Need a change of pace..How does this sound?

[seabeewife]

I am pretty burnt out on hour long cardio sessions and I thought my body might like a change of pace. I just can't seem to break this plateau. I have been trying to come up some sort of a routine and I was hoping to get some opinions on what I have come up with so far.

Monday-HIIT (20 minutes of sprints: 30 sec 10mph 30 sec jumping jacks)
CTX Upper
Tuesday-Leaner Legs
Wednesday-HIIT w/CTX Upper
Thursday-Leaner Legs
Friday-HIIT
Saturday-Total Body Weights
Sunday-Rest

So what do you all think?

Thanks

 

[clareMc]

It sounds pretty good to me. Since the cardio will be short sessions (20 or 30 mins?), get your heart rate up as soon as you can in the session and finish with an almighty blast!

If you get bored after a little while with doing LL and CTX upper twice per week, introduce some of Cathe's circuit workouts: Bootcamp, and the High Step Training DVDs. Since they mix everything up and move at a fast clip, they deliver cardio benefits beyond the minutes actually dedicated to cardio, and there's no time to get bored and burnt out.

A lot of cardio in our 20's is usually sufficient to keep in shape, but as we age our body needs a different sort of exercise plan to keep fit and healthy. I don't know from your post what you were doing for weights in combination with all those long cardio hours, but in our 30's and beyond, it is weight training that makes the difference in maintaining a healthy body weight and good health, while maintaining 3 or 4 cardio sessions per week.

If CTX upper and LL are your usual weight training fare, perhaps you now need to take it up a notch with heavy weight training, to add muscle mass, using GS series and S&H series. This may make the difference in your physique that you are seeking.

Cardio is not always the only or best option.

Clare

 

[seabeewife]

Thank you for your reply I am going to take your advice and pick up GS. Being that I am still in my 20's should I keep my cardio up around 60 min along with heavier weights or maybe just add on another 60 min cardio to my 3 HIIT's a week? I think what may have stopped me from seeing more results was that I am just not lifting heavy enough..I have been working that

 

[clareMc]

The changes you are making to your cARDIO ROUTINE ARE JUST FINE BECAUSE YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE REACHED BURN-OUT WITH THAT TYPE OF ROUTINE, with the long 60 mins type. Sorry for caps!! You don't have to add in another 50 min long session if you don't want to.

What you need right now is just variety. I read another of your recent posts and you are searching for new DVDs right now because you have done your current collection to death. I quite understand. So, rather than thinking in terms of time/duration, think cardio type aswell. Do you have KPC for example? It is Cathe's best kickbox w/o. I love it and I am not a kickbox fan, but I recognize the greatness, the effectiveness of the w/o and the sheer power I feel in the kicks and punches.

I have just started adding in treadmill routines and am liking them a lot. My reasons are that I am coming back to exerciuse after a 5 week break due to some medication side effects. But, I power walk for an hour approx, and I include intervals after a 5 min warm up. I vary the intervals: some are for speed, som eare for the steepest incline I can get. You don't have to run. I read in a running magazine a comparison of running and walking at 5 mph, which is a fast walking pace. At that speed and above for walking, you are actually burning more calories that if you run at that speed, because walking it is such an inefficient way of moving the body that it forces you to expend more energy. According to my treadmill read-out, I am burning from 550-650 calories for a 60 min session. I push it vey hard during the intervals, speed ones I keep the pace at 5.7 or 5.7 mph for a quarter of a mile (just over two mins) and the incline ones I keep for the same time duration at 4.0 mph and 15% inclince, the max.

With these intervals my heart rate is at the same as it is during any of the Imaxes. Ha!

The point is: that I am seeing new progress because I have swapped to a different exercise type. From step to speed walking. FRom steady stae cardios to power intervals, same as the HIIT that you are planning. The change is refreshing and motivating because it is encouraging me to reach fo new challenges, which is what we want, right?

So, for a while, why don't you invest in some new DVDs (what are you planning toget, apart gfrom the GS?) and go for variety? The combo of HIIT and heavy weights should give you dramatic results. After 6 weeks or so of this, try a circuits rotation, to change it up.

So, what DVDs are you going to purchase?

Clare

 

[seabeewife]

I have always wanted to try KPC. The only video I have from that series is SJ&P in VHS..but during our move DH managed to break itx(
These are the workouts that I do have so far: Body Max VHS, Cross Train Series DVD, Max Intensity Cardio, Guantlet, Circuit Max & Cardio Kicks..OH MY GOSH..is that really all?!? No wonder I have hit a plateau..I need more variety here.
Thank you so much for the cardio suggestions For a period of time I was doing only step..that happens to me alot..I get into a routine and its hard to break.
Can you recommend any other workouts I should add?

Thank you again for your replies

 

[LMM]

Clare,

What you are saying here has my interest peaked. I am in my mid 30's and have been working out with Cathe for a long time. I consider myself an advanced exerciser cardiovascularly (I love the Imax's and Body Max cardio segment and run 4-8 miles a week). I usually alternate cardio one day and weight training the next. All my weight training is with Cathe and for the most part I do the weight that she does in the videos (not exactly, but as an over generalization). I love GS series, PH, ME, MMax (can't stand the S&H series, borrring). My problem is that although I am not eating more (in fact, I am eating less and cleaner), I have gained weight in my hips and waist and can't seem to shake it. I have gained the typical 10 lbs in my 30's (as compared to my 20's). I really want to control this before I gain another 10 in my 40's. It has me very, very frustrated. What you are saying here makes me think I am doing too much cardio. I love the circuit workouts, but my heartrate never stays up after the cardio segments (even though my muscles are fatigued and to increase the weight would cause form issues) and so I don't do them very often because I worry that they don't give me the fat burning maximizing that I want. I'm considering the August rotation in hopes making something happen. . . but can't invest the time until my kids go back to school. Any words or wisdom or advice ???????