Slow & Heavy for Split or Full Body

shearpamela

New Member
I just ordered it and it looks great but I have been doing other Cathe DVD's for a total body workout three days a week. I see you can mix and match but to try to do the entire DVD looks to be about three hours long... I have always thought that a full body workout three days a week brings faster results. Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
I'd give it a go as it is - ie 3 split sessions per week. Cathe recommends doing it for no more than 3 weeks, as it's pretty intense. You may find that it is a good change from your normal total body routine, and that it helps break any plateaus etc. We're always being told to change things - if, after 3 weeks, you decide split sessions really aren't for you, you'll be familiar enough with the workouts to figure how to incorporate them into your routine.

It's a great set - I love being made to concentrate on form (I don't unless pushed :eek:)

Enjoy them, and let us know what you think!
 
Pamela (?):

total body workouts are great, but often their focus is endurance rather than strength gaining, and each has its place in your workouts schedules.

Total body workouts are also great timesavers or calorie burners when you are trying to focus on not over-tiring the muscles and getting as many workouts in per week as possible, or when you are pushed for time and can't dedicate 3 days a week to split weight training because you only have 3 or 4 days each week to workout and want some time for cardio.

I have done Slow & Heavy in the past for longer periods than the 3 weeks Cathe recommends. At the time, I could maintain the mental focus, it was what I wanted to do, I was heavily motivated and seeing great results. I used these DVDS consistently for about 3 months. I saw the best results ever with any weight system. I have never been stronger in terms of total poundage hoisted. I actually did all 3 workouts straight through each time. Sure, it took a while, but I had the time and the ability to focus and it suits my personality to workout long, but for fewer days each week (3 or 4 workout days only). That's just how I am. I am not a 6 workout days per week person, never have been. So, it is do-able. It just depends on you.

You'll probably get the results you are looking for by maintaining the 3 workouts as they were designed to be done, and as Cathe recommends, as backed by Justine here! Keep them as 3 separate workouts. I prefer to always begin with at least 20-30 mins of cardio to thoroughly warm the body, before I begin lifting real heavy with splits. Partly this is a desire to avoid injury by making sure I am completely warmed up, partly this is because I do not believe articles that tell me I "should" never do my cardio before my weights (blasphemous, in some circles!), partly because this is the system that works for me and partly because a session that is just 40 mins of weight training (chest, back, shoulders for example) is not a complete workout for me (remember: I only workout 3 or 4 days per week, so I am always doubling up and working for about 2 hours each time).

You have to experiment with each workout set to find out what works for you: how many days do you want to workout or can you workout? What kind of intensity do you prefer or can you handle? What are your time constraints? Personality constraints or requirements? What is your desire? What motivates you? Experimentation will tell you whether you want to double up, and maybe do the S&H legs and also chest and back in one day and leave shoulders, bis and tris for a second day (I suggest this because chest work requires so much input from shoulders muscles that I personally find it hard to put max effort into shoulder work after chest work, as performed by Cathe), or whether you want to leave them as 3 separate days as designed. Whether you want to do cardio before or after each weights session, or if you want/need each day to just comprise the weights work and that is it.

You decide. Have fun with your experimentation, and take your time deciding what works for you.

Clare
 
I've done S&H a few times and they do take mental focus. I had trouble with the 6-2 count used and enjoyed them much more when I did them again using a 4-4 count. I do it both ways, just another way to use the set.
 
The other great thing with this dvd is that you can vary the splits-do as is one week, do a C/S/T, B/B, Legs another week, etc.

Beth
 
Here's a nice S&H rotation with a total body week by Cathe:

Slow & Heavy Rotation (April 2004)

This month's rotation focuses on Power and Strength. Enjoy!

Week One:

Mon…….IMAX 2
Tues……Slow and Heavy Chest and Back
Wed……MIC
Thurs….Slow and Heavy Bicep and Tricep
Fri……..Imax 2
Sat…….OFF
Sun……Slow and Heavy…Legs and Shoulders

Week Two:

Mon……..Step Works
Tues……..KPC
Wed……..IMAX One
Thurs……Slow and Heavy Back and Bicep
Fri……….Slow and Heavy Legs and Shoulders
Sat………Slow and Heavy Chest and Back…followed by a 30 minute walk/run
Sun………OFF

Week Three:

Mon:……Cardio Kicks plus KPC ABS only

Tues…….Slow and Heavy Legs and Shoulders

Wed……..CTX Step & Intervals followed immediately by Step Blast Challenge (only the challenge)

Thurs……Slow and Heavy Chest and Back

Fri……….Body Max (all but the upper body segment at the end) plus CTX Kickbox (cardio only)

Sat……….Slow and Heavy Biceps and Triceps…plus Pyramid Lower Body (stability ball segment only)

Sun………OFF



Week Four: Homemade Slow and Heavy program

Do all of the exercises listed below for two sets of 8 reps. Do 2 counts on the positive portion of the movement and 6 counts on the negative portion of the movement.

MON…WED….FRI:

Barbell Bench Press (up 2 down 6 counts)

One arm bent over rows (8 reps per side, per set)…up 2 down 6 counts

Static barbell lunges (8 reps per leg, per set) …down 6 up 2 counts

Overhead Shoulder Press with dumbbells (up 2 down 6 counts)

Traditional squat (down 6 up 2 counts)

Seated Tricep Overhead Extension with dumbbell (up 2 down 6 counts)

Bicep Dumbbell concentration curls (8 reps per side, per set) (up 2 down 6 counts)

Abdominal Stability Ball Routine from Pyramid Upper Body (perform routine as presented on tape)

TUES…THURS….SAT….

45 to 60 minute high intensity cardio of your choice (one day being an interval workout)

SUNDAY….OFF

Enjoy!
 

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