How long to gain mass??

[naughtoj]

Hi everyone!!!

Listen, does anyone know, or have any good information on, how long it takes to gain any mass when you begin lifting weights serioulsy?? Also, how long does it take to gain measureable strength??

I have just been doing the Firm Upper Body and the Firm Standing Legs each twice a week for about a month now and am wondering how long it takes to start seeing results assuming you are lifting weight that is challenging, which I am. I have not graduated to Cathe yet, other than Cardio Kicks once a week, because many of her moves are more, should I say "powerlifter" type exercises (eg. deadlift and barbell squats) and many of these exercise types exacerbate my chronic mid back problems so I have been weary of beginning with her.
Anyway, I am curious, because I have good genes to gain muscle and already weigh in at 134 pounds at 5'0 with 19 percent body fat ( I think). I do cardio 5-6 days a week...run, rollerblade, hike, and mountain bike.
I wonder if I should try Cathe because her exercises seem much slower than the Firms and maybe I would get more muscle building benefits??? Sometimes, it seems the Firms move much too fast for real heavy lifting.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!! Janice

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Janice! I think your instincts are right - slow is the way to go with heavy lifting that is necessary for mass-building. While I don't know how long it would take to start noticing muscle mass gains, I do think switching over to Cathe strength training protocols, with the Pure Strength and Slow and Heavy series, would be a good idea.

Watching Cathe's earlier step videos, such as Power Max, and then comparing them to her later workouts such as Body Max, Interval Max, CTX etc., is interesting because you can see a dramatic difference in her musculature in the later workouts.

I think if you go onto a slower lifting protocol you'll see differences fairly early on; the building process may slow up a bit after that initial blossoming but it will continue if you're consistent.

Good luck!

Annette

 

[fit4life]

I completely agree with Annette! I LOVE Cathe's S & H series. I started out using MIS for about 6 months and I needed to confuse those muscles out of a plateau (although I did gain lots of strength and some definition--most visible in contorted positions in front of the mirror! haha). Anyway, I decided to start with Slow and Heavy before Pure Strength (which I will do next), and I'm so glad I did! Today I completed the third week of this rotation, and I am so proud of the results! I really have muscles with nice definition, without flexing. I'm thrilled! My husband even noticed it.

I tried the Firm Upper Body--it was challenging, but seemed almost aerobic, so I couln't challenge myself with heavier weights. The rest between the sets makes a huge difference.

If you are worried about the lower body work, then try the two upper body tapes--you will be happy with the results! Maybe you could just go lighter on the lower body.

Denise