Asked in other forum, no response...Cathe, will you hel...

[sue320]

My DVDs arrived today. Here's what I bought...Ab Hits, Intensity Vol. 3 (pyramid upper/lower) and Classics. I'm looking to reduce body fat (I'm currently at 25.5 %...5'5" & 134...medium frame) and tone up. Problem areas are lower body (hips, inner/outer thighs, butt). Abs are coming along but I'm impatient and I want results TODAY! I'm aiming for definition (throughout my entire body) not necessarily to be "she-woman" who can lift more than my husband.

My normal workout with "The Firm" was 2 days cardio (however, heart rate was getting up with lower body so I was still in aerobic zones) and 3 days lifting (one upper, one lower, one both). I'm willing to add in one more cardio if at all possible (to reduce the body fat).
Also, after viewing Ab Hits I'm not sure quite how much to do...do I only do one workout at a time? (I hope that doesn't sound too presumptious...I hope I can do that much without dying!)

I have just a little over an hour to get this done (during naptime). Any help that could be given would be very, very appreciated.


TIA
Sue<><

 

[FitnessGoddess]

Hi Sue,

I am sorry you didn't get a response on the other forums but maybe I can help. And I hope you don't mind my jumping in on an Ask Cathe question.

I have to tell you that your body fat is probably wrong. I'm 5'6" & weigh 150, my body fat is only 23%. I've used several different ways to have it calculated & it's always right around there but never more than 24.5%. So at 5'5" and 134, I would guess you are right around 23-22%.

As for toning up, 80% of that is going to be your diet. If you aren't eating a decent diet, you won't lose body fat no matter how much you work out. Also, you, unfortunately, must be patient. Getting physically fit takes time. It can take 6 months to a year to achieve a toned body depending on the intensity in which you are working.

As you probably already know you cannot spot reduce. So, targeting your lower body isn't going to work. HOWEVER, doing a total body workout will reduce your lower body as your body changes. You don't mention which Firms you are using but I will tell you the Pyramids are AWESOME for a total body workout.

As for cardio, doing 2 or 3 days a week at 30 minutes in your target heart range (180-your age + or - 5 points) is a good goal. You could then use the rest of your hour to do a portion of your strength training. As for Ab Hits, use one workout a day. There are people that do more but just like any other muscle group, you can overwork your abs, too.

I hope that helps & gets you started.