Cathe - Full body workouts

F

Fitnessfreak366

Cathlete
Cathe - I've been reading a lot about how effective total body workouts are. You are suppose to only do 6 exercises a workout (different body parts) with various reps/sets and counts and you can do this type of training three to four days a week. My question is, can I do your total body workouts three days a week or would that get my body into overtraining mode?

I'm thinking of doing this:

Day 1: Power Hour
Day 2: Cardio
Day 3: Muscle Max
Day 4: Cardio
Day 5: Super Sets
Day 6: Cardio
Day 7: Rest

Is this too much on the body? Thanks for your time!
 
That is a really good question. I have heard of doing the full body workouts 2x's a week but not 3. I will be curious to see what the expert has to say.:)


Susan
 
Debbie,
I just looked at Cathe's rotations and the Muscle Endurance rotation she has you doing ME 3x's a week on the 4th week. I don't know if this answers your question, but it looks like you can do this,just maybe for a change and not every week. Just my thought!


Susan
 
You know that is probably why i never got anywhere with the firm.
They have weights in all of them except for a few.Overworked my muscles and brok'm down.
I heve been doing the GS and i do one day upper then legs then cardio then back then cardio then muscle max . Then a day off and repeat.
Usually after chest /tri I am sore for 2 days so i go to legs next.
Can't lift the back and biceps if chest and tri hurts.

http://www.picturetrail.com/acatalina
 
I think it depends on what you want your final results to be and what your body can handle. For me, it was losing weight. I used to strength train only twice a week without much success. Back in March, I upped my total body workouts to 3x's per week and have lost over 27 pounds! So for me, it was the right decision. Every couple of weeks I will do a split routine instead, such as Pure Strength or Gym Style. Just listen to your body.

HTH,
Kathy in Wayne, OH
 
Not Cathe, nor an expert, but I am currently doing the 3x per week full body workouts (3 different routines each week), plus in between I am doing cardio 3 days per week. I have found that this has helped me with my workout plateau. I always change the style of muscle routine every month to keep my body guessing. Maybe one month I might concentrate on the GS series, while another I will work on the pyramids (well maybe only 2-3 weeks for pyramids), sometimes I might stray from videos all together and utilize my home gym. Variety is the key to building a better body and mind, but I know you already know this:). I would hate to do the same workouts day in and day out.

I think you know a lot more then you may give yourself credit for. Your routines you put together on another forum seem very well thought-out and written.

Have fun sweatin}(
 
>Thanks everyone. I do think doing Cathe's total body
>workouts three times a week is probably overkill.

One thing you might want to try if you want to go with three is to make one of them lighter or more cardio focused, such as cardio and weights, or step jump pump, or Kick max which gets the upper with the kickboxing and killer leg drills at the end. Then you could work total body 3 times, just varying the type.

And I agree with others, congratulations on your journey, you look great!
 
Debbie I have been doing this for over a month now. Before I was doing more sets than I am now.I started when I stumbled across bodybuilding.com.I am loving it I for right now am using the pyrmid dvd for upper just doing the first exercise(resting during the second) and only thru the third set.I start with my biceps because I want to increase the poundage I have been stuck at 86pounds for a year now.So I do biceps-triceps-shoulders-back-and chest.I am pretty happy with 120pounds unspoted for chest for now when I need to I will move it to the top of the order or any other part I feel needs a shove.And I did push past that wt I am now up to 90lbs for 3-3-3.
For legs I was going to the gym-but now I feel they need a little more work than the program I was doing.They respond better to more reps and wts between 40-70lbs.I was using 240lbs on the hack smith for 6 reps -110lbs for lunges and deadlifts in the 6 rep range and extensions 90lbs 6 reps and leg curls 60lbs 6 reps-calves 260lbs for 12 reps.I can add sets but feel more reps are better for my lower body.
I really perfer the 3-6 rep range for upper but have added 8-10 rep range to one of my workouts to prevent over training the 3-6 rep range wipes the floor with me.
you could also use the pyrmid bonus workout that uses both upper and lower.
Right now I am taking a week to do powerhour-as a rest(that's a laugh).I need it.So far I am really liking it.
 
>Not Cathe, nor an expert, but I am currently doing the 3x per
>week full body workouts (3 different routines each week), plus
>in between I am doing cardio 3 days per week. I have found
>that this has helped me with my workout plateau. I always
>change the style of muscle routine every month to keep my body
>guessing. Maybe one month I might concentrate on the GS
>series, while another I will work on the pyramids (well maybe
>only 2-3 weeks for pyramids), sometimes I might stray from
>videos all together and utilize my home gym. Variety is the
>key to building a better body and mind, but I know you already
>know this:). I would hate to do the same workouts day in and
>day out.
>
>I think you know a lot more then you may give yourself credit
>for. Your routines you put together on another forum seem very
>well thought-out and written.
>
>Have fun sweatin}(

Fitnessangel, I hope you see this. I tried pm'ing you but it says your profile is turned off.

Anyways, can you email me privately on what your routine looks like? Email me at [email protected] - I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!
 
>Debbie I have been doing this for over a month now. Before I
>was doing more sets than I am now.I started when I stumbled
>across bodybuilding.com.I am loving it I for right now am
>using the pyrmid dvd for upper just doing the first
>exercise(resting during the second) and only thru the third
>set.I start with my biceps because I want to increase the
>poundage I have been stuck at 86pounds for a year now.So I do
>biceps-triceps-shoulders-back-and chest.I am pretty happy with
>120pounds unspoted for chest for now when I need to I will
>move it to the top of the order or any other part I feel needs
>a shove.And I did push past that wt I am now up to 90lbs for
>3-3-3.
>For legs I was going to the gym-but now I feel they need a
>little more work than the program I was doing.They respond
>better to more reps and wts between 40-70lbs.I was using
>240lbs on the hack smith for 6 reps -110lbs for lunges and
>deadlifts in the 6 rep range and extensions 90lbs 6 reps and
>leg curls 60lbs 6 reps-calves 260lbs for 12 reps.I can add
>sets but feel more reps are better for my lower body.
>I really perfer the 3-6 rep range for upper but have added
>8-10 rep range to one of my workouts to prevent over training
>the 3-6 rep range wipes the floor with me.
>you could also use the pyrmid bonus workout that uses both
>upper and lower.
>Right now I am taking a week to do powerhour-as a rest(that's
>a laugh).I need it.So far I am really liking it.

Wow, thats incredible. Your poundage is so impressive. So when you are using the pyramids, for example the chest routine, you are only doing the chest press and you stop when Cathe does flies to rest? I also belong to the Bodybuilding.com forums. I am trying to figure out a way to use Cathe's workouts to do a full body routine. I wish I had a five-disc DVD player, then I could just program what I want my workout to be. That would make my life easy!
 
Hi Debbie! Three non-consecutive times a week is acceptable, but not always ideal, for total body workouts. I generally only like to do two. But based on the way you are describing the total body workouts (6 exercises a workout) I think three per week is fine. However if they are comprehensive programs, which most of mine are, you may find yourself flirting with overtraining if done on a regular basis. Doing this occasionally would be alright though.

If you are wanting to do mine on a regular basis, then I suggest getting away from weekly planning and instead doing one every three to four days (depending on how heavy you are lifting). That should be ample recovery time between workouts.

Hope this helps! Enjoy!
 
Thanks Debbie! It feels so great to not be overweight anymore :)

Hope you're keeping cool in this crazy heat!
Kathy
 
Yes that's the way I do them-that way I get to rest.you can also use gymstyles and just switch disk after you reach your goal of sets you want.Push pull also is a favorite of mine and since you only have 2 exercises per part and supersetting if you feel 3 workouts are to much this may be the perfect fit.Generally I only do 3 sets per part for a total of 9 sets per part per week .which is the norm when I worked out to previous rotations per workout I would have 9sets 3 times a week-but usually one was a endurance workout.so I am doing alot less sets but seeing better results.switching things up really shocks the old body.
my week looks like this
mon-full body 3-6 reps for 3 sets
bicep curls
lying french press
overhead press 2 sets and either side lats,rear flys or upright rows
for one set
bentrow or seated row supersetted with shrugs for traps
chest press
legs I was doing at gym I will probaly do pushpull or muscle max legs.
tues-20 min cardio
wed-full body like monday
thrus-20min cardio
fri-full body 8-10 reps for 3 sets
sat-coremax or off
sun-20 min run
but this week on fb days I am doing powerhour.you will have to play around to find a way to suit you and your goals-mine are to add more muscle mass.
 
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