Anyone have success with Escape Your Shape?

Humanhair

Cathlete
Caroline Knorr
Has anyone read this book or followed this guy's advice for "escaping your shape?" I'm a "spoon" - I'm not overweight and I'm slim, but I've always had a jiggly butt, saddlebags, and thick legs, while my upper body is thin. As I get older, I see this tendency in myself getting even more dramatic.

Escape Your Shape says that people with my body type should never do step aerobics, squats, lunges, run, stairmaster, kickbox, spinning -- basically, all the hard-core, demanding exercises I've been doing for the past 12 years! Of course, I'm interested to know whether I've been doing the wrong thing for my body type. I just feel frustrated because I'm an advanced exerciser, I work out 5-6 days a week, I cross-train, and can do all the hardest videos, taking it to the max every workout. But these darn saddlebags persist! I've really cleaned up my eating in the past 6 months, too.

Also, if I cut out all the exercises I've listed above - what's left to do? I'm not going to do jumping jacks for 45 minutes! Is there anything to this guy's philosophy?
 
All you can do is try his suggestions for a while just to see if they work for you. I've been experimenting with different ways of exercising for so long, that I'm of the opinion that EVERYONE is different, so you just have to find what works for you.

Legs are my problem area also, but I know EYS is not for me. No amount of cardio did anything for my legs, EXCEPT for kickboxing working on my saddlebags. Light weights and high reps were the key for me.

For what it's worth - take it or leave it.
 
Hi Honeybunch,
I have the exact same shape and have been working out for years. My legs never seem to change no matter how hard I try. I do all Cathe's legs tapes in my rotation and lift as heavy as I can so I guess my question would be to Honeybunch do you do Cathe's tapes with lighter weights then maybe she uses. For example I use 45 lb. Barbell for PH and Lean legs and heavier for her other ones should I lighten up the weights for awhile and see what happens? Right now I am doing a PS rotation. I use a 55 lb BB for standing and a 18 lb. bodybar for floor work. I am also doing a Ciruit tape for legs like Power Circuits using a 45 lb BB once a week. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Debbie
PS I also can't see me giving up all my favorite workouts.
 
RE: Another Barnum & Bailey masterpiece . . .

That sounds grouchy, I know, but what the author is advocating is cutting out many/most of the exercises that make aerobic work aerobic. If you omit leg work, you are omitting the prime movers in cardiovascular challenge. To be truly effective, aerobic work must be rhythmic, of ongoing duration and recruit the lower body muscles. (This comes from my ACE textbooks, not from the caffeine I've just inhaled.) What are you supposed to so, flap your arms for 45 minutes?

Also, training the legs both by recruiting them for aerobic work and for strengthening has benefits beyond the aesthetic: you have to stand up and walk on your legs, for crying out loud, so how are you supposed to keep them strong if you don't use them in training?

I think I'd like to write a book: "Escape A Narrow Definition of 'Good' Shape"!

Annette
The Compassionate Caffeinated

(BTW, what do you do for leg strengthening?)
 
RE: Another Barnum & Bailey masterpiece . . .

I read that book from cover to cover then threw it in the trash!
According to the author, I, as an hourglass, should avoid step aerobics, kickboxing, weight training, etc., all of the exact activities that have burned 196lbs off my frame in the last 14 months! If I had taken his advice I have a feeling I'd still be in my 300's wondering, "why can't I lose weight?"
Aerobics and heavy weight training were the main activities that allowed me to lose weight successfully and consistently this past year, even when my eating was poor, I still would burn fat and lose weight from the combination of the two.
It's just my personal opinion, but that was a waste of $10. I could have had half on a Cathe video with that $10. I spent on that book!
Donna
 
RE: Another Barnum & Bailey masterpiece . . .

Caroline Knorr
Thanks for your comments! I had an inkling that this guy was whistlin' Dixie. The main fallacy is that it just doesn't seem possible that he is the ONLY one who knows the true, correct exercises for each body type. I mean, if his ideas were right, why wouldn't other respectable trainers have cottoned on to his philosophy already? But he seems to be the only person saying that spoons shouldn't do squats or step, or whatever. Maybe the people he used as examples in his book were successful because they changed up their routines or finally started exercising consistently - regardless of the types of exercises they were doing.
You guys are the best! Thanks again.
-Caroline
 
RE: Another Barnum & Bailey masterpiece . . .

I don't have much respect for the author. I remember reading his first book--and the only thing I came away with was along with a general antipathy for his writing, was that he didn't recommend walking, said it was a waste of time in trying to get fit! And in this one, if I remember correctly, for a spoon shape he recommends jumping rope. Now really, I am hitting sixty with back and knee problems. There is no way in hxxx I am going to start jumping rope! (I am, however, I have to admit, jumping on the rebounder, which has made a great difference in my cardio and helped me to drop inches). I've been doing MIS and PH and PS and have dropped over 20 pounds and 20+ inches, and I can't believe what I have been doing hasn't benefited me.
 
I really don't do any heavy weights any more, and I do only Leaner Legs, Standing Legs, and Circuit Max and Power Max as my Leg Weight tapes.

The highest weight on a barbell that I use anymore is 35 lbs. I HAVE gone from 25-60 lbs (plates) on a home leg extention machine, plus heavier on leg curls.

I have added walking lunges to the mix.

If you have read my posts lately, you may have caught that I bought (e-bay) a Body by Jake Bun & Thigh Rocker which I absolutley love! It's hard for me to use tapes since I have it, but I do still do leg extentions and walking lunges along with 3 sets of the 5 exercises on the Jake machine. My total leg workout is less than 1/2 hour now.

My britches are way looser than they were at this time last year. I'm buying some 4's now. When I started any kind of leg weight work in 1997, I wore size 10 or 12. My weight has not changed that much, so it's the weights.

You just have to experiment! What works for me may not work for you. You just can't give up, and I sure wanted to plenty of times.
 
Hi Honeybunch,
Thanks for your response and congratulations on your certification. I will have to look into the Bun & Thigh rocker. I had read your post and it sounds interesting. Like most people on this forum it doesn't take much to make me spend my money on fitness stuff. I probally do need to try something different for the legs. I have always worked out with tapes and always tried to go as heavy as I could. Maybe adding something different and lighting weights may help. I have a leg extention attachment on my bench so maybe I should start using it.
Thanks again, Debbie
 

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