My Cardio Endurance STINKS!

[Aquajock]

RE: Schnebbles -

Glad you found my suggestions a tad helpful.

IMHO, the best way to improve your overall endurance is to keep working on your ability to do high-intensity cardio, with protocols that really recruit the thigh muscles consistently. And stay current with your strength training, especially your leg strength training. Developing leg strength, and explosive power by doing plyometric work within each cardio workout, will really add power to your cardio work, enhancing cardiovascular conditioning.

I think one of the most valuable things about I-Max 1 is Cathe's introduction, in which she says, "As you get stronger and stronger, you can go longer and longer, not only through this workout but all of your other workouts." Truer words were never spoken. If you can work your way to getting through a butt-blaster like I-Max 1 / 2 or what have you, that will enable you to go much longer through lesser-intensity workouts.

A-jock

 

[schnebbles]

Phyllis - that is interesting!

I am supposed to get in for routine blood work but haven't set up my appointment.

I am taking one-a-day womens, which do have the 100% iron requirements. But I will definitely keep that in mind. Especially if the bloodwork would show anemia, then I will know that it may have been the culprit. I need to get my butt in to have the work done!

Maybe you have just motivated me to get going!

Thanks!

 

[clareMc]

Kathy:

A-Jock quotes Cathe from the intro to IMAX, but let's also remember Cathe's caveat on this video introduction to IMAX: "this should not be the video to start out with."

IMAX 1 (more difficult than IMAX 2) is probably the toughest video you can buy for the home exercise market. It is a challenge even to the cardiovascularly fit. To find it a challenge is not a disgrace, it is a perfectly normal response.

If you are having difficulty completing a "normal" Cathe cardio video, then your best bet is to listen to the advice others gave you here based on the training experience of professional athletes: i.e. work on your base-line cardiovascular fitness before advancing to extremely challenging interval training such as IMAX, that way you set yourself up for success not disappointment. Babies don't run before they can walk, and only the few omit the crawling stage.

Does that mean you should eliminate all interval training from your current program while you advance towards this goal? No. But it does mean that you need to give your body a chance to get there slowly, gradually, and at its own special pace. I think "Intense Moves" is an excellent interval training video that will help you get there without making you feel disappointed in yourself because you think you can't do IMAX (and the niggling inner voice says 'you never will'). It worked for me and hundreds of others here at the forums.

Continue to challenge yourself a little more each week, or each second week. Give yourself permission to go slooooow, at the pace your body needs, include intense days and less intense and fun days in your weekly program, and start interval training at a lower level of intensity as you progress through Cathe's video library to complete IMAX with perfect form in a few months time. You will get there, yes you will!

Remember that weight training also trains the heart! Both strength and endurance workouts will have benefits also to the cardiovascular system, so do include this each week also. Especially, stronger legs will, as A-Jock says, make your cardio sessions easier and more powerful. This has certainly been my experience.

Good luck, we are all rooting for you, and definitely get the iron levels checked out

Clare

 

[schnebbles]

RE: Schnebbles -

Leg strength... ok, well maybe I need to TRY leaner legs, which I'm petrified of!!! Even though my legs seem the biggest, they don't seem the strongest. I wimp out very easy on leg work. Lunges especially. I can force myself to do plies, squats, but when she starts on those lunges, it's like I just can't do them! I HATE them, and they are sooooo hard for me.

I'm going to do either Step & Intervals or try Imax again tonight.

I'm going to keep track of minutes in my target, and log it each time I do a workout, realizing that it will vary, but hoping to see improvement, maybe within a month or so.

 

[schnebbles]

Gosh, I can't believe all the response I have received on this thread. That is wonderful :7

I am reading & re-reading all the posts. Trying to choose what tape to do tonight!! I know IMAX is tough, and I won't get depressed if I dont get thru it, I have read enough about "it" that I know better than to think I'd make it thru.

I do have a copy of Intense Moves lined up too, so I will be adding it into my workouts 1-2x weekly (at least that's what I'm thinking now)..

I'm going to focus more on the tapes that have been mentioned in these posts, and try to do my strength tapes in there too. I haven't been doing as much strength as I should. I have S & H series, PH and MIS. I kinda like the S & H, then I'd do some cardio, but kept the cardio short, maybe 1-2 sections of the older step tapes. Does anyone think this sounds like a good plan to do as a rotation? Some strength & shorter cardio segments each day?

Thanks again & I love this board!!! I have days when I just get so excited about Cathe it's amazing!

 

[Aquajock]

Hi again, Schnebbles! (P.S. in advance - I love your screen name!)

I think your instincts are very sound in terms of how to fold interval workouts into your weekly program, alternating them with more steady-state / shorter cardio sessions while you focus on strengthening, especially S&H strengthening.

I totally agree with ClareMc that slow progressive overload is the way to go when bringing in I-Max, Intense Moves and I-Max 2 into your program. I gotta tell ya - when I first previewed I-Max 1 (my first Cathe workout, I might add), I thought, "Hmm . . . this looks pretty simple. It'll be a snap." NOT. It took me several weeks of doing it 2X per week to be able to get through all of the intervals with no modifications . . . and the first time I did, I walked around like I'd tinkled myself, but my energy rush afterward was unbelievable. And as Clare suggested, just doing a little bit more than you did before, even one rep, each and every interval session will reap enormous gains.

And it is important, both for your cardiovascular system AND your joints, to be judicious about the frequency of interval workouts. Go for the plan you've outlined above! It sounds great, and let us know how you get on!

A-jock