I've heard of plateaus but geez...

P

putz168

Cathlete
I have been doing Cathe's workouts for nearly two years and yet I am only lifting maybe three pounds more on military presses (I'm talking maybe 12 pounds with grunts) than when I first started, and forget regular pushups. Everything other muscle group/exercise is progressing nicely, and cardio is fantastic. Why don't I gain any strength in this areas?? Oh, and I just learned Cathe is only 5'2" and my age, so my old excuses just don't hold any more. Crud to that I say.

You jump start me every morning, and I thank you for the gift of health!

Beth L.
 
Beth,
Hey, don't get down! I think shoulders, as Cathe said in one workout, are very hard to do. I do mostly 12's of military press. Try doing just a few 15 lb. reps if you can. If not, then don't sweat it. Sounds like your overall fitness has been doing well. Push-ups - again, do a few regular, or just do them modified. As long as you are being challenged doing them, give yourself a pat on the back!

LOL - I too am 5'2, 45 yrs. Every time I think if I will be able to sustain this, I just look at Cathe! I especially find the August Cathe calendar picture very inspiring - she's sweating like crazy. It makes me feel better that she's sweating it out with us.

FYI, I beat myself up mentally all the time about working out!

:D In fact, I haven't worked out in a few days because of sleeping problems. I feel guilty, but I can't workout unless I feel up to it.
I say to myself: get over it!

Keep plugging!
 
Well I've been working out for years and am pretty fit but I CANNOT do more than 10 'real' push ups without screaming profanities and falling flat on my face. On the bright side a few years back I couldn't even do 1 push up.

Thing is, I don't concentrate on my push up abilities as much as I work on my legs so my progress is much slower with push ups. The only way I've been able to progress at all is by pushing myself into doing one more push up after I'm ready to give up and sometimes I force another 2 after that. In my book progress is progress regardless of how slow.

;) Good luck!
 
My shoulders have not gained much strength either, in all the time I've been doing Cathe workouts (about six years now).

A lot of the time, I still use 10s! Sometimes I'll try12s, but I keep the 10s handy. However, I do remember a time when all I could use were 8s. With rests.

Also, I do Little Girl push-ups. No more apologies!

I'm sure you're doing great. And remember, Cathe can do all those incredible things because being fit is her CAREER! It's her *job* to be that strong.

If you spent the better part of your life developing your fitness, you could do it too. But I'm sure there are things you choose to do instead that you would probably trump us all at!
 
Well said Eminenz2:) We should all applaud ourselves for taking an interest in our health and fitness. Make goals for yourself but don't get hung up on what you can't do. Focus on your strengths- like the fact that you can lift 12 lbs. for military presses b/c not everyone can say that.
 
Thanks ladies for the support and encouragement. You all have the right attitude. I need to focus on accomplishments and my good health - and recognize that my cheater pushups and 10-pound military presses played a part in that, too!
 
Not cheater push-ups - Little Girl Pushups ;). I figure any time I can watch the sweat roll down my nose and hit the floor, there is no cheating involved at all - haha!

Susan L.G.
 
Hey, Beth, shoulders are SO hard to train, aren't they? Military presses and boy push-ups are tough!! But when you're doing them, think of the MILLIONS of women out there who couldn't do just one! Be proud of your accomplishment every day. After your workout, smile and tell yourself "ya' done good, kid!" I have always wanted beautifully defined delts and biceps, but it just isn't in my genetic make-up. I have to be extremely lean to get them, and it's just too lean for me!

It's true that it's Cathe's profession to be fit - don't compare yourself to Cathe, rather let her be an inspriation to get up and do a little more than you thought you could. Cathe (and everyone here!) is rooting for you!

So just keep working out and smiling!!!
Liz
 
Not Cathe here.
Don't know if this would work, but what I would try is the following:
after Cathe's last set of military press in whatever dvd you are doing, continue doing the dvd for a couple of minutes to give the military press muscles time to recover. Then, two or three minutes later when Cathe is transitioning to something else,pause the dvd. then do either:

(1) do another set of military press with heavier weight - add two to five pounds, whatever is comfortable - but aim for a set of 8 - 10 reps. As and when you can do that, add more weight, etc. The general theory is that increased resistance results in greater strength and high weight with fewer reps emphasizes strength gain (versus lower weight with many reps which emphasizes muscle endurance). Adding too much weight too soon might cause injury, so probably best to be conservative.

or

(2) do another set or perhaps even two more sets at the same weight you can now do.

This way you will have added one or more sets than on the DVD. After you do that, then just continue along with the dvd.

The additional work might also be enought to nudge you up to a higher plateau. The general rule about waiting one or two days to give those muscles time to recover also should be observed.

A friend of mine in his 60s lifts regularly but does nothing, e.g. military presses, over his head. He has had shoulder problems. At some point (hopefully in the far distant future), each of us will bump up against our limits. That's a terrible thought :<)

Good luck.
 
Beth L. / Putz### (love the screen name even if I can't remember all of it), I'll poke out a quasi-revolutionary suggestion:

Cathe at times in her rotations on the Rotation forum will schedule a non-Cathe style workout: a run, a walk, do-it-yourself ab work, etc. It may be time for you to let go of the DVD-based weightlifting routines and cook up one of your own to do for awhile, where you can go at your appropriate rep speed while lifting the heaviest weights you can. It could be that what's limiting your ability to add weight load and strength to specific muscle groups is that you're attempting to hit all of the reps in your DVDs, and the rep velocity might not lend itself to pure strength building.

Although I always buy Cathe's weight lifting DVDs to get ideas for how I can incorporate new lifts into my own set, I never follow a weight lifting DVD as produced. (Sorry, Cathe; hopefully my consumer dollars will make up for that!) Having developed and followed my own program over the years, I can now do dumbbell overhead presses with 26.25-lb (EACH) dumbbells, and in fact will be upping the weight load to 27.50-lb (EACH) dumbbells next Sunday. I could never lift that heavy if I weren't on my own rep timetable. The weight load increases have always been very small and incremental but sustained, and the strength slowly but surely build from there, not only for the working muscles but also for the supporting muscles like those in the hands, forearms and core.

Just a thought.

A-Jock
 
A-Jock

You're advice, as usual, is right-on target.

I think I myself get too tied to the DVDs to let go and do my own thing for a couple of workouts. One would think that after all this time, I could do one weight workout without Cathe leading, but I'm too insecure to think I can do it - what if I forget something?, etc. That kind of thing.

Susan L.G.
 
Hi,

I just read your question and the replies, and I say ditto to what others have said, like try just to do a little more each time-even 1 with heavier wt will help.

My other thought was that maybe you are always in a calorie deficit, which does not really allow for muscle growth. Since we women are always trying to lose fat, we are usually cutting calories. The body needs a calorie surplus for muscle growth. Since Cathe has very low body fat, she can probably eat a calorie surplus to help her gain all that amazing muscle.

One thing I learned from book called Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle, is that it is good to do what is called Carb Cycling. What that means is that every 4th day, you go up to maintenance level calories to keep your body from going into starvation mode. You do this by adding complex carbs. If you are in starvation mode, your body will break down muscle to get you through those tough strength workouts.

Hope that helps. Check out that book if you want to know more. It is an ebook, available at Burnthefat.com.

Rachel
 
Thanks again ladies. I have not heard of this book but will look into it immediately. You're right, we're always trying to lose fat but I do need to remember I am more active than other women my age and perhaps I'm not consuming enough of the right calories. I also appreciate the advice to try a heavier weight for fewer reps. Sounds similar to the blast theory in cardio, which makes perfect sense and works very well. I appreciate your interest and help everyone!!
 
You ARE gaining strength it's just that some areas are comprised of smaller muscle groups and it's normal for it to take longer. I push myself as hard as I can and I often have to drop down to a lower weight on the second set when working the shoulders. The progress on shoulders (for me) is slower but because I constantly try to push it to a higher level (I'll try a tiny bit more weight, for a few reps. Next time, a few more reps...) I slowly push past my various plateaus. Pushing it works. Just that little extra effort makes a difference. Just maintain proper form.
 
Beth I can understand what you are saying. I think tricep dips and boy push-ups has a direct correlation to how much you weigh. If you are heavy these moves are harder. I remember in HS I used to do handstand push ups now I can't even do five boy push-ups. Shoulders are harder to build up strength in. I try to focus on upper body training at least 3 times per week.
 
I weigh 123, so I'm thinking I can't blame my weight. I'm just going to try the heavier weight and do what I can, and have the next level down ready just in case. Even if I do just one rep at a higher weight one day, it's a start. The next day I'll push to do two reps at the higher weight... and who knows! You all have motivated me to not let the weights win! Thanks!!
 
>Beth I can understand what you are saying. I think tricep
>dips and boy push-ups has a direct correlation to how much you
>weigh. If you are heavy these moves are harder. I remember in
>HS I used to do handstand push ups now I can't even do five
>boy push-ups. Shoulders are harder to build up strength in. I
>try to focus on upper body training at least 3 times per week.
>
I know that's true for me. I'm finally down to a size 14 but I still weigh a SOLID 181 lbs (5'5"). During GS Chest & Triceps I WAS doing all my push-ups with my knees on the floor and my hands on the step (at 10" high). I only just this last time got off my knees and took it to the floor. I was feeling pretty good until I realized my face wasn't getting anywhere near the floor on the downbeat! If I'd gotten any lower I wouldn't have been able to push myself back up. I know I'll work up to it but, still, I feel my weight working against me all the time. I wonder if things like push-ups and plyos will become more doable when I'm not trying to hoist 181 lbs. into the air or drag it up from the floor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top