Upper Body Workout at Home

It's been raining ice here all morning long. The forecast is for 5 to 15 inches of snow in the next 24 hours. I'm not going to make it to the gym! So, I did an upper body workout at home. Since I don't have enough weights here to match Snap Fitness, I had to slow a few of my reps to hit the 10s. Everything worked except shrugs. Not enough weight. I'd have to shrug the TV set, but it's too bulky - probably just end up hurting my back.

Above is a picture of me doing some bench presses. Notice - no spotter. Bad Form! And I can't explain why one leg is off the ground. Just fooling around, I guess. Tomorrow is a cardio day. I 'spose I'll do jumping jacks. Maybe ice skating around the yard?

Flies on the Ball

Yesterday was an upper-body workout. I started with 10 minutes on the treadmill to get the heart pumping then the good stuff--dumbbell flies on the Swiss Ball. It must be a unique idea at our gym. I get quite a few looks.

I couldn't find any pics of people lifting weights on the ball, but the picture shows how it's done. (Imagine him doing flies with a dumbbell in each hand.) I don't really like doing flies on a bench. It always seems to be the wrong height, and then my lower back is not supported. I end up with a sore lower back. Doing a bridge on the ball like this adds a little extra core work while doing the flies. Every little thing helps. If you try this type of lift, choose the largest ball available. It's a bit tricky starting out.

But I've digressed. The workout was fabulous. The pecks are aching this morning--along with the traps.