How do you conquer a video?

K

Kath

Cathlete
I was feeling pretty confident about my strength gains until recently. My sculpting tapes are the wedding tape and firm volume I, and my jogging route is 4.5 miles. I thought I was ready to move up to MIS and Power Hour.

Wrong!!! PH just about killed me, what I managed to do of it, anyway. MIS I just watched in disbelief. But I really want to be strong enough to do these tapes. So how do you gradually build up the ability to do these? Should I stop the tape when I have to stop, or just join in when I can and let the tape continue? Or something else? I'd be very interested to hear what has worked for others, since we all had to start somewhere. Thanks all. Kath
 
Why not start out with light weights? Even 3's or 5's. Just to get used to the moves & sequences. Do what you can, rest when you need to, and join in when you're ready. Pause the tape when you need to rest, resume when you are ready. It's that simple! I've been lifting for 4 years. I'm a runner like you. I started with 3's & 5's, now I use 8,10,12,15,20# dumbells and 20,30 & 45lb plates on my barbell. Don't force yourself to lift too heavy, remember form & safety is everything. Your body will adapt and get stronger, and soon those 5's will be too light! Good luck & be careful. You can do it!
 
I agree with Marnie! Start light, start slowly, and you'll ease into these workouts. Listen to your body, take longer rests.
Be proud of yourself for however much you can do, at whatever weight. You don't have to lift heavy to get results.

Veronica
 
I agree with Marnie. Start light, and progress from there. As long as you're choosing weights that are challenging for *you* you will make progress. Don't be afraid to experiment with heavier weights, but always keep a lighter set of dumbbells on hand so you can pyramid down if necessary to complete the set. And remember: the only person you're in competition with is yourself. That's why Cathe usually doesn't make a big deal about telling you what poundage to use. You have to pick the weights that are right for *you*.

Occasionally to challenge myself I will use weights that are really heavy just to make sure I hit muscle failure, even if that means I can't complete every rep. Then I give the muscle that I worked to failure a couple days off so that it can recover. It's the recovery process that causes your muscles to become stronger, as I understand it. So muscle failure is a good thing and you should try for it once you're comfortable with the moves and working with heavier weights.

And girlfriend, if you can do the floorwork in Firm Vol. 1, you can do anything!

Laura
 
It sounds like you got some good advice on how to conquer these videos. I just wanted to add in my experience. I am a runner too and I started the CTX series about 8 weeks ago. I did those for 5 weeks with MIS legs. I felt myself get a little stronger each week. I am now on my 3rd week of a PS series. I just love it. I am getting stronger and stronger and the tapes are getting easier. It is great. Start light and slowly go up. You can do it!!!
 
Something to keep in mind

I agree that starting lighter and working your way up is a great idea! I did want to point out, so that you don't feel bad if this happens to you, that when you increase the weight for one exercise, say chest, you may find your endurance for a later exercise *temporarily* decreased slightly. That's because when using free weights you aren't ever actually working JUST the chest or JUST the back. You're using other muscles in support of the main group you're working. So if you increase the weight in your chest work, the 1st time or 2 you may find that you hit failure sooner with your triceps, just because they're already more fatigued. This ISN'T a step backwards. They are still getting just as thoroughly worked as before. As your endurance improves over the next couple of workouts, you'll find yourself able to finish the same number of reps at the same weight as before. I always try not to increase my weight in too many exercises at the same time. Even though I KNOW I'm not really decreasing my performance later, to struggle too much at the end of the workout gets disheartening. ;-)

Hang in there! You'll make it! Not even Cathe got where she is all at once. It's been a gradual process for everyone. As long as you're moving forward, you're exactly where you should be! :)

Erin
 
Hi Kath!

I just died laughing (not at you, of course) with your comment about watching MIS in disbelief! I'm still laughing - :7

I can remember so well the first time I did that tape - I staggered through the legs, and then when Cathe said after the first round of chest work, 'we're going to do that all over', I just above threw my dumbbell at the TV - I thought, 'where did this woman come from?" And the biceps crazy eights - I think she's still using a 35 lb barbell on that! I doubt I'll ever make it up to that weight!

You've gotten great advice, just to start light, too light even, to build a little confidence and get a handle on what weight is appropriatefor you, and you will get there. These tapes are so very different from the Firm tapes, but it's good to do different types of workouts. And I agree, if you can get through Firm 1 floorwork with a 10 lb dumbbell, you're not a wimp!

Take care and keep us posted on your progress!

Cheers,
Colia :)
 
Hey Laura - FIRM Vol.I floorwork!

Your comment about FIRM Volume I floorwork caught my eye. I recently did Vol. I (a longtime sentimental favorite) for the first time in forever, and I am MUCH stronger than I used to be. So it just shocked me that the floorwork section killed me! I was so confident that I was going to be able to rest a 10-lb dumbbell on my legs for that long-lever leg work -- wow, how wrong was I! :-wow

What IS it about that floorwork that is so tough??

Kathy S.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-30-01 AT 03:15PM (Est)[/font][p]There are several ways of working into a video. I'm working my way up to conquering PH by extending the rest periods between some exercises. I take a longer break between squats and plié squats, and also before lunges, between barbell and dumbell lunges, and probably somewhere else as well LOL! I choose a weight that is lighter than what I usually use, and try to keep my form. At the end of some sets, my range of motion might shorten up a bit, but I try to correct that the next time I do the exercise. On biceps, I felt the weight I had used the first two times I did the routine was a bit light, so I went up, but too much! I ended up switching over to my original weight about half way thorough (for the 7 low-end curls). This is another way of "moving up", by keeping a secong, lighter weight handy so you can pyramid down quickly.
 
I basically agree with everyone else here. Would you believe it, I STARTED with MIS! Good thing I didn't know what I was attempting! I started with lighter weights of course, & stopped the tape whenever I had to, and rested if I needed it. I also left out the last 2 lunge exercises completely because I was always too exhausted by then to do them with proper form. Then I hit on the idea of doing the whole thing backwards sometimes, which allowed me to do those lunge things -sigh- while fresh. At this point, I have gone to heavier weights on MIS & can usually finish the whole thing forwards or backwards, but I still have to stop & rest here & there. Someday I hope to do it without stopping!
To this day I still find MIS to be harder than the PS Series!
Good luck with it...just don't ever give up & you will get there!
Ruth :)
 
How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time!

I was reading a post about Power Hour and I remember thinking, "I didn't think the weights were all that light!"

It's all relative!

Some days I choose a thirty pound barbell and somedays it's my 15 pound body bar. I bought Slow and Heavy but am scared to try it!:) You go girlllllll! You'll be lifting with the best of 'em in no time.
Start small and to the moon with you!

Bobbi;-)
 
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