With that, I was ready for my training session at Urban Fitness, and today was a great session, and I feel like I’ve improved enormously. Having just returned home after a mile or walk up the hill against the chilly wind, I’m typing, whilst munching on a cocoa delight Nakd bar, and enjoying my usual cup of Yorkshire tea, which never seems to be quite enough of a mug full for my tea needs. Will need another after lunch I think!

I had another play on the Matrix treadmill today, this time enjoying a virtual video of Chicago city.  It was perhaps not as exciting as the Utah one I did on Tuesday, but then I’ve really always been a more rural than an urban girl, but a change of scenery was still nice.  I walked for 5 minutes, with an incline of 5% at 6.5km/hr.  Because it was on the video, I couldn’t increase the incline for the run part, so it pretty much stayed at 1% incline, and I only jogged for about 5minutes today at 9km/hr.  I’ve not had any issues with my new Asics trainers so far, which I’m really surprised about, especially blister wise, but I did have some aching along the outside of both feet today, mainly in the right foot, but I think this is all a part of going from really old, sole-less shoes to suddenly having some cushioning.  I’m having similar issues with my feet in all other shoes too, and I noticed that the scar from surgery next to my right big toe has been pulling a bit recently. I mainly feel this tightness at my Purestretch sessions, especially during downdog, so I think it is my arches being tight rather than the result of new trainers.  Will have to watch that and see how it goes.  Might ask Ciaran at Purestretch if she has some suggestions, as I struggle a little when sat cross legged with my ankles too.

Gym was nice and busy again today, as were folk with their personal trainers, who seem really, really good and a lot better than personal trainers I’ve seen in other gyms before.  Much more professional and higher standard, actually listening to their clients and taking their strengths and limitations into consideration to develop proper, personal programmes that clients will actually stick to.  It’s also really nice to see people I’ve seen before and regularly, as well as people I haven’t seen before, and it’s nice when people smile and say hello as we start to get familiar with each other.  Some people have folk they like to work out and chat with, others like to just go into their own little worlds, listen to music, or watch tv, which is really nice and a lot more home from home.

Popped on to the bicycle next, my usual 2 minutes, level 8, and I cycled 1km.  This was much easier today, but I still found myself getting really bored by about 40seconds in, and because cycling requires my brain, I couldn’t go into myself.  I really envy those folk who can sit on the bike and read books during their training sessions and spend ages on them, have no idea how they manage that!

Was a little stiff, so I wasn’t sure how my rower session would go, but it seemed to really help the discomfort along the sides of my feet from the run.  So I spent ten minutes rowing, covered 1758km, at 31 strokes per minute.  I think ten minutes is still my maximum time on the concept2 for now, as the outsides of my glutes start to ache around minute ten and that is where the sweaty hands kick in.  I know ocean rower Roz Savage swears by golf gloves when she rows as they help to prevent blisters, so I need to invest in a pair of those for later on.  No blisters yet thank goodness!  Was thinking about Charlie whilst I was rowing, and the enormity of what faces us next year as we row across the Pacific Ocean.  We’ll be spending two hours at a time rowing, two hours resting, over the space of 8 months.  Charlie, our boat builder, who is rowing across the Atlantic Ocean hoping to set a world record for fastest row, is currently rowing for around 15 hours a day.  Here I am just about up to 10 minutes at a time!! I definitely have a long way to go still!!

From the concept2, I moved straight on to the weights today, rather than the mat.  This is what I did:

• shoulder press: 20lbs, 3sets of 10reps
• chest press: 20lbs, 2sets of 10reps
• seated row: 20lbs, 2sets of 10 reps
• Lat pull down: 37.5lbs 3sets of 10reps
• leg press: 40lbs, 3sets of 10reps
• leg extension: 20lbs, 2sets of 10reps
• seated leg curl: 20lbs, 2sets of 10reps

Finally, I moved on to Debbie’s exercises on the mat, but with a slight change today, as I did my tricep dips against a bench rather than on the floor, which was much better and enabled me to get deeper.  I did 2 sets of 10 sit ups, as well as my glutes exercises, press ups, squats, and back stretch.  Finishing off with another 10minutes on the concept2, covering 1843m, at 30 strokes per minute.  The row felt a lot better this time, and I didn’t have aches in my glutes at the end so that was great.

The thought of not working out is hard for me to handle. Instead of sitting around and watching TV I decided to do at least a little something to feel better.

This workout is simple and upper-body focused. No need to put any weight on the ankles. Even if you aren’t injured, it is a simple upper body circuit. All you need is a set of dumbbells.

Repeat this circuit 4x:

25 push ups

25 crunches

25 seated shoulder press

25 tricep skull crushers

25 on-the-floor chest press

Just a little something to throw into a workout after long cardio or even if you find yourself vegging out on a Sunday morning .

People often ask me how can they build bigger stronger arms without any weights or equipment.I have not been in a real gym in years (I have a small weight set at home) so I can give you some tips on how to build your triceps with only body weight.

First Of all, one big mistake people make when trying to get bigger arms is putting most of the focus on the Biceps. The Triceps muscles are much lager than the biceps, so you can gain size on your arms faster by focusing in Triceps.

In the video below, I will show you a great Triceps workout you can do at home without and weights or equipment

Her Is a breakdown of this workout

• Pick 3-4 moves
• Do 3-4 sets of each move
• DO NOT COUNT REPS!!! Go to failure with each set!
• Rest 30-90 between each set

Dips 

Floor Scull Crushers (this in not the “real” name… I don’t know what the “real name is or if it has one)

Close Grip Push ups (with feet elevated)

RELATED POST: How To Build A Bigger Stronger Chest At Home Without Weights or Equipment
If you are new to this site, make sure you Download the my “15 min Ab Workout” for FREE from my FaceBook page (make sure to “like” it!) This FREE Link

IF your REALLY ready to take your body to the next level, make sure your on total body routine and diet plan!!! (you get both in my FULL workout plan). It may also help to try a good fat burner like TEA REXX, it is what I use to help me stay ripped.

!!!LET NOTHING STOP YOU!!!

sincerely,

Brandon Carter (Follow Me With The Links Below

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P.S. Me and my friends posted the a new episode of our comedy podcast . In this episode, I explain how to never get stuck in the “Friends Zone” with a girl that you like lol. CLICK HERE to check it out (do NOT play it out loud at work or around your mother lol)

“Wow! The rain must be pretty bad to cancel clinical.” Nope, my instructor was sick.

Today has been a different kind of day. Rather than getting to the hospital at 0630, I reported to school at 0930 to assist the first semester students with the skills they were learning. This was considered my clinical hours. Breakfast was a Chocolate Caramel Special K Protein Bar.

This bar was pretty decent. I would probably get it again. It has caramel flavored chips numerously scattered throughout the bar and it has a nice crunch.

During the lunch break, I was not hungry, so I utilized the gym. Its hard to believe that after 4 years of being here, this was the first time I used the gym. It was much smaller than I had expected, but I used to elliptical to really try to burn some calories. I completed Julie’s 20 minute Elliptical Workout.

When I got back to class I was rosey and sweaty, but I felt great! After the class finished, I headed down to the caf, turned on a lecture on my laptop, and enjoyed a Dannon Light & Fit Pineapple Greek yogurt, topped with chia seeds, and a Kashi Happy Trail Mix Cookie. The coconut from the cookie really went well with pineapple.

I can only watch lectures so long before I need a break, plus I needed to charge my laptop, so I headed back to the gym to clear my head and played around with some strength training. I used Julie’s 30 Second Rest Workout to base my workout:

Afterwards, I headed to my meeting. I needed to grab a bite and pick my mom up some KIND bars. Dinner was an on-the-go meal:

PROBARs Old School PB&J meal bar tastes like a seedy peanut butter and jelly! I typically don’t like to eat bars that are more than 250 calories, but this flavor was calling my name. It had a great flavor and consistency. I either love or hate PROBARs, and this was definitely a love. One thing I really like about this brand, is the use of whole flax seeds!

This was followed by a binge. I’ve really been on a roll with these binges lately, haven’t I? I was really feeling great after working out today! It really frustrates me that this keeps happening. I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but its almost like my hand has a mind of its own. Like I verbally tell myself to stop by my hand keeps putting food in my mouth. Its the weirdest thing.

I plan on working out tomorrow after clinical. I always feel better after I work out.

I guess it was an interesting day all over. I woke up this morning hearing that the Pope was stepping down, then I see that some butthead got Wilmington on the national news for shooting up a courthouse!

Jeez!

School is really picking up and between the group projects, homework, me attempting to understand Physics, quizzes, tests, and papers I have definitely been busy AND slacking on this blogging stuff!

However, I did want to make sure to write really quickly today because I did DAY ONE of my Jamie Eason’s 12-week LiveFit plan! I got a big slap-in-the-face of reality when attempting to do the tricep exercises. I really have almost NO arm strength, it’s pretty pathetic.

Day One – Chest & Triceps

The plan in Phase 1 (week 1 – week 4) is to lift 65% of your max and do 3 sets of 12 reps of each exercise. Each total workout, like the one from today, does roughly three exercises per muscle group. So, today was 3 chest targeting exercises plus 3 tricep targeting exercises. I got through almost everything, but it was ROUGH (couldn’t get all the way to 12 reps on the pushups and dips).

I did an hour of Zumba afterwards as well.

Between the strength training and Zumba, my back, shoulders, tri’s and chest are SHOT! I am so sore today, but hopefully that just means I worked hard!

I’m going to eventually think of a better way to keep track of this stuff so I can visually chart and see my progress, but just for yesterday I kept everything in notepad on my iPhone:

10 lbs. on dumbbell chest exercises: chest fly and bench press

Off to the Gym to work on DAY 2 – Biceps & Back (awwwwlawdy, this is gonna hurt!).

5 min misc chest & shoulder warmup

Cuban Press 3 sets of 10 (8,18,30lb bar)
Incline Bench (15 degrees)
45×20,95×10,135×6,2 sets of 175×8, slow eccentric sets of 165×6,155×6,145×7
Dips
BWx5,35×6,4 sets of 40×7
Lateral Raise DB
15×15, 20×12, slow eccentric 20×8 (2 sets),17.5×8,15×8
BB Overhead Press
3 sets of 10 (slow eccentric)

-Eric B. & Rakim, Hip Hop Legends

I’ll pause for a moment while my friends laugh at me for quoting hip hop. (Not something I typically do)………. So it has been a couple of weeks. Did you miss me?? (That was rhetorical if you didn’t) Hopefully by now you are settling into 2013 and your resolutions goals are well on their way to achievement. For most of us I am positive that weight loss is at the top of our goal lists. Several of my friends and I are using MyFitnessPal to track our progress and encourage/hold each other accountable along the way. I’m enjoying my new-found energy as well as the transformation of my body. I’m sure some of you are experiencing the same metamorphosis and as it continues you’ll want to accentuate your achievement while masking your work in progress. A way to do this is through one of the hottest trends… graphic prints. I love this trend as it helps us master the art of illusion by creating balance to the body. Let’s look at how you can make these trends work for you.

• Have you climbed the stairway master to heaven or run like there’s no tomorrow? Show off those fabulous legs in a mini dress. For those of you with narrow hips and a full bust, pair a printed pant with a simple top or blouse to add volume and focus to your lower half. 

Diane von Furstenberg ‘Reina’ Silk Shift Dress – nordstrom.com; Floral Pant – hm.com; Diane von Furstenberg ‘Leanna’ Silk Shirtdress – nordstrom.com

• Have those bicep curls and tricep pull downs given you those Michelle Obama arms you requested for Christmas? Bring focus to them while slimming down the rest of your figure in a sleeveless frock.

Trina Turk ‘Spiegler’ Woven Shift Dress – nordstrom.com; Chevron Stripe Ponte Peplum Top – bananarepublic.gap.com; Milly ‘Isabelle’ Cotton Fit & Flare Dress – nordstrom.com

• Have you wound your way to a smaller waist in Zumba class? Use graphic prints and details to accentuate your progress. This also works for straight body types that want to create the illusion of curves.

Maggy London Scatter Print Ponte Sheath Dress – nordstrom.com; Riviera Tile Print Sheath Dress  – cache.com; Lauren Ralph Lauren Polka Dot Matte Jersey Dress – nordstrom.com

Have fun with prints. Be as crazy or conservative as you please. Just remember to follow your body type and wear what looks BEST on YOU.

For more great looks using prints, visit my Graphic Prints board on Pinterest.

De todos los ejercicios que podrías encontrar para agrandar nuestros tríceps, ninguno será tan efectivo como el press francés. De hecho, todavía muchos de los clásicos culturistas, siguen coincidiendo en que debe estar cualquier rutina de tríceps.

Este ejercicio está enmarcado dentro de los clásicos básicos, y por tanto, debe estar en cualquier rutina que se precie para lograr unos tríceps realmente grandes.

Al ejecutarse con una barra libre y cargada de discos, uno ha de mantener el equilibrio durante su ejecución, y por supuesto, no balancearse.

La postura ha de ser firme pero no rígida, ya que debemos tener algo de flexibilidad para lograr un movimiento óptimo al mismo tiempo que efectivo. Por eso vuelve a tener importancia la colocación de los pies sobre el banco.

Press Francés

Sobre un banco plano, nos tumbaremos boca arriba y tomaremos la barra “ez”, para valernos de sus curvaturas, para mayor relajación de las muñecas, y en definitiva, para una mejor ejecución del ejercicio.

Con los pies encima del banco para evitar los arqueos de la columna, los colocaremos mirando al frente y lo más juntos posible.

Al mismo tiempo, con la barra en las manos, estiraremos los brazos del todo, de manera que la barra quede muy por encima de la línea de los ojos.

Colocados en esa posición, el único movimiento que haremos será flexionar los codos hacia abajo, hasta casi tocar la frente con la barra. Como dijimos siempre, nunca llegaremos hasta el final, ni al bajar ni al subir, para no eliminar la tensión del músculo en ningún momento.

Errores más frecuentes

Por lo general, el error más frecuente que nos solemos encontrar con la gente que comienza a realizar este ejercicio es mover los brazos desde los hombros, de manera que los tríceps quedan exentos de trabajar.

Si no estamos pendientes de ese error, no valdrá para nada realizar press francés, porque los tríceps no crecerán.

Una vez que se haya corregido ese detalle, es difícil cometer otros errores puesto que el hecho de realizar el ejercicio tumbados, hará que moverse con otras partes del cuerpo sea complicado.

FUENTE: http://www.puntofape.com/triceps-mas-grandes-press-frances-15171/

Here is my workout story:

As I was finishing up at work, I was thinking, “Hmmm what yummy things can I put together to call dinner?”. I then realized that I didn’t have anything to even put together for dinner, or tomorrows lunch! I had to go to the grocery store or else I would be a starving student.. living off of an egg and piece of cheese. Something my sister, Stacie would be able to make taste good and dinner-worthy.

Anyways, I took the next bus that went by Superstore and got off at the bus stop only to find this:

A mountain of snow that had poured down within the last week or so since I had been to the superstore last week. I knew I would have to trudge through it again, so I made a mental note to not get so much, just enough to carry home.

That did not happen. I ended up buying an extra bag (I had two reusable ones.. now I have three) because I wanted so much. Babybel cheese, Yummy veggies, even some Persimmons! Good sales that I couldn’t resist.

Anyways, to the work out part. I didn’t want to pay a $10 cab, especially since I still had time on my $2.50 bus ticket.. I had to catch a bus even with my heaaavvyyy bags. It was almost unbearable the amount that each bag weighed. I would never be able to lift that much at a real gym. But I had to carry on. I had a slight rest after my 40 reps while walking to the bus stop. During the bus ride, my thumbs had a good work out while texting. Getting off the bus was probably the most difficult part of the work out. The bicep curls, then changing to tricep lifts, then rest. REPEAT. Cardio and lifting weights at the same time, a true and proven work out routine for lasting and sexy results. I will soon post before and after pictures (don’t count on it).

On another note, at work right after lunch, two of my coworkers and I ripped out a hair on our heads and looked at it under the microscope to compare:

Oh the things we do at work when we’re bored out of our minds. Guess which one is mine.

The first two exercises we do to help warm up the elbows and get the blood flowing through the entire arm.

Reverse cable curls: 5 sets

Tricep rope pull downs: 5 sets

Now that we’ve done some heavy warm ups, we’re going to move into the working exercises. Push yourself on the weight. Don’t sacrifice form for weight, but do use the heaviest weight possible, while keeping your form. Also, we like to do one bicep set, followed by one tricep set and count it as one set. This allows you to do more exercises before burning out, plus it keeps blood trapped in the entire arm, helping to expand your muscles.

Seated incline dumbbell curls: 3-4 sets (For this exercise, we do a supine movement, which means at the peak of contraction we’re twisting our palms over our biceps. This really helps push some peak growth into the bicep.)

Seated dumbbell tricep extensions: 3-4 sets

Incline isolated dumbbell curl: 4 sets (Instead of sitting back in the bench, we now lay into the bench. You want your chest and up to be off the top of the bench. This is going to force all of the weight into the biceps. Now we’re trying to get some width into our biceps.)

Flat bench skull-crushers: 4 sets

Standing hammer curls: 4 sets

Seated barbell tricep extensions, close grip: 4 sets

Preacher bench curls: 4 sets

Seated barbell tricep extensions, wide grip: 4 sets

Preacher bench reverse curls: 4 sets

Flat bench spoon presses: 4 sets

Now you can move into cables to really finish off that pump for the day.

Cable curls, single arm: 4 sets

Tricep single arm pull downs: 4 sets

Cross body curls: 4 sets

Tricep single arm push downs: 4 sets

Now we’re going to do those exercises but with both arms at the same time and one variation to the set.

Cable curl, double arm: 4 sets

Tricep pull down, double arm: 4 sets

Reverse curl, double arm: 4 sets

Tricep push downs, double arm: 4 sets

Your arms should be really smoked by now. For the final pump, we’re going to go through 4 sets of cable kickbacks for the tri’s and cable curls. With these cable curls, face away from the machine, lean into it to isolate your bicep and remember, keep your elbow locked in place.

Tricep kickbacks: 4 sets

Isolated cable curls: 4 sets

We really hope you enjoy this workout. I know with the changes we made, we were burned out after only a couple of hours.