Life as an Entrepreneur + Sexy Arms Workout

Hey gang!  I hope your week is going well.  This is week has been MUCH more mellow than last, as my new studio is up and running without the craziness of grand opening week.  My team and I are having a blast getting to know our clients and teaching classes.  The energy at GRIT Fitness is through the roof!  After this week, we’ll operate in a more “business as usual” mode with less on-the-fly to changes to our schedule, policies, memberships, etc.  For instance, today marks the end of our grand opening membership offer to enjoy a year of unlimited classes for only $75 per month!  If you live in Dallas, you’d best get up on this (wink wink) – CLICK HERE to purchase!

There are SO many moving parts to manage when running your own business.  Everyday I wake up with a long “to do” list and every night it’s never finished…sigh.  I thought I’d be able to manage everything on my own, but I’ve quickly learned that I need help!  In order to grow and execute things with the highest level of quality I HAVE to depend on others.  This has been really tough for me because I pride myself in “doing it all.”  Fortunately, I have some amazing friends who’ve volunteered to work the front desk and help with social media marketing barter for classes.  Not bad huh? I’m a lucky girl.

Right now I’m focusing on outlining the marketing strategy that we’ll execute over the next few months.  I’m also prioritizing my team’s development, so I spend lots of time in one-on-one practice sessions to grow the skills of my instructors.  I have NOT figured out how to keep my car clean, plan my meals or how to effectively structure my days, so if any fellow entrepreneurs have advice, PLEASE SHARE!

Alright, that’s enough about my life.  Now moving on to some valuable info for you!  In honor of Throwback Thursday, here’s one of my all time favorite, Sexy Arms Workout from the GRIT by Brit archives.  Give this bad boy a whirl this weekend and let me know how it goes!  You can CLICK HERE for details and to watch an instructional video.  ENJOY!  xoxo, Brit

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#PUMAFitness – 5 Effective Exercises for Sexy, Sculpted Arms!

Rockin' my new gear from #PUMAfitness and loving it! #PUMA #FitFluential
Top: Puma Gym Graphic All Eyes On Me Tank, Pants: Puma Gym Graphic 3/4 Tight

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of PUMA.

Hello friends!  I hope you enjoyed a lovely Mother’s Day weekend.  My 6′ 6″ “little” brother came home to Dallas after completing his Sophomore year of college!  We enjoyed a nice family brunch and church service with our Mom – it was really nice.

Due to the high volume of requests for “tips to tone my arms,” I’ve put together a new workout which combines my 5 go-to arm exercises.  It’s an exercise combination that’s both dynamic (big movements) and isometric (tiny movements like Pilates).  This means you simultaneously build muscle endurance and strength which helps expedite muscle tone!  You need 2 light dumbbells to complete the workout.  I recommend anything from 3-7 pounds.  I’m using 5 pounds in the photos below.  You must complete 50 reps of each exercise.  So 50 reps X 5 exercises = 250 reps of arm sculpting sexiness – yeah buddy!  Rest for 1-2 minutes between each exercise.  For best results, complete the workout 3 times per week for 3 weeks.

Also, I wanna give a shout out to #PUMAfitness for hooking me up with the fabulous workout gear I’m rockin’.   The coral Gym Graphic All Eyes On Me Tank is bright, sleek and supportive.  I especially appreciate the built-in sports bra, and I love the criss-cross design in the back that shows off sculpted shoulders.  The Graphic ¾ Tights have the matching Ombre coral color down the side and come in a ton of different colors and prints.  They’re made of “Drycell” highly functional materials that draw sweat away from your skin and helps keep you dry and comfortable during exercise.   Personally, they fit nice and snug around my waist and give my booty pleasant little lift 😉  To complete your outfit, I also recommend grabbing the Formlite XT Ultra Sneakers.  They’re lightweight with an aerodynamic design.  If you enjoy group fitness classes like me, this a great sneaker because of the snug fit, flexibility and mesh top which allows airflow.  Most importantly, they look great!

Alright guys, that’s all from me for now.  I hope you enjoy your arm workout. Also be sure to get you some #PUMA swag!  Post a comment if you have questions! xoxo, Brit

#1: Dumbbell Alternating Punches

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Alternating punches are a great exercise to warm up your arms. Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand and simply punch forward alternating hands. Be sure to keep the opposite hand (that’s not punching) up by your chin so that your shoulders stay engaged.

#2: Diagonal Shoulder Press

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Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand with palms facing inward. Extend the dumbbells out above your head so that your arms make a 45 degree angle with your nose. Bring the dumbbells back by your sides letting your elbows pull backward. Keep your arms narrow the entire time.

#3: Bicep Curl Extensions w/ Shoulder Isolation

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Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended out front and palms facing up toward the sky. Then bend your arms so that they make two 90 degree angles. Lower the dumbbells back down to a full  extension so that your arms are parallel with the ground. Repeat. Your arms should never come down by your sides. (This keeps your shoulders engaged while working your biceps).

#4: Front Dumbbell Taps w/Shoulder Isolation

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Hold the dumbbells out in front of you with arms fully extended and palms facing up. Simply tap the ends of the dumbells together for 50 reps. You will feel the burn!

#5: Incline Tricep Push Ups

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Find a table or bench and come into a plank position with narrow hand placement. Lower down into a push up keeping your elbows tight so that they brush your sides. Repeat. Focus on keeping your triceps engaged while also getting a great chest workout.

Last but not least, go for a sweaty 20-30 minute run in your #PUMA sneakers to blast some calories and burn fat.  Remember, fat reduction will speed up your journey to sexy sculpted arms!

Sporting my Puma Formlite XT Ultra Sneakers
Sporting my Puma Formlite XT Ultra Sneakers

 

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Les Mills Body Pump Review: Pump ON = Fat OFF

  • Workout: Body Pump, Les Mills
  • Duration: 1 hour
  • Calories Burned: 350-550
  • Focus: Total body muscle strengthening and toning
  • What is Body Pump?: A total body weight lifting class using a bar with weighted plates on each side.  There are about 8-10 music tracks and each one has a choreographed weight lifting routine to work a specific muscle group (i.e. legs, chest, back, biceps, triceps, etc.).  You can also buy the DVDs and equipment to do the class at home.

Brit gettin’ her “PUMP” on April 9, 2012

Commentary:  I try to go to Body Pump at least once a week and when I do, I always feel tight and toned.  The music is okay, def not amazing, but the workout is sick –  it’ll get you right.  I like this class because it’s an efficient TOTAL body strength workout. I appreciate that I don’t have go searching for a weight lifting routine for each body part, I can get it all at once – 1 hour and done.  Also, you do a ton of reps for each muscle group so bulking up is not an issue.  Instead, your muscles gain endurance and you even get a good sweat!

The Facts: Building lean muscle mass is not only great for your overall health and  fitness, it’s also a great way to speed up your metabolism aka BURN FAT!  Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the rate that your body burns calories while at rest.  RMR is directly related to your ratio of lean body mass.  This means, the more lean body mass you build, the more calories and fat you burn while at rest.  So get your PUMP ON and get the FAT OFF 🙂

Resistance training has been perhaps the most under emphasized component of the comprehensive weight loss program.  – Paula Besson MEd

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Sexy Arms Circuit (without bulk)

  • Name: Sexy Arms Circuit by Brit
  • Focus: Upper body muscle endurance and toning
  • Duration: 15-20 minutes
  • Calories burned: 50 – 150
  • Commentary:  Given my extensive experience evaluating celebrities walk the red carpet in sleeveless dresses, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are 3 keys to sexy toned arms:
  1. Reduce Body FAT – The reality is, the only way to look lean and sculpted is to get rid of excess body fat.  You know what that means – eat LESS and move MORE!  You can’t show off your sexy arms if excess fat is covering them.
  2. Sculpt Shoulders – The shoulders are the first part of the arms that people usually notice so it’s key to do several exercises that target the front, side and rear shoulder muscles.
  3. Tighten  Triceps – The back of your arms are the areas that tend to look the flabbiest.  So, always make sure that your arm workouts make your triceps feel strong and tight!

Below is my complete “Sexy Arms Circuit.”  I made this workout to tone my arms WITHOUT bulking them up.  You need to use light weights during the workout  (1-2 pounds in each hand) – soup cans are great for this 😉

Make sure to stand up with your back straight, feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent.  Do each exercise in the order below WITHOUT resting between exercises.  Repeat the entire circuit 3X, take a about 1-2 minutes of rest in between each circuit.  ENJOY and get ready to rock your sleeveless sundress!

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