I don't know if I can help, but I will try. I'm an old Firmie and so I understand doing full body workouts pretty much every day. At that time I didn't understand rotations or exercise enough to know what to do and when. Then I read the book READY, SET, GO! by Phil Campbell and I got the basics -- what's important and what's not. Once you have that, you won't be confused again, and you'll be able to figure it out yourself, which is kind of nice.
But here is my understanding -- in lieu of the book, which I really think you should get as it will give you a really good grounding in all this -- but here we go:
There are 5 parts of exercise that are important and should be part of your weekly schedule. They are: 1)cardio 2)strength 3)anaerobics 4) plyometrics and 5) stretching.
We all pretty much understand cardio and the improvement one gets from doing cardio -- and we're beginning to better understand strength and how that shapes the body and builds muscle and bone density, etc. But what are anaerobics and plyometrics?
It is my understanding that anaerobics are the opposite of aerobics. Anaerobics steals oxygen from the body -- is my basic understanding of it. Anaerobics are those times when you are out of breath, with a slight adrenal response -- slightly painful, etc. Anaerobics are important -- and they must be worked up to gradually with good cardio and endurance -- because as you might think, anaerobics can be dangerous if you are not fit or in good shape. But it's anaerobics which stimulate the growth hormone in women and men over 35 -- it's anaerobics that really strengthens the heart and helps to build up the body -- it's working the muscle fibers that don't ever get worked when one is doing straight cardio. (There are 3 different kinds of muscle fibers and it's very rare that a video will work anything else but the slow-twitch muscle fiber.) Anaerobics works the fast-twitch muscle fibers -- there are two different kinds. These are the fibers that are used for emergency -- those that are used when sprinting, etc.
Plyometrics are jumps, etc, that strengthen one's leg muscles and help to push one up into the anaerobic zone. The anaerobic zone can be reached by intense exercise -- sprinting is one way -- Cathe's IMAX's also include anaerobics and plyometrics. Anaerobics are worked by getting one's heartrate up into the anaerobic zone and then down again, then back up, then down again -- etc. Just like Cathe does in the IMAX's.
Stretching is also very, very important and should be done minimum of once a week.
Okay, so those are the basics, quickly said. There's alot more to it -- but again, I would really recommend that you get and read that book, READY, SET, GO! by Phil Campbell.
So all that said, what about rotations?
For overall fitness, one should get in at least two anaerobic workouts per week -- do these at your own pace and ensure you are fit -- and sip water when doing these in hot weather.
One should do strength at least two workouts a week. Full body strength at least in the beginning. When one gets more fit, one can break that down into upper body and lower body workouts as one puts more time into their workouts per day, etc.
One should have at least one plyometric workout per week and at least one stretching workout per week.
In this way, you are working ALL of your muscle fibers -- all three kinds, the slow twitch, and the two fast twitch muscle fibers.
Cathe also has written on her home page a little about why break up the workouts into strength and cardio, etc. She explains this really well if you want to have a look at that.
Okay, so all this aside, mind you I don't have all of Cathe's workouts, but those I have I can tell you what tapes that in my opinion work what fibers:
The IMAX's -- IMAX, IMAX2, IMAX3 and LowMax will give you plyometrics and anaerobics. I love these workouts. LowMax doesn't give you as much plyometrics in my opinion -- but it sure does work the legs in a different way.
Muscle Endurance, Muscle Max, Power Hour, Maximum Intensity Strength are all full body strength workouts.
Rhythmic step, Maximum Intensity Cardio, and many of Cathe's step workouts work cardio and endurance.
And Cathe has the new DVD with three different stretches.
Anyway, I don't know if this will help, and if I've confused you, please do get and read -- you can probably get it at the library -- READY, SET, GO! by Phil Campbell. He does the best job I know of of explaining this in simple terms that even I could understand.
Have a good one.:7
