POPSUGAR Entertainment

Outdoor Cardio Workout: Run Suicides in the Park

POPSUGAR Fitness — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 03:05:56 PDT

I am all for a good treadmill workout when it is too hot or too cold to run outside, but these days the temperature has been just right. I have been craving a good interval workout, but not at the track. Nope. For some reason, I have been nostalgic for running suicides. Sprinting from line to line on a basketball or tennis court or a soccer field just like the practices of my youth is a great way to mix up your sprinting workouts. Let me remind you, suicides like sprint interval training, should only be done if you have a solid running base.

A Suicide Set Defined
If you can find a tennis court basketball court, or soccer field use it! If not, just make your own lines in a field using your gym bag, extra layer, water bottle, etc. to create markers. Make six lines, six yards apart. Or if you are cramped make three lines, six yards apart. For basic suicide (or killers as they are sometime called), start at the first line and sprint to the second line, bend down and touch the line with your hand then return to your starting mark and touch that line (make sure to alternate hands so you work your torso evenly). Sprint to the second line, touch it and sprint back to the start. Keep going, running and touching the next furthest line until you have touched all the lines and returned to your starting mark. That series of sprints is a set.

Now you that you know the basics to see the workout, just

The Workout
Warm up:
Start with a dynamic warm to prime your joints. Run two to four basic killers at an easy jog. Touching the lines with your feet. Then stretch your quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and back.

Main Event: Run as many sets as you can in 20 minutes, taking a one to two minute walking/jogging break between sets. If you are new to sprinting, I advise you take two-minute breaks and walk. You can also try running a set of suicides at a faster pace than your normal run, but slower than a sprint. Find a sweet spot where you're working hard, but are not going to injure yourself.

Cool Down: After your last set, slowly jog a basic killer, then decrease your speed to a walk to bring your heart rate down. Stretch your legs, hips, and back.

If you're trying to vary the intensity of your workouts, this is one to add to the mix. Plus it is fun to run as fast as you can for short periods of time. Really! It is.

Ashton Kutcher? Yes Please

Sponsor — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:45:00 PDT

Need a reason to go on the next family vacation? Reason numero uno: you could meet Ashton Kutcher . . . well, that's what happened to Katherine Heigl at least. Let Killers be your "how-to" to land a gorgeous guy (albeit a spy) while vacationing with Ma and Pa. Killers follows Jen (Heigl) and Spencer (Kutcher) on their whirlwind, action-packed romance: from meeting abroad, to marriage, to her finding out about his pesky little second life, hilarity ensues.

That's right, Killers Blu-ray and DVD is available now - giving you plenty of time to brush up on your French, come-hither stare, and practice patience with your parents before the big trip.

Click here to check out videos of Killers, or here to see what Ashton's up to on the Killers Facebook page.

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

POPSUGAR Entertainment — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:30:00 PDT

Instead of trying to cling to those last remaining Summer moments, why not prepare yourself for cooler nights in with a few new DVD releases? This week brings a trio of comedies, but read on to see which one suits your sense of humor.

MacGruber

Will Forte takes his MacGyver spoof from Saturday Night Live to the big screen in this action comedy about a bumbling former special operative that gets called back for a mission when a nuclear warhead goes missing. As with any MacGruber skit, explosions and a whole lot of hijinks ensue. Along for the ride are Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe, while Val Kilmer plays MacGruber's nemesis. I thought the film was a bit violent and over-the-top, but it definitely has its funny moments. DVD extras include commentary with the filmmakers, a gag reel, and a deleted scene.

48%

Killers
Katherine Heigl plays Jen, yet another gorgeous-but-tragically single character, whose luck changes when she meets a perfect man named Spencer (Ashton Kutcher) during a vacation. They get married and lead a quiet life. . . until Jen learns that Spencer has been keeping his job as a professional assassin a secret. The movie didn't even screen for critics, and the overall consensus is that what you see is what you get with this formulaic romantic comedy. DVD extras include a featurette.
12%

One more DVD when you

Solitary Man

In this character study of a man whose charm only leads to trouble, Michael Douglas plays Ben, a 60-something smooth operator who spends his life as a divorcee picking up women half his age (and younger). His refusal to take any adult responsibility causes plenty of issues for his ex-wife (Susan Sarandon), daughter (Jenna Fischer), and his grandson. I thought all the actors delivered solid performances, but Douglas's character is so unlikeable it almost ruins the movie. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes footage and commentary.

82%

POPSUGAR Home — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:00:00 PDT

Out today, Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher star in the action-packed romantic comedy Killers. Partially set in the ever-so-chic France, it's no surprise the flick is chock-full of sophisticated décor. Come along and learn how to get the look of the interiors from this film!

Hot Buzz Time Machine: Katherine Heigl in My Father the Hero

POPSUGAR Entertainment — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:30:00 PDT

In honor of the release of the film Killers, I'm dedicating this week's Hot Buzz Time Machine to a young Katherine Heigl. Remember her in My Father the Hero? Heigl plays Nicole, a 14 year old who goes to the Bahamas with her divorced French father (Gerard Depardieu). While there, she concocts a story about how he's her lover to make a local boy notice her and prances around in a thong. 16 years later, and it still seems pretty risqué.