Candice's Kinder-Gentler 6-Week Beginner XTrain Rotation + MODS for cardio!

Candiceena

Cathlete
Hi Everyone,

As I mentioned in my other thread, I have come up w/ an even kinder-gentler version of the original beginner Xtrain rotation. Here are the main specs on this rotation:

  • It is 6 weeks instead of 4 weeks
  • Weeks 1-4 have workouts 3x/wk
  • Weeks 5-6 have workouts 4x/wk
  • It follows the same order of workouts from the original 5day/wk beginnre rotation, which was modified and adapted from the 30-Day XTrain Rotation in the guidebook (I just shortened the workouts by choosing premixes instead of full-lengths)
  • REMINDER: You can change the DAYS of the week you do these workouts but I would recommend keeping this ORDER because it is based off of the 30-day rotation in the program guide :)
  • If you are feeling sore/tight/stiff and want to incorporate lite workouts on your days off, I would recommend: Cathe's Yoga Relax or Yoga Max from LIS, or Stretch Max (or her other Stretch DVD), any of the FIRM Yoga or Pilates workouts, esp Sculptilates if you want an "adv-lite" workout, or Jessica Smith has some great stretch workouts (10min-30+min) on her YouTube channel if you don't have any of the ones I mentioned - or your own personal favorite stretch/yoga workouts!

Here are the CARDIO MODS I have come up with. I really have found myself struggling w/ some of the cardio workouts. Now, you are more than welcome to work through Cathe's cardio but if you need to have some options to work up to it, here you go:
  • Remove impact: don't jump, use a towel as your step or use a step platform w/o risers, do traditional versions of exercises where Cathe does her own versions (ie: regular jumping jacks instead of Cathe's version)
  • If you do want to jump - JUMP SMALLER! Cover less ground, it's ok!! :)
  • Use non-Cathe cardio at first, if your cardio endurance is not up to par yet. I recommend FIRM workouts that are either Cardio or Cardio+Sculpt. If they are C+S, use light weights (or lighter than you would normally use). Or, whatever Cardio you like! :)
  • If you don't use all Cathe cardio to start, or you use more beginner Cathe Cardio (she has a couple beginner DVDs) I would recommend doing a pyramid style so you are working up to Cathe - week 1, no Cathe, week 2, 1 Cathe and the rest non-Cathe, week 3, 2 Cathe, 1 non-cathe, etc etc.
  • If you really want to get good at Cathe's cardio, and have a lot of FIRM tapes like I do, I would recommend their more recent stuff - the FIRM Express, or any of their "purple" DVDs, or their new ZT if you have it. I say this b/c those workouts all incorporate HIIT-style work, like the Cardio workouts in XTrain do. Other HIIT DVDs would be great too - 10 Min Solutions has one or two out, Chris Freytag has a whole series, and Jessica Smith who has free online workouts on her YouTube channel also has a lot of HIIT workouts and I have done her workouts before and they are pretty good! If You don't want to spend $$$ and don't have any non-Cathe HIIT, I would check out Jessica Smith to use as a stepping stone to Cathe
  • bolded purple workouts are cardio workouts that you can sub w/ others if need be while you work up to Cathe-level cardio

I will be trying to accomplish this 6-week rotation and then going back to do the 4-week rotation. I think this is a GREAT way to build up your endurance to Cathe's AMAZING cardio workouts and her XTrain program!! :)

Please post any questions or comments or suggestions!!

wk1
m - burn sets premix 12 (chest + back) (37 min)
w - cardio leg blast premix 3 (34 min)
f - burn sets premixes 6 & 7 (bis and tris) - about 30 min

wk2
m - hard strikes premix 16 - 35 mins
w - all out low impact hiit, Premix 7 Timesaver Floor Cardio + Core #1 (33 min)
f - c/b/s premix 3 (33 min)

wk3
m - supercuts premix 8 - 29 mins
w - hard strikes premix 16 - 35 mins
f - bis/tris premix 3 - 27 mins

wk4
m - cardio leg blast premix 3 (34 mins)
w - burn sets premix 12 (chest + back) (37 min)
f - all out low impact hiit, Premix 7 Timesaver Floor Cardio + Core #1 (33 min)

wk5
m - bis/tris premix 3 - 27 mins
t - legs premix 10 (30 mins)
f - tabatacise premix 1 30 mins
sa - c/b/s premix 3 (33 min)

wk6
m - hard strikes premix 16 35 mins
t - cardio leg blast premix 3 (34 mins)
f - burn sets premixes 6 & 7 (bis and tris) - about 30 min
sa - tabatacise premix 1 30 mins
 
Thank you Candice! I love the fact that you gave a 3/week as well as a 4 time/week! Just what I needed. :)
 
Candice, you're a workout rotation genius - this was exactly what I was looking for. I will begin this rotation tomorrow. Thanks for putting this together!
 

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