2-for-1: Abs & Arms - Made Fit TV - Ep 41

March 24th, 2009 | | Email This Post Email This Post |

Spring is in the air!  But before you celebrate, your first concern is probably how you are going to tone up for the summer.  (We all worry about it, so you’re not alone!)  And though summer is 12 weeks away, it provides an optimum amount of time for you to develop a permanent and consistent health, fitness, and nutrition program.

The first sign for many that it’s time to “get back on track” is the soft mid-section and arms - am I right?  These areas are popular for being bared in the warmer months.  So instead of waiting until two weeks before your summer trip, start trimming up your abs and arms NOW!!

Check out this week’s Made Fit TV podcast on creative - but challenging - movements to hit your abs and arms at the same time.   In the video,  I demonstrate these compound movements listed below.  Working both muscle groups at the same time challenges your endurance, strength, and function for great results!  (Just don’t forget to eat healthy and lean and keep up with your cardio, of course!)

Side plank with lateral shoulder raise

  • Lie on one side and hold your hips off the ground with your forearm and side of your feet
  • With the opposite hand, hold a dumbbell face down at your side with arm straight
  • While keeping your hips off the ground, perform 10-12 reps of a lateral shoulder raise
  • Repeat on other side, 3 sets on each

Elevated bear crawl

  • Get into a push up position in front of a step or box
  • While maintaining a tight core and straight arms, alternate climbing the step with your hands up and then down
  • Perform 10-15 reps per arm, 3 sets total

‘V’ sit overhead press

  • Sit on the ground or the edge of a box with your knees bents and together and toes off the ground
  • While balancing in this position, hold a dumbbell in each hand above your shoulders
  • While maintaining the v-sit, press the dumbbells straight up and over head
  • Perform 10-15 reps, 3 sets total
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  • Christine
    Hi,
    You are great. I like the fact that you focus on form and advise the use of lower weight when form can not be maintained. I've seen a lot of people begin working out using a low weight, having beautiful form while affecting the designated muscle or muscle group. Then they pick up a much heavier weight..."to do the real workout"....Suddenly their form is gone and secondary muscles are straining doing work they are not designed to do. The designated muscle or muscle group is not performing as it should either. Injury and/or fatigue is waiting just around the corner. So you are right on the mark with your cautioning and advice. It's refreshsing to see.
    Actually what I would like to find, is some interesting excercises for the tricep...I'm past menopause and although you are a long way off, be aware that after menopause, this is a very vulnerable area. It loses tone dramatically. The terres and lat area, right along with it. Got any ideas besides the usual kick back and tricep presses or overhead thing with arms bent along side of your head, as you lower and raise a weight? I get so bored with them, that I end up not doing them consistently enough. I sometimes crouch down in front of my stairs and use my arms to raise and lower myself. I do get a tricep burn, but once again, I lose interest. Maybe I just need to get over the boredom and do what needs to be done. What I love to find is a way to include excercising or stretching or balancing methods, that I can incorporate or sneak into my everyday activity. For example, I stand on one leg while filling my gas tank. I try to flex my tricep in an isometric way and my abs while driving or stopped at a light. Any ideas you have will be well recieved. God bless
  • Christine, you hit the nail right on the head with what you said about people doing the "real" workout with insanely heavier weights than they should. It's good to practice good form and have patience and allow your body to get stronger. The better the form, the better you end up looking!

    Ah, menopause - such a gift from mother nature, right? LOL! That can cause many symptoms that women are not a fan of. The reason is the change in hormone levels, which increases the storage of fat in those vulnerable areas you're referring to. Those workouts you're doing are pretty much it - just push yourself and challenge yourself so you continue to tone. Increase and challenge yourself with cardio as well. As for fat-burn over the muscle, really try to work with your nutrition and increase vegetables, lean protein, and more natural forms of carbohydrates. Nutrition accounts for 75% of how you look, so it can make or break you. Because menopause is such a drastic change on your system, you must change your habits just as drastically as before to counteract it. But, doing so will make you fell 100 times better, make you look better, and possibly increase your life and quality of it!

    Thank so much for the comment - best of luck to you! XO
  • Tracey
    It was a killer!!
  • Happy to challenge you!
  • Bob
    your arms are so nice ^^
  • Thank you, Bob! I work hard ; )
  • Tracey
    I love these!! My question is,should I wait 30 sec to a min between sets,or do it in a circuit fashion..repeating the whole thing 3x??
    Where to you get new exercise ideas??
  • Tracey, you can rest for 30 seconds in between sets. But, try not to rest any longer because you want to keep your heart rate up. Thanks for watching and I hope you found this one to be killer!
  • Another great episode...I can't wait till next week when we get to shoot the behind-the-scenes at your fitness show.

    Everyone wish Jenny luck for her show this Saturday!
  • Aw, thanks Chris : ) Hope I don't let any of you down!!
  • 3 awsome variations of some core muscles. They are now stored in my data bank because I am so taking those. Jenny your show is now on my Tivo behind 24, Hereos, and Supernatural. You are ahead of Smallville though.

    Keep up the good work
    Larry
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