CTX Question

[Shannon]

Hi Cathe!

I asked this a couple a days ago, but I think it got buried!

My question concerns dumbells and barbells. I do not have a barbell. Per your advice, I am using 3, 5, and 8 lb. dumbells since I have not used weights in the past.

When you are using your barbell, what do I do at home with my dumbells? I assume when you are doing upper body work, I should put my dumbells in the same position. I am not sure about lower body work though. What do I do with squats and lunges, etc?

Also, one more question. When you reduce your amt. of weight on the second set of a particular exercise, should I also do that? Since I am using such light weights, I have been keeping the same weight for the duration of all sets in a particular exercise --- but then I started thinking maybe there was a benefit to reducing the weights.

I absolutely love the ctx series. It has opened up a whole new world for me! I tell everyone I know about your tapes and about this website. It has really made a difference in my life. Thanks to all the 'educated crowd'....and thanks to you Cathe!!

Shannon

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Shannon!

Thanks for digging me out from under all of those questions. I could hardly breath

!

Your assumption for upper body dumbell placement is correct. As for lower body, you can either place your hands on your shoulders and hold one dumbell on top of each shoulder during the exercise or hold them down along the sides of your body. If it feels comfortable, you can even bend your arms and hold a weight in each hand side by side along your chest/rib cage area. In this position, the thick ends of the dumbells would face the ceiling and the floor.

Since you are using lighter dumbells and are able to keep the same weight for the second set, I would suggest that you continue doing this rather than lighten the weight. Good Luck!