Cathe, just bought a bunch of your DVD's and have a ?

[Fitlaurie]

Hi Cathe, I just bought your 2001 DVD 12 packs and the 6 pack. I love your weight lifting routines and abs in the 6 pack. That's primarily what I've been doing.

Since I am able to mix and match routines with the DVD, I find myself doing all your upper and lower body weight work, planks and abs in one day. It's almost a 2 hr workout, but I can't seem to stop doing them - they are fun and hard. Since your workout involves heavy weights and high reps, I find that my body does not recovered within 48 hrs. and that it's taking about a week to fully recover from the muscle soreness (good soreness, not pain).

Is it OK to do heavy weights once a week for the entire body? My weights are 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 30 lbs. I try to use the weights you use on the tapes, but on a few exercises (very few) I actually use heavier weights than what you recommend. As you say, by the end of the class, I'm cooked!

Thanks for the advice and for the great workouts. Laurie

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Laurie! I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying the workouts so much. Yes, doing heavy weights for the entire body once per week is fine. Since you have just started these workouts, your extreme soreness is normal. As you get used the workouts, you may find that the soreness will subside quite a bit (but don't worry, you are still reaping the benefits). To keep the benefits coming, you will eventually need to present a new challenge to your muscles. To do this change around the following within your workout: 1) your weight load per exercise 2) the exercise order of your workout 3) the exercises per body part 3) the method of training (pre-exhaust, pyramid, super set, slow and heavy, quicker paced and light, etc.)

A way to know when it is time to change things around is when your current routine no longer challenges your muscles in a challenging manner or you are bored with your current program.

Good Luck!

 

[Fitlaurie]

Thanks for your reply Cathe, I'll do as you suggest! By the way, I just received my Pure Strength DVD and I LOVE it. I did it this morning and used the Mix and Match section. I absolutely loved it (even though I used the Mix and Match section, I ended up doing just about every single exercise listed!). With the DVD's, you've given us the capability to create totally new and challanging workouts every single time. Thanks!

Also, I love the totally different exercises that are included in that DVD - things I'd never seen before that really spice things up.

Can't wait to get the new DVD workouts!

Laurie