Lunchtime Upper Body Workout

Working out your upper body may seem a little limited during lunch without weights, but there is plenty to do! For this 20 minute workout, I've thrown in a small bit of cardio to burn more calories while working the smaller muscles, hitting your shoulders, biceps, triceps, and back:

• Wall Press x15
• Burpees x5
• Push-ups x10
• Mountain Climbers x20
• Tricep Dips x20
• High/ Low Plank x10
• Superman Hold 30 seconds

Repeat 3-4 times

Here are some more cardio & upper body workouts to get you inspired:

A Dozen Workouts, 10 Minutes & Under

For myself and you all on this Workout Wednesday. Here is a small collection taken from my Fitness Pinterest board:

 

Spark People's 9 Minute Lower Body Sculpting Workout (video): http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/videos-detail.asp?video=41#_a5y_p=2521065

Spark People's 10 Minute Pilates Workout (video): http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/videos-detail.asp?video=36#_a5y_p=2406602

Spark People's 6 Minute Upper Body Workout with Stability Ball (video): http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/videos-detail.asp?video=72#_a5y_p=2151419

10 Minute Shoulder Workout: http://news.health.com/2013/12/26/a-10-minute-sexy-shoulder-workout/?crlt.pid=camp.cuw6aBRZWCj3

10 Minute Workout Ideas: http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=10_tenminute_workout_ideas#_a5y_p=1119089

5 Minute Total Body Strength Workout: http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/get-fit-5-minutes-total-body-strength-workout?crlt.pid=camp.4GuaoicexNlk 

 

4 Minute Booty Workout: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Butt-Exercises-32533061

Enjoy!

~ Samantha Marie

Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps

I like to do strength training on my lunch, since you don't work up as much of a sweat as cardio.
I'm lucky to work at a gym where I can use my (usually) short lunch to do this.

The strength training routines I do take about 20-25mins, doing 2 sets of each exercise. For a decent 45 minute workout, double the sets. Remember to rest approximately 45 seconds between sets, and ideally each set should be done to failure.

Currently I am working on endurance, so each set of mine has 15 sets and I'm using lighter weight. Here was my workout for Shoulder, Bicep & Tricep day:

Circuit 1:
Arnold Press (bicep curl with shoulder press) x15
Overhead Tricep Extension x15
Hammer Curl x15 each side
- Repeat twice -

Circuit 2:
Lateral Raise Front & Side x15 each
Tricep Kickbacks x15 each side
Bicep Curl on TRX x15
- repeat twice -

Circuit 3:
Bent Over Row x15 each side
Tricep Dips x15
- repeat twice -

In case you females need a reminder:

End of My 10 Week Plan

Well, I'm just a couple days short of the end of my 10 Week Plan. July 4th was my own personal deadline a few months ago that if I didn't fit into half of the clothes I have left (the rest of the ones I currently have with me) that I had to throw the rest of them away. I have some pretty awesome amazing clothes from my 10+ years in retail (lots of Nordstroms) that are in like-new condition, and this was the last thing I wanted to happen. I chose July 4th because it was my half birthday, and I figured at the time (February) I could buckle down & lose another size and a half (I think?) When April came around & my progress wasn't going as I would have liked, I decided to install a 10 Week Plan of my own. Lose 10lbs &/or fit into the clothes I needed to.

About a week & 1/2 ago I ended up having some stomach issue & was advised to stay off my feet for a week, so that killed my exercise. However, I am very happy with the choices I made & the progress I have accomplished. Some things I decided to do:

- Switched my Macros up a bit: Was eating about 40% Carbs (I really don't like going under 40), 35% Protein & 25% Fat. I was doing 40/30/30. My body feels weird if I go over 40% Protein so I don't like to, I'm fine doing 30-40 though. I like my Carbs above 40 (I eat fabulous carbs BTW) and I like my Fats 25-20% - usually coming from things like avocados, peanut butter, cheese & edamame. For being 5'2", I ate around 1,600 calories a day.

- I strength trained usually 4 days a week for about 25 minutes each (mostly on my lunch - perks of working at a gym.) I usually had 2 legs days, a chest & back day, and a shoulder/ bicep/ tricep day.

- I worked out with one of my fellow trainers from work usually twice a week for about half hour. I scheduled these on days I worked later and needed to get a workout in before I started work. I did this mostly for accountability - I am NOT a morning person by any means, and I'm also very busy. If I didn't plan someone to work out with at those certain times, there would have been a high likelihood of me skipping my workout that day = no bueno.

- I upped my cardio a bit, since I knew I've been lacking on it the past few months moving into the city. I was doing 1 or 2 Insanity! workouts a week (about 40 minutes), and 2-3 sessions on the elliptical a week, usually around 15-30 minutes. Get it in where you can.

- I got really good at scheduling out my days, whether it was a week in advance for workouts, or the night before for meal planning. Honestly, if you take 30 minutes once a week to plan out your week, and about an hour &1/2 once a week to meal prep, you save yourself a BOAT LOAD of time, money, stress, and excuses.

This may sound like a lot, but it really isn't. 30-60 minutes of exercise 5 days a week isn't that hard if you stop making excuses and do it. Meal planning & prepping isn't hard if you say "Hey, Sunday afternoon I'm going to get groceries so I can meal prep 7-8:30 that night & have my food set for the week." Just do it. Once you get in to the habit for a couple weeks, the pattern almost ends up being on autopilot.

Altogether these past 10 weeks I have lost 8 pounds, but it looks like I have lost a lot more because I do strength training (DO STRENGTH TRAINING!) which also helped me this past week & 1/2 of not being able to work out - I'm pretty sure I've given my metabolism a boost, which is always fantabulous. Though I was 2lbs shy, I FIT INTO ALL THE CLOTHES I NEEDED TO! Granted, there is a pair of jeans I will not wear out in public yet, but I'm freaking happy as all hell that I accomplished my goal and won't have to throw out the rest of my nice clothes.

Starting next week, I will have a 5 week plan, and change some things that I want to based off my experiences with this 10 week plan. One of the biggest things I know I need to change is MORE REST! 10 weeks may be too long to go hardcore, so I'm going to experiment with 4 weeks being strict on things like weights/ lifting/ HIIT, with 1 week of non-weights & non HIIT - where I'll only be allowed to do things like Yoga, Pilates, and moderate cardio activity (brisk walking is an example.) After this 5 week plan, I'll be going to my first pool party in Las Vegas, so my reward will be not being embarrassed in a bikini. :)

Happy hump day everyone!

~Samantha Marie

Notable Health, Beauty & Fitness Articles of the Past Week

I subscribe to a lot of health, beauty & fitness related stuff of course, and I never have time to read all the articles that are sent to my inbox every day. I figure I'd start posting a few once a week for you all to enjoy & come up with your own conclusions.

Nothing you read on the internet should ever really be used in place of actual medical advice. A lot of medical standards are even constantly changing, and what may be true for one person may not work for another, etc. I encourage everyone to think for themselves, do your own research and make your best objective decision, while always keeping an open & flexible mind & approach to things.

Today I'll just start with Everyday Health and SparkPeople, since they both are used by such a wide variety of people:


13 Secrets to Portion Control

Your Ultimate BBQ Guide

7 Strength Training Excuses Busted

Choosing the Best Energy Bars

6 Ways to Keep Your Skin Looking Young

Hope you all enjoy & find something you can take from this week!

:)

~Samantha

Ladies Who Lift - Chest & Back Day

Not just ladies who lift, but anyone who lifts.

Here's a Chest & Back Day Program - which I also personally do.

Reps times Sets (example: 3x12)
Remember: Reps for growing muscles & strenghth normally is 6-10 reps, & for resistance ["toning"] 12-15 reps. Sets can be 2-4. You ideally want to do each set to failure.?
Rest time in between: 30-60 secs

DB = dumbbell // BB = barbell 

Chest
Bench Press - Bar or DB 3 x 12
Cable Press or Seated Chest Press 3 x12
DB Chest Flys 3 x 12

Back
Lat Pull Downs 3 x 12
Assisted Pull Ups 3 x 12
Bent Over Row 3 x 12
Back Extension 3 x 12
Cable or Machine Row 3 x 12

BB Squats 3 x12
Deadlifts 3 x 12
Good Mornings 3 x 12