I stopped doing wts for LB and lost inches!!

J

joyjoy

Cathlete
I have been doing weights for lower body every other day for over a year. the past 2 months I did freestyle and did lights wts every day 6 days a week. I saw very little improvement over the year. I did maintain but that last 10-12 lbs wouldn't come off.

Well, these past 3 weeks I completely stopped doing all lower body work and I have lost about 7 lbs and up to and inch and a half off of my waist, hips and thighs!! I am so thrilled! I still do kickmax in its entirety, kpc, imax 2, cardio kicks and ab hits and coremax etc, I just don't do the weighted lower body workouts anymore. I also do plyo metrics with Tony Horton. I am 5 lbs away from my goal. I haven't seen progress like this since 2004 when I first started getting serious about fitness.

Any insights into why this happened? Could it be that my body type just isn't geared toward weighted lower body work or did I just need a rest. I am a size 6-8 but my body type is like Oprah-pretti curvy. Perhaps the cardio that I do is enough lower body work for me because kickboxing, plyo, jumping rope and step does have lots of lower body work. Maybe I'll need to start doing weight again? Anyway, just thought I'd share-I still do wts for my upper body. Hopefully, I am not losing muscle tone in my legs, they still look toned-I am thrilled but I'd love to hear from some of you guys!
Thanks for listening!
Joy
 
That's great!

I have very strong legs, and I rarely do any weighted workouts for them. My main forms of cardio are kickboxing and step, and I find that it's all I need. My legs are quite muscular from that alone. My calves get too big if I use weights when I squat, etc...
 
I had very similar experiences with using only a med ball, stability ball, or gliders for lower body and NO dumbbells, barbells, etc. I have more muscled definition, which I would have thought was impossible given my build, but then ballet dancers have very nice muscle definition, so it makes sense.

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Mark Twain ;-)
 
Well, maybe that's my answer then. I just assumed that I needed to do wts for my enitire body. Are you hourglass shaped? My legs are nicely muscular too I don't want that hard muscular look just toned and feminine. Thanks for your reply!
 
I think too, if you were doing the same thing for over a year, your body would certainly respond to the change, and obviously that change is probably a better style for your particular body.

Enjoy the results!! :)

Heidi
 
Interesting results! I'm an EXTREME pear shape (ie, average bust, very small waist, but large hips, butt, and thighs), and I go back and forth about whether to work my lower body heavy or not. I lost weight by increasing my weighted work in general, but I didn't see much progress in my lb in particular.
 
So do you mean that when you did Cathe's LB workouts (for example, Leaner Legs) you followed along but when she used a barbell or dumbells, you just continued with your own self?

Would this also mean you avoided heavy workouts like the Slow and Heavy series and Pyramid Upper Body?

Hmmm...this sounds intriguing.

Susan L.G.
 
I have found that this worked for me as well. I was sticking to Cathe's workouts, but noticed my pants getting tighter and my weight increasing. So, I dicided to try her lower body workouts with only my own body weight and WOW!!! My husband and friends noticed a big difference and so did I! I can fit into a pair of pants that have been too tight for some time! So whenever Cathe does anything with a barbell or weights, I just continue without using them! I guess for some people this works for them. My legs and butt are so much slimmer. Everything else I was doing (cardio, eating, etc.) was the same, so I guess it was the no weights that helped me!
 
I have been considering doing the same because my pants keep getting tighter from my muscles getting too big. How long does it take until you see a difference in size??

:) Becki
 
Do you think that the cardio in Imax 2, Kickmax, KPC and Cardio Kicks is enough legwork if you do them religiously? Especially if you don't want the hard toned legs (like men) just jiggle-free, tight and sleek? Maybe a legwork out 1x weekly is enough? I am afraid of bulking up again so I haven't done any weighted legs.
 
:D

Wow this is so interesting. I have had such a similar experience to what everyone here is saying. I used to be a "Firmie" and up until late February of this year I was doing Taebo for cardio every day and adding Firm workouts for weights every other day. Then I found out about Cathe and ordered all the workouts. I went gangbusters and was really "heavying" up trying to work up to the weights in the DVDs. I was VERY DEPRESSED when to my surprise I found out that suddenly my jeans were tighter primarily in the butt/thighs and then I went on vacation the end of March and the shorts I wore just in September 2005 were tight in the same areas.....

It was really upsetting especially because I was loving the results for my upper body; my arms are getting ripped and my torso has leaned out incredibly.

I had heard about Freestyle and about many other gals that had experienced the same "bulking up" deal - there is also a thread on this at the Firm message boards saying the same things.

Most recently, the past couple of weeks or so I have decreased my weights on lower body but would you all say to go NO weights then?? I keep thinking of what I was doing with the FIRM workouts I think I would use maybe 12 lb weights on the high step.

**I also have incorporated the Burr Method DVDS for toning the legs and also Karen Voight has some FABULOUS new toning DVDs out; one for inner thighs primarily and none use weights. I am excited about incorporating them. Also there is an old Cher tape with Keli Roberts that has amazing standing floor work with no weights. I go back to that a lot.

I am anxious to hear more from all of you as I start doing this approach to lean out my lower body again. In the past 2-3 weeks from decreasing my weights my shorts are definitely LOOSER in these areas....I want more LOOSE-NESS!!

:)
 
What do you do for cardio now? Try doing Cathe's all cardio tapes that include lots of plyo-Imax 2 and 3 KPC and Kickmax and then doing no lower body workouts at all. I know this would be a dramatic step. I was doing lower bod every other day heavy for over a year before I stopped. But when I did-close to 3-4 weeks ago now-I almost immediately lost inches and weight in my thighs butt and hips! I am telling ya Cathe incorporates enough lower body work in her cardio that some of us-those who tend to gain wt in the lower body easily-may just not need to do a lot of extensive lower body workouts. I still go very heavy on the upper body though. And I still do the leg drill in kickmax.
Please let me know what you're gonnna do!
Joy
 
This is good news for me. I'm a pear shape with muscular legs. I simply hate to do lower body work with weights. Not only don't I see results but my knees get cranky! A month ago I switched to Lotte Berk and Bar Method workouts for lower body, Cathe for upper body and cardio 3-4 sessions a week, one of which was interval work. I saw great results, my pants were looser and I lost weight. I love this rotation, but I get bored quickly so I need to try something new for lower body.

I recently purchased the Tracy Long workouts and Jari Love's Slim and Lean. I think this will be a nice lower body change and I can't wait to try it. I'll let you know if these functional fitness and hi-rep low weight workouts are as effective as my current routine.
 
I saw results within a week, I believe. And as far as eating clean, well, I eat pretty well, but I don't deny myself anything. If I want something, I eat it, but just a bite if it's too fattening. I have found that moderation is the key with everything. As far as cardio, I have lightened up on that too since it has been nice outside. I usually walk my dog, swim, or KPC for cardio. Oh-and I also try to do Ashtanga yoga at least once a week. That might also be a factor in slimming of the thighs/buttocks. But if you tend to bulk easily and do a lot of Cathe cardio, I would try seeing how no weights for the lower body works. You need to experiment to see what works for YOUR body. I did, and am thrilled with what I found!
 
Congrats on finding what works. Everyone is different. I'm also a pear shape and I have found that Gym Style Legs plus Kick Max and Low Max have done wonders for my lower body.
 
>This is good news for me. I'm a pear shape with muscular
>legs. I simply hate to do lower body work with weights. Not
>only don't I see results but my knees get cranky! A month ago
>I switched to Lotte Berk and Bar Method workouts for lower
>body, Cathe for upper body and cardio 3-4 sessions a week, one
>of which was interval work. I saw great results, my pants
>were looser and I lost weight. I love this rotation, but I
>get bored quickly so I need to try something new for lower
>body.
>
>I recently purchased the Tracy Long workouts and Jari Love's
>Slim and Lean. I think this will be a nice lower body change
>and I can't wait to try it. I'll let you know if these
>functional fitness and hi-rep low weight workouts are as
>effective as my current routine.
>
>
Jari Love's tape uses weights, you do it wihout the wieghts?
 
lesliew,
I have all the TLT's and I love them. They are very different from Cathe and effective. Give them time before you make a decision about them. Some say they are too easy, but they are very challenging and get more difficult as you become familiar with the workout, learn to execute the moves correctly, using the hightest weight you can while maintaining excellent form (won't be anything close to what you may use for a Cathe workout). These are the first non-Cathe workouts I have REALLY liked in years. I hope you enjoy them!
Angela:7
 
Great post ladies!

I have the same problem. Pear shaped and very muscular legs--so hard for me to lose those last "10 pounds". My jeans and pants are getting so "tight" in the thigh area. I also wear a 6/8. It's been a big mystery to me. It's so confusing because they say women don't "bulk up" right? But in reality, you can in certain areas, if you are prone to it.

I think I'm going to also stop the heavy weight work for my lower body.

Very interesting stuff...thanks again,

Katrina
 
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