My job is not boring…
I missed the excitement by about 30 minutes… When I got to my client’s home she told me that animal control had just left with the little guy. Who knows how he had gotten into the house, but apparently he was looking for some exercise tips. My client’s husband had discovered the bat and put the above note on the door.
In case you’re wondering, I’m sure this is what he looked like…
But seriously, who couldn’t love this little face!
While we are on the subject of bats today, let’s talk about doing some “bat wing” exercises. For the sake of my cute little pun, I am referring to the muscles of the upper arm as the bat wing muscles. These muscles are the biceps and triceps.
The first exercise is called skull crackers. It works those pesky triceps that like to jiggle on the backs of our arms. Roll out on a Swiss ball and engage your core to make a bridge. Raise both arms toward the ceiling and keep your upper arms fixed in that position. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells to each side of your head. Warning: don’t crack your skull! Return to starting position and do 12 to 15 reps. Do two to three sets. Glaring white legs are optional.
Skull Crackers
The second exercise is called biceps curl. Stand tall, engage the core, but don’t lock the knees. Flex your biceps and bend your elbows until the dumbbells almost touch the front of your shoulders. Return your arm to about 140 degrees while keeping your biceps flexed. Repeat, doing 12 to 15 reps. Again, do two to three sets.
Biceps Curls
And the third exercise is called kickbacks. You can either stand on the floor, or for added core work, stand on a BOSU. Bend your knees slightly and lean forward at the hips while keeping the back straight. Raise the arms behind you so your arms are parallel to the floor. Bend at the elbow and allow the forearm to travel toward the floor while keeping the upper arm parallel to the floor at all times. Return your arm to the starting position while flexing the triceps. Do two to three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Kickbacks on a BOSU
- Questions:
- What wild animal, bird, or reptile have you found in your home?
- What’s your favorite triceps exercise?
- What’s your favorite biceps exercise?
I always feel the “skull cracker” moves! AND do they have a cat? My hunter cat brought us a few bats (they flew into my closet!)
No they don’t have a cat… Your cat was very sweet to bring you such a nice gift! 🙂
I enjoy your blog Debbie………especially enjoyed today’s warning: don’t crack your skull! You crack me up.
Thanks, Esther; and coming from someone whose sense of humor I totally love, I’m flattered! 🙂
Out here, we get these adorable little lizards in the house (pretty much like the ones they get in the southern US), plus an assortment of bugs. Me, to some recent guests: “Umm…I hope you’re not squeamy about bugs, because the ants seem to have picked a parade route through the guest bathroom at the moment. Don’t worry; they’ll change it up in a few days!”
For triceps: I like the skullcrackers move, myself – we do it in BodyPump, just with a bar instead of hand weights. I also like overhead tricep presses. I know that neither of these moves isolate each arm…but kickbacks often make my shoulder uncomfortable, so for now, I just try not to let either arm dominate the two-arm exercises! 🙂
For biceps: I’m happy with a regular bicep curl. Sometimes I mix it up with hammer curls or half curls, but I’m not too fussy!
Those little lizards are adorable, but I’d be afraid I’d step on one by accident and hurt it.
When I have my clients use a bar instead of dumbbells, I have them focus on their weaker arm so they don’t give it a free ride while the stronger arm takes over.
They move SUPER fast…
My Teenage son calls those the “bingo wings.” Just visualize what happens when a woman in the bingo hall gets a bingo. Arms go up in the air and the wings flap. …yes, he’s told me I have bingo wings. That’s how I know what he calls them. Maybe I need a favorite triceps exercise.
One of my teacher clients called them “chalkboard flaps” because when she wrote on the chalkboard they flapped back and forth!
I had a bird fly into my kindergarten classroom once. Poor bird. He had no idea how traumatized those kids would make him! He’s probably still suffering PTSD.
We found a small lizard-type reptile in our basement and when we first moved here this crazy bat attacked my husband. He didn’t get bitten (bats bite and carry rabies!!) but the thing kept dive bombing him in the driveway. He had no choice but to swat the thing down with a broom and then take care of it.
Is that gym set up in your house? It’s pretty sweet. I spy a bunch of race medals on the wall!
Favorite tricep/bicep exercise is doing different variations of push ups.
Yes, that’s our basement gym. My morning commute is pretty sweet! 🙂
Yep those are our medals… mine on the bottom, Bill’s on top. I use basic curtain rods to hold them. OK, I just got a great idea for a post! 🙂
Favorite bicep exercise is called 21s. Starting with arms down by sides and dumbbell in each hand, curl up to forearms are parallel to floor palms up, then slowly release forearms to sides. Do 7 reps. Next start with forearms parallel to floor palms up. Engage biceps and curl forearms up toward shoulder. Keep the bicep engaged with tension…don’t go to far, the release down slowly to parallel. Do 7 reps. Next bring arms by sides. Engage biceps and curl up to shoulder as you did in the second set then slowly release down to sides. Do 7 reps. 7×3= 21. That’s set # 1. Do there three sets.