S&H Legs Modification Question

[hounddogs]

Hi, Cathe:

When doing S&H Legs I use a Bowflex for squats and can go quite heavy (the move simulates a gym-style leg press), but for lunges and plies I am only allowed to hold about 30-35 pounds due to back problems. It just doesn't seem like enough for the slow and heavy sets. So I've been using 30-35 for all the pre-exhaust sets, too. Should I add a fourth set slow and heavy? Go even slower? Cut the rest down? I do step-ups (24 each side, 30 lbs.) instead of calves because I hit calves on the bowflex during the squat rests. But I'm still not getting the exhaustion in my legs that the rest of my body gets with the S&H series. Please can you help me fry my legs?

Thanks so much for the intelligence, creativity, and innovation of all your work. Whenever my motivation wanes I reach for a Cathe tape and am restored.

--Ann

 

[hounddogs]

Bump; if anyone besides Cathe has a suggestion, don't hesitate.

 

[kathryn]

You might try doing step ups right before pliés, as a super set (do you have the DVD? It makes mixing and matching and moving things around much easier).

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Ann! Working the legs with heavy weight has always been a tricky issue. While most women can handle a heavy weight to challenge their legs, mounting and dismounting the weight from the shoulders is where the challenge lies. You need assistance of some form when the weight gets to heavy to lift over your head. Since many do not have that assistance available, I have designed most of the workouts with some form of pre-exhaust method or simply made many leg workouts cater to an endurance style since it is more condusive to a home workout environment.

So in your case, any of the options (or a combo of them) are suitable attempts to see if you can "fire" your legs up.

Another suggestion.......Step ups are a great pre-exhaust exercise. Since you mentioned that you are doing step ups in place of calves, I suggest you do a set of weighted step ups, followed by the weighted pre-exhausts sets before you go into your lunge segment and then again before you go into your plie segments.

Good Luck!

 

[hounddogs]

Thanks for the reply! I'll be trying the step-ups tonight.
--Ann