Need ideas for PUB/PLB rotation? Is this okay?

[FirmNurse]

I have just completed an 8 week cycle of S&H and mixed in some Firm cardio and also occasional PS workouts.

I am wanting to start a rotation using the PUB and PLB. My goal is the same...to add some killer definition to my upper body. Lean out the lower body. I maybe have 5-10 pounds to lose. (Mostly ALL in my butt and thighs).

I am limited on my choices at this time and I do have:

Power Hour
PUB/PLB
S&H (all)
PS (all)
Legs and Glutes
MIS
Cardio and Weights

I was wondering if anyone has ever used the Pyramids like this:

Monday: PUB
Tuesday: PLB
Wednesday: Cardio
Thursday: PUB
Friday: PLB
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Rest/Cardio/Yoga

Would that give me results like I am wanting or do I need to mix in some REALLY heavy sessions OR add in more cardio to the weight days???? Thanks!!!!

 

[clareMc]

Hi:

if you take Sunday as a rest day, and you should, then I would add two or three CTX cardio sessions as a "warm up" before lifting on two other days of the week before Pyramid training.

I would do the following:

Monday: CTX All Step or CTX Power Circuit + PUB
Tuesday: PLB
Wednesday: Intervals Cardio
Thursday: (poss' CTX Kickbox, ) + PUB
Friday: CTX 10 10 10 or CTX Step + Intervals + PLB
Saturday: Cardio, non-intervals

How does that strike ya? This is exactly the kind of rotation I designed for myself last night, so let's see if I stick to it!!!!

I don't quite know what ou mean by "really heavy sessions," because if you lift as heavy as you can, the PUb and PLB will make it a "reaally heavy session." And I find that doing a shorter, CTX cardio before the PUB and PLB is just enough cardio to get my energy up, and not too much so that I don't get too tired to weight train. The CTX cardios are perfect for this combination.

Clare

 

[hippahips]

Jackie, I used the Pyramids in the exact same way you plan to. That was when I was going for serious strength and bulk, which required me to eat MORE. I did accomplish strength gains and some bulk after a two-month rotation, but because I was adding muscle and eating more, I had some flab to burn after the rotation was up.

You're trying to gain some in your upper body and lose some in your lower body. These are opposing goals. I'm not saying it's not doable, it just takes longer and you have to watch your diet ratios. It also helps to work in cycles where in one cycle you gain mass, then in the second you lose the fat that comes with the muscle gain. Your goals were my exact goals when I started. It took me a whole year to get there.

My suggestion is like Clare's: add more cardio. Not too much though, just enough. I suggest that you do PUB as is on one day, but on your lower body day, try to do circuit training for the lower body instead of PLB, OR some cardio and PLB (mix up cardio and weights). I know you have limited choices but allow me to provide examples:

CTX Power Circuits + PLB up (or down)
Bodymax (step and lower body only) + PS Legs (floorwork only)
half of IMAX2 + Leaner Legs
KPC (combos only) + PLB floorwork
CTX Kickbox (kb portion only) + CK (kb portion only) + L&G (ankle weight segment only)

I found that for my pear-shaped body, my legs started to bulk as soon as my barbell hit 45 lbs. Nowadays I use much less weight than that (25-35 lbs.) I also do more kickboxing. This way, I get the cardio benefits and get to tone my lower body at the same time. I suggest you get KPC. While recovering from overuse injuries in my knees, I had to switch to kickboxing to work out my legs. It whittled an inch off my hips. No amount of stepping ever did. My body looks more balanced now. It took a while, but I got there. Hope this helps.

Edited to add that I've read some posts in which ladies say they trimmed their lower bodies when they lifted really heavy. Try to see which way works for you. We all respond differently to exercise.

Pinky

 

[JulieMom]

How long did you do kickboxing to see a differance? And how many days of kickboxing a week did you do?

 

[hippahips]

About three months. I did 2-3 kb sessions a week. This is only half the equation though. Diet is the other half, and remains my greatest challenge.

Pinky

 

[tricia]

PINKY!!

Hello Pinky!

I'm sure you've been here, but I haven't "Seen" you in a while! I'm wondering about your kickbox routine - didn't you get burnt out doing 2-3 sessions a week? Currently, I'm doing BFL and I do 3 Intense Cardio's a week - mainly Imax'es (Is that a word???). Lately I've started using KPC cardio conditioning for variety. I read somewhere around here that kickbox also helps wittle away the lovehandles on the side and back area as well as tone the core like nobody's business. I've always known that in theory - I'm wondering if you found it to be true? I'm happy with my arms and legs (not really heavy there) but it's all settled around my middle! I'd be very interested to see what your results were and if you think this a good fit for the intensity work I need to do. I'm feeling ready to put IMAX away for a few weeks if possible. Also, did you do all Cathe kickbox, or mix in some other instructors? I don't have any others to compare to hers.

Sorry for all the questions, but I hope you can shed some light here!~

Tricia

 

[hippahips]

RE: PINKY!!

Hi Tricia, my doctor told me to quit the weighted squats and lunges in February. For a week. Well, when the week was up, my knees were still achy and basically rundown, so I switched to floorwork and took it easy on the stepping. I was bored, but I discovered that kickboxing didn't aggravate my knees as long as I skipped the jump kicks. So I did one KPC session -- as is -- during the week (did slow jacks and took it easy on the jogging), and for the second and third (if I had enough energy left at the end of the week), I combined various Cathe segments, like CTX Power Circuits (weighted leg work was modified based on the suggestions of my PT friend, and weights were much less than I normally used) and CTX Kickbox, or CTX KB (kb portion only) with CK (kb portion only), or KPC combos only with CTX Power Circuits kickbox parts only without weighted leg work. I also got Billy Blanks Ultimate Legs and Butt DVD. I didn't like the production quality but I did get a good workout, and at a much lower impact than Cathe's. The trick to not getting burned out was to do no other leg work during the week except kickbox, which I alternated with heavy weight work for upper body. This way, I got to do my cardio and leg work in the same session. This month I'm more into strength and circuit training so I haven't been able to do as much kickboxing. I'm trying to get back to squats and lunges -- modified, of course -- very slowly, which means kickboxing and stepping have to be pushed back so I can give my knees more time to recover between sessions. This is also why I'm trying to learn Christi Taylor's hi/lo workouts, but that's another story...

I didn't have lovehandles, so I can't comment on those, but I do have saddlebags, and although they're still there, thanks to my genes, they're smaller now. I can actually ignore them when I look in the mirror nowadays. But yes, kickboxing is great for the core. I usually feel it in my obliques, lats and posterior delts the day after a full KPC workout -- especially when I'm also doing it to blow off steam.

Sorry for rambling, but I do hope this answers your questions.

Pinky

Edited to add that I also feel KPC in that area between my abductors and glutes, thanks to those roundhouse kicks and those double side kicks, the second of which I usually turn into a roundhouse when fatigue shoots down my focus.