@SparkSpringtime69 that was a really good suggestion about the running. I tried all kinds of methods, like interval training and working on my breathing. It got slightly better. I might actually be able to do better now because I've lost weight. I haven't really tried.

Having a workout bench is fabulous.

I did yoga today and I definitely felt stronger, lighter, and much more flexible than Friday. Progress!!!

Having some family drama (don't we all?)
So my challenge this week is not to eat my pain.

@CeeBeeSlim thanks. I did some retail therapy and bought myself a Fitbit. Best Buy has a sale. I also saw that they have a sale on exercise equipment.

I love Irish cream. I drink that in my coffee at Christmas time.

Today I tried to use the 12 lb weights at circuit training, but it was a little much.
I got a good workout!

Going to a family lunch today and I'm going to be good and get grilled shrimp. It is my favorite thing anyway at that place.

Have a great day!

Can anyone suggest any good arm workouts? Specifically for the triceps? Hoping to tone them up a bit more, even just a tad. Always had waggly arms, and they still look like it even after losing roughly 30kg ~3 years ago.

In today's news, I bought a house! So maybe all the box shifting and cleaning might help tone everything up! (And it's got stairs - I grew up in a bungalow until just now so legs are feeling it!).

I'm also down 1.4kg since starting Keto last Monday. Though most of that is water weight apparently. Still amazed!

@GlobalKeto congrats on the house!
As far as arms/triceps, I do a couple "fly" variations, couple variations on rows, skull crushers, cable pull down (straight arm and tricep isolating), sometimes some dips, but those can aggravate my shoulder sometimes do I don't do many of them. Not all are tricep specific, but a lot of them engage them.

Back to my 5x/week workouts now that I'm mostly remote again (some days of lighter workouts are allowed though as needed). Probably going to suck the first couple weeks again though since I haven't been lifting much for the past 2.5 months....ugh, no great excuses, but time was tight and motivation wasn't great, but could have fit more in than I did.

Moving and cleaning houses (and gardens) are serious workouts, especially when it involves stairs and heavy boxes/furniture so enjoy that NEAT burn!

My arm exercises are same as others have noted. I also try to do lots of pushups and planks. You can't just work your triceps - gotta have your arms, chest and shoulders in balance! Try moving ladder planks - get up in a straight arm plank, move your hands close together under your face and then start walking your hands as far up / away as they can go and then walk them back as far down under your body as they can go without falling. See how many spots you can put your hands (criss-cross, around in a wide circle). Such a great shoulder / triceps workout! Guaranteed to blast arm flab!

Has anyone actually taken "before" photos and measurements? Have you shared these out to the MFP universe (or elsewhere) and did you find it motivating? I am fit but could be fitter, especially my upper body and I'm considering committing to a real strength building regime. Given my weight is within the normal range I know I won't see victories on the scale and I would love some motivating victories like looking better in photos. Anyone have experiences to share with me on this idea?

k8richer wrote: »

Has anyone actually taken "before" photos and measurements? Have you shared these out to the MFP universe (or elsewhere) and did you find it motivating? I am fit but could be fitter, especially my upper body and I'm considering committing to a real strength building regime. Given my weight is within the normal range I know I won't see victories on the scale and I would love some motivating victories like looking better in photos. Anyone have experiences to share with me on this idea?

Yes! I'm a big proponent of this. Pictures I find are best spaced out - day to day you're not going to notice a difference, even weekly there won't be much, but at least monthly can be great comparisons. Measurements (something I need to start again, probably will do that today) are FANTASTIC if the scale is hard to judge off of (which, if you're changing/adding workouts, lifting, etc it can be so fickle!). I like to measure weekly. Last time I was doing it regularly I measured: Chest x3 (above boobs, over boobs, under boobs), natural waist, belly button waist, widest part of my hips, widest part of my upper thigh (both sides), just above knees, calves widest part (both sides).

While most of those I wanted to go down, a few I wanted to go UP, and if you're already low on body fat, then it can be great to see the gains in the areas even if the scale is stagnant. For me, my weight is all in my mid section, but I want my muscles to grow, so calves, knees, just above my boobs were numbers that could go up. You could always add an arm measurement or two in there too, but for me, those are pretty easy to see the changes.

Has anyone else out there been thinking about the importance of good posture? I caught a glimpse of myself in profile a few weeks ago and there was a slight but disturbing hint of "dowager's hump." We really have to watch ourselves; between computers, phones and e-readers, we're all at risk. I signed up for a four week posture improvement workshop yesterday and had to scold myself when I got up from my desk two minutes later and shuffled off head down and shoulders slumped. Yeesh, lady; you just spent good money on a posture workshop -- how about getting your nose out of your navel for free.

@mandycat_florida welcome!

I agree that weight lifting is great for posture improvement. It's also a big focus in yoga.

I've been playing with my Fitbit and it did measure my heart rate today. I did not get above 145 but I felt like that was pretty high when I was doing the boat pose!!

I never got into the peak zone and it's supposed to be adjusting for my age and weight.

So I actually burned more calories walking the dogs then going to yoga, according to the Fitbit. 1 hour of yoga and 42 minutes of walking dogs at a very slow pace. Go figure

@CeeBeeSlim I measured for years, just started again as between adding back in my workouts and just where I want to go with my fitness, the scale is going to be pretty fickle.

I measure the following areas on my body - bear in mind, most of my weight loads up on my abdomen, and a tiny bit at the top of my thighs.
Above boobs; over boobs; under boobs (bra line); natural waist; belly button; butt (most protruding spot from a side view); hips (widest spot from a front view); upper thigh (both - at the widest spot); above knees; widest part of calves.

Most of the measurements from over the boobs down to my upper thighs I want to see going down (bra line hit or miss), the others I would actually like to see go up on my body with how it stores fat - or doesn't. Boobs also volunteer as tribute for me (grrrr), hence that measurement.

Neck, arms - while there's some fat there as I don't look ripped, it's not enough to worry about measuring it, I just don't store much fat in those areas, so just muscle visibility (arms) is all I'd be eventually looking for there.

I measure weekly, and you can definitely get measurable differences that often - I measure down to 1/8 of an inch.

The first column is the yoga work out and the second column is the circuit training. I have no idea how accurate the Fitbit products are, but it does 'sort of' measure your heart rate. I was more conscious of it being high during yoga than during the circuit training..

."What Is a Fat-Burning Heart Rate? Chart" https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_a_fat-burning_heart_rate/article.htm

I second that,@litstuesday.

It seems hard to believe we're only mid-August.

My daughter wanted a cake for her birthday so I ate very poorly yesterday since I was testing the cake (!). t did not really eat until dinner time. But I did well in yoga today. It's not my knees that hurt sometimes --- it's my calves. Maybe they just aren't strong enough

Oh @CeeBeeSlim there are no words for this. I am sorry to hear of your family's loss and shock. You will be processing this for a long while - be kind to yourself but also stay strong. Someone once told me, in the midst of a tragedy, that the best thing you can do for you and all around you is stick to your routine. Don't fall apart but find strength in sticking to your normal, healthy routine. Easier said than done, I know! Hugs to you and your family!! (And a HGTV binge is always OK!!)