Legs and Increasing Cardio Capabilities - Cathe or anyone

[Annabelle2]

I have been working out since June 2002. I started with the Firm and have been adding Cathe workouts for about 5 months. I have lost 82 lbs, gone from 202 to 120 and from a size 24 to a 6. I am 5'2", medium frame and think I am an hourglass figure type. I am not sure how to tell. Two months ago I started taking Highland Kung Fu (Kickboxing) and my legs have grown and inch. Also we run in class and it really gets me winded however I can make it through all of IMAX2 on a good day but not every day. I want to lose the extra inch off my thighs and increase my cardio I think endurance is the appropriate word. I absolutely hate to run. I am 46 (not that it is an excuse) and the running is very hard on my feet and knees for some reason, not to mention I lose my wind easily when trying to go a long way.

Sorry so long - what rotation has given you the best results for your legs and what rotation has given you increased endurance, if you don't mind sharing!

 

[jillybean]

The #1 thing I did to increase my cardio capacity was to do Imax 1 and the Cardio Only premix of Boot Camp, usually in the same week. Some weeks I would do Imax 2x's a week and then some weeks I would do Boot Camp cardio 1x and the Boot Camp/Lower Body premix 1x (adding on more leg work afterward), but I always made sure to do two Cathe interval workouts a week - typically one longer and one shorter. This really upped my cardio level (Imax II feels almost easy now, except for intervals 5 and 9). As for leg strength, doing PLB and PS SL&A and going heavy with my barbell did the trick. The interval work helped strengthen my legs and give them endurance, and the heavier weight loads for leg work allowed me to go deeper in my plyos and higher in my jumps, so the combination of the two really helped boost my fitness level.

 

[Soosan]

RE: Legs and Increasing Cardio Capabilities - Cathe or ...

Jillybean, did you add on the BC cardio to Imax? Or did you add it on to a strength workout or something else? Doing BC as is has really increased my cardio capacity. Adding just 8 minutes of cardio to another workout to increase it further might be something I could work up to. (Although I don't think I'd want to do it with one of the Imaxes!)

 

[Carol_is_fit]

Hi! Congratulations on your accomplishments!! You've done wonderfully!! I used to be a die-hard Firm fan too, until I discovered Cathe at the end of July. I've lost about 60 pounds since July of 2002, and also recently went from a size 18 to a size 6, with WW and using Cathe of course!!

I alternate Cathe's strength training tapes with cardio, and I have found Imax2 and Boot Camp to be the ones thus far that really increase my aerobic endurance and give me great results. In her new series, Body Blast, I already know Step, Jump & Pump and Step Blast are going to join the list of Carol's favorite Cathe Cardio Tapes! LOL!!

As for specific rotations, I make up my own because my changing schedule (I'm an RN who works 12 hour night shifts) would never allow me to follow a set one. I try to do three days of cardio and two days of strength training in one week, then reverse that the second week. Lately, I'm trying to do one circuit type workout - like Boot Camp - followed by a cardio workout - like Step Blast - and then a strength training workout. I've done this for almost a month now, and have noticed significant increases in my aerobic endurance.

Whatever you do, I wish you continued success! You sound like you've got it all under control already!! Welcome to the forum!!

Carol

 

[LizzieLiz]

RE: Legs and Increasing Cardio Capabilities - Cathe or ...

Wow, congratulations! You've come a long way, you must feel fantastic! ;-)

What helped me increase my endurance was very similar to what Jillybean described... I can't say it enough - IMAX, IMAX 2, IMAX, IMAX 2! Before I got Imax 2, I did Imax twice per week for about a month (this was part of my "training" for the Intesity Series) and when I got IMax2 I focused on that for a while, along with Bootcamp.

I can't live without the interval training, it helps with everything! I have also focused strongly on endurance lifting in the form of Power Hour and Muscle Endurance. I'm getting my High Step for Christmas so that should help kick things up a notch as well.

Good luck and way to go with what you've accomplished!

 

[Aquajock]

I agree with the recommendations to keep interval training front and center in your workout program for building cardio endurance and capacity. I-Max 1 is a centerpiece of my program, as is the Boot Camp cardio-only premix (as well as the Boot Camp cardio+lower body premix). I'd like to point out that one of the things that makes the I-Maxes so successful is that plyometric work is prominent, and the more you recruit the whole leg (i.e. the thigh as well as the calf and foot) the greater the challenge and thus the benefit.

HOWEVER . . .

I'd like to put in a plug for also keeping steady-state, upper-end cardio work in as well. If you do interval training exclusively, you get overly comfortable with the recovery-period aspect, and there's something to be said for keeping a steady workpace going.

My favorite mish-mosh for that is what I call "Hi/Lo Heaven": the MIC warm-up and hi/lo segment, followed immediately by the CTX 10-10-10 hi/lo segment, then capped off with the Boot Camp cardio only premix. MIC and 10-10-10's hi/lo segment actually have interval blasts, although much briefer than I-Max and almost no recovery time, thus your heart rate is always up there.

I'll leave it to others to chime in on the leg strengthening stuff.

A-Jock

 

[kli]

RE: Legs and Increasing Cardio Capabilities - Cathe or ...

Hi Annabelle,

the best thing I did for my cardio endurance was combining Imax and Imax2 in the same week, during two months... The CTX cardios are great too because they are quite intense, even if they are short.
For legs, PLB is awesome, and Muscle Endurance is great too... Actually, I think the best workouts for reshaping and getting better endurance are, for me, the whole Intensity Series : tough, but so efficient

 

[jillybean]

RE: Legs and Increasing Cardio Capabilities - Cathe or ...

I would any of do the following:
Sat. Imax and a short lower body workout afterwards (MIS lower only)
Sun. Upper Body only
Mon. Lower Body only
Tue. Imax
Wed. Upper Body only
Thu. A long, lower intensity cardio (like Cardio Kicks or Step Jam)
Fri. Rest

Sat. MIC hi/lo followed by Boot Camp cardio only
Sun. Upper Body only
Mon. Rhythmic Step or Step Fit
Tue. CTX Power Circuit circuits only followed by Boot Camp cardio/Boot Camp lower body premix
Wed. Upper body only
Thu. PS SL&A or PLB
Fri. REST

Sat. MIC hi/lo followed by Boot Camp cardio only
Sun. PLB
Mon. Upper body only
Tue. Imax
Wed. CTX All Step or CTX kickbox and short lower body only
Thu. Upper body only
Fri. REST

 

[Annabelle2]

RE: Legs and Increasing Cardio Capabilities - Cathe or ...

Thank you all for responding! I am wondering if it is OK to use IMAX2 for a while I do not have IMAX1 and can't really get it right now unless someone gets it for me for Christmas! I do have the intensity series so I have Bootcamp. I am wondering what a good sub for MIS and MIC also.

The rotation looks great thank you so much! Again, I appreciate all your responses and I am going to try the rotation posted and work up my own for later.

Thank you on all the congrats also, I do feel great, better than I have in years!

Kathy

 

[jillybean]

RE: Legs and Increasing Cardio Capabilities - Cathe or ...

MIS is a heavy total body weight workout. Do you have the Body Blast series? Push Pull could work nicely (especially the 2x's premix if you have the DVD) or try the Pyramid bonus on the DVD which combines PUB and PLB and go as heavy as possible.

As for MIC, the portion I mentioned is 26 min. of low to high intensity floor aerobics. If you have CTX you could do the hi/lo from Power Circuit and then the hi/lo from 10-10-10, or if you have Body Blast you could do the hi/lo from Step, Jump, & Pump, skipping the weight circuits (this would be much easier with the DVDs.) Also, you could substitute walking or jogging or CTX kickbox here, the importance is to not do just step all the time. Good luck!