Do you design your own strength workouts?

[chere]

I'm wondering whether anyone has any advice for designing one's own strength workouts. I've been doing Cathy for years (strength training specifically for two years, and I have several of her videos and will be getting STS), and I'd like to take everything that I've learned from her over the years and design my own workouts and rotations. I've learned so many variations for the different exercises that I don't know where to be begin, how much to try to do in each workout, what BPM the music should be, how often to rotate workouts, etc. Does anyone know where I could get some advice -- a good book or website? Thanks.

~cherapple

 

[lcobb2]

I'm wondering whether anyone has any advice for designing one's own strength workouts. I've been doing Cathy for years (strength training specifically for two years, and I have several of her videos and will be getting STS), and I'd like to take everything that I've learned from her over the years and design my own workouts and rotations. I've learned so many variations for the different exercises that I don't know where to be begin, how much to try to do in each workout, what BPM the music should be, how often to rotate workouts, etc. Does anyone know where I could get some advice -- a good book or website? Thanks.

~cherapple

Hi Chere,

I design my own workouts most of the time, unless I'm watching something from Cathe. However, I'm a personal trainer and know which exercises to do, with specific intensity to hit each muscle from various directions and also to hit different parts of a body part (back, chest, legs) so that each muscle within that group are "touched." Have you considered a personal trainer or hiring one online who can work with you? I learned a lot from books, but it was really from the "doing" that I learned the most--trial and error. You could consider these books as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Traini...r_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225875364&sr=1-17

http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Traini...r_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225875332&sr=1-11

http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Training-Workouts-that-Work/dp/0967518822/ref=pd_sim_b_3

 

[Vee]

Chere,

I design my own strength workouts most of the time these days.

My "serious" introduction to strength training was Cathe and I did just Cathe for quite a while. Since then I have trained with personal trainers, worked out with routines from books/mags and tried other video instructors on occasion.

One reason why I design my own strength workouts is because I workout at a gym now. I think the urge to workout with my own routines started after I borowed routines from my husband's M&F (the men's mag) to utilize gym equipment in my strength training. I really enjoyed the workouts and found them effective. Then I wanted to mix what Cathe does with some exercises from the magazines in a single session. I got great results and improved my fitness from going this. So my confidence to make up my own workouts grew.

Sometimes, I just wing it. I walk into the gym and decide what exercises to do.

Most often, I pre-plan exercises based on the current rotation.

I get my best workouts when I plan ahead and have created a clear rotation plan.

The best place to start would be to give creating your own workout a try. Dont worry about a specific rotation. Just put together a single workout mixing together your favorite exercises (either for a split routine addressing one or two body parts or a total body workout based on what you are currently doing with videos). Since you have done Cathe workouts, you will have a good sense of how many exercises and how many sets to plan for a single session. Do the workout and see how it goes. Do a few more "single work out" plans before attempting a rotation.

I second the suggestion to look at books, and add fitness magazines too, to give you inspiration.

I no longer strength train to the beat of the music. I got over the need to work to the beat from the influence of working out at a gym. If I recall correctly, BPM for strength is usually in the 100 to 135 BPM range.