Fitness Friday: My arms need work

Last weekend amid all the fun and celebration, I had several pictures taken of myself and all I can say is that my arms need work.

In my younger years, I never worried about my arms because I swam a lot and was thinner. Today, my arms look flabby in pictures and it makes me sad.

While most women focus on weight - losing pounds - they often forget about their arms. Vacuuming the house can be a work-out, but it is not the only time that arms should feel the burn.

I have rounded up a few work-outs that can be done at home to help find some tone in those flabby arms. All of these can be done in front of the television after the kids go to bed.

Plank Press

What you'll need: a pair of 3- to 5-pound dumbbells, a yoga mat

What it does: Targets shoulders, back, triceps, and abs

Place dumbbells at top of mat, then get into full push-up position with arms shoulder-width apart and hands directly under shoulders; step feet out slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Keeping hips level, lift right hand and pick up one dumbbell; drive right elbow backward at shoulder level, keeping arm close to side and palm facing down.

Extend right arm forward.

Return right elbow to bent position and repeat.

Do 10 reps, switch sides and repeat. Do 2 sets.

Tricep squeeze

Hold a small dumb bell in your right hand. Place left hand and left knee on a bench or couch. Keeping your back straight lift your elbow so that your upper arm is in line with your middle. Squeeze your tricep muscle and lift the dumb bell so your arm is almost straight with the dumb bell toward your rear. Lower and repeat 10 times.

Tricep extensions

Holding one dumb bell in both hands, hold it behind your head so it is resting on the top of your back. Lift the weight straight up - avoiding hitting your head - hold and then lower. Repeat for two sets of 10 times.

Have an arm exercise that gets great results? Send me all the details and I will post it in a Fitness Friday blog - rachel@capegazette.com.

Recipe Alert!

After you are finished with the arm work-out, you will likely be feeling pretty good about yourself. Enjoy the evening with some grill fries. These were a new recipe for me - I promised you guys I would let you know how they turned out! They were delicious and not terribly hard to make; but they do take some time to organize.

Grill fries

You will need:

6 Russett potatoes - or large white/gold potatoes

1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning

3 TB Olive oil

Preparation:

Put the potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Put the pan on the stove, add several pinches of salt  and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and let them cool on the counter for about 15 minutes.

Once the potatoes are cooled, slice each large potato into about 8 steak fries. The chunks should be pretty hefty because they have to hold up on the grill. I found that cutting a partially-cooked potato can be a bit tricky. The best way is to use a serrated knife and if it gets too sticky, switch to another serrated knife!

Place all of your cut-up potatoes on a large plate. Prepare the grill on high heat. Place a single layer of aluminum foil over the grill grate.

Potatoes are sticky so spray the foil with cooking spray. Then place the potatoes in a single layer across the foil. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a healthy amount of Old Bay seasoning.

Grill between 3 and 5 minutes on each side. Remove the potatoes to a plate and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Yum!