please help with lower body workouts

[audreygayle]

Hi all,

I'm trying to put myself on a an exercise program. When I don't plan ahead, and just pick a tape I feel like doing at the time, I'm less likely to get it done, so I know that I need to have some sort of rotation in place.

I have a nagging shoulder injury from a car accident a few years ago, and if I go too heavy, I don't feel it immediately (which would tell me to lighten or stop), but rather a few days later. PUB seems to be working quite well for me for the upper body, in that the heaviest set, is just one set of the least reps. When I do CTX Upper Body, it's a constant weight for the set and I think I tend to go too heavy. Again, it's difficult to assess cause it doesn't feel too heavy at the time, but acts up a day or two later.

Here's the plan that seems reasonable for me to follow, but I have a few questions on the lower body workouts. If any of the educated crowd can give me their opinions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Mon. am - upper body (PUB), pm - cardio
Tue - lower body
Wed am - yoga, pm - cardio (dance class)
Thur am - upper body (PUB), pm - cardio
Fri lower body
Sat yoga/cardio
Sun rest or go for a walk on the beach

My cardio is vague, I'm ok with spot planning, as long as I know it has to be cardio. 1x a week, it will be intense, the rest could be intense or not. I like running, and once it gets warm enough outside, I'll probably be running 3x a week.

My question is on the lower body workouts. I have CTX Leaner Legs, S&H Legs, PLB and Pure Strength Legs etc. Should I rotate these each session (ie T- LL, Fr PLB, next week, T- S&H, F- PS) or should I pick one, do it 2x a week for a 4 weeks, and then switch for 4 weeks of another?

My goals are to lose 20#'s (am on WW's since food in is a big component as well as exercise), tone up, and get in shape for my wedding on 11/1/03.

Thanks again for any advice.

-Audrey

 

[clareMc]

Hi Audrey:

some people like strict rotations lasting 8 weeks, others get bored easily and like to mix it up. Which are you? I'm the latter.

I tend to work legs thoroughly once per week only, and then make sure that at least one of my cardios has a heavy plyometric or leg targeted component in another way. For example, I do PS legs or Leaner legs once going as heavy as I safely can, then another day do CTX Power Circuit which works the legs well, plus another day an Imax which really tires the legs, these three plus other cardios in one week keep my legs lean and strong. That's enough. If you are going to be doing a lot of running in Spring, one leg weights work out per week will be enough for you because what do you think running is? Excellent leg work!!!!

As far as deciding which combo of vids to use, you will receive different advice here. I tend to use PS legs the most because it works so well for me. But after doing that for a few months, interchanged with the PLB I have upped my strength, so now for a few weeks I am focussing more on endurance with Leaner legs, although I will aim to do this twice per week, but if I don't make it, it's OK because of the other vids I said I do earlier. In about three weeks I will probably start with slow and heavy training.

Re: Slow and heavy legs. You will get best results if you stick with it once per week for three weeks, then alternate with Leaner legs for three weeks to shift the emphasis to endurance, then back to strength for a few weeks. I am not sure if you will see much results if you do Slow and Heavy legs every week, or just one week and then not again for another three or four. Some degree of consistency may be helpful here. Certainly, Slow and heavy legs need only be done once per week. It can take your legs up to 4/5 days to recover from that one if you really challenge yourself, and coupled with running in the Spring, you will be pretty tired.

Hope you can make sense of some of this! Conclusion: of the two approaches you suggest, I think the second will bring tangible, visible results.

CLare

 

[audreygayle]

Clare,
thanks for such a detailed reply.

I'm definitely of the type that gets bored easily and has to mix things up. But that said, I can cope with a more structured weights rotation, and leave my cardio free form. That would give me the variety to keep it interesting, along with the structure to see improvements with weights. I'm really liking the PUB for upper body. And, today was my second time with PLB.. and I'm finding this one is fun too.

I tend to modify the cardio workouts to keep them more lower impact. I have enough trouble with the downstairs neighbor, that I'm too afraid that I jump and down too much, there will be out and out war.<g> I try to keep my indoor cardio confined to kickboxing and step.. so I don't get the benefits of the plyos on my legs.

Right now, I'm not doing much running on account of the weather. I keep hoping that spring will be here soon, but it's still too cold here in NY. You're right though, once it is warmer and I AM running more, my legs will be plenty tired and worked out from that, so S&H legs 1x week will be a good plan for say May or June.

Again thank you! I am thinking of sticking with PLB for now, since I've done it 2x in a row, and maybe switching to leaner legs next month or PS Legs, and then the other the following month.

 

[Jane P]

I'm not as fit as many people on this forum, but I generally do intense cardio on Monday and Wednesday and an intense leg workout on Friday. On Tuesday I do upper body and Thursday I do a longer, less-intense cardio. Sometimes I will do some leg floorwork after the cardios.

 

[clareMc]

Audrey:

even if you can't jump up and down, still try the CTX Power Circuit and if you have Body Max, tack on the circuit section of that to the end of another workout because both of these intermix step cardio with endurance weights work for the legs and you will feel it, I promise.

I sometimes like to do a Cardio and Weights and CTX Power Circuit intermix combo. I do first section of C&W, then flip instantly to the first step circuit section Of Power Circuit and do the blast and the leg work; then back to the next C&W cardio section, etc, through both tapes. When I do it like this, I skip the upper body weights work from C&W, my concentration is on endurance and the legs for a leg day. There are only 4 C&W sections to 6 from the CTX tape, but I just repeat 2 of the C&W cardio sections. I just love the music so it's still fun.

If you have the DVD's, this will be even easier for you.

Clare

 

[audreygayle]

Clare,

I am starting to regret that my dvd player is not a multi disk player <g>. I wonder if I could use my dvd burner to create custom workouts on disks.

I like your suggestions of miscing C&W and Pwer Circuit. I have all the Cathe DVD's and the ones that are not on DVD are on their way to me in VHS. Now, you would do this instead of my second leg workout for the week? (just want to be sure about this).. I'd definitely skip the upper body of the C&W for this, as I'm doing PUB 2x a week, and don't want to tempt fate with my bad shoulders.

I liked the various exercises in MIS and Body Max, but I've found I really prefer to split upper & lower body. Otherwise, I'm so exhausted and on shaky jello legs by the time I get 1/2 way thru upper body, that I don't think I do those exercises as well as I could. Taking on parts to other workouts sounds like a good use of these workouts.

-Audrey

 

[clareMc]

Audrey:

1. "Now, you would do this instead of my second leg workout for the week? (just want to be sure about this)" == YES.

2. "I'd definitely skip the upper body of the C&W for this, as I'm doing PUB 2x a week," ==YES.

3. When I said tack on the circuit part of Body Max I did not mean the upper body weights workout at the end, I meant the second section, the blasts with legs weight work that comes right after the pure cardio section. OK?

Good luck!

Clare