Posts Tagged Hard Time

Dumbbell Lat Rows

Michelle Berger explains how to do a simple dumbell lat row exercise. Great for at home workouts. www.buffmother.com

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Outline:
Equipment
Form
Mind Muscle Connection
Speed
AKA Lawnmowers

Transcript: Dumbbell Lat Row

Hi, Michelle Berger here. I’m going to do a quick demo on how to do a one arm dumbbell lat row. Now this exercise is great for your back, great for at home workouts with dumbbells. A lot of people have a hard time figuring out exercises to do for their back at home. This is a very good standard back exercise that anyone can do with a dumbbell and a chair. So, we’ll start off – we have our chair here and our dumbbells down here, so let me go ahead and grab my dumbbell.

Then get secure on my chair. I want my knee on my chair and my hand on my chair. I want to keep my upper back nice and straight, I like to keep my lower lumbar curve in there. Then you want to stretch down with the weight, letting your arm hang down, then pull back up into your side and squeeze.

This is for your lat, so you want to make sure you’re working your lat. You want that mind muscle connection to be working this muscle. So as you bring the weight up really think about squeezing.

Now, I see a lot of people doing this as a quick fast motion. It should be slow and deliberate. Lats really respond to the stretching motion. So make sure they stretch down and then also make sure as you come up you squeeze that upper arm into the side of your back, really activating that lat, ok.

Now, a lot of people call these lawnmowers because they are just like when you start a lawnmower. So you pull – that pulling motion- with your lat.  Alright, make sure you do both sides. Don’t just do one arm and quit. Switch around to the other side and do 10 on the other side also.

This is a quick demo of dumbbell lat rows.

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SuperStar Success 2009 – Tammie A., Finalist

Name: Tammie A
Number of children and ages :  Four- ages 12, 10, 8 and 6
Age: 46

Today’s Date: 12-2-09   height:  5’5″ weight: 151 / 141 lbs.   age:   46

Today’s cycle day- 26

Please list the following measurements:
Bust (around breasts the biggest part): before 38  after 37
Chest- relaxed (just under armpits above breasts with arms down at your sides):  before 34 3/4  after 35 1/2
Chest- flexed back and chest (just under armpits with arms down at your sides):  before 36 3/4  after 36 3/4
Waist- relaxed (the smallest part):  before 34 1/4  after 31
Waist-sucked in (the smallest part):  before 32 1/2  after 29
Hips (the largest part of your butt):  before 43  after 40
Shoulders (around the outside of your shoulders with your arms at sides):  before 42 1/2  after 42 1/4
Biceps (relaxed at midpoint of upper arm): before 11 5/8  after 11
Biceps (flexed at midpoint of upper arm):  before 12  after  11 1/2
Thigh-mid (about 8” above knee cap):  before 22   after 21 1/4
Thigh- upper (about 12” above knee cap):  before 25 1/4 after 24 1/2
Calf (about 7” below knee joint):  before 13  after 13 15/8

Why did you enter the SSS contest by BuffMother?
I entered the SSS contest for several reasons.  The first reason is because I saw Michelle’s before and after picture and this is what peaked my interest in BuffMother.  I also needed MOTIVATION.  I thought that entering the contest would keep me motivated…and it did!  Also, I have to say that after I had children, I have had a hard time losing weight and exercising.  I had tried all the fad diets, went to group workout classes at the gym consistently and saw little or no results.  I wanted to try lifting weights in the comfort of my own home where people weren’t watching or scrutinizing me.  I have always enjoyed free weights and wanted to learn more about it.  I felt that I owed it to myself and to my family (but mostly to myself) to make a change for the positive and become more fit.  I was really down on myself before I began and saw SSS contest as a challenge and something positive.
What tactics did you use to stay focused and engaged for the entire 70 days?
I took each day as it came.  I liked that the workouts were well planned and the meals were simple (KISS is what I told myself everyday).   I could workout in my home or outside and it didn’t take hours.  I told myself that I only needed 30 to forty-five minutes to make a change and to just do it.  I started to see small changes and my husband noticed.  This was a huge motivator.  Also, I joined the rally room.  It was great because the women in the RR are dealing with the same issues.  It lets you know that you are not alone.  Also, the RR was fun because all the comments are positive and it was fun to help motivate other women. Also, the video coaching was a HUGE help.  It was fun to watch you show how to do the exercises. Please don’t be insulted; but when I would see clothes lying around in the video, it made me think…”hey Michelle has stuff to do too, but she’s taking this time for herself and for me, so I deserve to take time for myself too!”
How do you feel about your success?
Super positive!  I know that I didn’t get out of shape and fat overnight.  I realize that it is going to take time to have the body that I know I can have.  This is the first time in years that I have actually had results!  I want to start the SSS again and stay with it.  Maybe by summer, I will feel comfortable in a bikini (minus the skirt bottom).
What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to attain your goals?
The obstacles that I had to overcome were obstacles that I created in my own mind.  We all have hectic daily routines.  We all have family obligations,  children and spouses or significant others that need us.  I had to realize that my housework, laundry, paperwork, grocery shopping or whatever would still be there after my workout.  This was really difficult for me, but I would say to myself that I would just do it for 10 minutes because I can do anything for 10 minutes.  Before I knew it, the workout was complete.  My other obstacles were food choices.  It was difficult for me to pass up the goodies.  The good thing is that I passed up many more than I accepted.  I tried to drink a lot of water, which was a challenge at times.  Also, eating greens 3 times a day was hard at first.  Also,  there was a week or so when everyone in my house became sick, so it was hard to get in a workout.
What would you like to tell the world about BuffMother ?
I have told several friends about BuffMother already.  I would tell the world that BuffMother is the answer to their prayers.  BuffMother is the solution to the problem.  The problem is feeling miserable about their bodies.  It works.  It is all laid out for you.  That BuffMother has done all the research and women’s bodies are unique in that their hormones can actually work for them, not against them.  Hormonal timing is the key to becoming fit.  Also, that other women that are in the same situation as me; that is, that I am menopausal, or post menopausal and have no hormones, can actually realize their cycle by charting their hormonal responses (weight, bloating, mood, etc).  That knowing what your hormones are doing can work to your advantage in every aspect of your life, but especially for eating and exercising.

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Holy Tired Thursday!


I was sooooo tired yesterday morning and then I realized It’s TIRED THURSDAY! Thursday is one of the hardest days of the week PERIOD! I figured out that my tiredness may be due to a few factors~
I am on my period, c-day 4 today to be exact and I’ve been ignoring that and basically trying to kick it into fat loss gear too fast. I KNOW better than that and should let my body rest a bit more until about c-day 5.
I stopped taking NO2 and Gamma-O about a week ago so that I’d loose the extra water weight they cause me to retain. I felt the energy from taking them…and now without I feel like I could SLEEP at any second. I think the 2-3 pounds of water I retain from taking them is worth it; I hate feeling so tired!!!
I haven’t been sleeping so good. I’ve had a bit too much of afternoon caffeine, so I’ve had a hard time falling asleep at night. I need change that habit…I preach keeping caffeine intake to the am hours and I need to follow that advice!!!
My workout was perfect for my tiredness…I went for a walk with a good friend of mine. Emily is my favorite photographer and she designed my book layout…she made it pretty!! She had her first son last September and he’s so CUTE!!! OMGoodness, for the first time since my babies were little I held a BABY!!! and It was GREAT!!! His blue eyes memorized me!! Emily is going to do a shoot with me in about 1 month~ which brings me to the fact that we are going to do a contest here in the RR. 4 weeks to FIRE HOT for the FOURTH count down starting June 4th, lol!!! Lot’s of 4′s!!! I LOVE IT!!!!
Keep watching for details, I’ll be posting more about it over the next couple days… the sign up starts MONDAY!!! Don’t miss it, because it’s never too late to get BUFF!!!!
Love Ya’ll sooooo much, keep focused on the positive and BELIEVE that you can attain yoru BEST body, life and legacy!!!
You ROCK!!!
-Michelle

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Quick day!

buffmother's picture

Hi Ya Ladies….
Today flew by! I have been keeping myself REALLY busy this week and I know that I will only get busier!

Here is a run down of my day–finally I got up on time today. I have been having a hard time with this time change also! Then I worked all morning~ felt great to get a few items DONE~ then I headed to the track…even though I hadn’t eaten quite enough to fuel my workout, I didn’t want to put it off and risk missing it again.

Here is what I did:
1200m warm up- that’s 3 laps: I felt like there was led in my legs! it was not a good sign for what was to come

4×200 with 3 min recovery between 30,29,30, 31
2×200 with 6 min recovery between 30, 30

I was dying, but felt disappointed at my physical performance….but all workouts can’t be 100% on~ so I’ll just focus on making the next one even better. My race is just over 2 weeks away and I feel SCARED out of my pants!!

After all that I ate, and brought the kids to the dentist. What a crazy wild time! Then we got G-ma from Auntie’s house, then got home, made supper and now it is bath time.

My plan for tomorrow is to get this house cleaned (pay G-ma to do it Eye-wink ) , get wal-mart done (maybe get g-ma to do that too???), work for most the day, tan/workout, and then RELAX all weekend!! I owe my dear Gracie a DATE–so we may hit the movies smile

Happy Thurs!
-M

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Sleepy Sunday Oct 1st


October is I am Proud month—so being Oct 1st…let it get the positivity rollin’

I am Proud of myself today for getting to church…we’ve missed going for the last 3-4 weeks–so it felt good to go. Our regular pastor was not preaching, which is hard for me, becuase I LOVE my pastor. BUT I did “grab” a few postitive points from the sermon.

BUT,What is up? I am so sleepy today–I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open…It may be something to do with me being really sore…I had a little too long off of really lifting about 2-3 weeks….and now that I am back at it again–I am pooped! PMS doesn’t help much either. The weird thing is I took a nap yesterday, slept for 8 hours last night and still am hankering for a nap. Maybe I need some fresh air.

We are going to go out to eat as a family this evening…and maybe go to the mall…we’ll see on that part. DH wants to get an upright bike if we can find a decent one at a decent price today–so that would rock! If we had a bigger house, I’d have a home gym for sure. The “plan” is to get a bigger house in about a year…I can’t wait–Can you say Claustrophobia???

Yesterdays workout was running 3.3 miles with 3- 3 mins hard/1min off intervals and about 3 other 1 min intervals. Then DH and I lifted chest, tri’s and bi’s and of course I did ABS too!

love,
BuffMother!

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