Best Leg Results??

S

Stacy

Cathlete
I'm a short pear, will never have thin legs, I've accepted that. I also have some knee issues so have to watch how heavy and frequent I do legs.

What leg dvd(s) do you think would give me the best results for my lower body given my knee issues? (I'm interested in more of an overall strength training plan and cutting back on cardio for awhile)

Legs & Glutes done weekly

following STS and doing whatever leg workout is listed

Plyo Legs weekly

other? I am toying with doing the 3 Month STS/LIS rotation as well.

I've tried just doing floor/barre and it just doesnt get me the results I want though I am not opposed to adding those in on occasion.

I've done an LIS rotation and did slim down a bit but had to stop that one for awhile b/c i was making my shoulders huge with all the compound/shoulder work. I still love those workouts but will use them with either no weights or maybe just use 3 lb dumbells.
 
Hi there,

Another classic short pear over here :D.

I found that for me, working legs minimum 2X/week is very effective in trimming down my butt/thighs, regardless of which workout(s) I chose. Also, adding in plyo (Plyo Legs, Imax, Hiit, Tabata) in addition to the 2X weighted leg work does wonders. You mentioned knee issues, so I'm not certain as to how much high impact you can handle with regards to the plyo. Low Max & Afterburn are great low impact alternatives, hitting the trouble zones nicely.

These are the workouts which have given me visible results:

-All STS legs discs
-Lower Body Blast
-Gym Style Legs
-Turbo Barre

I usually change up my schedule monthly. My last rotation went something like this:

D1- STS legs M1 W4
D2- Cardio
D3- Upper Body
D4 - Cardio (plyo)
D5 - Turbo Barre
D6 - Yoga
D7 - Rest

Remember, eat clean to optimize your results!

Good luck!

Natasha
 
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Best Legs Workout

Hi Stacy,

I would suggest, due to knee issue, LIS series. This series was really designed, in my opinion, bearing knees and lower back issues in mind! I personnally do not have any issue and I just level up the impact as I feel, depending on what I did the day before. I try to have a healthy mix of both high and low impact.

Total body triset lower body DVD is very good. Just make sure you really lift heavy for your legs. Legs are large muscle and they need an overload of weight to really work them properly. Cardio DVD from LIS series do also work legs, do not undermine them.

Being keen on overloading, I would also suggest squat rack workout from STS serie. Again, depending on how your knee would respond to an overload.

All the best and please keep us posted;)

Nathalie
 
Hi Natasha! Have you by chance thought of putting together sime rotations in the workout manager? You seem knowledgable... and I think u and two other people on the forums would have interesting ideas! Llike specific rotations like this for legs and another for losing weight. Lol. Sorry to butt in. But I read ur posts all the time. Like I said there are two others on cathe forums that have great ideas as well . And I don't see none of u in the rotations . You all are gifted in my opinion.
 
I forgot all about Gym Style legs!

I dont have Lower Body Blast or Trisets, not sure if these are worth spending money on if I have everything else already. (?)

I'm nowhere near getting a squat rack yet! Right now I'm only using 5 lb plates on each side of my barbell for squats and my knees still feel that. I think once my quads get stronger that will improve and lessen, I hope!

I think working legs twice a week would be optimal if my knees can take it, which is why I want to do more strength and less cardio as I dont think my knees would like two days of lower body plus keeping up with some much cardio.
 
I also am pear-shaped, and I agree with what's already been posted.

Lower Body Trisets; by the way, Natasha told me that the JFO premix stands for Joint Friendly Option; it has back lunges in it for starters - which you could always sub for any workout that has lunges in it.

Athletic Training (Low Impact series) always gets my hams and buns burning.

In addition, I like to do Slide and Glide cardio portion (about 20 mins or so) and follow it with the floor work exercises from Butts and Guts (less than 20 mins).

Kick Punch Crunch (Intensity series I believe) also gets my buns, and the DVD also has a Legs & Glutes workout - sometimes I like to do the cardio portion of KPC and then the floor exercises on L&G (about 40 minutes total).

Kick Max is another great one for cardio/legs.

Best of luck to you!
 
Stacy said:
I forgot all about Gym Style legs!

I dont have Lower Body Blast or Trisets, not sure if these are worth spending money on if I have everything else already. (?)

I'm nowhere near getting a squat rack yet! Right now I'm only using 5 lb plates on each side of my barbell for squats and my knees still feel that. I think once my quads get stronger that will improve and lessen, I hope!
I think working legs twice a week would be optimal if my knees can take it, which is why I want to do more strength and less cardio as I dont think my knees would like two days of lower body plus keeping up with some much cardio.
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No worries about the cardio. If you are concerned it will aggravate your knee's, just add in some walking miles! Low impact, burns calories, and an overall great workout for the body & mind.

You have to essentially find out what works best for you and take it from there. Yes, that means experimenting a bit. For example, when I was doing STS, I did legs 1X/week for 3 months. My legs lost some definition and tone. As soon as I stopped STS and added an extra leg day, I saw improvements within weeks.

Do you have any of the Low Impact Series workouts? Very knee friendly and perfect for pear-shaped gals. Afterburn, which is considered metabolic cardio, works the buns & thighs extremely well. I always get DOMS in my butt the day after like nothing else! I forgot Total Body Tri-Sets is another workout I own and just like the other's mentioned, an excellent joint friendly lower body workout.

Of course you don't *need* the workouts mentioned, your collection is very well rounded as is. Don't forget, you can also substitute exercises that aggravate your knee's with friendlier modifications (back lunges & static lunges instead of front lunges, plie squats instead of reg squats, ect). What I also find to be effective and knee friendly is floor work with the stability ball (ouch!). Barre work is good, but like you, I can't do barre and only barre to see results. I must add in an extra leg day with moderate-heavy weight training.

Good luck!

Natasha
 
ReneePruitt said:
Hi Natasha! Have you by chance thought of putting together sime rotations in the workout manager? You seem knowledgable... and I think u and two other people on the forums would have interesting ideas! Llike specific rotations like this for legs and another for losing weight. Lol. Sorry to butt in. But I read ur posts all the time. Like I said there are two others on cathe forums that have great ideas as well . And I don't see none of u in the rotations . You all are gifted in my opinion.
Click to expand...

OMG that you so much for the wonderful compliment Renee! You made my day :D.

I feel it is only right that I try to help out others, as I have received so much help from this forum myself. I little good Karma goes a long way :).

My posts speak from experience. I don't post rotations because frankly I never thought anyone would be interested in them. I just do what works for me and see what results I can obtain. It's all trial and error for each specific body type.

Take care Renee! Keep rockin' :cool:
 
Stacy said:
I forgot all about Gym Style legs!

I dont have Lower Body Blast or Trisets, not sure if these are worth spending money on if I have everything else already. (?)

I'm nowhere near getting a squat rack yet! Right now I'm only using 5 lb plates on each side of my barbell for squats and my knees still feel that. I think once my quads get stronger that will improve and lessen, I hope!

I think working legs twice a week would be optimal if my knees can take it, which is why I want to do more strength and less cardio as I dont think my knees would like two days of lower body plus keeping up with some much cardio.
Click to expand...

Stacy,

Take it slow....With time you wiil build up the strength and as your legs get stronger you will be able to face more challenge (squat rack:eek:).

Reading your post I was under the impression You had LIS low impact series which is a joint friendly series. Cardio from LIS should be fine cause , as we have previously mentioned, there are joint friendly. If you find it difficult to get long thin legs, cardio step or plyo should help! Plyo can interfere with knees, depending on what move you are doing.

With all advises we could possibly give you, you still need to try and see what is best for you.

Nathalie
 
Hi Stacy,
I am also blessed in the thighs department, very ample, and I found the Low Impact Series had a great effect on slimming down my legs. They got smaller and also more toned. I probably had the best results doing that rotation. Maybe you could use lighter weights for the upper body portion, like you said.

If you cannot lift a lot of weight, then Butts and Guts might work for you, since it has a whole floor section for legs that only uses ankle weights. That might not stress your knees as much. Kick Max also has the leg drills at the end which Cathe says will really tone your thighs. I only do that DVD occasionally, but if you added the drills in a regular rotation, with floor leg exercises at least two times per week, maybe the combination would give you some great results without stressing your knees.

I hope you find something that works for you...



Eva
 
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I swear for me for results, it was Gym Styles/Muscle Max Series and Step Aerobics.

Back when I did this rotation, I only did the 2 upper body GS workouts and used step aerobics for my legs. I would do 2-3 weeks of GS then switch to 1-2 weeks of Muscle Max and 1 step aerobics workout (a good strong walk was often subbed in as the weather improved- lots of walking in fact). At the same time I was in physical therapy for hip and lower back issues so I did some basic lower body work (mostly body weight or with light bands) 2 days per week at PT. I did things like slow step downs (opposite of step ups), side steps with firewalker bands, side walking squats with firewalker bands, and front lunges with the front foot placed on a 4inch step bench. Towards the end I did 1 legged squats with light weights.

I had THEE best lower body of my life! Mind you, I am pure Mesomorph and 100% hourglass so I don't have the fat storage in my thighs that cause the pear shape. I can go heavy-squared and still lose inches. I had always up to that point lifted 100s of pounds at the gym and maxed my assists out. All it did was honestly give me arthritis in my early 20s and caused other joint issues.

There was a time a few years back I xould wear those booty shorts around the house and they (butt, hips, and thighs) would be magazine-worthy. No lumps, bumps, jiggle, and perfect curves, shape, and tightness. I stepped out of my comfort zone and did something completely different and counter-intuitive to what I had always done. I never expected to get results from not lifting heavy, hardcore amounts. I am so impressed with what I accomplished that after my baby is born, I am going back to that training style for my lower body. Bands and mostly body weight with moderate dumbbells for the balance moves and deadlifts.
 
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Stacy said:
I'm a short pear, will never have thin legs, I've accepted that. I also have some knee issues so have to watch how heavy and frequent I do legs.

What leg dvd(s) do you think would give me the best results for my lower body given my knee issues? (I'm interested in more of an overall strength training plan and cutting back on cardio for awhile)

Legs & Glutes done weekly

following STS and doing whatever leg workout is listed

Plyo Legs weekly

other? I am toying with doing the 3 Month STS/LIS rotation as well.

I've tried just doing floor/barre and it just doesnt get me the results I want though I am not opposed to adding those in on occasion.

I've done an LIS rotation and did slim down a bit but had to stop that one for awhile b/c i was making my shoulders huge with all the compound/shoulder work. I still love those workouts but will use them with either no weights or maybe just use 3 lb dumbells.
Click to expand...
I need to find the LIS rotation, because I'm a pear and would love for my puny shoulders to get huge! That never happens!!
 
I know this is a really old thread, but it's very informative!

I just did one of Cathe's greatest hits from the Body Blast Series: Legs and Glutes. This is a good workout for someone who is looking to build leg strength, but is not as advanced as STS week 1. That was too much for me. I will insert this leg workout in the place of the STS workout. I like that she works all portions of the leg and glutes in this workout.
 
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