Getting Fit – Take It Up a Notch Part 2 is a continuation of our workout series. I am still at it with these amazing ladies and we are all bound
and determined to make me one hot mama by the wedding! I’m happy to share that a few family members who I had not visited with in a while commented on my triceps (never before seen with the naked eye). As a reminder, please make sure you speak to your physician before making any changes to your health care regimen, and if something hurts STOP IMMEDIATELY!
The rules of the workout are found in last week’s article, Getting Fit – Take It Up a Notch. You may need to make modifications based on what you have — feel free, even if it’s a 5 pound zucchini!
Since this is a continuation of the same workout, these exercises, written by Diane Foley, represent the next three stations in the series. Let’s get started…
3. Sit-Up Crunch:
Newbie: Lay with your hands behind your head, arms flat against the floor. With your legs bent, lift using your core muscles. Note — your arms are not lifting your head up, your core is lifting your head and shoulders. Pulling on your head not only does nothing for the core, but may injure your neck.
Advanced: Using a ball under your upper back, perform sit-up crunch as described above. Hopefully I can do this by the wedding… .
4. Flies on Ball
Newbie: For the newbie, flies are not done on a ball. Begin by laying flat on the floor with arms (holding the weights) straight out to the side. Lift the weights straight up util they meet in the middle. Weights may be as minimal as one pounders (that’s what I started with, but I’m now up to 3) or as much as you can handle.
Advanced: Using an exercise ball under your upper back (a smaller one is better for those a little more vertically challenged like I am), (while holding weights) extend your arms to the side until they are parallel to the ground and then lift the up until they meet in the middle. Keep arms in line with the shoulders on this exercise.
5. Reverse Flies on Ball
For both the Newbie and Advanced: Using the same size ball as in the Flies on Ball, place the ball under your chest with your feet apart on the floor. To balance, distribute weight between your chest and feet . Start with your weighted hands to the side on the ground. Lift weights up so that your arms are even with your shoulders, hold a second, and take it back down. Go very light on the weights for this exercise.
Don’t forget to warm up and stretch when you start and stretch when you finish!
What are your favorite stretches?