how do I get more toned?

K

Krista

Guest
Dear Cathe,

I bought Power Hour & Maximum Intensity Strength a month ago and love them!

Here's my questions: my current exercise routine is to run 4 miles three times a week, do one of the two videos three times a week (I'm using 8-15 lbs dumbbells to start), and then work my abs every day. I especially need toning in my abs. I have a "sturdy" build and am able to use more weight than I think most women are. How can I get more toned? Should I use more weights and is the barbell better than dumbbells? Should I decrease my aerobic workouts to increase my weight workouts (I workout a total of 6 times a week)? I'm definitely aiming for a toned body, because I'm not built to be a "skinny mini"!

Thanks so much for your reply--I have really enjoyed your videos and your comfortable teaching style.

P.S. My husband (who hates exercise videos) loves your videos and was limping after his first attempt at Power Hour!
 
Hi Krista! There is no exact way to know exactly what your body needs. You will have to do some experimenting and see which rotation your body seems to respond most favorably too.

At a glance though, I think that running three times a week is too much of the same cardio activity and your body will get too used to it causing your reslults to slow down. I wouldn't stay with this same cardio activity for more than three weeks (or even change it around sooner than this).

As for barbell or weights, they both offer unique benefits so I suggest using both interchangeably.

I think that a cardio activity 4 to 6 times per week plus weight training for the total body two times per week will be a good indication of how your body responds to exercise. After three weeks, look over your program and evaluate your results. Add, subtract, or change around workouts if needed to help you continue to reach your goals. Good Luck!
 
Dear Cathe,

Thanks so much for the quick response. I'm not sure what other cardio I can do (I have small children and can't get to a gym or pool). When you recommend rotating, what exactly do you mean? Do you have a series of videos that address this question? I'm not sure if step routines address this (I've never done step).

Here's a quick profile of my exercise history: Aerobics 5-6/week for two years (found I lost my initial weight, but then felt they weren't "tough" enough). Eight months ago, I switched to running 3-4 times a week and weight training the whole body 2-3/week and abs every day. After I e-mailed you, I tried doing your Power Hour with the same weights you used and found it was a nice, challenging level (guess my weights were too low!). I do have more than average upper-body strength and am aiming for a more toned look overall, but especially in the abs. Hope you can clarify.

Thanks so much!
Krista
 
Why don't you try one of Cathe's step tapes for cardio? Or Cardio Kicks if you don't want to buy a step?
 
Hi Krista,
I'm obviously not Cathe, but thought I'd give you my 0.2 anyway.
I, like you, will never be skinny - I have about 40lbs to lose and just want to tone up and look and feel fit. I think what Cathe is saying is that the body needs to be constantly challenged with different types of activities. This, in effect, is what "cross-training" is all about. Running 3 times a week may give you really good results initially, but after a few weeks, your body gets used to doing this kind of activity and will no longer be as challenged by it (you also risk injury by continually using your muscles in exactly the same way). Therefore, after a couple of weeks you may want to reduce your running to, say, once a week and replace the other running sessions with another form of cardio (ie step, kickboxing, spinning). Then, after say another 3-4 weeks, change the mix again. Doing this continually challenges the body to work in slightly different ways and means that, hopefully, you will continue to see good results without the risk of injury.
I would really recommend the Cross Train Express series which consists of 6 tapes (all under 1 hour). 5 of the tapes provide an intense cardio workout (step, kickbox, hi/lo or a combination of all three) followed by a weight training for a different upper body part each day. The 6th tape is an intense workout for the legs. This is a really great series, particularly as you mention that your time is limited. I have been doing a CTX rotation for the last few weeks and have gotten great results.
Hope this helps,
Kaz.
 
Hi Krista! To rotate cardio activities simply means to do a different form of cardio workouts so that your heart and muscles are still challenged but with a variety of movement styles and patterns. Some examples are step aerobics, hi/lo impact floor aerobics, cardio kickboxing, interval workouts, circuit workouts etc. Yes, I do have videos that address all of these workouts. If you are interested, you can view the film clips of these from our home page to see which styles suit your preference. Good Luck:)!
 
Just wondering about all of the rotation/ cross training advice.
I know how important it is to cross train for maximum benefits and to prevent overuse injury.My question is will you still receive maximum benefits if you are changing up your routine on a weekly basis rather than doing 3-6 week rotation of exercise in a specific order. Is it necessary to have a rotation to get full benefits??? :-hmmm
 
Hi Momincharge! This is actually a matter of preference. I definitely like to encourage anyone who is new to fitness, deconditioned, or returning after an injury, to stay with one weight training rotation for about 8 to 12 weeks to let their body adapt to the changes that will occur. Once you become more experienced with a variety of rotations, your body will adapt more quickly to a new rotation (unless the rotation is a completely different approach than what you have done in the past, and if that were the case, then you should stay with that rotation for 8 weeks also). So, I would say that if you are happy with the results you are receiving while rotating on a weekly basis, then stay with it. But if part of you is wishing that you could see some more changes, then try sticking to longer weight rotations and see if that makes a difference.
 
One more question if you please! Does the rotation idea apply to cardio too?? I tend to do the same type of cardio each week ie kickbox, run ,hi-lo,step;but rarely do them in the same order for an 8 wk period which means I am not using a rotation. Correct?? I thought it was good to change up the cardio to keep the muscles guessing. I will try sticking to a strength rotation for 8 wks and see if I get more noticeable results Really need to get the S&H tapes to add to the other weight tapes of yours I have. Color me silly, but I guess I do not have the whole rotation concept figured out... just thought I did!:eek: Thanks for the help and MANY congrats on your newest blessing! Wishing you an uneventful end to your pregnancy (on the downhill slide now!!) and an easy delivery! :-jumpy
 
The only time that I would suggest doing the same cardio activity for an extended period of time is if you are entirely new to it or if you are training for a competition based on that specific activity.

When you are brand new to an activity, your muscles are not over exposed to that movement pattern and will provide both a muscular endurance and cardiovascular challenge without overtraining the muscles. But as your body becomes more acclimated to the activity, your results and motivation to do the activity will slow down. Thats when its time to switch. Over time you will have eventually tapped into numerous cardio activities and therefore, your body adapts quite quickly to each workout once you do it. This being the case, it is best to rotate your cardio activities much more frequently, as in every workout if desired or weekly.

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks!! I think I have it now!! I was just confused about the rotation with weights apparently. I will stick with what I am doing on cardio (varying those activities on a day to day basis) and stay with a specific weight rotation for 6- 8 weeks. Hopefully,this will give me a little more muscle definition. I am going to use the weight portions of your Xpress workouts and save for the SH series. That should give me enough time to save the $$$ for that. Thanks again for taking the time to clarify things for me!! :7
 
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