Work it! Week Two of Arm Challenge

The arms challenge continues! I did every day of the challenge last week. Did anybody reading this do that? Well, it's here if you decide to do it on your own timeline. So, without further ado, here are the exercises for this week, starting with tonight! I should plan better, I guess, so the exercises are ready for you if you workout in the morning...or we could keep Monday's routine as-is. Yes.

Week two:
(B)icep, (T)ricep, (S)houlder, (F)orearm

Monday (Biceps, Triceps): 3 circuits
12 Standing Dumbbell Curls (B)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Tricep Dumbbell Extensions (T)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Hammer Curls (B)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Tricep Kickbacks (each side) (T)
Rest 60 seconds

Tuesday (Shoulders, Fat-burning):
12 Standing V-Raise (S)
Rest 30 seconds
16 Overhead Press Pulse (S)
Rest 30 seconds

Above:  2 circuits
Begin Tabata Interval (from video)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday (Biceps, Triceps): 2 circuits
20 Monkey Arms (ALL)
Rest 30 seconds
20 Tricep Dips (T)
Rest 30 seconds
16 Weighted Jump Rope (ALL)
Rest 30 seconds
20 Tricep Dips (T)
Rest 60 seconds

Friday (Shoulders): 2 circuits
10 each side Plank Press (S)
Rest 30 seconds between each side
12 Front Raise (S)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Standing Row (S)
Rest 60 seconds

Saturday (Fat-burning):
30 Second Wide-Leg, Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
30 Second Wide-Leg, Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
Begin Tabata Interval (from video)

Sunday (Forearm): 3 circuits
30 Second Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
12 Dumbbell Wrist Curls (F)
Rest 30 seconds
30 Second Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
12 Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls (F)
Rest 60 seconds

Is there progress? Hmmm...

[dramatic] I shall continue!

Vamp-o-lantern project...minus the lantern

I love Halloween projects!  I think I could make something Halloweeny once a month and still have tons of projects lined up come October 31st.  Here's the latest thang:

Isn't that fun?  We did that with a real tiny pumpkin this year.  Next year, we might try it with a fake pumpkin, just so we can keep him, year after year.  I can't keep calling him 'him,' so he is now Vlad.

Here's our starting point.  I guess there's a spoiler here:

First, we had to cut a mouth opening for Vlad.  It took a while, but we finally came up with the correct dimensions to fit Vlad's enormous teeth.  We used both a cheese knife and a safety knife and didn't slice or dice human phalanges.  Hooray!

We cleaned out Vlad's brains, then had a fitting.  Vlad's a snarky dental patient...

All is vell (said in a very dramatic Vampire voice), so we pinned Vlad's teeth in with his eyes.  Sounds weird, but it works like a charm.

We had leftover glitter glue from the Creepy Eyeball Project, so we thought it would be funny to add a little in appropriate places.  Muah-ah-ah-ah!

Vlad needed a friend, so we repeated the process for Constantine.

All finished.  Does this look like a happy family?

Creepy Eyeball Project - - Look Out!

HA!  I crack myself up with my little puns.  Eyeball.  Look out.  Oh, ma-a-an.  Classic.

So, I have had the 'ingredients' for this little project for a while, but I haven't been in the crafty mood...so I waited until today.  I've got just enough time to panic and think that I don't have enough time to do all the things I need to do for Halloween.  That's called 'motivation' in my world.  I've been told it's called procrastination...whatever that is.

We'll jump right in!  First, you'll need:

Googly Eyes, of all shapes and sizes (lots!)
Red glitter glue (or you can use regular paint in Halloween color of choice)
Cheap picture frame (got mine for $1 at Michael's, $0.60 if I use a coupon!)
Funky ribbon of choice
Letters of choice, from wherever (cricut, etc, if you have it, or store-bought)
Glue/epoxy of choice

Next, unwrap frame and get to it.

I think I used too much glitter glue, and probably should have used my fingers to rub it around, as that paintbrush was irkin' me.  I declare!   *ponder*  Wow, I'm in full Southern mode, y'all.

At this point, I'm having fun putting the eyeballs into the glitter glue.  Yay, me!  Just a note:  Obviously, if you use paint, you'd let that dry and then glue the eyes on.  I know it doesn't always need to be said, but I'm covering my bases.





I.
Hate.
Googly.
Eyes.

I never want to see another one again.  Seriously, I think I googly-eyed for two hours straight!  I can set this aside for a few hours to let it dry.

After all that glue was dry, I ran a black sharpie around the inner and outer edges of the frame. I love the drippy glitter glue.  Makes it creepy...well, creepier.
<------

I then wrapped a bit of ribbon around the bottom, and held it there with my handy-dandy clippy things.  I have to say, I lucked out with the ribbon.  I had no idea it was see-through, and that really works for this project!     ------>

I glued the very punny letters in place and filled the frame with nothing.  Look:  that one eye has two pupils.

I really like the red glitter glue.  It's icky and shiny and gross.  Enjoy, while I go to my next panic project!

I'm back...and with a challenge!

Sorry for the long absence!  I haven't been feeling all that special, and this blog is the first thing to suffer in times like that.  However, I'm back with a bang, and I want you to join me.

I am starting a 30 day challenge.  You can go along with me, if you'd like, and do everything I'm doing, just in the comfort of your own environment.  Don't start unless you get your doctor's okay, though, especially if you are of the older, more mature variety.  :-)

This will be an arms challenge.  I'm providing a before picture of my poor, neglected arm muscles.  At the end of 30 days, I'll do a side-by-side comparison and, hopefully, we'll all bug our eyes out and hang our mouths open for several seconds.  It's a wish I have...

So, without further ado, here's my arm:

Great Googly Moogly!  Ten inches of pure bicep monster!

Throughout this challenge, I'll update weekly with different things to do.  I want to confuse your muscles with, like, math and stuff.  I'll work the biceps, triceps, shoulders and forearms.  You'll need some equipment, like hand weights of various sizes, a yoga mat, a chair on 'concentration' day and proper outfits.  No workouts in cocktail dresses!  I also want your body to become familiar with one of my faves:  Tabata Intervals.

So, here is the schedule for week one:
(B)icep, (T)ricep, (S)houlder, (F)orearm

Monday (Biceps, Triceps):  3 circuits -- Done!
12 Standing Dumbbell Curls (B)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Tricep Dumbbell Extensions (T)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Hammer Curls (B)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Tricep Kickbacks (each side) (T)
Rest 60 seconds

Tuesday (Shoulders, Fat-burning):  -- Still recovering. Tabata is no joke.
12 Standing Row (S)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Lateral Raise (S)
Rest 30 seconds
Begin Tabata Interval (from video above)

Wednesday:  Rest -- This is good, since I can't move my arms.

Thursday (Biceps, Triceps):  3 circuits  -- Everything is easier after Tabata day...
8 Concentration Curls (B)
Rest 30 seconds
15 Tricep Dips (T)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Hammer Curls (B)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Lying Tricep Extensions (T)
Rest 60 seconds

Friday (Shoulders):  4 circuits --Easy squeazy!  Maybe not next week.
12 Overhead Press (S)
Rest 30 seconds
12 Front Raise (S)
Rest 30 seconds
30 Second Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 60 seconds

Saturday (Fat-burning):  -- Ugh
45 Second Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
45 Second Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
Begin Tabata Interval (from video above)

Sunday (Forearm):  2 circuits -- Harder than I thought, doing 60 seconds.  Hmmm...
60 Second Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
8 Dumbbell Wrist Curls (F)
Rest 30 seconds
60 Second Straight-Arm Plank
Rest 30 seconds
8 Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls (F)
Rest 60 seconds

 Slowly stretch the muscles you worked after each workout.  That should do it.  Are your arms hurting already? If you aren't familiar with some of the exercises, let me know...or check out the internet search engine of your choice.  There are great videos on youtube on how to do these exercises in a safe way.  Just remember to keep things tight (don't flail about as you handle hand weights) and always, always check your form.  Also, if you feel the need to stop because you are about to puke (thank you, Tabata!), do so...but try to finish after you recover.  Concentrate, y'all.  It's your temple you're dealing with here!

If you do this, measure your arms, take pictures, whatever.  Slow and steady wins this arms race.