LiveFit @home – Phase 2: Day 39 Arms/Abs/Cardio

Day 39 rolled around and I am getting more and more frustrated about working out at home! Ha! I guess I just miss the gym so much and am too used to the luxury of having all my equipment. HOWEVER, this will spur me on to get more creative.  I have been trying to do things with just basic home equipment to avoid excluding people who cannot just turn a room of their house into a mini gym.  I may purchase a Power Tower and a bench, since working out at a gym just does not work for my schedule at all, BUT I will still continue writing variations for those who do not have these tools.

Day 39

Variations:

Barbell Curl: If you don’t have a barbell, use dumbbells. The key, however, is to keep your grips stationary so that they do not pull inward or outward motion during the entire execution.

Overhead Cable Curl: I am short so this worked perfectly for me – I hooked one end of my resistance band to the stationary grip of my elliptical machine. Then I stood far enough back to get good resistance and performed single-arm overhead curls.

Cable Hammer Curls: Since the LiveFit Trainer uses the rope attachment, this variation worked excellently – I stood, with one foot, on the center of my resistance band, then with grips in hammer position, I performed the curls. Flawless!

Triceps Pushdown – Rope Attachment: I hooked my resistance band around the top of my elliptical machine. Kneeling down gave me enough resistance to perform this exercise.

Hanging Leg Raise (or roman chair): I sat at the edge of my firm leather coffee table. Starting with my heels touching the ground, my legs straight. Not bending my legs, I raised my legs till my feet were at least shoulder height. ADDED COMMENT: I am planning to get a Power Tower so I can do these and pull ups and dips.   

LiveFit @home – Phase 2: Day 32 Arms+Cardio

Sleeveless shirts? Yes, please. 🙂

I had so much fun with this workout! Really tried to push myself with how much weight I was using and making sure I maintained excellent form.

Day 32

Variations:

Barbell Curl: If you don’t have a barbell, use dumbbells. The key, however, is to keep your grips stationary so that they do not pull inward or outward motion during the entire execution.

Overhead Cable Curl: I am short so this worked perfectly for me – I hooked one end of my resistance band to the stationary grip of my elliptical machine. Then I stood far enough back to get good resistance and performed single-arm overhead curls.

Cable Hammer Curls: Since the LiveFit Trainer uses the rope attachment, this variation worked excellently – I stood, with one foot, on the center of my resistance band, then with grips in hammer position, I performed the curls. Flawless!

Triceps Pushdown – Rope Attachment: I hooked my resistance band around the top of my elliptical machine. Kneeling down gave me enough resistance to perform this exercise.

Hanging Leg Raise (or roman chair): I sat at the edge of my firm leather coffee table. Starting with my heels touching the ground, my legs straight. Not bending my legs, I raised my legs till my feet were at least shoulder height.

LiveFit @home – Phase 1: Day 23 Back/Bis

Day 23

This was the exact same workout as last week, so the variations here are the same. I really enjoyed this back workout and added an extra set to each exercise just to push a little further.  Never be afraid to push yourself!  I have heard soooo many people tell me that they are scared of getting bulky, to which my bodybuilding friends will always plea, “please, PLEASE tell me how easy it is to put on muscle. I’d really like to know” 🙂 To put on “bulky” muscle you have to eat differently and workout differently and you have to WANT it BAD… So, for those of you worried about the bulky muscle, have no fear! You are safe to just be super fit and toned!

Variations:

Hammer Strength Lat Pull: Threw my resistance band over the top of my door, then using the hammer motion I did beautifully executed lat pull downs. Note…Be sure it is not near the edge of the door where it can snap off and hit you haha…*cough* learned by experience *cough*

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: Same concept as the Hammer Lat Pulls except you open up your arms wide and palm away grip (versus hammer – grips facing in).

Seated Narrow Grip Cable Rows: Door open and perpendicular to your body, hook the resistance band around both sides of the door knob. Sit in a chair and voila! Low row set up.

T-Bar Row: Holding a heavy single dumbbell, I bent over at a near-90 and pulled up for the row.

Back Extensions: I knelt on my couch facing the arm of the couch. Arms crossed over my chest I let my body bend and hang over the side of the couch, then flexed up for the extension. I was surprised how well this worked!

Incline Dumbbell Curl: This one was tough. I tried to lean my chair back against the wall in a carpeted room (so as not to slip). This worked ok, but the back of my chair was wider than me so my arms did not have that free-range that they would on a real bench. This exercise made me want to invest in an adjustable bench.

LiveFit @home – Phase 1: Day 17 Chest/Tris

Day 17

Variations:

Incline Dumbbell Press: while resting between the pushup sets I tried to use that time to figure out a way to do this incline press. I finally decided that the best of my attempts was creating an angle with several pillows. I know…I felt like I was cheating using something soft, but it was safer than my chair attempt and way more doable than turning your mattress sideways…that just was not worth me stripping my bed for..

Decline Flies: This worked out well for me because my coffee table is lower than my couch, so butt on the couch and shoulders on the coffee table made for a great decline.

Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extension: Since I do not yet have an EZ bar, I merely used dumbbells for this.

Cable One Arm Triceps Extension: I draped my resistance band over the door, held one handle stationary while I exercised on the other handle for One-Arm extensions.

LiveFit @home – Phase 1: Day 16 Back/Bis

Oooo I had fun with the variations on this one!

Day 16

Variations:

Hammer Strength Lat Pull: Threw my resistance band over the top of my door, then using the hammer motion I did beautifully executed lat pull downs. Note…Be sure it is not near the edge of the door where it can snap off and hit you haha…*cough* learned by experience *cough*

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: Same concept as the Hammer Lat Pulls except you open up your arms wide and palm away grip (versus hammer – grips facing in).

Seated Narrow Grip Cable Rows: Door open and perpendicular to your body, hook the resistance band around both sides of the door knob. Sit in a chair and voila! Low row set up.

T-Bar Row: Holding a heavy single dumbbell, I bent over at a near-90 and pulled up for the row.

Back Extensions: I knelt on my couch facing the arm of the couch. Arms crossed over my chest I let my body bend and hang over the side of the couch, then flexed up for the extension. I was surprised how well this worked!

Incline Dumbbell Curl: This one was tough. I tried to lean my chair back against the wall in a carpeted room (so as not to slip). This worked ok, but the back of my chair was wider than me so my arms did not have that free-range that they would on a real bench. This exercise made me want to invest in an adjustable bench.

LiveFit @home – Phase 1: Day 8: Chest/Tris

Only one variation needed for me!

Day 8 workout

Variation:

Tricep pushdown: I do not have a cable system at home so I used a resistance band. Hang it over your pull up bar and center it so that you have access to both end grips. OR door OR kneel behind a chair and hold the resistance band higher up so you get the right resistance.

What you need:

• dumbbells
• resistance band

LiveFit @home – Phase 1: Day 2: back/bis

This one was tough to do at home! Definitely far from the same as far as quality goes, but I gave it all I had and more.

Day 2

Variations:

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: reverse pull-ups or pull ups

Seated Cable Rows: bent-over dumbbell rows OR wrap resistance bands/cables behind your flexed feet and grip high enough on the band to get good resistance

Underhand Cable Pulldowns: chin ups

One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl: kneeling on my couch, I put one arm over the back of the couch to serve as my preacher bench.  I tried this over the arm of the couch and it seemed to simulate the preacher bench better, but it was difficult finding a kneeling/laying position to get the right angle…it’s a work in progress

LiveFit @home – Phase 1: Day 1: Chest/Tris

Hey any of you out there tryin’ to get a groove for gym time when you can’t leave the house on a consistent schedule or just don’t feel you have the time?  Word up! I am a new mom so adjustment has been crrrraaazy! I am ALL about NO EXCUSES, so I am not even letting myself off the hook.  So if your problem is something like I mentioned above and are tired of feeling flabNdrab, then follow my 12 week journey and be encouraged that there is a way!

Day 1 Workout

Since I am working out at home and do not have all the equipment I will be noting what alternative exercises I do, but…FYI nothing beats the variety you can get at the gym.  The variety, diet and your consistency is what gets you the results the Bodybuilding.com team claim.

Variations:

Diet.  The diet is the most important part! I am not using their diet because I wanted a personalized diet (nothing beats that 🙂 ). So I hired my amazing trainer, Susan Groshek, IFBB pro (who helped me win at the Ronnie Coleman Classic 2011), to write my diet.  She can write one for you too! Check her out http://www.fitwithsusan.com

Exercise.  The only exercise variation I had to make: Tricep Pushdown
Tricep Pushdown alternative: bent over tricep kick backs

What you need:

• graduating dumbbells
• Resistance bands / stretchy cables (I got mine at Academy Sports and Target)

ENERGY!!!! [full week of workout routines]

Upper Body Smash Down

14 weeks and I think I’m finally at the point where I have energy again! I have run a 5k on Saturday for the past 2 weekends and plan to do it again this Saturday!

Today I went to the gym for the first time in almost a month. It felt SO good to be back!

[Upper Body Smash Down Workout]

• Barbell bent over row 12R x 4s
• Barbell shoulder press 12R x 4s
• Barbell bench press 12R x 4s
• (giant-set’d the 1st 3 exercises)
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise 15R x 4s
• Seated Low Row 15R x 4s
• Dumbbell Bicep curl 20R x 4s
• Tricep Pushdown  20R x 3s, then 4th set till failure

Oh yeah, baby. Pregnant ladies are not wusses! “Lifting for two”! 😀