Is my butt bigger?

J

jzsnow

Cathlete
Since I started stepping with Cathe, it seems like my butt has gotten bigger! My pants are fitting a little different today. They feel a bit tighter on my butt.

Are there some body types that should not step? Did anyone notice their butt getting bigger with step? I used to do taebo and the firm for weights...this is my first time with the step.

Jessica
 
I had the same issues when doing high step & step. I tend to gain muscle very easily in my lower half-especially thighs. When I gain weight it also goes to my hips, thighs, & butt.

I was doing Slim Series and stopped seeing results from it so back in November I ordered lots of Cathe workouts & did a lot of step & high step and my butt & thighs got bigger. I am still trying to slim them down again but at a loss of how to do that, I think I'm going to ask Debbie aka Fitnessfreak sometime this week if she has any suggestions for losing muscle.

Lately I've been doing KPC, Drill Max, B&G, Kick Max w/ blasts first, Interval Max, Cross Train Express from Cathe

Other non-Cathe workouts:
Powerstrikes 1 & 2 -LOVE these
Slim Series
Power 90 Master Series
Power Half Hour- Bun Shaper & thigh toner
Tamilee Webbs Cardio Blast
Cindy Whitmarsh Ultimate Fat Burner-very good when short on time but still want a good workout (www.ultrafitnutrition.com)

Not sure that helps at all but the ones I've mentioned I have found to not add bulk to my legs & butt. :)
 
I had the same issue when I was doing step a lot and taking spinning classes (double no no for me:) ) What I found worked for me was to cut back on stepping to once a week (ok, sometimes twice), no high step at all, no spinning, and I added a walk or jog on the treadmill for cardio at no incline or at most 2.5% incline. You can also bike or do the elliptical trying to go as fast as you can, but not using high resistance. I also cut back on the weight amount I used for squats and lunges-I ended up using dumbbells instead of the barbell. Probably, though, the thing that made the most impact was adding more Pilates, Yoga, and ballet inspired leg exercises that really elongate the muscles. I do these 2-3times per week. Anyway, that's what worked for me. HTH.

Beth
 
Over a year ago I lost 30 lbs. using all Cathe workouts and walking. For as thin as I got, I was still thick in the lower half. I slowly gained 20 lbs. back. Recently I finally made up my mind that I had to start losing again. I started back the lower body workouts and stepping. But because of not eating clean enough, I really didn't see any results.

About a month ago I got a new job at a weight loss facility and a PT just came on board. I talked with her about slimming my legs. She asked what I was doing and I told her about stepping, the high step, the leg workouts. She told me to stop. She told me to walk/run. She said kickboxing, pilates, low impact and hi/lo are ok. Just have to watch the calves building w/ hi/lo. No stepping, lunges or squats. Floor work is great.

My family is known for their "thunder thighs". I have 2nd cousins who are bottom heavy. It's genetic. I like to walk on the TM and outside. She told me to walk (uphill is best) 5 min. run for 1 min. walk for 5 and so on and so on for 45 min. to an hour. Sounds good, but........I love my Cathe step workouts tho. So I asked her if I could do the step workouts without the step and she said that's fine. So that's what I've been doing. I can see a difference in my pants just in the past week. I kid you not.

I have read this type of advice before, but thought if I'm not busting my butt so to speak on that high step I'm not working my legs. But it's the total opposite. For my body type that is. It's very hard to change what we think we should be doing or do something different than what most do. But we're all different and have to find what works for us. She told me she hates telling people they shouldn't step or spin because they get upset or even mad. But hey, do you want to do what you think works, or what will work for you? Right?

Hope that helps.

Kali

www.PictureTrail.com/kkali
 
For those who think they get bigger with step: have you tried lowering or raising the step height? If so, has it made a difference? Just wondering.

Carolyn
 
Hi There,

I understand this reasoning for step workouts, but why spin? Is it only if you have the tension on real high? My first love has always been running, but I've found that my legs (especially my calves) can get very muscular running. I have always felt, personally, that spinning thinned my legs out a bit.


I am interested in your feedback!

Dukechick
 
Regarding the question about step height - I did notice a difference in my legs on a lower height.

When I was doing higher step work, my butt and legs seemed to get bigger, but if I keep the step lower that's not a problem. Not sure if this is true for everyone, though.
 
Kali,

When I took a body type quiz, one of the recommendations was to refrain from hi-impact, stepping and incline treadmills. I'm between a meso and endo with a pear type body. The site recommended brisk walking. It's probably correct since I was in my best shape when I used to take my babies on long walks.

Why would she tell you that walking uphill is the best? I would think it would work the quads more. I have noticed that my quads are looking overdeveloped and out of proportion with the rest of my lower body since I started stepping over two months ago and high stepping almost three weeks ago. This is partly due to not always putting my weight on my heels for lunges/squats.

I am going to stop high stepping for at least a month, add in more bar type exercises, and walking on the treadmill w/o an incline. I still plan on using other Cathe dvds. I'm going to avoid exercises that target the quads and focus more on my hamstrings and glutes in the bar type workouts. I'll see how it goes for awhile before getting rid of my high step. I'll really miss it though. :-(
 
Dukechick,
The spinning definately did not thin out my legs. It might have been that I had the tension too high. Also, the instructors that I took spinning with had us do a lot of position 3(up on the pedals, but squatting back over the seat). My friend, on the other hand, had great success with spinning, but she is also a completely different body type than I am. I think it really comes down to what works best for you. Even individuals who have a similar shape may find that they can't do the same exercises and get the same results. It really is a process of trial and error:)

Beth
 
I would think that an incline would work your hamstrings more. Your quads and hip flexors help to propel your legs forward, but your hamstrings work when you push off your back leg. I would think that would be exaggerated when you're on an incline so your hamstrings would have to work harder. Of course your entire leg would work harder though.

Carolyn
 
I thought about this myself. I know she is certified and all, but my thinking is if stepping is going to build, so is walking uphill...So I'm going to stick with walking at a brisk pace, running for a minute or so and doing my step workouts without a step and see where that gets me. My legs are huge to begin with...so I guess I just need to try this out and see if it works.


Kali

www.PictureTrail.com/kkali
 
Let us know if you see any changes Kali. I know I just posted a 'very little step rotation' to see if I notice any changes. I did include a lot of incline walks which could be substituted with interval walk/runs as well. I also included some (I think 3 or so) step workouts that could be substituted with hi/lo or machine work.

Carolyn
 
Hi
I am a pear. I noticed years ago when I was doing classic firms 5 -6 days a week w/ tall box that my butt seemed bigger but I still looked great b/c I went on WW's and lost 11 lbs. I prefer my butt to look smaller though. Now I do Cathe, some Jari and jogging and off road biking. I have noticed that w/ the off road biking (after 2 months) that my thighs have definitely leaned out and gotten nicely toned. They are definitely smaller and my hips are smaller too. The thing is I don't stand on my pedals when I go uphill b/c my DD will yell out "Cheater!". So maybe that explains why my butt hasn't gotten bigger?! I do alot of work in thick sand, mulch, grass and up and down hill. But I don't stand up. Maybe that's the difference from spinning? /karen
 
Thanks Carolyn,

You're right that the entire leg would work harder! I guess I was looking at it from a view of trying to lengthen my quad muscles instead of contracting them, and contracting my hamstrings/glutes more than pushing off on them. Does that make sense? More like, does my thinking make sense? LOL I don't mind a bigger butt/hamstrings if it would be more in proportion with my quads. I think I'll try not focusing on my quads instead of bulking up my already bulky butt. ;-)
 
Yes, that makes sense. I think an incline would work quads and hamstrings a LOT more than no incline. I guess I just 'feel' it more in my hamstrings and glutes when I'm on an incline. I may modify my rotation and walk with speed intervals instead of inclines and see how that turns out.:)

Carolyn
 
I'm very interested in your results, Kali. I, too, am a member of the thunder thigh club and have been trying to lean out my thighs. I have plenty of muscle on them, I just need to get rid of the layer of fat. This thread makes me question my current rotation that I posted in the Rotations thread called Opinions on Fat Loss Rotation. Basically, it's cardio in the a.m. and then weights in the evening, concentrating on one body part per day with working each body part twice per week, once heavy (i.e. Gym Style) and once light weights/high reps (i.e. Butts & Gutts). My question is, should I skip the standing leg work in Gym Style and do floor work only?

Terri
 
Terri, for lower body weight work, I would go light on the weight (or no weight at all), and do a lot of reps. This approach seems to help out people who tend to gain muscle easily in their legs. So I guess what I'm saying is, maybe you should forgo the gym style legs or just use light weight with it.
Maybe someone else will chime in for you!:)

Carolyn
 
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