This is @alli001 from #Nigeria🇳🇬.
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Hello fellow fitness enthusiasts, we're thrilled to enter the fifth week of the Steemit Engagement Challenge Season 20. As we continue to shape our physiques, it's essential to maintain balance and overall strength. Neglecting our arms and shoulders, which play a vital role in our daily movements, would be counterproductive. With this in mind, I couldn't sit down and watch this week's fitness training, which focus is on building and strengthening muscles in our arms/shoulder region.
It's time to give these hardworking limbs the attention they deserve. Let's get ready to tone and strengthen our upper body. Prior to commencing the main program for Week #5, I completed my mandatory warm-up routine, which lasted for 5 minutes. Some of the warm-up exercises I practiced were:
- Jogging (2 minutes)
- Running in place (2 minutes)
- Knee lifts (2 minutes)
- Rowing (2 minutes)
- High knees jump (2 minutes )
After completing my warm-up routine, I progressed to cardio programs which were;
- Stair climbing (8 sets of 18 repetitions)
- Jumping jack (8 sets of 18 repetitions)
- Jumping rope (8 sets of 18 repetitions)
- Stationary cycling (8 sets of 18 repetitions)
- Skipping (8 sets of 18 repetitions)
I adhered to Coach @genomil's guidance on progressive overload, focusing on increasing repetitions rather than sets to minimize injury risk. Building on last week's 8 sets of 15 repetitions, I successfully upped my repetitions to 18 this week, maintaining the prescribed sets as instructed. Upon finishing the five cardio programs, I was drenched in sweat and radiating heat. Fully warmed up and energized, I was primed to tackle the challenging arms and shoulders sculpturing exercises that lay ahead. As an advanced students, the first program I did was "Press up"👇🏽.
To execute this program, Here are the simple steps I followed:
- I started in a plank position with hands shoulder-width apart.
- I placed my hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, with fingers facing forward.
- I engaged core muscles, keeping abs tight.
- I slowly lowered my body toward the ground.
- I kept elbows close to my body (45-degree angle).
- Lowered until my chest nearly touches the ground.
- Then finally pushed back up to the starting position, while extending my arms fully.
Honestly, press-ups have never been my forte. Despite years of struggle, I've found it challenging to maintain consistency. However, with this recent challenge, I discovered an inner strength that propelled me beyond my perceived limits. For the first time, I pushed myself to unprecedented heights. I completed 12 repetitions of 4 sets as requested, with a 1-minute rest period in between to rehydrate. The next program was bicep curls👇🏽.
To execute this program, Here are the simple steps I followed:
- I stood with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Held dumbbells with palms facing forward.
- Keep back straight and shoulders relaxed.
- Bend elbows, curling dumbbells toward shoulders, while keeping upper arms still.
- Slowly lowered dumbbells to starting position.
- I keep control throughout the movement to avoid swinging or jerking.
Building arm muscles has long been a fitness goal of mine, and I've always admired the defined biceps of others. This week, I finally put bicep curls into practice, and it was an exhilarating experience. The rhythmic beat of my favorite song playing in the background added to the motivation, making each repetitions a joyful accomplishment. I completed 12 repetitions of 4 sets as requested, with a 1-minute rest period in between to rehydrate. The last program I choosed was shoulder taps👇🏽.
To execute this program, Here are the simple steps I followed:
- I stretched my legs behind me.
- Support my body with my palms flat on the floor.
- While maintaining that position, I used my right palm to touch my left shoulder.
- Quickly switched, using my left palm to touch my right shoulder.
Out of the three arms and shoulder sculpting exercises, shoulder taps stood out as my favorite. Despite the challenge, I persevered through 2 sets of 12 repetitions, pushing past my comfort zone despite the trembling in my muscles. I completed 12 repetitions of 4 sets as requested, with a 1-minute rest period in between to rehydrate.
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Upon completing the three exercise programs I selected for the week, I concluded with a 5-minute stretching routine, an essential step in post-workout recovery. This crucial practice helps prevent injuries and prepares my body for the next day's challenges. This week's fitness exercises presented varying levels of difficulty, but I found that all programs, except for press-ups, were manageable within my capabilities. Notably, press-ups have consistently posed a challenge since the beginning. Nevertheless, I successfully executed all programs precisely as instructed.
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Maintaining a balanced diet is crucial for our overall health, particularly when exercising to achieve specific fitness goals. To uphold this balance, I made a conscious decision to moderate my evening meal. When served six potatoes with sauce, I opted for a portion-controlled approach, consuming only three. Additionally, I prioritized hydration by drinking enough water 30 minutes later, rounding off my dinner.
Talking about my overall feelings, honestly, Coach, I'm experiencing significant discomfort in my arms and shoulders. The soreness is intense, evidenced by my struggle to retrieve my top from the 8-foot-high wardrobe. I had to muster extra strength to manage it. Although challenging, this pain indicates that I executed the exercises effectively, and the results are manifesting. I have no questions to ask concerning the programs, it's well understood and executed.
Thank you coach @ngoenyi and coach @genomil for consistently hosting this fitness training challenge. Here is my assignment for week #5.
| Pictures | Originally mine |
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| YouTube videos | My YouTube handle |
I would like to invite @stef1 @wilmer1988 and @eliany to please join this challenge
https://x.com/allicrypto01/status/1844880390323884207?t=3biIQDvxp-AnVjMjnZ23uQ&s=19
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Upvoted. Thank You for sending some of your rewards to @null. It will make Steem stronger.
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Congratulations, your post has been upvoted by @scilwa, which is a curating account for @R2cornell's Discord Community. We can also be found on our hive community & peakd as well as on my Discord Server
Felicitaciones, su publication ha sido votado por @scilwa. También puedo ser encontrado en nuestra comunidad de colmena y Peakd así como en mi servidor de discordia
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Wow this is so incredible your fitness skills is really amazing and your explanation are just perfect keep it up best wishes dear
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Thank you for the accolades dear. I'll keep on progressing, I'll also like you to join fitness. It's a lifestyle I choose.
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Thank you @eliany for the support 🫂
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