madonna episode was one of our faves. This mash-up is perfect for relieving that Glee moment.
  4. (3:19) Loser Like Me, Glee Cast: Know you’re a rock star? Belt this one out while you work out!
  5. (4:41) Forget You, Glee Cast featuring Gwyneth Paltrow: Gwyneth is so fantastico on the show. Work out like her character would—by having lots of fun!
  6. (3:56) P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), Glee Cast: We already love MJ so Glee and MJ? Double the pleasure, double the fun!
  7. (3:20) Raise Your Glass, Glee Cast: Dirty little freaks are totally cool in this track.
  8. (3:04) Hell to the No, Glee Cast: This sassy song is SO much fun. So get out your best take-no-ish attitude and work it, girl.
  9. (3:36) Do You Wanna Touch Me, Glee Cast featuring Gwyneth Paltrow: Get your girl-power rock ‘n roll on with this high-energy track!
  10. (3:36) Thriller/Heads Will Roll, Glee Cast: Don’t be a zombie! End your workout with a bang with this rockin’ track!

As a bonus, the Yes Fitness Music Team is sponsoring a three CD giveaway of their top iTunes In the Key of GLEE workout CD. Expertly cued to a perfect, heart-pumping 135 BPM, it’s a Gleeking good playlist for your next workout. Just enter a comment to win—U.S. residents only please!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Best, New Fitness Gear and Gadgets for 2011: Core Transformer Yahoo Shine


By Myatt Murphy, CookingLight.com
Here are the best, new fitness gear and gadgets for 2011. We tested the most interesting and most effective fitness gear for the year so far. Here’s our round-up of the exercise tools that are guaranteed to help you reach your fitness goals.

The Ugi
Fitness trends—and all the stuff that comes with them—come and go, but every year there are some standout products that are truly effective. Dive into our top 15 that promise to deliver results (and do more than collect dust).

1. The Ugi
($189, ugifit.com )

Why we like it: We’ve seen medicine balls and stability balls, but this plush, weighted workout tool (picture a mix of half-beanbag/half-oversized stress ball that comes in 6-lbs, 8-lbs, 10-lbs, and 12-lbs versions) is an entirely unique exercise experience. The Ugi comes with a DVD that runs exercisers through a series of 30 different back-to-back exercises in a single 30-minute workout (there are 5 different workouts to choose from—150 exercises in all—so your body never gets bored of burning fat!).

2. Nike Training Club App
(It’s free; go to iTunes App Store)

Why we like it: Nike’s new training app for the iPhone and iPod Touch has more than 90+ drill workouts for getting lean, toned, and strong—specifically for women. All you do is select your fitness goal and fitness level, then the app chooses the best selection of 15-minute, 30-minute, or 45-minute workouts for you to pick from (each designed by a Nike professional trainer). The app offers step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow and lets you listen to songs from your music library and hear the instructor at the same time. But best of all: the more you exercise, the more you unlock rewards, such as additional expert advice, celebrity workout regimes, and body-boosting nutritional recipes.


The SilverSport Silver Towel
3. The SilverSport Silver Towel

($20 to $35, depending on size; available exclusively at all Dick’s Sporting Goods—or at www.silversport.com)

Why we like it: This baby-soft sports towel is more than just gentle on your skin when you’re wiping off perspiration; it’s made from a technology that uses nano-silver particles that actually eliminate more than 650 types of surface-borne, odor-causing bacteria. It’s also made with a super soft bamboo that’s three times more absorbent than cotton, so you’ll never need another towel to dry off with, no matter how long you exercise.


Gaiam’s Calorie Coach
4. Gaiam’s Calorie Coach from Oregon Scientific

($39; available at Best Buy stores and us.oregonscientific.com)

Why we like it: Not only is this handy pedometer one of the most accurate monitors on the market for counting how many steps you take each day—and calories you’ve burned—but we love its discreetness. Unlike most pedometers that have to be clipped to your waist in order to work properly, the Calorie Coach can be placed anywhere on your body, such as hidden inside a shirt pocket, placed in your handbag, or, even hung from your neck.


Kulae tpECOmat Plus
5. Kulae tpECOmat Plus

($49; Yahoo! Shopping)

Why we like it: This comfy eco-friendly yoga mat has many of the benefits you might expect from being 100% biodegradable, latex-free to prevent allergic reactions, and sporting a germ- and bacteria-resistant surface (so it always smells fresh). But what makes this mat a cut above others on the market is the simple fact that it’s also four inches longer than a standard yoga mat—making it ideal for bodies of all sizes.



Bob Harper’s Contour Kettlebells
6. Bob Harper’s Contour Kettlebells

($24.99-$99.99, depending on weight; gofit.net)

Why we like them: Exercising with a kettlebell may be the latest fitness trend, but most are shaped like a mini-bowling ball with a handle attached to them, making them more uncomfortable on your wrists and forearms during certain moves. This kettlebell is ergonomically-designed with grooves that let the weight comfortably rest on your arms as you exercise. We also like the DVD workout that guides even the exercise novice through an easy-to-follow, full-body 30-minute routine.


Virtual Active Workout Videos
7. Virtual Active Workout Videos

($19.99; vafitness.com)

Why we like them: If you’ve ever felt like a hamster on a wheel when exercising indoors on a treadmill or bike, these DVDs offer an actual “eye view” perspective of what it would be like to exercise along 200-plus of the most scenic jogging and cycling trails throughout North America. Each 35-minute workout lets you choose between being coached by a trainer (who pops up on the screen and tells you how to adjust your workout) or you can go solo and simply enjoy the view as you sweat.


Get Fit with Mel B. Fitness
Program for the PS3

8. Get Fit with Mel B. Fitness Program for the PS3
($39.99; getfitwithmelb.com/EN-us)

Why we like it:
One of the most distinctive exercise games out there is Get Fit with Mel B. (formally “Scary Spice” of the Spice Girls). The game actually places a mini real-life version of yourself standing and sweating side-by-side the Dancing with the Stars finalist. (You’ll need the PlayStation Move with the PlayStation Eye camera—but it’s so worth it!) Watching yourself exercise on screen is a great way to check your form as you go, plus, the game lets you incorporate your existing workout equipment (such as exercise and resistance bands) into your workout to make it even more challenging.


The CORE TRANSFORMER
9. The CORE TRANSFORMER

($24.95 for the tube/$34.95 for tube and DVD; coretransformer.tv)

Why we like it: It may look like another overhyped TV exercise product, but this unique—and economical—fitness tool definitely burns calories. The X-shaped stretch cord device straps onto both of your feet and hands, adding resistance to your arms and legs, no matter what direction you move them (forward, backward, to the side, and so on). The DVD offers three intense routines—ranging from 20, 40, to 60 minutes long—but we found it was just as effective at making many yoga, Pilates, and core training exercises a lot more challenging and effective.


Asics GEL-Uptempo and
GEL-Upshot Athletic Shoes
10. Asics GEL-Uptempo and GEL-Upshot Athletic Shoes

($85 each; asics.com)

Why we like them: To be able to tackle any type of exercise, you need a training shoe that offers your feet stability from any angle, shock absorption from heel to toe, and a breathable mesh upper that lets your dogs air out as you work out. Both the Uptempo and Upshot offer a superior mix of cushioning, traction, and support, all in a lightweight pair of shoes with a sock-like fit that almost makes you forget you’re wearing them.



Lifefactory Water Bottles
11. Lifefactory Water Bottles

($19.99 for 16-oz. bottles/$21.99 for 22-oz. bottles; lifefactory.com)

Why we like them: The problem with plastic water bottles is that many not only release harmful chemicals such as BPA's, but some are too narrow or difficult to wash properly. Lifefactory’s sporty-stylish glass bottles feature a wide mouth (so it’s super easy to clean), have a silicone sleeve that protects the bottle from breaking, and, you’ll actually notice a fresher taste from your water (compared to drinking from a traditional water bottle). That difference alone can help you drink more—so you always stay well-hydrated as you exercise.


Sportline’s DUO 1060
heart rate monitor
12. Sportline’s DUO 1060 heart rate monitor

($119.99; sportline.com)

Why we like it: The best heart rate monitors require you to wear a belt around your chest, but the DUO 1060 gives you the option of just placing your finger on the watch for an equally-precise readout. What we really love is that it gives you that information in 3 beats or less, making it the fastest, most accurate contact heart-rate measuring device on the market.



The Biggest Loser Challenge
Wii Game
13. The Biggest Loser Challenge Wii Game

(Starting at $28, Yahoo! Shopping)

Why we like it: One of the best health and fitness video games for the Nintendo Wii, the Biggest Loser Challenge guides users through more than 125 exercise exercises, ranging from warm-ups and cool-downs, core-strengthening moves, cardio boxing drills, yoga poses, and circuit training exercises. You can create your own custom fitness program, or, let the program think for you by selecting from one of ten preset fitness routines.


New Balance’s NB439s
2-in-1 Sport Earbuds
14. New Balance’s NB439s 2-in-1 Sport Earbuds

($39.99; ihomeaudio.com)

Why we like them: Most “fitness” earphones really don’t offer anything that’s much different than normal headphones (besides flashier color schemes), but the lightweight NB439s thinks of every possible workout dilemma. It’s got detachable, easy-to-clean ear cushions, a volume control along the cord, and you can shorten the cord so it’s tangle-free when your MP3 player is clipped onto your arm, hat, or anyplace on your body where having too much line can get in the way of your workout.


FINIS’s Circuit Trainer
15. FINIS’s Circuit Trainer

(Starting at $104, Yahoo! Shopping)

Why we like it:
Doing a circuit training program—where you race from exercise to exercise with little to no rest in between—is one of the most effective ways to build lean muscle and burn fat. The problem is having to watch the clock all the time and doing the math to know when to move onto the next exercise. This lightweight, water-resistant workout timer lets you program in two time periods (how long you want to do each exercise for and how long you want to rest in between exercises). As you work out, a horn lets you know when to move to the next station and rest—and when it’s time to start exercising again—so all you have to do is sweat (and not think!).

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Best Fitness Gear and Gadgets: Core Transformer


Excerpt from Cooking Light Magazine's 2011 article: The Best Fitness Gear and Gadget's, features the flat abs, total body and belly fat blasting workout CORE TRANSFORMER Kit created by Linda LaRue, RN MEd, ATC, Creator of Crunchless Abs.

We tested this years’ most interesting and most effective fitness gear. Here’s our round-up of the exercise tools that are guaranteed to help you reach your fitness goals. By Myatt Murphy, author of The Ultimate Dumbbell Guide.
ide
The CORE TRANSFORMER ($19.99 for the tube/$29.99 for tube and DVD;(www.CORETRANSFORMER.tv)

Why we like it: It may look like another over-hyped TV exercise product, but this unique—and economical—fitness tool definitely burns calories. The X-shaped stretch cord device straps onto both of your feet and hands, adding resistance to your arms and legs, no matter what direction you move them (forward, backward, to the side, and so on). The DVD offers three, intense routines—ranging from 20, 40, to 60 minutes long—but we found it was just as effective at making many yoga, Pilates, and core training exercises a lot more challenging and effective.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Fit Bottomed Girls: Focus Your Fit Intentions with a Vision Board

Repost from Fit Bottomed Girls
By Linda LaRue, RN MEd, ATC

Today’s post at Fit Bottomed Girls is written by core performance guru, Linda LaRue. Linda is the creator of Crunchless Abs and the new, constant resistance, 3-dimensional workout, The CORE TRANSFORMER, which burns nearly 1,000 calories per hour.

Recently, I had dinner with one of my BFFs Stacy Small. We were both yapping about the recession, how it’s been affecting our businesses, and what we’ve been doing to market ourselves. Stacy mentioned that every December for the past few years, she’s been making a vision board. She said her vision board really helped her define, focus and successfully achieve her goals. (You know even Oprah makes a vision board?) I like the dream-board concept because you have words and pictures, thereby creating more sensory stimulation and focused visualization.

A vision board is a collage of images, pictures, and written affirmations of the intentions and desires you wish to achieve. It helps you through visualization, thus activating the Universal Law of Attraction, or “likes attract like.” This means that the more you focus and think about something, the more likely it is to materialize and happen in your life. While mine has focused on business goals in the past, just think of what they can do for your personal, health and weight-loss goals. The sky is the limit!

How to Make Your Healthy Vision Board

1. Hone in on your goals.
Take a couple days to percolate and meditate in a quiet place about what personal and professional goals you’d like to manifest and successfully achieve in the New Year. I usually choose no more than three to four as this keeps me focused and not overwhelmed. Before I go to bed at night, I also ask myself what are my goals?

2. Gather your supplies. After you are clear about your goals, you’ll need a few things, including a poster board, a glue stick, pictures from old magazines (use your old ones, get them from friends, hair salons and doctor’s offices), photographs and/or printed from the internet.

3. Find what speaks to you. Go through the images and begin to cut out photos, words and phrases that intuitively resonate with you and your new goals. Then, lay them out on the board—but do not glue them yet. Leave a space in the middle to place a favorite photo of yourself. (If you have gained weight, and one of your goals is weight-loss, post a photo of yourself when you were at your ideal, comfortable weight.)

4. Be specific. Try to be specific about the photos and words you select. For example, if you want to make more money in your job, use green dollar signs around your job picture. If you want a new car, place a photo of the car in the color you want. If you want to complete a race, find pictures of that specific race.

5. Get to gluing! When you feel comfortable with the photos and words, glue them to your board. Almost done!

6. Look at it daily. Hang your new dream board in a place where you can see it often. You don’t have to stare at it every day by any means, but at least glance at it one or two times a day so that your goals are always top-of-mind!

I hope you have fun while getting clear about your intentions and goals this year—especially losing weight and getting fit! —Linda LaRue

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Top 10 Hardest Workout DVDs by Fit Bottomed Girls: CORE TRANSFORMER


By Jennifer Walters Fit Bottomed Girls article reprint from Opposing Views

So you say you want a workout challenge, eh? Well, we have 10 of them—our top 10 list of the hardest workout DVDs we’ve ever reviewed. Hold on to your fit butts—it’s about to get crazy hawd in here!

1. Jillian Michaels’ No More Trouble Zones: Jillian always brings the good pain. And this workout DVD gives you a mix of strength and cardio that is uber challenging!

2. Bob Harper Inside Out Method: Bob’s Workout: Oh, Bob, how we love yet hate thee, let us count the workout ways. Even after doing this strength-cardio workout DVD regularly for three months, it still kicks my ass.

3. Personal Training with Jackie: Crunch-Free Xtreme Abs: There’s only one word to describe this crunchless abs DVD: Ouch! And, of course, that’s in a good way. With two quick workouts, your abs will definitely feel the burn and the soreness. Oh, the soreness!

4. Exhale Core Fusion Body Sculpt: This Pilates- and dance-based workout DVD is no joke. You may not think it’s that hard with all the stretching and breaks, but trust us. It’ll work you in new fabulously challenging ways.

5. Mindy Mylrea’s Action Packed/Interval Express: Mindy Mylrea is a total bad ass. While you can’t really go wrong with any of her workout DVDs, we found this interval workout DVD to be particularly awe-inspiring (just how does she do it?) and something to aspire to.

6. Fitness by Cathe: Cardio+Weights 4-Day Split: Right up there with Mindy Mylrea in crazy-fit instructor-dom is Cathe Friedrick. With endless variety, this heavy strength DVD challenges and then some.

7. Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred: Jillian makes the list again! We just couldn’t leave this hard-workout DVD standby off the list. With three 25-minute workouts that progress in intensity (read: darn near impossibleness), it’s an oldie but a goodie!

8. The CORE TRANSFORMER: Say goodbye to crunches and hello to full-body three-dimensional core training with this incredibly intense workout DVD that runs you through sports-specific moves and tons of plyometrics!

9. Pure Barre Pershing Square: If you’ve ever wanted the body of a ballerina, now is your chance with this Barre DVD. But let us warn you, getting there is hard, hard, hard! Expect your legs to feel like they’ll fall off. Fun, fun!

10. Jari Love: Get Ripped 1,000: While we’re still not convinced that this hour-long workout DVD will burn 1,000 calories for most women, we still think it’s awesome. And its advanced strength and cardio moves are enough to get the sweat pouring!

Have a workout that kicks your arse? Tell us about it in the comments! And be sure to also check out our top 10 favorite intermediate fitness and beginner workout DVDs! —Jenn