Our 15 Favorite Upper-Body Exercises

These upper-body exercises target your upper back, shoulders, and upper arms for the ultimate work-it-all upper-body routine. Warning: You may never want to part with your sleeveless tops.

Assisted Chin Up

Chin-ups are one of the most efficient upper-body exercises you can do, targeting your back, chest, arms, and shoulders. Use an assisted chin-up machine until you're strong enough to lift your body weight without it.

• Adjust the weight to where you are comfortable. Place your feet (or knees depending on the machine) on the lower level.
• Place hands on the upper bar, wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Squeezing your back muscles, begin lifting your body weight.
• Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.

How to Train for a Triathlon Using the Equipment In Your Gym

Is it possible to train for a triathlon if you don't have access to a pool? One endurance expert thinks so, and we decided to put his technique to the test.

When it comes to the way I sweat, I'm a creature of habit and comfort. My weekly routine—a combination of yoga, dance, and HIIT—adds up to a well-rounded schedule that feels physically and mentally satisfying. Competing in an endurance race, I've always known, is not for me. It's for the really strong-willed people, I thought, and yet I can't shake my fascination with the discipline and sacrifice exerted by people who live to compete.

Arthur Thomas is a one of those people. You know—the super committed. A veteran of no less than 78 half marathons, a myriad of full marathons, two triathlons, and one 50km ultra marathon, he specializes in helping clients prepare for extreme feats of endurance. If anybody can help me shake things up and summon my inner competitor, it's this guy.

The Best Exercises of All Time

Everyone craves the latest on-trend exercise—the one that will blast fat like never before. But as it turns out, the best exercises are timeless. Master the best exercises of all time, and you'll never fall for a fad exercise again.

Squats

Your lower body—and we mean your entire lower body—loves squats. "They work all of the larger muscles in the lower half of the body, making them incredibly efficient and effective at both building muscle and burning calories," says Jacquelyn Brennan, CSCS, a personal trainer and co-founder of Mindfuel Wellness in Chicago. Plus, since we all squat when we're picking something up off of the floor, playing with nieces and nephews, or lowering ourselves into a midair hover over a public toilet seat, they are incredibly functional.

13 Killer HIIT Exercises to Work Into Your Workout

Rock these HIIT exercises with Amanda Butler, trainer at The Fhitting Room in New York City (a studio dedicated to HIIT), to get your heart racing in seconds.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can burn fat in wayyy less time than mindlessly churning away on the elliptical. Incorporate these 13 HIIT exercises into your routine, and you'll see exactly what we mean. Want to up the ante? Do each exercise for a minute for a hurts-so-good HIIT workout, then join our HIIT challenge to keep up the momentum! 

1. Hand-Release Push-Ups

Start in a standard push-up position, and drop your body all the way down to the floor. Lift your hands off the ground for a second, then exhale while you press your body all the way back up. If you need to modify this move, just drop to your knees.

Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight

A healthy lifestyle involves many choices. Among them, choosing a balanced diet or healthy eating plan. So how do you choose a healthy eating plan? Let's begin by defining what a healthy eating plan is.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, a healthy eating plan:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products

• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts

• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars

• Stays within your daily calorie needs

Eat Healthfully and Enjoy It!

A healthy eating plan that helps you manage your weight includes a variety of foods you may not have considered. If "healthy eating" makes you think about the foods you can't have, try refocusing on all the new foods you can eat— 

How to lose weight the healthy way

Find out how to lose the weight the healthy way, from introducing changes gradually to reducing your calorie intake.

The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets nor bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise.

For example, someone who hasn't exercised for years shouldn't rush into running miles a day or pounding the treadmill. Not only will the struggle to do so leave you feeling disheartened and demotivated, you're also far more likely to injure yourself and set your fitness levels back further.

The same goes for people who suddenly start starving themselves. Diets that severely restrict calories or the types of food 'allowed' can lead you to be deficient in the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs.

Just How Fast Can I Get the Body I Want?

Be honest, you’ve said the following sentence before:

“I want to lose 20-50 pounds, and I’d like to pack on some muscle too…but not too much! Can I do this in 2-3 months?”

I know you have, because I certainly did when I started training.  Men want to know “the secret” to a thinner waistline, but also get bigger arms and chest… Meanwhile, women ask how they can lose weight while getting more toned, without getting too bulky.

If you’ve had those same thoughts, then today’s article is for you.

Today we’re going to dive into these goals, and how to best go about them. Keep an eye out for Part 2 later this week.