By Dan Watt, Level 2 Ace Personal Trainer
dwexercise@gmail.com
Body Shaping Arms
I know we normally do this every other Friday but scheduling won’t allow me to this coming Friday.
We did a DB Circuit and Calisthenics for whole body. If you want to just keep in the same shape circuit training is great. You might get some cardio as well going from one exercise to the next with little rest time in-between. However, after a while you will not increase your strength. So let’s start adding Body Parts on the days you are not doing the circuit program. But first a story:
A girl in her mid 50’s started training with me. I took her over to the free weight area with the DB’s and BB’s. She told me she didn’t want to put on a bunch of muscle and end up looking like a man. So I explained to her that lifting 10 lbs. DB’s was not going make her look like a man. Look at the weights the muscle bound men are lifting if you’re afraid of putting on too much muscle. Unless you’re taking pills or injecting yourself with substances I don’t recommend you can only be as large as your genetics allow. If you are getting too big for your liking, just cut back the weight you use for some or all the exercises and do more cardio.
Strength and size means longer rests between sets. This is just exercise, not nutrition which is also vital. I will say, eat something before you workout so you have enough energy to finish the workout and have a larger meal afterwards. People who don’t eat often end up in an Ambulance with depleted sugar blood levels and or depleted electrolytes. Stay hydrated, sip water (don’t guzzle it can bloat your stomach).
We’ll keep to circuits for now.
Your exercises (after a 5-10 minute warm-up) are Standing to Seated Overhead Triceps Extensions [French Presses], Standing Biceps Curls, Standing Reverse Curls (if you have an E-Z bar or BB otherwise do DB Standing Hammer Curls).
Pick a weight you can do 12-15 reps the first set, 8-10 reps the second set, and 4-8 sets third set.
After each circuit rest (get water, talk to someone) until you feel recharged. That could be 2 minutes or 10 minutes. Only do this routine once a week and only for 3-4 weeks.
Let’s go through the exercises, and remember the first week you just want to figure out what weight to begin with. Do the exercises in front of a mirror if you can to make sure your posture is correct.
Standing to Overhead Triceps Extensions: This works mostly the long head of your triceps. An Alternate is mid-grip E-Z bar (works all three heads of the triceps).
Model: Gloria Antwi (certified personal trainer) gloria.antwi@bell.net
Standing Biceps Curls: This works both heads of the biceps as long as your finished position is at the side of your chest. An Alternate is a mid-grip (press the sides of your upper arm against your rib cage) with a Barbell or E-Z Bar.
Standing Reverse Curls: This works the brachialis, the muscle below your biceps. Use an E-Z bar if you had one. Doing it with DB’s will feel awkward. Think of a Biceps Curl but reverse the grip. (no picture)
Standing Hammer Curls (alternate to Standing Reverse Curls if you don’t have a bar): This works the brachialis and brachioradialis (forearm). (no picture)
Of the hundreds of exercises and stretches, we obviously haven’t taken enough!
Taylor, RMT will be back in 2 weeks with more stretching!
NWHealthFitness 