Hi! I’m Tara from Treble in the Kitchen and I am so happy to be guest blogging for Danielle today! Danielle and I connected a while back, and I have loved keeping up with her healthy approach to running your own business. She has so much good advice to offer! Treble in the Kitchen is my little corner of the web where I love sharing my latest kitchen experiments (mostly healthy, some not!), my latest workouts, and bits and pieces of my life.

While I am a Bodypump instructor and certified personal trainer, I recently started going to school full-time to fulfill my longtime dream of becoming a Registered Dietitian. The great thing about my schooling is that I am doing it through a DISTANCE learning program, which means I get to create my own schedule and I can work from home…much like an entrepreneur!

That being said, I completely understand that when you work from home you really are working all the time, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but does make it difficult to squeeze activity and fitness into the day.

I’ve created a great arm workout that focuses on light weight and high repetition. I love to use this workout as a little screen-time break in the middle of my day, but you could tag this workout on to an outdoor run or walk or fit it in wherever YOU feel the need to move your body.

Arm Workout

Equipment Used:

• 2 light dumbbells (around 5 lbs)
• Mat, optional

Complete 20 repetitions of each exercise and repeat the circuit 2-3 times. Focus on keeping the body in alignment, bracing your midsection, and maintaining good form.

*If you are making any major changes to your fitness routine, please make sure to speak with a medical professional first!

• Boat Pose with Drawbridge Arms: Sit with your upper back at a 45 degree angle. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground. Feet should be hip distance apart, and you can lift them off the ground to engage the ab muscles getting into boat pose. Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your arms in a goal post position, both arms in 90 degree angles. While maintaining the angle in your arms, lower the weights to the ground so your forearms are parallel to the floor. Bring the arms back to starting position and repeat 20 times.

• Plank with Single Arm Bicep Curl: Begin in plank position, while holding onto two dumbbells. Hands should be under your shoulders and feet slightly wider than your hips. Lift one arm, while keeping the hips square to the ground. Extend the arm out away from the body, then curl the dumbbell in towards your shoulder targeting your bicep. Return back to the extended position and repeat the exercise 20 times on this side before repeating on the other side. This can be completed on the knees if your hips are moving.

• Plank Tricep Kickback: Begin in plank position, holding on to two dumbbells as described above. Keeping the elbow in close to the body, draw the elbow up so the weight is right by your ribcage. Extend the arm backwards, targeting the tricep muscle (the back of the arm). Bring the weight back to starting position and repeat the exercise 20 times on this side before repeating on the other side. This can be completed on the knees if your hips are moving.

• Boat Pose with Pec Fly: Return to boat pose as described in the first exercise. Hold one dumbbell in each hand as you extend your arms out in front of your body. As you keep the belly button pulled into the spine and the ribs hugged close together, open and close the arms to target the chest muscles. Repeat 20 times.

• W Arms: Place your feet flat on the ground and sit with your upper body at a 45 degree angle. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms out from your shoulders at 45 degree angles. Draw your elbows down towards your waist line and create a W shape with your arms. As you make this motion, squeeze your shoulder blades together to target the upper back. Repeat 20 times.

Enjoy the workout!