Question about the 41 dvds

[LovingLife]

Hi Cathe -- I have a few questions about the idea behind the 41 workouts. What made you decide to make the separate workouts for every day as opposed to just making 3 workouts that you do for 4 weeks straight? Were you trying to give us more variety or was there some training aspect involved that helps us grow within each Mesocycle?

I've always been one who enjoys doing the same weight workouts for a 4 week period, seeing how I grow with it, improve, etc., so I'm wondering if I'd miss that or if I'd want to later do a rotation where I pick my favorite 3 from each Mesocycle and repeat them for each cycle. Do you think that would give less favorable results?

 

[NonDairyQueen]

Just replying to myself -- I couldn't get the registering process to let me use my old User Name, so I had to come up with a new one. (I love the new smileys so much better than the old ones!!!

Hope Cathe sees my question!

 

[SirenSongWoman]

Not Cathe but I think I can answer your question. STS is a "periodization" program which means constant small changes to your workout to keep your muscles confused as to what's coming next (Hence the "shock" in Shock Training System). If you always do the same thing your muscles quickly adapt and cease to be challenged. If your muscles aren't challenged you stop seeing progress, which I think most of us have experienced. The little changes prevent those "plateaus" from occurring so you continue to see results. The great thing about this program (if you follow it straight through, which I personally may not do because I'm looking for very specific results) is this: You don't have to think about what you should do tomorrow or the next day. You did dvd #12 the last time, you do dvd #13 next, than #14 after that. You'll always know what you should do next.

 

[kat_b]

While I get the whole stress/adaptation thing, I'm curious, too: do our bodies adapt THAT fast? Is one workout all it takes?

Do they adapt faster the longer we've been training? Sometimes I think mine does, but then I'll try something totally different (like kettlebells), and for several weeks I'll see progress with the same workout.

 

[Fannie]

While I get the whole stress/adaptation thing, I'm curious, too: do our bodies adapt THAT fast? Is one workout all it takes?

Do they adapt faster the longer we've been training? Sometimes I think mine does, but then I'll try something totally different (like kettlebells), and for several weeks I'll see progress with the same workout.

Actually I think two people could split this set, since there are so many DVDs, and still get excellent results. Maybe even a three way split.

 

[LovingLife]

(I got my old User Name to work -- I'm not a junior member anymore -- yay! )

I guess it is more like having a personal trainer who can continually adjust the workouts as opposed to other periodization rotations where we'd use the same set for 4 weeks. I just wonder if I'll like something new every day. I really enjoy familiarity of what's coming up next and seeing how I progress within a certain workout.

One thing I was hoping to hear from Cathe is if the workouts within each Mesocycle are that different -- so they won't seem unfamiliar. For example, maybe she just ups one or two things within a leg workout, but it's the same sequence as the week before.

-- Renee