Two questions about the Muscle Endurance workout.

[jwfarrelly]

Hi Cathe,

I've just begun your Intensity series videos and am enjoying them. I particularly appreciate the fact that during your Muscle Endurance tape you are setting up your weights at the same time as we are. I've always preferred not to have to pause the tapes and now I don't have to. So, thank you!

One of my questions, which I could have asked earlier since you've used this exercise in previous workouts, is why during the chest press with dumbbells are we not supposed to touch the dumbbells at the top? And another question has to do with the leg lifts. I do not have a step that is as high as the one you use. Is it okay to just use the highest step level, which I think is 12 inches on my particular step, and just add more weight? For example 20 lbs instead of the 10 lbs in your video? I have been curious about these and naturally want to do the exercises safely and effectively.

The ab exercises by the way, are killers, but great...if I ever get through them completely!

Jennifer

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Jennifer! The reason that you should not touch the dumbbells at the top during chest work (chest flys most specifically) is because you want to keep your chest muscles under tension for the duration of the set. If the dumbbells touch at the very top, the chest is no longer optimally challenged since there is no tension (or extrememly little tension)on the pec muscle.

For leg presses, the higher you step up, the deeper in the glute muscle you will get. Too high could stress your joints too much while too low may not provide enough range of motion to get deep in the glute. If you are at least at 12 inches you should be okay though. Yes, you can increase you weight to present a greater challenge but if at some point down the road you are able to raise your step higher, that would be the better way to go. Good Luck!

 

[clareMc]

jennifer:

if you don't have risers for your step to get the height up to at least 14 inches, which is what Cathe and crew ususally set their height at for step ups, then just use a stable block of wood positioned on top of the step to raise the height. Make sure it is wide enough to provide stability. This is what I use sometimes since I can't afford risers right now. Alternatively, measure a chair that you have with a stable seat and use that: mine is around 15 inches and I use that. It works perfectly and in the PLB tape and PS legs too.

Clare