Michelle's Muscles Rock: Dowd

America's just upset that she looks so good

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama has taken some heat for hitting the beach and sporting a Gaultier dress in Spain over the weekend. One columnist even called her a “modern-day Marie Antoinette.” But they’re missing the point, according to Daily Beast fashion writer Kate Betts. “The real issue is not hotel room rates or whether the first lady is politically tone-deaf,” she argues. “The real issue is that Mrs. Obama is not playing the traditional White House hostess role.” More»

First lady follows intense weight routine

(NEWSER) - How does Michelle Obama stay so buff? Only her personal trainer knows for sure, so good thing he's willing to dish. Cornell McClellan credits "a holistic approach that includes strength, cardiovascular, and flexibility training," Women's Health reports. He says the first lady's routine includes lunges, bench presses, hip raises, and rows, with intervals of cardio. She mixes it up with rope-jumping, kickboxing, and calisthenics. More»

(NEWSER) - You know it's a slow week when news outlets track down "experts" to discuss the effect Michelle Obama's shorts will have on the White House, writes Belinda Luscombe for Time. The thing is, the shorts she wore on Sunday as she stepped out of Air Force One actually are important. “She just didn't look particularly good,” Luscombe continues. “Her arms are much admired. Her legs are just, you know, legs.” And that’s a good thing for the rest of us. More»

(NEWSER) - It was bound to happen one day: a misstep by Michelle Obama. She fell for a pair of $540 designer sneakers and trotted them out last week at a food bank, no less. Bad move, says the Guardian. Mrs. I'm-all-about-J. Crew should have ditched the colorful suede Lanvin sneaks and opted for Converse, writes Emma Sibbles. "All the celebrities know they're the hipsters' shortcut to looking cool," she points out. And most importantly for the image-conscious Obamas, they're inexpensive. More»

First Lady's first formal photo highlights famous arms

(NEWSER) - The White House released the first official portrait of Michelle Obama today, People reports, and it calls attention to her most famous accessory. No, not the Kennedy-esque double strand of pearls—her rock-solid arms. In the photo, snapped in the Blue Room, the first lady also sports a sleek black sheath designed by Michael Kors, according to the New York Post. More»