Contrast training for Legs
- Thread starter Debinmi
- Start date
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
I absolutely love contrast training - it is my favourite way to train the lower body. I personally do it no more than once per week and then after 4-6 weeks I switch to another style of lower body training (heavy weights, barre, mat, pyramid, etc.). The Cardio Legs routine in XTrain is also a great contrast training program.
The benefits I see are increased cardiovascular fitness while at the same time lifting fairly heavy. So lots of calorie burn without losing muscle mass. I just did STS Disk 26 last night - whoa! Super tough! The heart is pounding (hiit type benefits), the pylo moves help me build bone density (I have low bone mass so I love that benefit), it is time efficient (Cathe just gives about 30 seconds rest between rounds), there is so much variety within the workout there is no boredom (only one set of each move) and I feel as if I am working toward stronger yet leaner lower body musculature.
Great idea to do the squat rack option while doing Meso 3 and then the Plyo option the following month.
Good luck Debinmi!
The benefits I see are increased cardiovascular fitness while at the same time lifting fairly heavy. So lots of calorie burn without losing muscle mass. I just did STS Disk 26 last night - whoa! Super tough! The heart is pounding (hiit type benefits), the pylo moves help me build bone density (I have low bone mass so I love that benefit), it is time efficient (Cathe just gives about 30 seconds rest between rounds), there is so much variety within the workout there is no boredom (only one set of each move) and I feel as if I am working toward stronger yet leaner lower body musculature.
Great idea to do the squat rack option while doing Meso 3 and then the Plyo option the following month.
Good luck Debinmi!
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
YES! Thanks for the reminders of these other great contrast workouts for the lower body, Debinmi! Counting the STS Meso 3 workouts and XTrain's Cardio Legs, that gives us 9 choices for a contrast training program! Cathe provides so many options - we will never get bored and we will always be challenged! 
RWH Legs is the gold standard - it technically uses the intended structure - doing a weighted move followed by a cardio move that mimics what was just done with weights so that the same muscle fibres are activated. For example, squats followed by pop squats, or plies followed by plie jacks. Cathe says it "activates additional high threshold muscle fibres". In the intro to the RWH Legs workout Cathe gives a good explanation of the benefits of this type of training.
I am going to take your advice and ensure one of these workouts are in my next rotation once per week. I am planning on doing Cathe's new Rock Bottom Rotation and it has one of the workouts you mentioned in 3 of the 4 weeks. It has RWH Legs in week 1 and Lower Body Blast in weeks 3 and 4. I think I will switch out Perfect Pump Lower Body for RWH Circuit Leg Blast in week 2 and I will be good to go! Thanks for the motivation!
RWH Legs is the gold standard - it technically uses the intended structure - doing a weighted move followed by a cardio move that mimics what was just done with weights so that the same muscle fibres are activated. For example, squats followed by pop squats, or plies followed by plie jacks. Cathe says it "activates additional high threshold muscle fibres". In the intro to the RWH Legs workout Cathe gives a good explanation of the benefits of this type of training.
I am going to take your advice and ensure one of these workouts are in my next rotation once per week. I am planning on doing Cathe's new Rock Bottom Rotation and it has one of the workouts you mentioned in 3 of the 4 weeks. It has RWH Legs in week 1 and Lower Body Blast in weeks 3 and 4. I think I will switch out Perfect Pump Lower Body for RWH Circuit Leg Blast in week 2 and I will be good to go! Thanks for the motivation!
Debinmi
Cathlete
Jane, Cathe's updated Rock Bottoms Rotation got me thinking more about incorporating the contrast training method in my next rotation too. There are enough contrast training workouts for 9 weeks without repeat. So I'm planning on doing something similar for the summer.
I think there is a post of yours that is a generic Rock Bottoms template. So I'm thinking a week would include ...
1) contrast leg training
2) an UB
3) a HIIT
4) a LB
5) a Metabolic weight training
6) a KB
I would include core & extended stretch/mobility workouts too.
Your opinion is welcomed.
I think there is a post of yours that is a generic Rock Bottoms template. So I'm thinking a week would include ...
1) contrast leg training
2) an UB
3) a HIIT
4) a LB
5) a Metabolic weight training
6) a KB
I would include core & extended stretch/mobility workouts too.
Your opinion is welcomed.
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
Debinmi, what does the 'KB' stand for in #6 ?
Debinmi
Cathlete
Sorry for the abbreviation ... KB = kickbox.
I'm contemplating a rotation like this for June after completing STS in May. But I'm thinking it might be too intense for me for every week ... so I'm thinking maybe every other week, or 2 weeks on, one week off, two weeks on ... may need to play with it some more ...
I'm contemplating a rotation like this for June after completing STS in May. But I'm thinking it might be too intense for me for every week ... so I'm thinking maybe every other week, or 2 weeks on, one week off, two weeks on ... may need to play with it some more ...
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
Yeah, from my viewpoint, it's an aggressive cardio and lower body rotation (if those workouts all occur in one actual week. )
I'd need a steady state cardio, a yoga/mobility or rest day thrown in amongst what you mention. However, I like to vary the intensity within the week and realize that may not be your preference.
I love the idea behind what you are thinking about doing
I'd need a steady state cardio, a yoga/mobility or rest day thrown in amongst what you mention. However, I like to vary the intensity within the week and realize that may not be your preference.
I love the idea behind what you are thinking about doing
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
Debinmi
Is there a good online article you can point out to me so I can understand what qualifies for contrast training a little better? (Trying not to hijack your thread with a bunch of questions )
Is there a good online article you can point out to me so I can understand what qualifies for contrast training a little better? (Trying not to hijack your thread with a bunch of questions
)
Debinmi
Cathlete
Lady Vol Fan ... I'm no expert, and what I've learned about contrast training is mostly from Cathe and these forums ....
Blog posts:
cathe.com
cathe.com
I think there are a number of forum posts on contrast training too.
Interesting that you used the word "aggressive" to describe this idea, as I think that's how Cathe describes the "Rock Bottoms" rotation too. And I agree. The Bonus Butt add-on Cathe uses in that rotation is also kind-of a "mini" version of contrast training for legs. I have never done one of the Rock Bottoms rotations as I think they may be too much for me -- I think of myself as more as an advanced intermediate and while I do believe in challenging myself, I want my workouts to be fun too and never get to the point of burning out on them. So I'm thinking of modifying the rotation to be challenging, but not overly aggressive for me.
Last spring I did the 90-day undulating Xtrain rotation and like it - I just reviewed it this weekend. It includes the XT Cardio Leg Blast and Leg workouts in the same week for the first month, then one or the other for a few weeks, then one more week with both workouts in one week in the 3rd month. So I may use something like that for the summer as I'll be done with my STS rotation in May. However, since STS is a 3-day-split weight rotation (2 UB/1LB), and so is XTrain, I'm thinking I might reverse it to 2LB/1UB a week just for something different -- but not for every week in the three months --- sort of like the Xtrain rotation where she does 2 lower body workouts for 5 of the 12 weeks., then slip in Metabolic Weight Training workout for the 3rd day.
I'm still contemplating different options, it's kind of fun to think of various options as I think about summer ... I need to be flexible as I often do outdoor cardio ... so it's mostly the weight workouts that I'll stick to in a summer rotation.
Blog posts:
What Is Contrast Training and How Can It Help You Build Lean Body Mass?
Are you looking for a way to break through a plateau and build strength and power at the same time? Find out more about contrast training.
cathe.com
Are You Training for Strength or Power?
Are training for strength or power? For maximal functionality, you need both. Read on and discover how the two forms of training differ and how to make sure you’re training in a way that maximizes each.
cathe.com
I think there are a number of forum posts on contrast training too.
Interesting that you used the word "aggressive" to describe this idea, as I think that's how Cathe describes the "Rock Bottoms" rotation too. And I agree. The Bonus Butt add-on Cathe uses in that rotation is also kind-of a "mini" version of contrast training for legs. I have never done one of the Rock Bottoms rotations as I think they may be too much for me -- I think of myself as more as an advanced intermediate and while I do believe in challenging myself, I want my workouts to be fun too and never get to the point of burning out on them. So I'm thinking of modifying the rotation to be challenging, but not overly aggressive for me.
Last spring I did the 90-day undulating Xtrain rotation and like it - I just reviewed it this weekend. It includes the XT Cardio Leg Blast and Leg workouts in the same week for the first month, then one or the other for a few weeks, then one more week with both workouts in one week in the 3rd month. So I may use something like that for the summer as I'll be done with my STS rotation in May. However, since STS is a 3-day-split weight rotation (2 UB/1LB), and so is XTrain, I'm thinking I might reverse it to 2LB/1UB a week just for something different -- but not for every week in the three months --- sort of like the Xtrain rotation where she does 2 lower body workouts for 5 of the 12 weeks., then slip in Metabolic Weight Training workout for the 3rd day.
I'm still contemplating different options, it's kind of fun to think of various options as I think about summer ... I need to be flexible as I often do outdoor cardio ... so it's mostly the weight workouts that I'll stick to in a summer rotation.
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
That's a brilliant idea... to mimic the flow of the Xtrain rotation! Love it!! Honestly, I enjoy playing around with rotations and it's so cool when I read about other folks working through possibilities because I always get great ideas.
I also love to challenge myself, too, but I'm no STS graduate. So clearly my challenges have lower limits
Ok I guess I have never paid attention to those Cathe posts hah!
I will have to give those a true read. Thank you for helping me learn something new!
I also love to challenge myself, too, but I'm no STS graduate. So clearly my challenges have lower limits
Ok I guess I have never paid attention to those Cathe posts hah!
I will have to give those a true read. Thank you for helping me learn something new!
Debinmi
Cathlete
Linda/Lady Vol Fan .... I used to be intimidated by STS, then 2 years ago I decided to "just do it" and I'm glad I did. The 1 Rep Max (1RM) thing intimidated me I think, but once I realized it wasn't so bad and I could estimate it based on current workouts by plugging in the weights I was using for current workouts that were challenging to me, it was more doable ... STS is actually customized to your own level based on that 1RM calculation and the Workout Manager calculates it for you ... you just plug in the weight you used and the number of reps. So even though STS is categorized as an advanced program, I think it's more due to the !RM than the actual workouts - the workouts themselves are as challenging as any of Cathe's workouts if you use the appropriate weight for the goal of the workout - endurance, hypertrophy or strength. The endurance and hypertrophy workouts are very much like Cathe's other weight workouts IMO, the strength ones have long rests between sets, and fewer types of exercises in each workout so that makes them very diffferent from her other workouts. I read that a lot of Cathe fans would like more strength-based workouts, but for me, I prefer the endurance and hypertrophy ones cuz the rests are long in true strength workouts, and I get antsy waiting. Sometimes, the lack of rest in other weight workouts is a problem too as there isn't enough time to change out weights or catch my breath ... so I guess there's pros/cons to everything. If you stream, you might give STS a go too ...
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
Loved reading your posts Linda/Lady Vol Fan and Debinmi! Thank you! Great to read those blog posts of Cathe's and get myself motivated to fit in power moves into my rotations!
And I LOVED the weekly rotation you designed Debinmi. On a week when I really want to focus on lower body it is perfectly laid out - between kickboxing, a leg workout and a contrast workout there's lots of leg action! When I finish STS I will do your rotation for a couple of weeks for sure. I too do more cardio outdoors once the weather improves in May and June and I teach 3 fitness classes per week, so I can't always follow a rotation to a T. But I love planning ahead and thinking of all the options and what would best help me work toward my goals safely and effectively. Thanks again!
I agree with what you said about STS, Debinmi. I feel anyone at an intermediate level with the time can do STS - just use manageable level weights. And I too find that I need the time between sets to change out my weights, drink water (lots!), and stretch, so the various rest periods work out for me. Sometimes I have to rewind as I need a few more seconds.
And I LOVED the weekly rotation you designed Debinmi.
On a week when I really want to focus on lower body it is perfectly laid out - between kickboxing, a leg workout and a contrast workout there's lots of leg action! When I finish STS I will do your rotation for a couple of weeks for sure. I too do more cardio outdoors once the weather improves in May and June and I teach 3 fitness classes per week, so I can't always follow a rotation to a T. But I love planning ahead and thinking of all the options and what would best help me work toward my goals safely and effectively. Thanks again!I agree with what you said about STS, Debinmi. I feel anyone at an intermediate level with the time can do STS - just use manageable level weights. And I too find that I need the time between sets to change out my weights, drink water (lots!), and stretch, so the various rest periods work out for me. Sometimes I have to rewind as I need a few more seconds.
mrsmel
Cathlete
I love contrast training for legs, too. I used the workout blender to make a hybrid of RWH Lift it Hit it Legs and ICE Chiseled Lower Body Blast since RWH by itself is more than I want to do these days. I was doing it the other day and realized I could make another version using Lower Body Pump and the cardio work outs from Perfect 30. Huzzah! I haven't tried this one yet, but I think it will be fun. Happy training, everyone! ;-)