Hi guys,  Kris from Custom Fitness here, your Amarillo personal trainer. Today we’re going to be wrapping up the two part series on how to get ready to wear short sleeves and say goodbye to the “2nd wave”! Last week we talked about the dip and how that can benefit you. Today I’m going to be showing you two other exercises! Now be sure to read part one if you haven’t already at the link here: https://customfitness.biz/2018/02/12/get-ready-wear-short-sleeves-say-goodbye-2nd-wave-part-1-custom-fitness-amarillo-personal-trainers/

And as always, if you have any questions about today’s blog then please give us a call at (806)-322-3188

A lot of people use an assist machine where you’ve got, say a bar that you’re holding on to. So you would have a flat wrist which would help the wrist issue. But that still is a lot of stress on the shoulders.

So what else can you do to work that muscle? Well you can turn it around on that same bench and you can do a tricep pushup. You can do that on a bar as well.

If you’re doing that tricep pushup on the bench, then you put your hands on that bench shoulder width apart, so that’s right underneath the shoulders. Then you step your feet back to get you into that pushup position.

On the bench it’s easier, and you can also do it on the floor. But the triceps are a little bit weaker of the group. If you’re experiencing that muscle drop down underneath the arm then you may not be ready for the floor yet, so being on the bench might be a better position.

So to do this, you’re going to hold that core in tight. And all you’re going to do is drop down bending the elbows, squeezing your ribs, go as low or as high as you want, and then go right back up.

So you could leave the hips up a little bit and still get some benefit here if you’re new to exercise, or you could drop them down, or you could take it to the floor to make it more challenging. Now again, if you have some wrist issues, this might not be the best fit for you on the bench. You might want to do that down on a harder surface or with some handles to be able to do that where it’s easier on your wrists.

So the third exercise that I’m going to show you today is probably the most universal exercise as far as anyone can do it. And you can easily use different methods to make it a little bit harder or a little bit easier. So a cable machine or a band are usually your best options for this.

So I have a band wrapped around a bar that’s about at my eye level. You take the band to where you have your hands just a little bit more narrow than your shoulders. So it’s not as wide as your shoulders, and it’s not in all the way together.

Now, you’re going to start out holding the bands, facing the machine or the attachment point that you’re using. Stand up nice and tall, shoulders back, and from there you’re just going to pull those elbows into your sides. And that’s the part that a lot of people miss, you have to keep those elbows glued into your ribs.

So elbows glued in, and palms straight up facing each other like you were clapping. From there you press down, and then you open at the bottom by pressing the palms to the back. Bring it back up, palms face in, and then down, palms face back.

I want you to notice the whole time that the elbow does not move. So it stays right there next to your side the whole time. If you take it down and it starts to move away from your body, then you just lost that engagement of the tricep as far as an isolitory factor. So you really want to make sure that the elbows stay in.

So press down and open, and then right back up. And you can do that a little more intensely by pressing and not opening, and taking it wider but not letting the elbows fly away from your sides. So yes, they move a little bit, but they are still trying to stay in tight. By having that rotation you’re going to get full work on that tricep, and you’re going to start seeing some differences pretty quick.

What else does it take to make that work? As far as tightening up the backside of your arm and getting ready to wear those sleeveless shirts, it’s great nutrition. You have to make sure that you’re eating well. And you have to make sure that you’re getting a full, well rounded exercise program. It’s important for you guys to be able to feel the work so that you can burn off the excess fat, while you’re building that muscle. I know you want to be able to see all the nice tone in that muscle come through.

So that ends the two part series on how to get ready to wear short sleeves and say goodbye to the “2nd wave”! If you want to know more about Custom Fitness and what we do here, then please give us a call.

Now that spring and summer is coming up, there is really no better time to be thinking about getting your health and wellness on track.  If you’re wanting the accountability and help with creating an action plan to see results, or are wanting to someone to help create a workout plan to push you to your greatest potential, then that’s what we’re here for. We have an entire team of dedicated professionals to help you with your health and fitness goals. To get your consultation set up, give us a call at 806-322-3188 or email us at info@customfitness.biz At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day.