Need Advice from the Educated Crowd!!!

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Cathlete
I broke down, I made a big mistake, and I sold S&H on E-bay, it was a blonde moment. Well, I just reordered it. I have been eating really clean, following alot of the principals of Body RX, and next week, I want to start a S&H rotation. I need to lose fat. I think I have lost some since starting Body RX, and concentrating much more on weights, but my TTOTM keeps coming back, and I haven't weighed. It likes me as much as the fat on my body, it doesn't want to leave!!!! HA!!! Anyway, I saw Honeybunch's advice to Donna about changing her cardio. I would like to know how much cardio I should do with S&H. Most of my cardio vids are high inensity. I have the PowerStrikes, and a treadmill. I would really like to do some incline walking or running. The PowerStrikes seem more like moderate intensity, kinda, don't they??? I mean compared to IMAX??!! My question is, how much cardio to get major fat loss and muscle gain, and what kind of a routine should I do on my treadmill, and can I incorporate my 2 PowerStrikes??? THANKS!!!!!
Lori S.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Sep-17-02 AT 12:48PM (Est)[/font][p]Could you tell us what other tapes you have besides Power Strikes? Using that treadmill would be good, but I would use it to Power walk instead of for running.

My advice to Donna was to do low intensity but do a lot of it. If you can, walk for AT LEAST 45 minutes at a time. You could even walk 20 minutes or so in the AM (while watching the Today Show, or whatever your favorite is), and more later in the day.

How much time do you have for exercise?
 
Hi Lori,

Had my heart rate monitor on Friday when I did Powerstrike ML2 and I rarely went over 150bpm. I was kinda shocked. But, it was also just what I needed that day.

I think high intensity cardio is over-rated sometimes. I know when I did Tank Top Arms rotation this summer all I could muster was three twenty minute low to medium intensity sessions.

Cathe says "listen to your body." After all you know it best.

Julie
 
Honeybunch- I have IMAX, Cardio Kicks, MM's Interval Express, Pump and Party, Action Express, CTX, Circuit Max, Get Ripped Tae Bo, both Power Strikes, and I have 2 old Jane Fonda low impact aerobic tapes. Power Walking would be great!!!! Thanks HoneyBunch for your help!!!
Lori S.
 
I have at the most 1 1/2 hours to excercise per day. I work M, W, TH, and when I do, I get up at 3 so I can work out before work. I also am a Premier Designs Master Jeweler, so I am gone at night a few days a week doing shows. Maybe with the S&H, I could do one body part per day, and power walk on the treadmill, or do one of the Power Strikes, or Jane Fonda?? It may be corny, but I still like those Jane Fonda tapes!!! They were my first aerobic tapes!!!
Lori S.
 
Sounds like a winner! Try to do at least 5 cardio sessions per week if you possibly can.
 
Thanks so much for replying, HoneyBunch!!!! I was so hoping you would answe after your great davice to Donna. I just got an e-mail from Step-n-Motion and my tapes are on the way. I will let you know how it goes, I am starting that rotation Monday!!!
Lori
 
I would like to know why everyone is advocating lots of cardio on a mass building rotation?? Will this not work against you unless you are very careful to keep your calories high?? Make sure you get enough protein.

I am starting to beleive much more in seperating your goals and only working on one at a time. More weights, less cardio. More cardio, less weights. I feel like when I try to concentrate heavily on both I am only swimming upstream. Doesn't anyone else feel this way?? I want to know why after 8 mos. of Catheing I STILL can only lat raise 5 lbs??? Arrrggghhh!! Pisses me off!! So, I am concentrating on strength and saving most of my energy for that. All I can really figure is that my routine has too much goin' on in it, if you know what I mean. Everyone talks about the techincal time period between weight training sessions, you all know, 48 hours...but what about all that cardio you are doing. It is got to be negating much of your rest, especially if it is very high intensity. Like IMAX after a heavy leg day??? I don't think that is RECOVERY.

Just a few thoughts from me!!:):)
 
Janice! Yes that is what I have been reading and thinking about lately- separating goals. I'm still unclear on how long to focus on one. I'm also still tempted to try for everything at once! Fill me in more if you have a moment.
-Connie
 
I've been wondering the same. It seems as if my results are compromised when I try to do equal parts of both -- cardio + weights. It seems as if my strength never improves when I try to add in more than a couple of cardio sessions weekly.

But, OTOH, I'm afraid that if I focus on either cardio or weights solely for a period of time (i.e. 4-6 weeks), that I'll lose my results and have to really struggle to play catch up to where I was before.
 
My suggestion was NOT more cardio and more weights, it was only that Donna up her cardio and make it more low intensity. I'm not one to urge anyone to do, say all the PS tapes plus MIS. My own routine has never been like that.

You can get in 4 days of weight work plus 5 cardio sessions if you do it like this:

Sunday: Legs (I use the Bun & thigh Rocker) and some form of cardio for 30 minutes. I ONLY do legs twice a week because they are my problem area.

Monday: Cardio

Tuesday: Upper body (right now 2 exercises per body part, 2 sets) plus cardio

Wednesday: Rest

Thurs. Legs again (remember, they are my weak area), no cardio

Friday: Cardio

Saturday: I have more time so I do upper body weights and cardio

I switch between working out with free weights and cybex equipment at the gym.

I don't think you could call this a mass building rotation. I would say the focus is more on low intensity cardio.
 
I don't think if I switch to low intensity cardio that it will hurt my muscle gains. I am hoping to gain muscle and lose fat. I am excited to try this!!!! I think it is awesome advice. I think all this high intensity cardio is what just totally burns me out. I think this will be a great balance between muscle gain and fat loss. I will make sure I get 1 gram of protein for every lb. of weight I have. I am glad someone with knowledge and certification is saying to do low to med intensity cardio. It makes me feel good. I will post my results weekly, and we will see how it goes!!! I am very optimistic!!!
Lori S.
 
I've had good results with a reasonable balance of strength and cardio work. It seems that when I forsake one for the other, the outcome is usually unimpressive. Of course I realize this is just my personal experience.
 
I'm starting to agree with separating goals (from reading fitness magazines, web sites, etc).

My understanding is that you should spend 6 weeks gaining some muscle (while maintaining body fat levels), then spend 6 weeks losing some body fat (while maintaining muscle). Then start again. During the muscle building phase, use heavy weights, short sets, and go easy on the cardio. During the fat loss phase, do lots of endurance work with lighter weights, and really go for it with the cardio.

Body builders even add a third "strength" phase, where they use very short sets (4-6) with the heaviest weights they can handle (with good form of course), and longer rest periods between sets. This isn't the best way to actually build muscle mass, but it does mean that when you go into the muscle building phase, you can use heavier weights, and avoid plateaus.

Hope this all makes sense. I am trying to do this, but I find it boring sticking with the same thing for 6 weeks, so I am trying 1-month phases.

Let me know what you think.
Sharon.
 
I think while concentrating on muscle building, you need to do enough cardio to maintain, then while concentrating on cardio you need to do enough weights to maintain muscle mass/strength.
 
Gaining muscle and losing fat are not mutually exclusive by any means. As long as you are taking in adequate calories (enough carbs to supply your energy needs and enough amino acids to supply your muscle growth needs), you can do both at once.

The secret is to not become glycogen depleted. As long as there is an adequate supply of glycogen, the body can burn fat almost endlessly. But when the glycogen stores drop, the body turns to protein to provide the raw material needed to make the fuel it demands--glucose.

This means you have to eat every 3-4 hours and that you don't want to train on an empty stomach, particularly if you are doing a strength training or high intensity cardio workout. It also means that your best bet for fat loss will come from increasing activity vs decreasing calories. Additionally, it may require that some of your cardio activity will have to be in the form of lower intensity longer duration work to minimize the amount of glycogen required during the exercise session.

It isn't impossible to do both at once, but it does take consideration.
Maribeth
 
Thankyou Debbie for explaining that to me (LOL)!
Exercise really does help with chronic period pains, doesn't it ?
Regular working out has certainly helped mine !

Anna
 
Yes, Anna!

Exercise truly helps with TTOTM symptoms. I have students that will call or E-mail me saying that they won't be at exercise class that day due to "starting"! I try to follow it up with how much better I feel when I do exercise and how it DOES relieve cramping, not to mention releasing those feel good/better endorphines. (Sp.?) Keep on movin'!

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
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