[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-17-02 AT 09:34AM (Est)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-17-02 AT 09:33 AM (Est)[/font]
Luv Cardio,
While I am anewbie to the Cathe workouts, I have avidly been into health & nutrition for the last 15 years. One thing that you said really struck me:
I have always struggled w/Muscle tone and getting it in general. My legs seem fat and never toned no matter how much I work out!!!
The first thing you have to determine is your
body type. This determines whether you are muscular or willowy, gain definition easily or don't gain it at all, if your prone to carry fat or prone to have low body fat.
Somatypes
There are three basic body types or physiques, called somatypes. Our body build depends largely on what mix of these three somatypes we are born with. The three types are named ectomorphic, endomorphic and mesomorphic.
1.
Ectomorphic: People with an ectomorphic physique are born with a smaller amount of muscle cells and have a linear appearance. These people have more difficulty in developing large muscles and are typically naturally slender. An ectomorph can strength train very aggressively and not necessarily gain a lot of muscle mass. This is often desirable for women but not for men. Ectomorphic people tend to be quiet and reflective
Example...Kate Moss or Uma Thurman.
2.
Endomorphic: Those with an endomorphic physique have inherited a large number of fat cells and tend to have a rounder appearance. These individuals experience difficulty in achieving muscular definition. The endomorph has a thicker body type and tends to carry more fat weight, so a program that is heavy on aerobic exercise to burn more calories would be warranted, but would still have to have some strength training component. Endomorphic people tend to be magnanimous and love to eat.
Example...Oprah Winfrey or Rosie O' Donnell
3.
Mesomorphic: The third somatype is mesomorphic and people with this physique have inherited a relatively larger number of muscle cells. They usually have a triangular appearance and are more likely to develop large and defined muscles. Mesomophic men and women have the best chance of achieving chiseled abs with appropriate training. A 'meso' female may gain muscle mass easily but not want big shoulders, so they should focus on staying away from lifting heavy weights for 8 to 12 repetitions and work more with lighter weights in the 15- to 20-rep range. Mesomorphs tend to brim with energy and vigor.
Example: Arnold Schwarzenegger or Tom Cruise.
Most Of Us Are Mixed Body Types
Few women have a "pure" body type. Relatively few people can be pigeonholed as pure "ecto," "meso," or "endo." Most of us fall somewhere in between. In her book, "Bodyscopes," author Carol Saltus defines nine female somatypes based on Sheldon's (founder of the somatypes) concepts:
Balanced Ecto: A light, sharp, alert body with a narrow, shallow, rather short torso; square shoulders; very long, slim limbs; and narrow hips and pelvis.
Endo Ecto: A long, soft, willowy body that is rounder and looser than the balanced ecto and has a less tapered waistline and more prominent and curvaceous hips and belly.
Meso Ecto: A lean, muscular body with a broader, deeper chest tapering more sharply to the waist than in the balanced ecto.
Balanced Meso: A clean-cut, sturdy, athletic body with chest and shoulders strongly dominant over the belly; a low waistline with little indentation; narrow pelvis and hips; strong arms and legs that don't taper; and well-defined muscle contours.
Endo Meso: A compact, rounded, solid body with more curves and a higher, more indented waistline than the balanced meso.
Ecto Meso: A lean, lithe, agile body that is longer and slimmer than the balanced meso.
Balanced Endo: A small-boned, billowy body with soft, gently swelling curves; full, smooth shoulders; high, hourglass waistline; and deeply curved and prominent belly, hips, and thighs.
Meso Endo: More strongly muscled than the balanced endo with more firmly molded and pronounced curves.
Ecto Endo: A slightly leaner version of the balanced ecto with a high but less sharply indented waistline and narrower chest, shoulders, and hips.
Can You Change Your Genetic Body Type?
Designing a weight-management plan is an individualized venture, even if you can correctly identify your somatype. And no matter what you do, it is difficult, if not impossible, to change the body type you inherited from your parents. You can, however, move toward a more desirable body type--if you are willing to put in the time. For example, a pure, overweight endo can move toward an endo-meso by significantly reducing her fat and calorie intake and exercising for an hour at moderately high intensity every day. But it is difficult to sustain such a lifestyle over the long haul. You need to explore how much time you are really willing to put into this. You may have goal to get down to what you weighed at age 21, but you may not be willing to put in the time. It can take an inordinate amount of time for some people to stay thin.
Be Realistic
A more realistic tack is making sure your diet is primarily plant based and you are getting at least 20 or 30 minutes of physical activity four or five days a week. Additionally, all body types should weight train at least two times a week and stretch their muscles regularly to increase flexibility and lower their injury risk.
Changing your body type should be secondary to improving your health measures (such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels) and your quality of life. You can design your program based on making some changes in your appearance, but it shouldn't be your index for success
Its a scienficially proven fact that the most successful workout plans include [1] a healthy diet, [2] areobic exericse and [3] weight lifting. You are only doing cardio. It has been scientifically proven that long periods of sustained aerobic exercise actaully end up causing muscle loss! Muscle is an active muscle...its your bodies natural fat burner. Each pound muscle requires 35 calories per day just to stay alive regardless of whether you are ative or resting. Muscle eats 24 hours a day. By contrast, a pound of fat only utilizes 1 to 2 calories per day. So the more muscle you have, the less fat you have and the leaner you are...not to mention stronger and more shapely. You NEED to add weight lifting into your routine if you want to see any signifigant changes.
To get rid of fat, 80% of people try dieting first. In the beginning, it works! You lose fat. But here’s why it soon fails: as much as one-third of your weight loss is not fat, but muscle, making you weak and tired. You also lose heart muscle, thereby increasing your risk of heart attack! (The more severe the diet, the more muscle you lose--in both places.)
That’s why dieting (especially “crash dieting”) backfires everytime; when dieters start to eat normally again, 90-90% eventually gain back all the fat they lost--and more! Lost muscle decreased the number of calories they burn--leaving them fatter than ever, and physically weak. In other words, dieting ages you!
Next to dieting, the most popular fat-loss method is aerobic exercise. (About 50% of the overweight try it.) Yes, aerobic exercise does burn calories and causes fat loss. That’s good! Aerobics also strengthens the heart muscle. (Very good!) But aerobics has a dirty little secret: In the rest of your body, aerobics causes muscle loss! In other words, aerobics ages your muscle system! A two-month study of stationary bicyclers revealed that the subjects lost three pounds of fat, but also had a half-pound of fat loss! With two months of hard work, they aged their musclesystems a full year! (And they did it at six times the normal rate of muscle loss from aging!)
Aerobics builds endurance, not strength. We have all seen the withered upper bodies of avid runners. What causes it? Muscles not used in a given aerobic activity shrink away--burned as fuel! Overall, aerobics makes your muscle system weaker, smaller, older! Just as dieting backfires as a fat-loss method when you stop, so does aerobics! Both cause overall muscle loss.
FINALLY fitness experts all agree that aerobics only workouts are conterproductive. Aerobics classes are so discredited that Nike no longer uses the term 'aerobics' in its press releases. Even father of aerobics Dr. Ken Cooper now agrees that aerobics alone doesn't deliver the body people want most or need most.
The best workout for losing weight and looking svelte, says a quiz in the prestigious Tufts University newsletter, involves a combination of aerobics and weight training.
Weight lifting causes fat-loss in two ways: [1] You burn extra calories while you lift, and [2] Each pound of added muscle burns extra calories around the clock, thereby returning your metabolic rate to a youthful level. Weight lifting is also essential in building bone tissue--fighting osteoporosis, one of the biggest age-related diseases. Studies prove that those who walk at least a mile a day lose bone more slowly than non-walkers, but only weight training increases bone mass--at any age. Weights also improve heart function. ONLY WEIGHTS (not aerobics) can restore youthful muscle mass
A balanced workout regimen combining BOTH weights and aerobic exercise will provide THREE TIMES THE FAT LOSS of just aerobics!!!
Any specific workout pattern, no matter how well-designed, eventually loses some of its effectiveness. Over time , the body adapts to it, and progress slows. By alternating videos and adding in weight training you overcome this problem with a technique called muscle confusion.
Changing routine every four to six weeks "shocks" your body into further development. Alternating workouts will help you break through a stagnant "training plateau." And it maintains your interest.
Being fastidious about workout pattern is not as important as staying motivated by choosing the workout you enjoy most at the moment. But it's even better to choose the workout you prefer least: Exercisers always favor doing their strongest moves because they're more fun, and neglect videos that work their weakest body parts which need the most work! Eliminate your weakest parts and a lovely physique is yours!
A weight increase can be just as effective a boost to physical progress as a change in routine. (Both increase intensity and results.) While maintaining good exercise form, increasing weight sizes and alternating workouts puts you on the fast track to a perfect figure.
Concerned it will take more time and effort to get back in shape after a layoff? Don't be. A phenomenon called "muscle memory" allows you to regain your fitness level more quickly than it took to get into shape the first time.
Also read this article which will medically confirm everything I've said here:
http://www.hussman.org/fitness/
Diet and portion control also have a lot to do with dropping pounds. Cut out all refined carbs and sugars....packaged breads, rices, potatoes,pastas, cakes, candies, cookies, crackers and sweets. Cut out all packaged and processed foods. Cut out all sodas, teas and juices that are bottled, canned or presweetened.
Eat clean - eat foods in their natural states. Fresh meat and veggies. Only natural carbs such as baked potatoes, brown rice, corn, peas, beans, bananas, etc. Only whole grain breads - not the packaged kinds htat you find at the supermarket. Get a juicer and make your own juices and smoothies. Make your own iced tea. If you must have sugar, use raw, unrefined sugar, honey or fruit juice.
Watch your portions. 97.3% of people eat 4 to 5 times the daily recommended serving sizes. Serving sizes have quadrupled since 1950. Serving size abuse is the number one cause of obesity in this country (of course coupled with lack of exercise). Portion control is the number one cause of hindered exercise programs.
My own doctor said to me recently that you are far better to eat real foods...butter vs. margarine, sugar vs artificial sweeterners, whole fat foods as opposed to low-fat foods, BUT to eat them in moderation! He said its not the foods that are bad for you, but the amounts you eat. He also said that it is far better to eat smaller amounts of natural foods than larger amounts of chemically derived, processed, packaged lower fat foods.
HTH! So far I've lost 20-lbs following this advice!
) However, I have lost 18 lbs and a ton of inches! I had to buy new pants because they were all too big! I thank Cathe for all of my success! She gives me the motivation to get up at 5:00 a.m. and workout in the dark like all of you other crazies