Do you follow a rotation or decide day by day?

[exercise forever]

I have tried to schedule four weeks ahead of time of a routine and something always causes me to follow it. I just quite the whole thing and make another one just to quit it. Do you think I should go day by day to decide what I will do for that day? Is this something I should try instead of writing everything down in advance?


Want to know how all of you do yours!


kim

 

[suzcomn]

I do both. If I see a rotation (Cathe's or someone else's like A-Jock) that interests me I'll follow it pretty closely, but usually end up modifying a slight bit. Other times I don't follow a rotation at all and just decide the day of, although when I'm doing this, I usually at least rotate daily between cardio and weights.

You should enjoy what you are doing. If you dread your rotation and try to find a way out of it, maybe you should try something else.

 

[tsut]

I used to go day by day, but realized I will not do enough cardio, weight lifting, etc ... Now I choose a four week rotation from the ones Cathe has posted, and that has worked out great. I tend to skip workouts and slack off in one area or another if I don't have a set schedule.

You could try a more loose rotation. Instead of having an exact video for the day, you could do something like:

day 1 - step cardio
day 2 - total body workout
day 3 - kickboxing and abs
day 4 - stretch
day 5 - lower body and short cardio

I used to do something like that, and it works out well.

 

[Kit_]

Another thing to do, is break down the four week rotation into weeks. This if you need a change you got lead way, you can move week 4 to week 2, or whatever. I generally use rotations as they really do help you keep a balanced exercise program. Something that generally gives you the best results and makes sure you don't skimp on one area that we tend to do, if we do a day by day thing. As we all have a certain likes in exercise. Some of us perfer cardio over strength training or vice vera, and sometimes even ignore stretching and how good it is for us, as it's boring, or doesn't feel like a workout, or whatever reason. (I'm not good at reaason for not stretching, as I love it.)

With a rotation it's on the schedule so your more likely to do it. If you miss a day or two of the rotation don't sweat it, just either pick up where you left off, if it's been more then one day missed is generally the better idea. Or start where you should be if you hadn't missed. There no foul, if you miss a day, just make it your rest day and get right back up again. And if it works for you, you can even do the rotation or week backwards, if that routine works better for your schedule that week, or even change the workouts around, just make sure you do the whole week.

I do this a lot with clients as some days, they don't have the energy, or one day is really stressful or they are really hyper, I simply just switch the rotation to fit there needs for the day, but make sure we get everything in that they need, for the whole week. Don't think in a rotation you got to do what it says on day to, if you don't feel like it, if day 4 fits your mood better that day, switch it, just make sure you do day 2 some time that week. Just make sure you don't work the same body part two days in a row. If that happens mix it up a bit more until you get a cardio or a stretch day in between the two.


HTH,

Kit

 

[hippahips]

I usually have a general outline of what I want to do for the week or month. I'm pretty much certain about the upper body weights and standing leg workout part of my plan, but I decide day to day with cardio, although I want my cardio to work my legs as well. I get ideas from the posted rotations and make my own mish moshes based on what my knees need and how they feel that day.

Pinky

 

[dss62467]

I mostly follow a rotation. I might alter the cardio depending on the weather (if it's too hot, I won't do anything too intense), or my mood. But it's pretty much mapped out for me. I like to do Cathe's rotations because I trust that there's some sort of focus to them. But sometimes she puts them together and I'm like "over my dead body!" This month's is an example of one of those.

 

[Me2]

I tend to do "Series" rotations. Like a Body Blast Rotation, or an Intesity Series rotation, etc, etc. I change cardio during them, though. Sometimes I run, spin, or something else, instead of a cardio within the series.

Sometimes I follow Cathe's rotation. This month I am doing that.

I used to be able to stick to a rotation longer, but for the past several months, I have just been doing whatever I felt like. That is ...up until this month.

Linda

 

[singinggoddess]

I usually do:

2 kickbox workouts per week(cathe,taebo,powerstrike)
2 step workouts(imaxes step blast etc.)
2 circuit workouts(HSC,HSTA,BC,etc.)
1 Just upper body tape(PUB,PS,GS)
1 Full body workout(ME,MM,PH)
1 Yoga tape(power yoga)

This works real well for me.

Me, the most important thing is variety.

Susan

 

[exercise forever]

Hey ladies, check out my routine and tell me what you think. I can only do upper body weights and abs right now so I had a few questions.


1. pub,cst and abs.
2. pub,bb and abs, with floor leg work
3. coremax 1 and 2
4. PS.same as 1
5. PS. same as 2
6. ab marathon
7. rest

This is what I have for this week, can I do S&H next week, and GS the next? I want to build muscle right now so I wonder if I can change the workouts each week?


Thanks for all your help!!
Hope I haven't been to confusing.

kim

 

[Fit_mommy]

I do both.

Often times I will do whatever I feel like each day but trying to stay with in the basic frame work of hitting every body part with weights atleast 2x per week and doing cardio atleast 4-5x per week.

When I create a rotation for myself it is only based on the TYPE of work out (ie-f/b weights, cardio, circuit, etc.) so that I still have the freedom to choose what I feel like doing with in the confines of the schedule. I have tried scheduling SPECIFIC work outs for myself ahead of time but never stick to it.

Right now, for the very first time I am following one of Cathe's rotations. I was in doubt as to wether I would stick to it for the same reason I never stuck to my own but so far so good. I am at the end of week # 2 and going strong!

I don't think it matters how you do it as long as you get in all of the components of a balanced fitness routine. Do whatever works for you.

 

[Pedmom]

i'm like wendy. I make my own rotation. I have never been able to follow a month-long rotation created by anyone. Invariably, I get a new workout or something that makes me want to deviate. So I just do my own and it's usually no more than 2 weeks at a time.

I'm currently doing a 3 day rotation:

Day 1 Weights (MM, ME, PP, PH, SS)
Day 2 Cardio (step, treadmill, elliptical, kickboxing)
Day 3 AWT (Firm or WHFN using VERY light work)

I've done this before and it's not mainly for results; it's for fun. I find myself avoiding one thing if I don't plan it out. For instance, I'll suddenly realize I haven't used my elliptical in a month.

HTH!