Leaning muscles
- Thread starter kli
- Start date
Connie1
Cathlete
Hi Karina!
Well, muscles are naturally lean, but we women often have a layer of fat covering all our muscles. When that is the case, continuing to work our muscles once a week (each) will preserve the muscle tissue while doing a variety of cardio activities 3-6 times a week will help shed that fat.
Eating sensibly (knowing what we are eating, a food diary is *very helpful* is also extremely effective.
Finally, the most important ingredient to this recipe is time and patience. One of the things that marks a seasoned exerciser- a lifelong exerciser- is the ability to see ahead, and the courage to modify exercises and work up to them slowly over time.
With these three components your body will get lean.
A side note- some muscles are leaner (like meat at the grocery store-- less marbelized) than others. Ours get that way too, after years of exercising, they get dense, and strong, and compact.
Well, muscles are naturally lean, but we women often have a layer of fat covering all our muscles. When that is the case, continuing to work our muscles once a week (each) will preserve the muscle tissue while doing a variety of cardio activities 3-6 times a week will help shed that fat.
Eating sensibly (knowing what we are eating, a food diary is *very helpful* is also extremely effective.
Finally, the most important ingredient to this recipe is time and patience. One of the things that marks a seasoned exerciser- a lifelong exerciser- is the ability to see ahead, and the courage to modify exercises and work up to them slowly over time.
With these three components your body will get lean.
A side note- some muscles are leaner (like meat at the grocery store-- less marbelized) than others. Ours get that way too, after years of exercising, they get dense, and strong, and compact.
Hi everyone.
Connie (or anybody), can I pop in here with a question? I am very new to Cathe and was wondering about your comment that we should work each muscle only one time per week (in combination with cardio) in order to preserve the muscle tissue while burning the fat around the muscle.
So, if I want to lean down my legs without adding additional bulk, I should only work them with weights once per week? (While still doing lots of cardio?)
Thanks in advance.
Karyn.
Connie (or anybody), can I pop in here with a question? I am very new to Cathe and was wondering about your comment that we should work each muscle only one time per week (in combination with cardio) in order to preserve the muscle tissue while burning the fat around the muscle.
So, if I want to lean down my legs without adding additional bulk, I should only work them with weights once per week? (While still doing lots of cardio?)
Thanks in advance.
Karyn.
TarHeelMom
Cathlete
Hi Connie -- just wanted to tell ya that your response to Karina is SO well-said and right on the money!
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
TarHeelMom
Cathlete
Hi Karyn! What a pretty way to spell your name! Welcome to the group here -- I'm an old regular and quite the addict.
I'm not Cathe, obviously, but I think I can help with your question concerning working each body part once per week. This is a tried-'n-true method that Cathe endorses, and it sounds too good to be true but really isn't! If you eat clean, include good cardio in your program as Connie recommended and work each body part to complete exhaustion, you'll find that once a week will likely get you some amazing results in muscle tone and definition as well as fat loss.
That being said, Cathe always also says that with this method, as with any other form of training, you need to listen to and watch your own body, and tweak the "program" to suit what your body needs. Many of our regular posters have found that once a week doesn't quite do it for legs and will do a second (and some even do a "light" third) legs day. But that certainly isn't true for everyone.
Cathe always suggests that you try the least amount possible for a while and add on if necessary. I think that's great advice -- that way you'll avoid overtraining, and you'll also be fitting your exercise into your life and not vice versa. As Honeybunch says, we oughta be learning how to exercise smarter, not longer. So why don't you try working each body part once a week WITH GOOD CARDIO AND CLEAN EATING for a while (say, a month) and see what kind of results you're getting? And let us know!
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
I'm not Cathe, obviously, but I think I can help with your question concerning working each body part once per week. This is a tried-'n-true method that Cathe endorses, and it sounds too good to be true but really isn't! If you eat clean, include good cardio in your program as Connie recommended and work each body part to complete exhaustion, you'll find that once a week will likely get you some amazing results in muscle tone and definition as well as fat loss.
That being said, Cathe always also says that with this method, as with any other form of training, you need to listen to and watch your own body, and tweak the "program" to suit what your body needs. Many of our regular posters have found that once a week doesn't quite do it for legs and will do a second (and some even do a "light" third) legs day. But that certainly isn't true for everyone.
Cathe always suggests that you try the least amount possible for a while and add on if necessary. I think that's great advice -- that way you'll avoid overtraining, and you'll also be fitting your exercise into your life and not vice versa. As Honeybunch says, we oughta be learning how to exercise smarter, not longer. So why don't you try working each body part once a week WITH GOOD CARDIO AND CLEAN EATING for a while (say, a month) and see what kind of results you're getting? And let us know!
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
Thanks Kathy S. for the clarification and the further explanation! 
I've been a long time user of the FIRM and have just started "getting into Cathe." So far, I only have MIS, but Step Heat and Step Jam are on the way.
I've been reading these forums for more information re CATHE workouts and have learned quite a bit. Of course, I will most definately give the "once a week strenght training" concept a try! It sounds great!!! And it does make perfect sense.
Thanks again for your reply and I'm looking forward to learning more about CATHE.
Karyn.
:7 :7
I've been a long time user of the FIRM and have just started "getting into Cathe." So far, I only have MIS, but Step Heat and Step Jam are on the way.
I've been reading these forums for more information re CATHE workouts and have learned quite a bit. Of course, I will most definately give the "once a week strenght training" concept a try! It sounds great!!! And it does make perfect sense.
Thanks again for your reply and I'm looking forward to learning more about CATHE.
Karyn.
:7 :7
Connie1
Cathlete
Hi! I mean either one total body like Power Hour or MIS, or 2 splits such as half of MIS (lower only) and then the other half (upper), or Leaner Legs one day and CTX upper another day (the combos are endless); OR a three-day split as above; OR one body part per day such as Monday chest, Tuesday back, etc.
Keep 2 to 4 cardios a week but vary the emphasis from weights to cardio in different weeks/months. I don't know if there's any physiological reason to do it this way but I do it because it just helps keep me organized and not bored.
-Connie
Keep 2 to 4 cardios a week but vary the emphasis from weights to cardio in different weeks/months. I don't know if there's any physiological reason to do it this way but I do it because it just helps keep me organized and not bored.
-Connie
RE: Leaning muscles : strength or endurance to start with ?
Hi !
I am so glad to read your answers and comments and see how serious and educated you are ! I am learning a lot with you.
I have another question : beeing new to strength training, should I start with pure strength workouts (like MIS, PS, S&H) or muscular endurance (like PowerHour, and CTX maybe, I don't know if this strength or endurance) ?
Karina
Hi !
I am so glad to read your answers and comments and see how serious and educated you are ! I am learning a lot with you.
I have another question : beeing new to strength training, should I start with pure strength workouts (like MIS, PS, S&H) or muscular endurance (like PowerHour, and CTX maybe, I don't know if this strength or endurance) ?
Karina
FitnessGoddess
Cathlete
opps. This is wierd, I swear when I hit reply it was to another thread. My response was inappropriate to this question. Sorry.