How to get stronger

[april71rn]

I do 30-45 min. cardio on the 3 days I work (12 hr shifts) and do my weights 3 other days I'm off. I do 2 days upper body and one day lower using Cathe. I never use the same DVDs week to week. I continually alternate them. Last week PUB and PLB, this week Gym style series and next week something else. I don't seem to be getting much stronger. Would I benefit more if I tried to stick with one series for a few weeks instead? I get bored so quickly like that but would really like to get stronger for the new series. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

[Sunshine 1528]

Are you trying to up your weights as you go along? Or just plain having a hard time getting through the exercises with the same weights every week?

Are you comparing the same workouts to themselves for strength increase purposes?

 

[pebblesus]

Id like to hear on this one as well... I hear Cathe talking in the video's all the time about keeping track of the weights used so that next time we can go heavier etc.. but I NEVER seem to get to go much heavier lol.. I think my chest flyes and bench presses are heavier than A YEAR AGO!, but my biceps are the same!
How long does it take the slower builders to build weights and the fast builders to build? I have used the same video's twice weekly for four weeks AND I have changed it every workout or everyother.. I almost swear that sticking with the same routine for 3-4 weeks straight works for ME better, but Id like to hear others imput and experiences on this one..
Am I not working hard enough lol?!

 

[jdawnc]

For me it wasn't until I upped my protein consumption big time and I really seen the gains from the pain of working out six days a week. I was eating six times a day with an average of 15-20g of protein each meal. After one month I felt like a machine that could do man push ups no problem. That's when I knew I gained something because it came easy to me and all I was thinking is wow I am doing it and I'm not crying

You may also see gains if you cut back on the weights to give your body time to build the muscle. Sleep is also very important.

 

[EVCT]

I'm really interested in the answers here because I am trying to increase weights, too. I have started keeping track of them using the 4DS dvds. I want to increase the weights I use , but I'm not sure how!
Ellen

 

[lioness]

I just push myself to go heavier than the last time. For instance, I have steadily tried to increase my weight on the bicep section for PUB. I am up to 20#'s now and can almost do all 8 reps on the 20#'s. Every week, I just add another rep at 20#. You will never know how heavy you can go until your try it. Even if it is only 1 rep. Then try to increase to 2 reps the next time you do the workout.

I have also noticed that the endurance workouts like PUB and ME have helped to add more strength and allowed me to go heavier in other workouts.

I also agreed with the previous poster about adding more protein to your diet, getting proper rest between weight workouts and getting enough sleep.

 

[Beavs]

I have been working with an awesome PT and what has been working for me is making sure I am getting enough protein (I wasn't) and working out heavy twice weekly. I do drop sets to increase my strength. I've noticed over the course of a few weeks that I can squeak one or two more reps each time with that heavier weight before needing to drop down to the lighter weight to complete the set of twelve. I don't do Cathe weight training any more as her videos are more endurance based (lighter weights, more reps).

ETA
Once I gain the mass that I am looking for I am quite sure I will go back to Cathe's weight workouts (I miss them but I have learned new things by going to the gym).

 

[kathryn]

You might benefit from something like Platemates or Paceweights, which are small, magnetized weights you can add to your dumbells/weight plates to increase weights in smaller increments. They will allow you to increase in 1/2-pound (Paceweights) or 5/8# (Platemates) increments so that the gradual increase is hardly noticeable, so it's easier than trying to go up 5# at a time. (A general rule I've seen in weight-training books is to not increase weights more than 5% for upper body muscles or 5-10# for large lower body muscles).

Being unable to increase weights could also be a sign of overtraining (too much stimulus without sufficient recovery) or not getting enough stimulus. (And "stimulus" can include not just your weight-training sessions, but other life activities).