I've been working out at home on the Weider home gym, for about 1 year now. Weights have tremendously helped me lose weight and drop pant sizes significantly! I just wanted to know how to better tone up those biceps/triceps (I do curls, bench press, push-ups, etc. already), and I do squats with weights and the "bridge" exercise, as well as the donkey kicks for my glutes.
Do you guys know of any really great & proven exercises (with or without weights) to really tone up these areas better? I'm going on vacation in 2 months and would like to wear sleeveless shirts and short shorts....
I know I need to "burn" the layer of fat before the muscle will show more...It's just been to darn cold and wet here to get out and run/walk.
I eat pretty well - lower carb (whole grains, i.e. oatmeal, etc.) and lots of salads and grilled chicken, and maintain a 1000-1400 cal. per day diet....
Any suggestions would be great! I've been at this darn plateau, as well, for a couple of months now.
I'm not sure what the *best* exercises are for those muscle groups, but you'll definetely want to incorporate a wide variety of exercises, as each one will hit the muslce a little differently. If you've been using the same ones for a while, you'll want to mix things up a bit. I change my exercises out every 4 weeks or so. I don't think we're allowed to link to other sites here - otherwise I'd include a few web addresses for you to check out... PM me if you want more specific suggestions
Wow, I think you're doing great. 159 is a size six? That's fantastic! And that gets me to thinking-- you're not going to like this, but here goes. Maybe you're not eating enough calories and overtraining a bit. 1000 - 1400 calories is not a lot for a tall gal like you, and if you train hard but don't give the body enough food or rest the muscle just does not get built-- the body thinks it's starving and starts consuming muscle tissue for fuel! So maybe ease off just a bit: maybe two days on, one day off, working upper body one day and lower body the next. Consider maybe 1500 - 1600 calories, and make sure you get lots of sleep. Good Luck.
I just wanted to know how to better tone up those biceps/triceps (I do curls, bench press, push-ups, etc. already), and I do squats with weights and the "bridge" exercise, as well as the donkey kicks for my glutes.
My .02 cents here... and you may or may not like this....But here goes anyways...
"Tone-up" is a pet-peeve word for me and makes me cringe... Go heavier, "bulking up" is a myth... I saw the skinniest girl this week, she's at the gym pretty regularly, she was curling 25 and 30# dumbells, I was amazed! Then I saw another scrawny thing, so I thought, doing pull-ups in perfect form and with a perfect "V" back, I was envious...
If you want nice muscles, I'm assuming this is what you mean by "toning".... Curls are good and are for biceps... Bench press hits the tris but is mainly a chest exercise... push-ups too are mainly a chest exercise altho you will feel them in your arms....
My .02 cents : If you've been working out at home for a year your routine probably needs a change up and going heavier with intensity and reaching those 10's will help...
Jerseygirl I found a good article that might interest you on triceps....
Quote:
Tri Hard
Sculpt strong triceps with advice from these fitness pros.
Originally featured in:
Muscle & Fitness Hers Fall, 2000
Remember Angela Bassett in Tina Turner's autobiographical movie, "What's Love Got to Do With It?" She had a body that would make even Tina--no weakling herself--envious. Angela had it going on, and her arms were definitely the prize of the package. Yet the secret to awesome arms is really no secret at all. If you work to tighten and tone those triceps, you'll see your arms go from mediocre to magnificent.
THE PROBLEM
Lack of proper training. Some women don't realize that it's actually the back, not just the front, of the upper arm that needs to be worked. Milamar Flores, a fitness competitor from Southern California, admits that when she first started training, she neglected her triceps. "When I started to work out, I had flabby arms. So to shape them up, I incorrectly started training my biceps." The key lies in proper triceps training, which also means doing different exercises to hit all parts of the muscle.
Ineffective use of weight. "Women get nervous about getting bigger and therefore lift too little weight," says former fitness competitor and corporate fitness consultant Minna Lessig. "Most women need to challenge their triceps. Lack of information is another part of the problem. I think many women are confused when it comes to toning their arms." If you're unsure how to properly perform triceps exercises, consult a certified personal trainer.
Poor food choices. As a place where fat seems to store easily, the area around the triceps seemingly collects all those empty calories. But as fitness professional Theresa Hessler explains, "If you have a problem with your arms, chances are it's part of a larger problem." Most people gain weight all over, not just in one place, and poor food choices contribute to excess fat storage. Yet genetics do play a role in where that extra weight is first to show up or last to go.
THE SOLUTION
Burn more than you take in. If you want to lose bodyfat - and that includes the extra stuff hanging from your upper arms - you need to create a caloric deficit and work it off, and cardio is a big part of the solution. Your aerobic exercise program should include both high and low intensities in addition to interval training. By changing things up each session, you can challenge your body and keep it responding to your workouts. Of course, the added benefit is that you'll strengthen your cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular systems as well.
Lift like you mean it. Tossing those little bitty weights around ain't gonna cut it. Chances are your purse - and certainly your kid - weigh more than those piddly dumbbells some women use. Try different rep and set combinations to see what works best for you. You say you don't want the arms of a She-Man? Not to worry: Lifting weights that allow you to squeeze out eight or more reps can keep that from happening.
Choose what you eat carefully. It isn't just the number of calories you consume, it's also the type of calories. "Women love carbs but often don't get enough protein," says Milamar. Because protein is a building block for muscles, women who weight train should aim to eat about 0.7-0.8 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily, although more may be more effective. Of course, you already know to stay away from saturated fats and excess sugar.
Found a bicep article too... I have no Friday night life ..........
Quote:
The Bionic Woman
Build better biceps with these four essential techniques.
Originally featured in:
Muscle & Fitness, Hers
Let's see those sexy biceps--go on, flex 'em! Are they as tight and developed as you'd like, or do you think they could use a bit more shape and size? If you want to flex to impress, this simple, four-part primer on form, intensity, exercise selection and frequency will give you the tools you need to take your biceps from so-so to show-stopping.
As with most muscle groups you train, the biceps need some individual attention to become stronger and more shapely. All too often we throw a few biceps curls in at the end of a workout without devoting enough effort to make a visible difference in the muscle. If you've been diligently targeting your biceps each week yet haven't seen promising results, don't despair: Even top-level fitness competitors like Susie Curry and Lovena Stamatiou-Tuley had to change their biceps training methods to achieve the athletic development they display today.
"I still have trouble developing my biceps," Susie admits. "I used to do more reps with lighter weight, and I used to superset biceps and triceps exercises. I've seen better results by training biceps separately, giving them more attention and not overtraining them like I used to do." Lovena actually devoted an entire year to bringing up her bi's. "These things don't happen overnight," she explains. "The biceps is a fairly small muscle group and it doesn't grow quickly."
To sculpt standout biceps, you need more than just a list of exercises. So before you try out the sample routines from Lovena, Susie, and fellow competitor and personal trainer Melissa Frabbiele, take some time to read "Biceps Basics." Arm yourself with this information on form, intensity, exercise selection and frequency to help you build better biceps.
Biceps Basics
1. Form. The first step is positioning your body correctly for each exercise. Sounds simple enough, right? For standing exercises, Suzanne Meth, MS, ATC, CSCS, an athletic and personal trainer at New York City's La Palestra, recommends keeping your knees under your hips and slightly bent, abs pulled in and shoulders back. You might also try tilting your pelvis up slightly to minimize your ability to use momentum in bringing the weight up. If you tend to cheat during standing biceps curls or have trouble maintaining your form, try standing with your back against a wall, adds Melissa.
For most standing and seated movements, you'll be moving your lower arms only, and your elbows should move neither forward nor backward. That's worth repeating because it's an important point: Your elbows should move neither forward nor backward. "For curls, make sure you descend all the way, keeping your elbows tucked into the sides of your body and just using your biceps," Melissa says. When lowering the weight, stop just before lockout so that your elbows still retain a slight bend.
A palms-up grip is preferred in barbell and many cable exercises, but you have a few options when training biceps with dumbbells. Try a supinating curl, in which you begin the curl with your palms facing your outer thighs. As you bring the weights up, simultaneously twist your wrists so that at the top, your palms face up. (Think sUPination, if that helps.)
Another grip option--the neutral grip--is used in a hammer curl. Your palm faces inward throughout this movement, with the top of your thumb facing up. Whatever the move, always keep your wrists in line with your lower arms and hands. (If your wrists flex forward or extend backward, you stress the joints and get less out of the exercise.)
Using a full range of motion is another vital point to biceps development. "I usually ask people to move as fully and completely as they can," explains Meth. "If a movement is done that way in real life, then it should be trained as such for maximal development."
Each fitness pro we spoke to emphasized the importance of form over weight: "It isn't about the weight; it's about full motion and strict control," Lovena notes.
2. Intensity. Working your biceps shouldn't be a walk in the park, but neither should you be forced to swing your body to bring the weight up. The weight you select should be heavy enough to make the last few reps of the movement very challenging. If you lose your form, the weight's too heavy.
For optimal biceps development, all three competitors recommend using a moderate rep range, rather than high reps of, say, 15-20. While Melissa uses a slightly lower rep range of 6-8, Lovena and Susie prefer sets of 10-12 reps. Make sure you do each rep with textbook form and that you squeeze the muscle on the way up and resist the weight as you return to the start position. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.
To make the movement more effective, try bringing the weight up a bit more explosively but go somewhat slower on the negative portion of the rep. "I believe in doing a slower eccentric," says Lovena. "Try a 1:3 ratio, where you bring the weight up for one second and down for three. Don't just go through the motion; there's no magic in the machine or weight. It's all in your focus."
3. Exercise Selection. If you do standing dumbbell curls each and every time you train biceps, you'll quickly see that it's easy to fall into a rut. Repeating the same exercise time and again won't result in an optimally shaped muscle. Lovena explains that the exercises you choose really depend on your goals: "If you're out for overall conditioning, then one exercise might be good enough. But if you think, Gosh, I'd really like to firm up my arms, you're going to have to do more than that."
Biceps movements can be done either seated or standing, using both arms or just one at a time. You can use barbells, dumbbells, machines, cables, resistance bands and even your own bodyweight--but that's not all. You can also perform a variety of biceps exercises on a flat bench, incline bench or even a Swiss ball.
Meth says the best way to hit the biceps is actually on an incline bench, where your arms hang straight down (about 15-20 degrees beyond your torso). "This puts a stretch on your biceps as it crosses the shoulder joint," she states. Use a lighter weight for these and take great care during the lift to maintain your form.
We've provided three sample workout routines for you to try, but don't stop there. "If you really want to work your biceps, cross-train them," Meth advises. "Vary not only the exercise stimulus but change your frequency, rep, set or rest scheme every once in a while." Alter your exercise order and selection at least every couple of months to prevent boredom and to target each angle of your biceps.
4. Frequency. Training your biceps once or twice a week is sufficient and won't cause overtraining if you plan correctly. "Normally I train biceps twice a week, like on a Tuesday and Friday, after my back routine," explains Susie. Lovena isolates her biceps only once a week, either training them with back or by working biceps and triceps on the same day. "I'll work bi's and tri's together, especially if I'm really trying to focus on my biceps," she says. "You can really fire up your arms by alternating those movements."
Because back exercises also heavily work the biceps, many people prefer to schedule both bodyparts on the same day. If you train bi's after back, it can require less time and effort to achieve the same result as training biceps alone. If you're time-crunched, try working both of these bodyparts together. Doing them on consecutive days, however, increases the chance that you'll overtrain your bi's.
If you devote some time each week to focusing on your biceps, your efforts will be worth the payoff of shapely, visible muscles. "Your midsection isn't always going to be out in front of people, but your arms are," Lovena notes. "So great biceps can really make a difference in how fit you look, even if you're just wearing a T-shirt."
Thanks guys for the advice! I guess I need to mix up the routing to get out of the plateau. I have upped the weight much heavier lately and push to failure at 10-12 reps, with 2 sets. I'll have to mix up the diet a bit too! Thanks again!
Arms/Glutes Toning and Plateau
I have no Friday night life ..........
