I thought I would end the week with a look at my favorite 5 exercises of the week! These exercises I picked because I either hit my personal best or because they are just so difficult that they provide a daily and weekly challenge for me. They are my guide and a bit of a baseline for how well I am doing relative to strength and definition
Here they are!
The almighty pull up! – overhand! I picked this one because holy heck, its hard! Only a week ago I could barely hold myself up for 5 seconds! Now I can hold myself up for at least 20 seconds and I”m working my way to pull myself up. This is a great overall conditioning exercise that is challenging and fun to try.
Tricep Pushdowns – Rope / Cable This exercise is more than just focusing on the push down or the tricep. You really have to pay attention to your form and you really need to make sure you push your arms all the way behind you to extend as much as possible, until you feel the burn of your triceps. It’s important to control the movement and resist swinging your arms, using momentum
Cable Flyes – I just love the cable machines. I have never done them before and I’m really starting to develop a love for them. They require a lot more attention to form, they move with your body and they work on your stance and stability. I love this version.
Back Rows with Rope – A variation I just loved. You pull the rope towards your chest, hold for a couple seconds and then release and stretch your back out. I am constantly reminded to make sure you stretch your back out because your back is like a rubberband and needs to be extended when doing the exercise. The movement worked a different part of my upper and middle back and so its a great version or addition to add to your exercise routine.
Dumbbell overhead extension – We used this exercise as a warm up but I really felt the extension and the pull on my lats. This exercise worked much better than the machines that are supposed to do the same thing. I am learning that for females some of the actual machines are too large for our frames and so free weights are much better way to go in order to properly work your muscles.
And of course, I just have to leave you with my very first pose… something I originally (truthfully) thought was ridiculous (sorry, but I really did) I now have a huge appreciation for and even ask T every day to show me something else, to practice it. It’s hard, it uses your muscles in different ways, it forces you to stretch and isometrically hold your posture. It’s honestly just as great a workout! I am now paying homage to the posing!
Ciao for now!
Jenn @ Do You Bake
Founder CRAVE IT, Co-Founder Do You Bake?
PS : I would love to hear about your journey through eating a real food way, adding real activity into your life and you are more than welcome to connect with me on Facebook, follow along on our CRAVE IT Instagram page.
