Two Turns from Zero

by Stacey Griffith

  In the cities where I teach, my students are known for their “Stacey Griffith” arms. “My” arms have a special sculpted look, which my students get from the unique directionality of the moves and the sequences I do in class.

  I learned decades ago that angles promote angles, so if you want a specific, strong, and sculpted toning to your arms, you not only have to move them in a way that is atypical, but you have to mix up the patterns of movement you make. This will give you the best arms you’ve ever had—the arms with muscle definition you never thought you’d have—which is especially important for everyone as they grow older and start wondering when that dreaded droop is gonna start, well, drooping!

  Before you start, read these important tips:

  •How your arms will end up looking is predetermined genetically. (This is true for your abs and butt as well, as you’ve learned already.) Some people bulk up quickly, and some will always have thinner, leaner muscles.

  •It’s worth investing in a set of hand weights, especially in one-, two-, and three-pound sizes. Lighter weights—one to five pounds max for women and eight to ten pounds for men—coupled with higher reps are all anyone needs to get the definition they want.

  •If you don’t have hand weights, you can use full cans of soup or beans, or a large, full bottle of water as a substitute. Anything with some weight to it that fits comfortably in your hands will be fine. Remember this tip next time you’re out of town, away from your regular exercise routine or equipment!

  •The arms sequence I do in my class usually takes five to seven minutes. This sequence works the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and abs and back. These exercises should be done in the order listed, and should take a couple of minutes each.

  •To make yourself even stronger and your arms even better, try to do at least ten push-ups at the end of any arm series. Even if you need to do them from a bent-knee position, a few pushups are better than none. You can also hit planks for two minutes if you want to.

  •For the best results and to see your arm muscles really pop, you do have to watch what you eat. This means cutting out the sugar that you get in sodas and desserts, and watching the carbohydrates found in foods like pasta, pizza, and bread! It’s not rocket science—it’s just discipline. Train your mouth!

  •As you do these arm moves, make sure you are thinking about what you want from them and why you are really doing them. This will help you stay on track with your mission.

  Bicep Curl Press

  DO THIS FOR: 4 minutes

  SUGGESTED SONG: “Sacred Temple” by N.E.R.D.

  1.Stand tall, then move your feet shoulder width apart. Hold your weights with your arms down by your sides, palms facing up.

  2.With both arms, bring the weights up to a 90-degree angle, parallel to the floor. As you move, squeeze the sides of your arms as if you are holding a piece of paper on a windy day. Focus more on that squeeze than on actually gripping the weight. (You want to have a relaxed yet sturdy hold on the weight. Be careful not to overgrab.)

  3.Next, press the weights over your head as if you are about to put them in the overhead compartment of an airplane. The count is one up, two down (in seconds).

  4.Bring your arms back down to the starting position, all the way down to your sides.

  TIPS

  •Try to do this exercise for the length of one song, but it’s okay if you can’t at first. If you need to rest, take a short break, then start at the beginning again. Eventually, you’ll be able to do all these exercises without stopping.

  Paddle Paddle Paddle

  DO THIS FOR: 4 minutes

  SUGGESTED SONG: “4 Minutes” by Madonna (ha—perfect song, right?)

  1.Keeping your feet shoulder width apart, grip the weights as if you were holding a real paddle for a canoe or a wakeboard and are about to move the paddle through the water on your way back to the shore. Stack one hand on top of the other.

  2.Switch the paddle from the right side 8 times to the left side 8 times.

  3.Stay in motion, alternating sides, for the duration of the song.

  TIPS

  •You have to get into this one by slightly bending your legs and really reaching out as if you have the paddle in the water. It will only work if you’re really into it.

  •If you find that you can’t get into it, then improvise your own movement like my dad did with his Tai Chi. What’s important is that you are reaching out with your upper body, and having some flow with the latissimus, biceps, deltoid, and triceps muscles. This is a full upper-body move, and you should be enjoying it, not dreading it!

  Pour on the Definition

  DO THIS FOR: 2 minutes

  SUGGESTED SONG: “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard (it fits, right?!)

  1.Grab 2-pound weights and sit on the edge of a sturdy chair.

  2.Extend the weights straight out, away from your body. Picture a container full of negativity or frustration if you will—whatever it is, use the image as a dump or a get-rid-of moment.

  3.Do an imaginary pour as you drop the weights down to your knees, then turn them upside down as you bring them back up to the starting position.

  TIPS

  •This is one of my favorite visualization exercises. Picture yourself pouring out whatever you want to get rid of on the way down, then fill up your imaginary container with what you need and want in your life on the way up. Continue dumping out and filling up for the entire song. The visuals work, but you have to do them. Most people get more caught up in watching themselves in the mirror and focusing on the way they look, as opposed to how they could actually make themselves feel from the inside out.

  •Try doing this with your eyes closed, which I’ve found can help you focus.

  Floor Flys

  DO THIS FOR: 4 minutes

  SUGGESTED SONG: “Fly to New York” by Above and Beyond

  1.Lie on your back with 2- to 5-pound weights in each hand, arms bent with elbows on the ground, hands up and ready, feet on the floor.

  2.Slowly bring your arms straight up in the air until they are up above your forehead.

  3.Bring your arms down and wide, almost like you’re opening yourself up to receive a big giant hug from down on the floor. Imagine you’re spreading your wings so you can fly as effortlessly as an eagle.

  TIPS

  •If the 2-pound weights are too heavy at first, try doing this move with no weights at all. Gradually build up to the 1-pound and then the 2-pound weights. You really don’t need to go much higher than 2 or 3 pounds once you’ve mastered it for this exercise to be extremely effective. Guys will want 5 to 10 pounds.

  •Keep your abs tight and your back flat on the ground. We tend to lift our butts off the floor, so keep that down, especially the small of your back. Some people also like to place their knees at a 90-degree angle to keep their backs on the floor, so see if that works for you.

  •Always have strong, open thoughts when doing this exercise, as you are vulnerable with your heart open and your arms outstretched.

  As I quoted Dr. Steinbaum saying earlier in this chapter, mindfulness while exercising is a must. She knows, as I do, that the body follows the mind—so that if your mind is telling your body that it will train hard . . . and if you think with every cell in your body about what you’re doing . . . and if you stay connected to your movements and your strong breathing patterns . . . and you tell yourself you want to change and you want to be in the best shape of your life and you won’t stop until you get there—then you will!

  NINE

  REPEAT

  Motivation = Intention + Action

  I’ve written this book because many people may have intent, but can’t stick to the action plan that will bring them long-lasting results. I know you are ready to turn that knob—as if it were on an actual door opening toward the changes you’ve only dreamed of before. Hit the repeat button, and you are unstoppable!

  FIND YOUR SQUAD

  I believe that one of the hardest things we can d
o is show up to our own lives, and show up with energy. We all have times when we aren’t motivated and lose interest in living in our Ultimate Center. During these times all you want to do is curl up into a little ball, under the covers, in the dark, and not move. You feel like you just can’t do it on your own anymore. You don’t know how to propel yourself forward, stick to your plans, or even formulate them properly. You can’t believe you’re ever going to find motivation again. For whatever reason that may be, we’ve all been there, and for some people, it actually stops them in their physical tracks.

  “Music is medicine . . . music is vibration . . . music is life.”

  Let me repeat this: Lack of motivation stops you in your tracks! What we need to do is figure out how to get you to move, and that is definitely easier when there are other people around to help you.

  That’s when you need a squad.

  Just as ants can’t survive without being in a colony, elephants can’t survive without their herd, and dolphins can’t survive without their pod, humans can’t survive without their squad. We’re not solitary creatures. We’ve evolved and survived to become top of the food chain over thousands of years because we lived in tribes, as squads, and the safety of numbers allowed us to flourish.

  I think part of the problem we face in our society is that people feel like they have to tough it out on their own—when in truth the first thing we need to say is, “I need help.” Getting help is what friends are for. This is why I loved team sports as a kid, and why I became a group fitness instructor as an adult. I need my squad, I need a team, and I love a group of kick-ass people with high energy. Let’s go out and find yours, so you can start kicking some ass, too!

  I already showed you that part of empowering yourself to turn your life around is by ridding yourself of toxins—and that includes people. The people who hurt you are not your friends. When I lived in Los Angeles, I felt that a true friend was someone I could call from the airport and tell them I was stranded and they would drop what they were doing and come get me (this doesn’t work in New York because so few people have a car). A real friend is a person you can count on, no matter what. They stick by you when you’re down. They don’t judge you, even when you make really dumb mistakes. A true friend like that is the heart of your squad.

  I think people put up with so much shit from other people because they’re so afraid of not having someone love them that they allow toxicity to stay. Why would you want to have members of your squad who are always putting you down, are unreliable, or untrustworthy? How can you move forward and have confidence that you can attain your goals and stay motivated when someone is dragging you down?

  Like attracts like—your squad should be like-minded people. Not just your personalities or the kind of jobs you have—because I know people who are very different yet as close as identical twins who just get each other.

  Another great quality to look for in your squad are people who will tell you the truth, and not “yes” you just for the sake of avoiding confrontation. I learned in my relationship that arguing and disagreeing are okay, and part of personal growth is debating with someone. I learned a lot about myself by sitting in some uncomfortable truths with my partner, and because we were honest with each other, we actually got closer through a lot of arguments. Learning to sit in them doesn’t mean anyone is leaving—it just means they care enough to be honest.

  Bruno Cucinelli

  That’s why finding your squad and becoming an active participant in it is often the difference between staying motivated and giving up. Human beings are social creatures, after all. It’s why houses of worship are there for those who need to pray; why groups like AA help addicts fight their demons; why having a dinner party for your friends is so much fun; why sitting in a stadium and screaming encouragement to the home team is so satisfying; and why my classes are always full. It’s why fitness or dance classes are, for many, so much more fun than solitary workouts. We feed off one another’s common interests. We understand what brought us together. We fuel one another’s energy needs.

  The concept of finding my squad has been ingrained in me since I was eight, when I started playing team sports. I joined the soccer team because that’s where my friends were. Yes, I quickly got good at the game, but what really mattered to me was being with the people I cared about. That’s what kept me going on days when I was tired or stressed or just didn’t feel like playing. I didn’t want to let my team down.

  Finding your own squad will provide energy to keep you going . . . and going . . . and going. Whether your squad is in your fitness studio or at a support group or in your book club or at a coffeehouse—or even just hanging out with you on a lazy day. A squad is there to get you up and out the door. They are the moral support and encouragement you need.

  FORMING A NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SQUAD

  “SG = squad goals”

  When you feel stuck and in need of some motivation, creating a new accountability squad—or fine-tuning your current squad—can give you the energy, courage, and companionship you need. Here’s how to start forming your new squad—the one that will help you keep your resolve:

  •Go through all the players in your life and pick the starting five. These are the ones you trust the most; the ones who share your goals and dreams. They will get you motivated to work out and go to the gym with you. They will show you how to cook a healthy dinner in less than twenty minutes and invite you to places you’ve never been before.

  •Pick a goal to achieve with your squad. It could be twenty workout classes in twenty days, or white-water rafting in June, or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on New Year’s Eve. Or just walking together every day in your neighborhood, rain or shine.

  •Begin training for that goal, with your squad, and hold one another accountable for the end results.

  I have been so blessed throughout my life and career to find amazing squads. We have gone on long-distance bike rides for days on end, through two countries, and through three states. We’ve lived in India and traveled all over the world. I’ve seen thousands of students a year for the last decade. I’m lucky. You know that already. And now I want you to feel lucky, too. You are a human being, not an inanimate object—that, to me, is so incredibly lucky!

  HOW THE ENERGY OF THE GROUP CAN ENERGIZE YOU

  As energetic as I am normally, some days are just a drag, and they drag me down. Maybe I’m getting a cold, or have jet lag, or I just didn’t get my much-needed seven hours of sleep the night before. Am I going to let my students know how I feel? No way. I’m in that room to give them everything I’ve got, and they expect that from me. I’m gonna kick the ass off the blahs.

  So when I’m having one of those days, I might take a slightly longer nap than usual. Or I’ll add a packet of e-boost powder to my bottle of water, and that can make me really feel better quickly. A few blueberries also seem to give me a little boost.

  And I know that by the end of the day, my energy will have returned. Why? Because the rooms I teach in are supercharged. You walk in, and you will literally feel the adrenaline of all my students zinging off the walls. The energy is flowing; it hits you in the face with the nicest kind of smack of positivity. But it’s something more. It’s the intention that floods the room. Everyone comes to class prepared to work it, and to work it hard. The resonance of all that intention lingers. It feels amazing. It helps everyone work with even more purpose than they thought possible.

  You can feel how rooms are supercharged in all sorts of locations, of course. In a cathedral or a small chapel; in a library reading room or a museum; in a theater when the lights dim and the curtain goes up. It’s all about how a specific environment elicits collective intentions. And this is why a lot of people prefer to work out by taking classes or going to a gym. Any space devoted to movement is going to be supercharged, and will automatically make you feel more energized, too.

  So how do you find somewhere to energize yourself off the collective vibe? Especially if you’re more into
solitary workouts? I had to really think about an answer, because I’ve always been on sports teams and I’ve always preferred to be part of a group workout. You know that old saying, “Once you get there, you’ll be fine”? I always tell my students that getting to class is the hardest part. Obviously it’s my job, and I have to be there, I add, so they should be a lot more excited than I am, because I’m at work and they’re not!

  My suggestion is that you ask a friend or friends who go to classes or group workouts if you could join them. Be sure to introduce yourself to the instructor and say that you’ve never done this kind of group exercise before and you’re a little nervous. A good teacher will be kind and reassuring as well as encouraging. Take a few deep breaths. Set your intentions. Keep your mind open. One of your intentions should be to just relax during this time that you are devoting to yourself, to enjoy it even if you need a little guidance or correction while you’re learning new moves.

  Then do the workout and see how you feel. I bet you are going to surprise yourself—because the energy of the group is going to fuel your own workout in a way that’s just not possible when you do it on your own. It might not be as satisfying to you as your long, solo runs or bike rides, but it certainly is a different kind of vibe that I hope you’ll realize can complement your regular workouts. The only way to experience this is to actually get out there and do it!

  YOU CAN’T MAKE A PUPPY A DOG