Former high impacter seeks defined legs

D

dbwood

Member
I am a former runner/stepper/high impact exerciser now relatively limited to swimming (which I fortunately love) for my cardio due to advanced osteoarthritis in my hip. (I am 44 and don't want a new hip yet.) What rotation of strenth videos would you suggest to get back the definition I used to have in my legs from the impact exercise that swimming does not provide? (Upper body is pretty well toned from the swimming, but could certainly use improvement.) I currently have the P/S series, MIS and Body Max of your strength videos. I swim five times each week and could probably work in 3 hours of strength work.
Many thanks for your advice!
 
Hi! I think that using the PS Series once a week but doing the leg workout two times per week will provide good lower body strength and definition. Or you can do the PS Series once a week along with MIS one day that week (just the leg portion of MIS if you prefer)and get good lower body strength and definition too.

However, being that you are limited from being versatile in your cardio choices, then perhaps you should increase your versatility in strength training options. To do this, I suggest signing up at a gym where you will have access to more equipment to challenge your legs in a variety of ways that your previous cardio base may have tapped into certain muscles. Good Luck!
 
Hi, DBWood! I'm not Cathe, but I'm an experienced aquaciser, and I thought I'd also suggest, if you're not doing so already, to incorporate flutter-kick, butterfly-kick, and frog kick intervals into your current swimming program. As you noted, your swimming has toned your upper body very well, and therein lies the rub with traditional swimming - it doesn't recruit the legs very much.

However, if you alternate sets of swimming laps with kickboard laps that isolate your legs, you'll get some pretty powerful hip flexor, gluteal, quadriceps, and hamstring work accomplished, and it's a cardio blast as well! You can use a kickboard or hand-buoys (I personally prefer hand buoys) for flotation, and add some extra oomph by anchoring yourself on a wall for a couple of the kick sets to prevent water "backdraft" assistance.

Good luck!

Annette


Annette
 
DBWood a few years ago my arch collasped and my feet were in bad shape from excessive impact. I switched over to low, low impact aerobics, i.e. I squatted low for every move I could and eliminated all jumps. Interestingly, my legs were never more muscular than at the time. They started out downright skinny so I was very happy by that. Good luck to you!

Bobbi http://www.plauder-smilies.de/chicken.gif Chicks Rule!
 
I modify lots of Cathe's stuff to lower impact, and I rarely use the step in her step workouts (all due to knee problems). I do just what Bobbi said (large arm movements, low squats; also, I use a lot more space by not using the step. yes, my heart rate gets up there--not as high as it would with a step, but in my 65-80 range.
Wendy
 
I've been on an 8 week lay-off of high impact due to foot surgery. I have found that MIS, Slow & Heavy Legs, PS Legs, Pilates, and Karen Voight's Great Weighted Workout have maintained my legs quite well. As for Cardio--I have used Kickbox--(modified); stationary bike--which in your case--may be Out; Charlene Prickett's low impact floor work tapes--which used to irritate the heck out of me--until now, when I have needed them!! :)
GOOD LUCK!! Murph
 
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