Welcome to second installment in our Wedding fit series. In Part One we covered exercises that covered full body moves and cardio. I am excited about this week, because we cover biceps and triceps. Which is always a major area of concern for brides, every bride I know wants to have lean toned arms to show off in their wedding dress. Even if you’re not in a wedding this year, these exercises will help get you swimsuit ready for summer!

NOTE: Before attempting any of these exercises, please consult with your doctor to ensure that you are healthy enough for physical exercise.

Exercise #3: The Squat (Legs and Butt)

COUNT: For starting, do 4 sets of 8 to 12 body weight squats with a 30 second to 1 minute break in between.

• The Squat is one of the best all-around exercises that you can do for your lower body. Squats targets your Quadriceps but they also activate your core muscles and target your Glutes, Hamstrings, and Calves. If you’ve never squatted before, you may want to start slow and use a low seat. Practice sitting down and standing up. For squats, you should follow these guidelines:

1. Start from a standing position, feet about shoulder-width apart and nice and tight in the core. Extend your arms directly in front of you at shoulder level and keep them there for the entirety of the exercise.
2. Lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, almost as if you were trying to sit on a low seat.
3. At the low point of the squat, your thighs should be parallel to the ground and all of your weight should be through your heels. Try not to let your knees pass beyond the line of your toes.
4. After you’ve squatted, stand straight back up to the starting position.
   1. NOTE: If squatting is too difficult, try placing a Swiss-Ball on the small of your back and position yourself so that the ball is pinned between your back and a wall.
   2. As you squat, the ball will roll with you and absorb a lot of the pressure from the squat. These are excellent beginner squats.

Exercise #4 & #5: Arms (Biceps and Triceps)

COUNT: 3 sets of 4 – 6 repetitions

• Your Biceps and Triceps are agonist and antagonists of each other. Where the Bicep helps to fold your arms in, your Triceps work to extend your arms. As such, you should probably consider working each of these muscles on different days. For Biceps, use an EZ-Curl Bar (or any dumbbells), keep the weight light, and follow these steps:

1. Stand up straight, feet about shoulder-width apart, and remember to keep your core nice and strong, you don’t want to hunch over.
2. Start by curling the weight up to your chest.
3. Then, lower the weight about 2 inches and hold for a 10 second count.
4. After a count of 10, lower the weight so that your elbows are at 90 degree angles and hold for another count of 10 seconds.
5. Last, lower the bar even further, until your arms are nearly straight and pause there for another 10 seconds.
6. Once complete, that’s one repetition.

• For Triceps, you will follow a similar routine:

1. Lay down facing the ceiling on a flat bench (or the floor) holding light dumbbells.
2. Start with the dumbbells held parallel to each other above your head.
3. Lower the dumbbells about 4 inches and pause there for 10 seconds
4. Next, lower the dumbbells so that your arms are at 90 degrees and hold them for another 10 seconds.
5. Finally, lower the weight to the bottom position so that they are on either side of your head and hold them for a final 10 seconds.
6. Once complete, that’s one repetition. Press the weights back up and repeat the 3 stops again.

Special Thank  you to Muhamed Hack Personal Trainer and owner of Fit for you Fitness  for guest blogging this series and for providing useful information to my readers!

Over the next three weeks Wedding Wednesday post will be dedicated to getting in shape for your wedding. Fitness trainer Muhamed Hack was kind enough to put together seven effective workouts to get you looking and feeling your best for the big day!

Planning and organizing your own wedding can be equally as exciting as it is stressful. The dress, the food, the cake, the location, the invitations, the guests, the date, the groom, and more, the list seems endless. All of these factors play into a swirling mess of details that you, as the bride, with your endless supply of patience, must sort through. This doesn’t leave much time in your day to try to get into the best shape of your life. After all, it is YOUR wedding.

As a personal trainer, I am frequently asked about specific exercises that target problem areas for women. These include, the belly, the legs, butt, arms, and back. There are several exercises that target these muscle groups that are simple and can be done just about anywhere. This list features recommendations, which, if done regularly, will to help get you on your way to a leaner and fitter you, just in time for the big day!

NOTE: Before attempting any of these exercises, please consult with your doctor to ensure that you are healthy enough for physical exercise.

Exercise #1: Walking (Belly, Legs, Butt)

COUNT: Walk for 20 – 30 minutes for starting, 2 – 3 times per week.

• Most people think that running will do the trick but most people are also not runners. My recommendation, walk. Walk far, walk fast, and swing those arms. An average person can burn about 100 calories per mile just by walking so put on some comfortable shoes, grab a bottle of water, and hit those trails.   Don’t look for the easy way out, either. Tackle hills, climb steps, and find a partner that will keep you accountable. If you’re new to walking, start small. As your endurance level increases, walk for longer periods. Continue setting progressive goals and stick with them.

Exercise #2: The Dreaded Burpie (Belly, Legs, Butt, Arms, and Back)

COUNT: 12 – 15 Burpies with a 30 second to 1 minute break in between.

• Few exercises are as effective (or as dreaded) as the Burpie. This is an excellent exercise that can be modified in any number of ways but targets many of your major muscle groups. To test your stamina, do as many as you can in 1 minute, then try to beat that record on your next test. To do a Burpie, start from a standing position, feet about shoulder width apart. From there, there are 4 basic steps:

1. Squat straight down from your knees (not your hips) until your hands can touch the floor.
2. Plant your hands and kick both of your legs behind you so that you are in a plank or pushup position (from your head to your feet, your body should form a nice solid diagonal line).
   1. As a way to make this more challenging, a modification here would be to do 1 – 2 pushups once your feet are in place.
3. Jump your feet forward so that they land in between your hands.
4. Stand up back to the starting position and repeat the motions.
   1. Another modification here would be to jump up, rather than just stand up, and raise your arms over your head.

Come back next week, for part two of our wedding fit series

Special Thank  you to Muhamed Hack Personal Trainer and owner of Fit for you Fitness  for guest blogging this series and for providing useful information to my readers!