Legs won't respond to ANYTHING

C

Cheshire Cat

Cathlete
Hi Cathe can you help...or can anyone else?

I'm tired of my legs never responding to ANYTHING. Years ago I ran 50-70 miles per week every week for a good number of years but then cut that right back and started gym training + studio classes for about 10-15 hours total workout time per week. I now no longer run or go to the gym but instead do your workouts. Been working out at home for a few years now before discovering your workouts a little over a year ago.

Anyway, despite everything I do I cannot change the shape of my legs. Now 6 weeks after pregnancy, I'm approx 10lbs heavier than I want to be. 5'6 and 126lbs. I'm better at 116-118lbs - I don't struggle to maintain the lower weight, it's my natural weight. So...for 3 weeks I did various of your workouts to 7 hours per week then last week I started the following rotation. I've still not lost any pregnancy weight and my legs are a constant worry.

I think I'm an odd shape, from mid thigh upwards I'm fine but from inner thigh, knees and calves I look like I never work out. x(

Will the following rotation help me in my endeavour or do I need to make some major adjustments?

Mon AM: L&G Mon PM: Choice PM/SF/SB or RS
Tue AM: PP, PH or MC Tue PM: MIC
Wed AM: L&G Wed PM: IMAX1 or 2
Thu AM: off Thu PM: HSTA or BC
Fri AM: L&G Fri PM: KPC
Sat AM: BM or SJP

The workouts I have are BB Series, IMAX2/C&W, PH+, RS+, BC/ME, PM/SF/SW, BS, HSC, HSTA, BF

Thanks!
 
My goodness!!! Six weeks after pregnancy!! Please don't take offense, but give your body some time to adjust. There were a lot of demands placed on it. That ten will come off, but you can't expect it to just fly off after only six weeks. I'm sure Cathe, or some of the other people would be better at writing a rotation than I would, so I'll leave that to them. It sounds like you work really hard on being healthy and fit, which is wonderful! Congratulations on your new baby and enjoy every minute of motherhood, there is nothing in this world that will give you more complete JOY!

Lindzebird
 
HI,
YOU SOUND LIKE YOU ARE REALLY WORKING HARD AND THAT IS GREAT. I ALSO HAD A BABY,BUT THAT WAS NINE MONTHS AGO, AND JUST NOW I AM SEEING MY OLD BODY. I FOUND THAT I HAD TO WATCH MY FOOD A LOT MORE THAN I USED TO. I GUESS IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH TURNING 30 OR MY BODY IS JUST DIFFERENT NOW. DONT FORGET THE SAYING IT TOOK NINE MONTHS TO GAIN THE WEIGHT.... BE PATIENT WITH YOUSELF AND ENJOY YOUR NEW BABY.
MARY
 
Cheshire Cat,
Do you think you are overtraining? I really wouldn't know but it sounds like you are doing a whole lot. I realize you might just be trying to keep yourself busy all things considering. Did you talk to your doctor about exercising so early? I realize what you went through may take a very different toll on your body than the norm. Ok I throw this out there as purely an idea not as anything more: Since during the norm the usual recommendation is to not workout till 6 weeks postpartum is it possible, even if you are not bleeding, since your body inside is still recooping and just can't respond in the way a totally healthy recooped body would? I have thought about you since you posted your loss and know that many of us have kept you in our prayers. Keep your head up and keep your modivation. Maybe you should give yourself a little break and workout 4 times a week and let your body cue you for more when it starts to respond. Just some ideas, although I really don't know you I am glad to see back on the boards.
 
I have to agree with the others: patience. Please give your body time to adjust to life with new baby and the demands being placed upon it. If you are still breast feeding you will not drop fat reserves that quickly, but you will melt them away by breast feeding for at least 6 months. At 6 weeks postpartum, my body was a misformed blob! You seem to be only 10 pounds short of your ideal: incredible! I could never have said that!


The program you have set for yourself is excesssive. This punishing schedule would kill me even if I had the time and motivation to do it, and I do not have a newborn to look after, nor lack of sleep and interrupted sleep to contend with.

Your muscles need time to recover and grow you know, and that means that REST is an important part of a fitness program. You do not have enough rest factored in here.

I would not do more than one workout per day. You must leave enough energy reserves to look after yourself and your baby, or you could get seruiously injured or sick. How can you do MIC one day, then Imax the next day and also Legs & Glutes the same day, then L&G again with KPC on the same day?!?!?!?!?!? The last poster sounds a serious concern: this will lead to overtraining then injury or sickness.

Try:

Monday: L&G + Intervals 1-5 of Imax 2
Tuesday: MIC
Wednesday: PP + Intervals 6-7 of Imax 2
Thursday: Step Blast
Friday: SJP
Saturday: KPC
Sunday: rest

This would include 6 cardio routines, weights work for legs 3 times and for upper body 2 times. This is enough. And if you can even get through all this while looking after a new baby, I take my hat off to you. I never could!

Clare
 
Hi Lindzebird & Mary1616 you weren’t to know but I lost my baby at 23 weeks gestation 6 weeks ago now. Sorry if me mentioning that could make you feel a little awkward but I thought I ought to just say something just in case anyone else happens to pass by and congratulate me.
___________________________________________________________________

I hadn’t considered I was working out too soon. I thought I was OK to get straight back into it. But, I really feel I need to exercise right now as it’s taking my mind off the loss of my little boy and kind of keeping me sane.

Regarding overtraining, this whole concept kind of baffles me. I always work on the principle that if my muscles aren’t fried then I hadn’t worked them too hard and its OK to work them again the next day etc! Would my level of training then, be preventing results? Working out twice a day is more the norm than the exception for me.

Thanks JulieMom for your thoughts.
 
I like your routine that you have set up. The only thing I would suggest is, if you are up to it, try L&G Xtreme plus BodyMax step~and if you can, include the power circuits. Keep the step for the night workout. I like how you are doing L&G and KPC on the same day, but if you have the time, do them back to back and at night do an upper body weight workout like PP (upper only premix). It also looks like you may want to tack on some additional abdominal routines in your schedule.
Susan C.M.:D
 
Please forgive me. I am so sorry, there isn't anything harder in the world than dealing with the lose of a child. My prayers are with you, and your family.

I do think that you may need to give your body a little more time to adjust though...usually the norm is 6 weeks of recup time, but you know your body best. I hope that Cathe or others can give you more answers.

Please forgive me.
Lindzebird
 
126 pounds after six weeks, girl you rock!!! Cut yourself some slack!! Your body is adjusting to hormone changes and is probably still trying to figure out what is going on... It takes a while (I can only speak for myself) but if you keep pluggin along like you are, I promise you are gonna wake up one day and that darn scale will move. My ob told me it takes 6 to 8 weeks to get rid of all the pregnancy hormone, that may be why your body is resisting. i bet in the next couple of weeks things will shift in your favor.D
 
Hello sweetie! I hope you are doing better. It sounds like you work reallly hard-maybe too hard. Have you ever tried anything else for your legs, like a pliates workout? Or maybe a nice relaxing ballet workout? Well,the right ballet workout would be challanging and relaxing. That would work your legs in a different way and maybe "shock" then into submission. Take care!
 
I am so very sorry for the loss of your baby. My condolences to you and your partner.

Please relax and take it easy :) It'll take some time for your body to regain its pre-pregnancy shape. You have to take into account the water retention in your body. Don't forget about the breast milk reservoir as well. That's probably what is accounting for the extra weight. Water retention doesn't disappear overnight, rather it'll take a couple of months (in my case). I had a C-section, and started to gradually workout two weeks after surgery. I took it easy at first but I upped the intensity as I got stronger. In my case, it took me 4 months to fit into my clothes again. I stuck to my fitness routine (i.e at least 3x Cardio and at least 1x Strength training per week) and now after nearly a year later, I am more fitter and weigh less than before I got pregnant. Hang in there, stick to your fitness routine and be patient. Results will be gradual, and you'll definitely see a difference in a few months :)
 
I am so sorry for your loss. I have been trying to write something thoughtful, but I just keep erasing my words. Please know that I am thinking of you. Please have patience with your body, I am sure it will respond... sometimes it just takes a little time.

mary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top