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 Arm Exercise!

For arm workouts, the best tools are a dumbbell set and an exercise mat. The workout is similar to what you might do in a gym but with less equipment. Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand in front of the dumbbell rack, with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward. Your knees should be slightly bent and your abs engaged throughout the exercise to help protect your spine from injury as you work every muscle group in your body at once. Grip one weight in each hand by spreading them out wide like wings then gripping them so that each hand has four fingers on top of it (palms facing upward).

2. Tuck your chin so it’s pointing towards the ceiling and draw your abs in so you have a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.

3. Lift your arms up and out as if you were trying to reach the ceiling with both hands (without locking your elbows or bending them) until they are at about a 90 degree angle in relation to your torso.

4. As you lower, make sure to keep that line of movement going from shoulder to knee. We don’t want it going straight down, or you’ll start putting strain on the elbow joints and potentially hurt yourself in the process.

5. Repeat this motion for the specified amount of time or repetitions. Try to do more reps as you’re getting stronger!

6. To change your workout, grab a different weight and repeat the same workout while trying to beat your previous number of reps. That’s it!

BONUS: If you have access to a mat or something soft like a cushion, lying on the floor is much better than standing up for this exercise because it keeps your body balanced evenly so there's less chance of injury when lifting weights over your head. Doing this exercise on a pad is also a great option because you can slide your feet forward and back to hit different parts of your workout while you're doing it.

Posted by Scott at 10:32 AM

If you have been training for a long time, you know that your body changes as you get older. You may alter the type of exercises that you do, work out less often or change the intensity as time goes on. One thing that does not change is the importance of recovery between sets. In order to do this properly, one must have de-stress their body with rest and recuperation. In order to allow the body to repair itself, moderate exercise is a great method. You don't have to adhere 100% to the plan, but allow your body time for rest and recovery.

posted by Scott at 9:44 AM

Today's Daily Workout is 7 minutes of cardio warm-up followed by 15 minutes of upper body strength training using 10 lb dumbbells. If you do not have 10 lb dumbbells, then use whatever you have. Next we go back to the cardio with a 30 second burst followed by 5 seconds rest (repeat 15 times). Then we go into 30 seconds of high knees followed by 5 seconds rest and repeat this for 30 seconds (repeat 15 times). Then we finish with a 30 second burst followed by 5 seconds rest (repeat 15 times). The warm-up is as follows: 2 minutes of jumping jacks 1 minute of walking lunges (hold dumbbells in hands) 1 minute of downward dog push-ups 1 minute of high knees 1 minute of side hops Next comes the strength training for your biceps and triceps. You will do 15 reps for each set. For example, lift the dumbbells directly in your line of sight and bend your elbows 90 degrees and curl them up towards your shoulders. Make sure to squeeze the muscle when you're all the way up. Repeat this for all 15 reps, 4 sets total. Rest 10 minutes between sets and 15 minutes between each of the 4 sets. Good luck!

posted by Scott at 2:58 PM

If you are not eating enough protein, your muscles will lose protein faster than they can be replaced and your metabolism will slow down. If you eat too much protein, too much saturated fat or too little carbohydrates you can experience issues such as loose stools, bloating, cramping and even constipation. So how often should I eat protein? 

Typically women need 21-35 grams of protein per day while men need .36-.72 grams per pound body weight (1).  I recommend eating a source of protein with every meal. That's at least 6 times a day. You can also increase your protein intake by eating up to 12 times per day if needed.

posted by Scott at 11:19 AM

At the end of each training session, you must rest the body. A good way to do this is to do isometric exercises (static). These are simply exercises that hold your muscle in place, against resistance for an extended period of time. For example, standing against a wall and contracting the triceps for 30-60 seconds at a time (while not moving) will help keep those muscles from being overused and worn down.

posted by Scott at 3:46 PM

Warm Up: Run in place for 2 minutes. Skipping is also an option. High-intensity cardio such as jump rope or sprinting is also great for a warm-up routine.  Upper Body Strength Workout: Complete the following exercises super-set style (complete all of one exercise then all of the next before resting) for 2 circuits with extra weight (20 lb+ dumbbells). 15 reps, 4 sets total per exercise. For example, lifting the dumbbells directly in your line of sight and bend your elbows 90 degrees and curl them up towards your shoulders. Make sure to squeeze the muscle when you're all the way up. Repeat this for all 15 reps, 4 sets total. Dumbbell Bench Press (lower to chest then press) Dumbbell Lateral Raises (raise arms straight up over head, parallel to floor) Dumbbell Bicep Curls (lower to 90 degrees then raise back up) Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (press down behind head) 30 second high knees 5 second rest between sets (15 times) 15 second squat thrusts 30 second high knees 5 second rest between sets (15 times)

posted by Scott at 1:20 PM

Bodyweight exercises are awesome for building strength, but they will get boring after awhile. You don't want to just keep doing the same type of exercises over and over, but you also don't want to feel like you're always working harder than the previous time. The solution is to vary your exercises! The next time you are in your workout, try these variations on some of the basic bodyweight exercises.  

Push-ups : Instead of doing regular pushups, change them up a little bit by placing one hand directly in front of you and the other behind your head, as if you were making an "X" with your arms. Make sure to keep your hands below your shoulders throughout the movement and keep your body rigid.

Conclusion

So that is my 8 minute workout. Hope this helps out some people. It may not be the most effective way of working out, but it should be a good start for some beginners!

posted by Scott at 12:17 PM

I believe that we must exercise our bodies to keep them in good shape and looking healthy.