holiday arms workout

Hello, lovelies! Mattie Claire, from Fit is Chic here.

I am honored to be collaborating with Lauren today, and I’m so excited to share a little piece of my blog with all of you! So, Thanksgiving is behind us, and the holidays are upon us. It’s officially time for holiday parties, holiday dresses, and holiday…arms.

Yes, sister…holiday arms. Great arms aren’t just for tank top season; great arms should be a thing all. year. long. Especially during the holidays! Hello, 359823751875693 Instagrams. To help us all get holiday-arm ready, I’m sharing my favorite shoulder workout. I complete this whole circuit at least 2 times per week; backwards and forwards each time.

WARM UP:

Plank :60

Spiderman :60 (Start in plank position, bring one knee up to the side, reaching towards your elbow. Repeat on opposite side.)

Elbow Reaches :60 (Start in plank position, bring one knee up across your body, reaching towards opposite elbow. Repeat with opposite leg.)

SHOULDER CIRCUIT:

Side Raises: Stand with feet together, hands down by your side with your wrists facing in. Lift the weights up towards your arm pits, keeping your elbows back and the weights close to your sides. Lower the weights back to starting position.

Upright Rows: Stand with feet together, hands down in front of you, wrists facing your legs. Lift your hands, bringing the weights all the way up to right below your chin.

Chicken Wings: Stand with feet together, arms bent at a 45-degree angle, with your elbows down by your sides, and your hands in front of your chest. Lift your elbows above shoulder-height, and then bring them back down to starting position.

Lateral Raises: Stand with feet together, arms by your side. Raise both arms straight out to the side, right above shoulder-height. Bring back down to starting position.

Each exercise should be completed 20 times with no rest in between. Try your best to make it all the way through. You can do it! And always, always, always make sure your core is engaged. Don’t let your back do the work!

For beginner athletes: Use 5-10 lb. dumb bells, and complete 20 reps of each set. (If you’re using less than 10 lbs., I suggest doing 30 reps.)

For advanced athletes: Use 12-15 lb. dumb bells, and complete 15 reps of each set.

Complete entire circuit, and then repeat it backwards.

I hope you all love this workout as much as I do. I’ve been doing it for almost two years now (with a few variations now and then), and it’s still my favorite arm workout.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my guest post; I so appreciate it! And please don’t be a stranger, I’m more than happy to help you with any questions you might have. 🙂 You can email me at mattie.steger@gmail.com, you can find me on Instagram (@fitischic), and you can always contact me through my blog, FitisChic.com!

Stay fit, sweet new friends! I can’t wait to hear from all of you. Xo