Arm Yourself For Summer – Workout & Protein Refuel

June 8, 2015 By Laura

It’s no secret that bicep day is my favorite.

My trainer says it because I’m a “dude.”

When I needed to drag myself back to the gym after 2 weeks in Greece, the most appealing workout to me was my favorite – biceps and triceps.

This workout was just what I needed – challenging and focused on the muscles I wasn’t able to work while I was away. I think most of these moves are self-explanatory. In case you aren’t familiar with it, this is what an EZ bar looks like:

There’s a similar looking crimped bar for use with the cables.

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Sunday Funday with Lorna Jane

November 24, 2014 By Laura

Bro day is my favorite.

Most of the time.

It becomes my least favorite when the reps get high. Only Jesse could make biceps suck… high reps are not my friend.

Let’s back up to the fact that I’m wearing color. Lorna Jane sent over these amazing clothes for me to check out and – admittedly – I balked at the orange. Until I put it on. This top is so awesome that I’ve added more to my holiday fit list….

Work It Out: Chest and Biceps

August 20, 2013 By Laura

It’s wrong to play favorites.

You know you have one.

There are ~~children~~ foods you like more than others, and the same goes for workouts. Try as I might to love leg day, my heart lies with Chest and Bicep day.

After last week’s Work It Out FAQ post, I received a lot of questions about what a typical week of workouts looks like for me. I thought it would be an easy post to throw together until I realized I’d actually neglected my favorite Day!

A typical week of workouts will come, but today’s Work It Out couldn’t be delayed – its high time I post my favorite workout.

And you all have to try it as a personal favor to me because I’m not allowed to do chest yet.

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Working out Chest and Biceps on the same day may seem odd to some of you. The more traditional school of thought is to do Bis/Tris and Chest/Back. I used to subscribe to that theory too.

The idea behind doing Chest/Bis together and Back/Tris together is that you use your Biceps as a secondary muscle for Back day, and Triceps as secondary on Chest day. By splitting them up, you are about to get more out of each muscle group. For example, if you do Chest with Tris, you will be fatigued before you should be on your Tri exercises because you used them while doing bench presses first.

People will argue any number of ways is “right.” Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to experiment and figure out what YOU like best.

On to the fun part! This is my favorite workout of all time. I hope you like it too!

Click the names for explanations:

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Check out my free Macro Calculator, which helps time your meals to get the most out of your workouts!

What is your favorite workout?

Which muscle groups do you like to work together?

Work It Out: Post-Augmentation Exercises

July 9, 2013 By Laura

Resting makes me restless.

I tried to be good. Really.

After my surgery I was forced to rest. I knew it was good for me as my body healed, but as my energy returned I got anxious. Today’s Work It Out is dedicated to easing back post-surgery. Patiently.

These tips may be applied to other types of recovery as well. Use at your discretion. 🙂

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. Don’t do any of this without asking a doctor. Don’t sue me if you hurt yourself. This plan is mine and mine alone. What works for you will vary by your fitness level and how your body heals.

The main concern with working out after a breast augmentation is overusing the pectoral muscles – particularly with those who have implants are underneath the muscle. The actual muscle needs time to heal. After surgery there is a capsule that forms in the pocket holding the implant. Think of it as the body’s way of protecting against a foreign object (this could be any implant). Doing too much too soon can cause the capsule to become hard. The goal is to allow the capsule to form in such a way that it is undetectable.

If the capsule thickens too much, is causes capsular contracture. This is what makes the implant feel like a rock and can make the shape look wonky. Bottom line: Avoid overuse of the pectoral muscles.

Below is a summary of what I’ve been able to do at different points post-augmentation. Again, consult a doctor before you do ANYTHING! Be sure to wear a super supportive sports bra when doing any activity. For the first time in my life I am actually wearing 2 bras at once!

Post-Augmentation Exercise

First 4-5 days 1: Rest (seriously). It’s good to move around a little to keep blood flowing, but I’m talking walking from the couch to the kitchen. Even that will probably wear you out on days 2 and 3.

Next 5-10 days: I started light cardio in the form of walking. I probably went further than they would have liked, but I wasn’t moving to fast and I kept it to the cooler times of day. You don’t want to get hot or elevate the heart rate to avoid infection and swelling (which increases risk of contracture). The girls need to settle!

Week 3-4: After you regain energy, work with a doctor and – if available – a knowledgable trainer to outline an exercise regimen for you and your specific needs. This is my plan:

Low-impact cardio is ok here. My doctor said I could run as long as it was cool and I kept it to 50-70% of maximum effort. There is no sprinting anywhere. The elliptical (without arms) and stationary bike are also good choices.
I was released to do leg work. We have to start slow with mostly body weight. Barbell squats are a no-no.
SOME isolated upper body weight lifting – I was warned that it must be light weight and limited to isolated biceps and triceps.
Lower abs are free and clear!

So with all those limitations what do I do?! Since the exercises I can do are limited, I keep the reps varied. You can go one day for strength (8 to 10 reps) and one day for endurance (15 to 20 reps).

Moves that are easy on the chest:

Legs:

Lunges – walking, single leg, side, and backwards
Leg Presses – wide, normal, and close stance
Leg Extensions (be careful not to grip handles and strain chest)
Body Weight DEEP Squats
Pistol Squats
Standing Hamstring Curl
Adductor/Abductor
Hyperextension
Butt Lifts
Step Ups (no weights)
Calf Raises – toes in, out, and forward

Upper Body:

Bicep Curls
Hammer Curls
Single Arm Preacher Curls (using incline beach)
Cable Curls (2 arms, with straight bar and/or EZ bar)
Tricep Pushdowns with rope and/or bar (if you have the equipment, do the one where you stand with your back against the machine to prevent you from rolling your shoulders in and using your chest)
Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdowns

Note: Chest, overhead, and any jumping around (high impact) exercises should be avoided like the plague! ~~Damn – no burpees for me.~~

Abs:

Weeks 5-6: TBD! I go back to the Dr and should be cleared for a little more. 🙂

To give you an idea of how I’m using these moves, here’s a workout I did last Friday.

From the above menu of options, I choose 5 leg/butt moves, 2 biceps, 2 triceps, and a series of abs. I adjust the amount of abs based on how I’m feeling at the end of each workout, but 3 ab exercises seems to be a good number for me so far.

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Don’t miss my free Macro Calculator, which helps time your meals to get the most out of your workouts.

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I wrote this with the “twins” in mind, but this workout is good for anyone – especially those who’ve had upper body injuries.

Do you have any moves to add to the list? Isolated triceps are not easy to do!

What is the exercise you’re most excited to get back to after a forced rest?

Work It Out: Chest & Biceps

March 12, 2013 By Laura

Chest and Bicep day is my favorite.

My trainer says this means I’m like a guy. Whatever.

A few weeks ago I posted about working out away from home. I am a consultant, which means I travel a fairly often. You guys have seen they way I pack days and days of meals for the road. It takes effort, but it – like most things – becomes habit and gets SO much easier.

Workouts are a little harder. It is a habit, but you never know what the hotel gym situation will be. In my last post, I talked about learning to be flexibly inflexible. My daily workout is a habit – one that I am inflexible about breaking.

Flexibility is also important. Those hotel gyms are 95% of the time pretty sparse. I have to be able to change my planned workout to fit the situation.

The previous hotel workout was a back and tricep day re-created in a gym equip only with free weights, a bench, and a stability ball.but got a few requests for the chest and bicep workout. Ask and you shall receive! 🙂

Simple to do with minimal equipment, the following workout was done in that same small hotel gym.

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For each exercise, do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. If you are lifting heavy, do 4 sets of 6-10 reps. Click the links below for a written explanation of each move.

If you realllly want to shake it up and shock your body, do what I’m doing right now: 5 sets of 12. You. Will. Die. (Please don’t do this if you aren’t already lifting a lot – no need to actually die.) 😉

Chest

Flat Bench Press

Incline Bench Press with a twist

As you press up, twist the wrist so that at the top of the movement the palms are facing away from the body. If this causes discomfort, simply leave the twist out.

Decline Bench Press

Stability Ball Pullovers…

…superset with push ups

Biceps

Prone Incline Curls

These can also be done over a stability ball.

Alternating Bicep Curls

If you aren’t doing these with heavy weight, try them while standing on one leg for an added challenge.

Hammer Curls

To change it up, try doing these as alternating curls, or cross-body.

Reverse Curls

***As usual, here’s the disclaimer: I’m not a certified professional anything. Be smart. Don’t hurt yourself. Don’t expect to have Jamie Eason arms the day after. I work out all the time and I still don’t have her arms. ~~Dammit.~~**

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Yesterday I did a back and tricep day. Every back exercise was superset with horizontal pull ups. By the end I’d done 240 of them. I’m surprised I’m able to type right now. LOL!

Did anyone try a new supplement after last week’s post?

Have you ever combined Chest and Biceps? I know it’s more traditional to do Back and Bis, but I’m loving this method!

Work It Out with Jody

November 20, 2012 By Laura

New moves are my favorite.

I’m doing many right now and I point my toes down some ski slopes.

Today’s Work It Out post features one of my biggest inspirations – Jody @ Truth2BeingFit. She is a big fan of changing up workouts to keep things interesting and effective, and her positive energy is contagious. Take one look at her picture and you’ll see she clearly knows what she’s doing. AND this amazing lady just celebrated her 55th birthday!

I’m Working It Out this week in a few different ways. Saturday I went hiking at Red Rocks with Heather and Lauren!

Heather, Me, and Lauren at Red Rocks

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I want to thank Laura for inviting me to guest post today! She is an amazing young (Editor’s Note: It’s so nice to be called young…) woman who knows how to kick some “arse” in the gym! 😉

For those that don’t know me, my name is Jody and I blog over at Truth2BeingFit. I have been working out for over 30 years & turned 55 on the 15th of this month. YIKES! Where did the time go! (Editor’s Note: I sure hope I look half this good at 55!)

I know some may look at my pictures & think I can’t relate BUT I can! I was heavy as a kid. I lost weight in high school but did many things wrong on this lifelong journey. My mantra: ALWAYS LEARNING & ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS.

Laura asked to me to share a couple of workout moves that are different from the norm to help you mix it up in the gym & work your body in different ways. I am a “change agent” in the gym. I LOVE mixing it up!

I first want to link you to a couple recent posts of mine. Many people are stuck in a rut using the same attachment for the same move all the time. Check out this post, Variety is the Spice of Life, Cable Attachment Love! I also have a post on a variation of drop sets here. Drop sets are a more advanced move so if you are a beginner, leave this until you have a few months under your belt.

One move I love to do is using a seated row machine for bicep curls with a rope (hammer curls w/rope), straight or cambered bar or even a single D handle. You will have to use a LIGHTER weight for this move. Grab the bar, rope or D handle & lie back on the seat of the row machine. Curl away. The fact that you are lying & you can’t cheat really stresses the biceps – LOVE IT! You can also do this by placing a mat on the floor by the bottom rung of a cable machine. With your feet closest to the cable machine, grab attachment, lie back & curl! (Editor’s Note: This is how I do them – SO effective!)

Another move is to place a bench by the cable machine. Place one of the attachments in the paragraph above on the lowest rung of the cable machine. Grab the attachment & lie back on the bench with your head closest to the machine. From here, you can do lying cable triceps extensions/skull crushers. Use a stability ball to engage the core or if there is not a bench available. Always use proper form! It is easy to hurt the shoulders if you are not very careful with form!

I would like to finish by saying that always be true to you! There is no “my way or the highway.” Find what works for you. Of course, if you are new to lifting, you want to learn the traditional way of lifting with proper form. Learn to listen to your body and how everything feels from day one – get that mind/muscle link!

Once you become more advanced, you can start putting programs together that meet your needs – not that friend or other person in the gym. Life changes, we change, our body changes, our goals change along this lifelong journey. Always work toward finding that best for you. This does not mean we can’t learn from others BUT it does mean that we learn to recognize what works best for ourselves.

Thanks again to Laura for inviting me to guest post! Please feel free to email at jody @ truth2beingfit.com with any questions… although Laura knows her stuff! 🙂

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Thank you for showing us some new moves, Jody! I’ve never thought to use the row machine for curls… can’t wait to get back and try it out!

Did anyone try last week’s 1 1/2s?

Has the way you workout changed over time? How so?

Get Your Tickets to the Gun Show

March 8, 2012 By Laura

Corny is the new cool.

Many women are fearful of weight training. They don’t want to look bulky or manly.

I lift weights 3-4 times each week and this is what I look like:

This is what I do not (and will never) look like:

Source: isabelleturellblog.blogspot.com

DON’T BE SCARED!!

Without steroids or a crazy amount of weight gains/supplements, there is no way you will ever look like picture #2. Women just don’t have enough testosterone in their bodies.

Today’s workout is one that I do once a week. It’s the one that I largely credit for gains in strength and definition. Note: Every 3-4 weeks I switch it up and do this workout or P90X DVD to avoid a plateau.

As always, do at least do 5-10 mins of light cardio to warm up. This is especially important if you workout first thing in the morning before your muscles have a chance to loosen up. It will go a long way in injury prevention! It can be anything from a jog to jumping jacks.

During nearly any workout, concentrate on keeping your core tight, as if you are bracing to be punched in the stomach. This way you are protecting your back and getting bonus core work!

**Printable version you can take to the gym at the end of this post**

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The Workout: Biceps and Back

1. Dumbbell Power Rows

Source: Women’s Health

Holding a dumbbell in your left hand, bend your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Your knees should be slightly bent – don’t lock them out! Let the dumbbell hang with your palm facing in.

In one motion, explosively pull the dumbbell toward your body and turn your working-side shoulder up at the top of the rep so the dumbbell travels past your chest. Pause, then lower the weight back to start. That’s one rep. Complete all reps, then repeat on the other side. If needed, you can use a bench or chair for stability.

Perform 2 sets of 8 reps with a heavier weight. Rest 30 secs between sets.

2. Barbell Bent-Over Rows

Source: Healthline

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Keep your core tight, and a slight arch in your back as you lean forward at the hips. Your torso should be close to parallel to the floor. Grab the barbell off the floor with an overhand grip with arms shoulder width apart. Retract the shoulder blades and pull the bar up to the lower part of your chest. Pause at the top, with your chest sticking out toward the bar. Slowly return to the starting position to complete 1 rep.

Try to keep your torso in the same position throughout the movement. Concentrate on using your back muscles, avoiding using momentum and making rocking or swinging motions.

Note: This can also be done with dumbbells if you don’t have a barbell.

Perform 2 sets of 8 reps with a heavier weight. Rest 60 secs between sets.

3. Pulldowns

Grab the pulldown bar with an overhand grip. Your hands should be just outside of the bend in the bar for a wide-grip. Pull down to your upper chest level. As you pull down, think about pinching something between your shoulder blades and stick your chest out. This will ensure your back is fully engaged.

Return to the starting position, extending your elbows, but allowing your whole shoulder to rise with the weight.

Note: These are a great substitute for pull-ups.

Perform 3 sets of 6-8 reps with a heavier weight.

Superset with

4. Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns

Source: Healthline

Stand in front of a lat pull-down or other overhead cable machine. Grip a bar with both hands at slightly wider than shoulder-width, and lock the elbows. Keep your body upright and your core tight. Pull the weight down to your thighs, squeezing the lats hard. Be sure not to bending your arms. Slowly allow the bar to return to the starting position and repeat.

Perform 3 sets of 20 reps. Rest 60 secs between supersets.

5. Reverse Curls

Use with either bar or two dumbbells.

With the bar: Use an overhand, shoulder-width grip on a barbell or curled bar, with the bar resting on the thighs.

With dumbbells: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, with arms hanging straight down and palms facing down.

Inhale and curl the barbell or dumbbells up toward your chest until your elbows are completely bent. Pause for 1-2 seconds, then exhale and lower the barbell or dumbbells back down to the starting position.

Note: Keep your core tight and the back straight and avoid swinging the body throughout the movement. If you use dumbbells you can perform this move using alternating arms.

Perform 2 sets of 6-8 reps with a heavier weight. Rest 30 secs between sets.

6. Incline Dumbbell Curls

Source: Charleschi.com

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a bench set to about a 45-degree angle. Let the dumbbells hang straight down from your shoulders. Turn your arms so that your palms face forward. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, then lower the weights.

Note: Be sure to return to the start position for a full-extension. This will help develop long, lean “pretty” muscles.

Perform 3 sets of 20 reps.

Superset with

7. Decline Dumbbell Curls

Source: Bodybuilding.com

Grab a dumbbell in each hand. Lie on an incline bench set to about 60 degrees. Your shoulders should be near top of the incline, and your legs can be straddled to either side. Fully extend your arms, allowing them to hang in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Face your palms forward with your elbows in by your side.

Raise the dumbbells, contracting your biceps until your arms are fully flexed. Take care that only your forearms move. The upper arms should remain stationary at all times. Lower the dumbbells until your arms are fully extended to complete 1 rep.

Note: You can perform using an e-z bar, a barbell or alternating arms.

Perform 3 sets of 25 reps. Rest 30 secs between supersets.

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Printable version you can take to the gym:

Don’t forget your 20g of post-workout protein to aid in recovery and muscle building!

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My Disclaimer. I am not a trainer. I am not a certified anything. Don’t sue me if you hurt yourself, don’t like the workout, or fail to magically have sexy Cameron Diaz after doing this.

Have you ever been hesitated to lift weights for fear of looking “bulky?”

Do you prefer weights or alternate forms of strength training (TRX, body weight, etc)? Or none at all?

Arm Yourself For Summer – Workout & Protein Refuel

Sunday Funday with Lorna Jane

Work It Out: Chest and Biceps