As I was searching my nutrition blog for some photos, I stumbled across this article. It’s so important I’m re-posting on this one blog! Enjoy!
Day 16: Establish a “wedding dress workout”
All photos above courtesy of www.nzgirl.co.nz
Photo courtesy of www.inspirethebride.com
One of my greatest fears is that I will not be at my goal weight for my wedding. Of all days to need to look your best, your wedding day is at the top of the list. All of your family and friends will be there, your future husband will be saying I do to your body and not to mention thousands of professional photographs will be taken, which are not the world’s most forgiving camera angles. So if there’s never been more of a push to lose 20 pounds and get my goal body than now! I only have a year, folks, which will pass by much quicker than I think I’m ready for! In order to get “wedding dress ready” I obviously need to first establish what type of dress I’m going to be wearing so I know what areas I need to focus on the most. Although I’m just newly engaged, I have been dress shopping for a bit longer [cough, a year, cough, cough] so I have a slight idea to what kind of shape and style I want on my big day.
As of now, most of the dressed I’ve tried on, are strapless. AH! I’m not a strapless kind of girl. I don’t think I own a strapless dress or tube top, for good reasons. I used to be a swimmer, which means I have a strong upper body. It also means that I slightly resemble a linebacker in anything without straps or sleeves. I love football and linebackers play a very important role on a football field, they however, do not play a similar role down the aisle on my wedding day.
Although I can’t do much about the width of my shoulders, I can definitely do something about the toning in my arms and chest! Since most of those gowns are also very fitted down to the waist, I also need to really focus on my abs, making them as flat and toned as possible. So after doing a bit of research, I found some great moves that I can do on top of my normal cardio-weight training routine, plus I can do them from the comfort of my own home!
To get the toned triceps, biceps, and pectorals that I really need to look hot in my strapless gowns, I need to do these routines 3-4x a week. [These workouts are all courtesy of www.theknot.com]
Bicep Curls
1. Standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, pull your tummy in and tuck your pelvis under. Hold a heavier pair of dumbbells down at your sides with your palms facing front.
2. Keeping your elbows at your sides, slowly curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Reverse direction and lower the dumbbells into starting position — avoid locking your elbows. Do 10 repetitions per set. Slow and steady wins the race here — you’ll get a bigger benefit from the exercise if you use concentrated, controlled movements. If you feel like you’re whipping the weights around to get them up, your dumbbells are too heavy. Downgrade to a smaller weight so you can move more comfortably.
Both photos courtesy of www.cosmogirl.com
Dumbbell Fly
1. Lie down with your knees bent and your feet firmly planted shoulder-width apart. Stretch out your arms on the floor so your body makes a T. Grasp a dumbbell in each outstretched hand, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Keep your palms facing up towards the ceiling.
2. Slowly raise the weights upward in a rounded arc (as if you were hugging a tree!), gently touching the dumbbells together at the top above your body. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower the weights back to their starting positions. Do 10 repetitions per set.
Photo courtesy of www.womansday.com
Tricep Dips
1. Sit normally on a sturdy, nonwheeled chair. Place your hands on the front edge of the seat (fingertips facing front) and your feet on the floor, hip-width apart and a little bit ahead of you. Slowly slide your bottom off the seat of the chair, keeping your hands where there are.
2. Keeping your arms close to your body, bend your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, allowing your rear end to descend past the edge of the chair. Using your arms to lift you, reverse direction and push yourself back up to the point at which your arms are straight. Work up to 15 dips per set.
Photo courtesy of www.brides.com
Tricep-dip on ball
Works triceps and shoulders
(A) Sit on a sturdy chair or bench, hands on edge of the chair. Extend legs and rest calves on ball.
(B) Bend elbows to slowly lower your body about 6 to 8 inches (if you go too far, you’ll place undue stress on your shoulders), with elbows pointed back and butt close to edge of chair. Slowly return to start, squeezing your triceps at the top of the move. Do one to two sets of
8 to 10 reps, working up to three sets of 12 reps.
Photo courtesy of www.brides.com
Two-way shoulder raise
Works front and middle deltoids (shoulders)
(A) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, legs straight but not locked. Holding a set of dumbbells, arms to your sides with palms facing in and abs contracted, lift your arms up and out to shoulder height.
(B) Lower your arms, then lift them forward and up to shoulder height, turning your palms up, elbows slightly bent. Lower, turn your palms in, and repeat, from (A). Perform one to two sets of 10 to 12 reps, working up to three sets of 10 to 12 reps. When the 12th rep becomes easy, increase the weight by 2 or 3 pounds.
Photo courtesy of www.brides.com
Stationary inchworm
Works deltoids, chest, triceps and abdominals
(A) Stand with feet together, legs straight; don’t lock knees. Place hands on ground in front of feet.
(B) Slowly walk hands forward.
(C) Continue forward until you’re in a plank position. Slowly walk hands back to starting position (hands on ground in front of feet). Perform one set of 6 to 8 reps, working up
to one set of 12. For a more advanced move, add a push-up when you’re in the plank position.
Photo courtesy of www.brides.com
Tricep-dip with a kick
Works triceps, shoulders, glutes and abdominals
(A) Sit on a mat, with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place your hands on the ground with your fingers pointing toward your butt and your wrists aligned with your shoulders. Lift your butt off the ground so you’re in a bridge position, trying to keep knees, hips and shoulders in line.
(B) Bend your elbows and lower your hips as you lift your left leg, foot flexed, to a 45-degree angle from the floor.
(C) Straighten your arms, and lower your left leg back to hip height. Repeat steps (B) and (C) for half your reps, then switch legs. Perform one to two sets of 10 to 12 reps, working up to three sets
of 8 to 12 reps.
Photo courtesy of www.brides.com
Crunch with a twist
Works shoulders, obliques and lower abdominals
(A) Sit on the ball and walk your feet forward, rolling the ball
so that it’s beneath your middle back. Keeping your feet flat
on the ground, hold a light dumbbell (3 pounds for beginner, 5 pounds for more advanced) vertically with your arms straight out in front of you about 45 degrees above your hips.
(B) With abs contracted, crunch up, twisting your torso to your left, then to your right, before lowering back down to starting position. Do one set of 8 to 12 reps, working up to two to three sets of 8 to 12 reps.
