Creative Monthly Workout; Chest and Arms

[30 Minutes]

You and your child can design your own workouts! This activity focuses on the muscles of the chest and the back of the arms. These exercises will strengthen and tone the pectorals (chest muscles) and the triceps (back of the arm muscles).

You'll need:

• clipboard • paper • pencil • 3 or 5 lb. Dumbbells or a substitute. You can use 2 cans of soup or make your own weights in a flash by filling ziplock plastic bags with sand or dirt, keeping the sand loose enough to be able to grip easily.

What to do:

1. If possible, print out these directions. Read them through together with your child.
2. Together, gather all that you’ll need and always remember exercise safety. Pick a comfortable space where you can move freely to do your exercises.
3. With your child, look at the pictures demonstrating the movements the muscles can perform.
4. Create a movement for the chest. For example:

   Do a push-up of the floor or the wall or a chair.
   Lie on your back and press the weights up and down from your chest.
   Do exercises with one or both arms.
   Standing, bring your arms, holding your weights together in front of your chest and try to “squeeze” your chest muscles.

5. Decide how many times you want to perform the exercise - such as 10 times or 15 times. These are called “repetitions”. You can also increase the “reps” to 20 or 30.
6. Perform the movement - which is now your exercise - and show your child the technique. Continue to create more exercises using the illustrations of the muscle movements. Create at least 3.
7. Now help your child set up his workout sheet. Write down the exercise and a description of how to do it including the number of reps.
8. Together, name the different exercises - such as “Scotty’s Pec Squeezes” or “Marcia’s Super Chest Presses”
9. Here are more suggestions:

   Lie on your back and press the weights over the chest keeping the arms very close in.
   Lie on your side and with your top arm press your body away from the floor.
   Standing and holding the weights, straighten your arms up over your head, then lower the forearms by bending at the elbows.

How to use:

The following are some guidelines for the illustrations:[V]Pectoral muscles bring both arms toward the middle of your body.
Draw a figure standing with both arms straight out to sides at shoulder level.
Draw another showing both arms outstretched in front of the chest at shoulder level.
Draw the same movements with a figure lying down on the floor on his back.
Pectoral muscles are hugging or squeezing muscles. Pectoral muscles work with your triceps to push things away.
Draw a person doing a push-up or pushing a large box.
Triceps straighten your arms from the elbows.
Draw figures showing the different ways to straighten the arms - such as standing and reaching directly over head - then bending at elbows to reach behind the head.
Or draw a figure straightening both arms behind him - then bending in again at the elbows.[/V]

Useful information:

Use moderate speed when performing your exercises - not too fast!
Breathe with your exercise - regulate it with your repetitions.
Don’t be too hard or too easy on yourself - a moderate challenge is good, then build up from there. Plan a healthy snack for after your workout to discuss your exercises and plan your next session together.