Running is so great and I love it, but it’s not the be all, end all of my fitness routine. It wasn’t even what I started with when I began working out again. I went straight to yoga, pilates and arm workouts, until I felt like I had built up enough strength, endurance, and stamina to lace up my running shoes and head out the door. Believe me, those first few miles were not easy, and they weren’t for awhile. But it felt good to be outside in the sunshine, listening to music and getting fit. I started anywhere between 1 – 3 miles, and did my fair share of walking. The most important part is just getting out the door. ANYWAY! This post isn’t about the beginning, it’s about getting fabulous arms! Cause when you run, you’ll wear tank tops a lot! And also having toned arms rocks. I haven’t had arms I’m proud of since high school and that was….20YEARS AGO. Swim team arms! I mean, I love my body blah blah blah, but you know what I mean.

Newly-graduated-in-’99 swim team arms. That’s me, on the right.

It takes a few months, but here are the workouts I love the most. LISTEN, I STARTED WITH 2LB WEIGHTS, THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT. Use  soup cans, tall cans, use weights you found at the 99 Cent Store (they have them! And yoga mats!), just stop making excuses! I started seeing muscle tone using 2lb weights, and in the beginning, 2lb weights were heavy AF to me.

After a couple of months of using 2lb weights and starting to see muscle tone! VERY PROUD OF MYSELF HERE.

Now I use 5lb weights, sometimes 8, but hardly ever the 8lbers. I don’t want to pull my back doing shoulder exercises, jeez.

Tone It Up 

Denise Austin

This Yoga with Adriene video is pretty challenging, so obviously I suggest you check it out!