Slow & Heavy!!!

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starlight6

Cathlete
Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to remark on my just-finished 8 week Slow & Heavy rotation. LOVE IT! I can't tell you how much stronger I feel at this point. I've spent the entire winter with light weights due to an injury I was dealing with...& tons of cardio...lost exactly 2 lbs. After 8 weeks with S&H...lost 16 lbs.!!! Yipee!

It also taught me a lot. It taught me how to do a table top position correctly without falling over in the middle of the exercise, & how to do that darned scapular retraction! My core (especially lower back)is so much stronger. I was also able to go way up in weight fairly quickly.

Finally, it taught me how to do some of those exercises correctly...I can really tell the difference. Not sure why it was easier...I guess it gave me the time I needed to concentrate on my form.

I have started now on PUB, PLB & PH rotation. Yikes!!! Kicking my buns!

One leftover from S&H...when Cathe or Cede says "4 left", I immediately think OMG that's FOREVER....but as soon as I formulate the thought, it's over! I forgot how quickly other workouts go!

I'm already looking forward to my next S&H rotation...I miss those 1 minute rests so much! LOL

Anyway, just wanted to highly recommend S&H to anyone considering it, or to anyone who wants to shake things up.

Have a great day,
Ruth:)
 
Thank you for letting us know of your success with S & H! It gave me the insight the I may need to buy this in the near future!
Way to go with the weight loss too!
 
Ruth,
How did you do it? One body part per day, one video per day? How much cardio? OK, instead of all the questions could you write out what you did?

Did you eating habits change also?

Thanks
Rhonda
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

Congratulations on your success! Out of curiousity, were you doing your S&H once or twice a week and how much cardio?
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

I would also like to know how much cardio you did during your S&H rotation. Also, how much weight did you start out with and how much weight did you build up to using for S&H? I worry that I would not be able to go heavy enough to see results with this series. In PLB I can squat 50 pounds and feel that I could go heavier, but I just can't get it over my head safely. I may have to check into a weigted vest, but how heavy do you need to go to see results with S&H? Thanks for the post! :7
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

Now I am thinking about getting this DVD, I am wondering just how slow is slow and heavy, is it anything like the slow part of Power Hour when shes doing the squats and doing counts of 4 ? .... Boy those really get me lol. But I am up for the challenge. ....... Rhonda :7 :7
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

>Now I am thinking about getting this DVD, I am wondering just
>how slow is slow and heavy, is it anything like the slow part
>of Power Hour when shes doing the squats and doing counts of 4
>? .... Boy those really get me lol. But I am up for the
>challenge. ....... Rhonda :7 :7

Slow and Heavy uses a 6-up, 2-down rep. But I like to change it up by doing different rep combos: 5-up/3-down or 3-up/5-down or 4 up and down. Makes the workout a bit different every time I do it.
 
Ruth:

I have just started a Slow and heavy rotation and am 2 weeks into it.

Like others here on your thread, i would love to know how many times per week you worked each body part, and how many cardio sessions did you average per week?

This would be so useful, i thank you in anticipation!

I too have been enjoying this slower pace. It does indeed give you much more time to focus on form, and yes, you really have time to get the scapular retraction and make the most out of each exercise.

I wonder how you found the legs section? The first time i did it, it was after CTX All Step which I was hoping would help pre-fatigue the legs. I found that completing Slow and heavy legs as is did not take me to exhaustion on each exercise and I used the 50 pound barbell for squats and lunges and the 40 pound barbell for plie squats. I was expecting to feel more fatigued and I experienced no DOMS after this workout at all, but I did feel pleasant soreness after all the upper body segments.

I loved the slow pace for the leg work though, especially on squats, you really can feel each and every bit of the glutes and leg muscles firing up, it's really cool!

The second time i did Slow and heavy legs section I used the entire pyramid section of PLB as my pre-exhaust exercises, interspersing the corresponding exercises and keeping the weights heavy all the way. This worked much better for me. I really felt the slow and heavy legs exercises more and was prettty fatigued by the end of the hour plus workout. I was also pleasantly sore the next day too in the glutes!!!

I think the only solution to really exhaust the legs with Slow and heavy is going to be either keeping it interspersed with the PLB as I did the second time or getting a weight vest to up the weight!!! Oh no! More expense......

Look forward to hearing from you Ruth,

Cheers,

Clare
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

I, too, would like to hear about your process. I am considering the Slow and Heavy Series but I have a fear of my lower body getting bigger and gaining weight instead of leaning out. I only have 5-7 pounds to lose and am in pretty good shape. You hear conflicting accounts of heavy work. Some gain and some get smaller.
Thanks in advance for your info. Congrats on your success!!!
Debra:)
 
Hi Ruth,

I just finished a month of Slow and Heavy. Isn't it awesome? Talk about "visible results" in just a few workouts!

I like to turn it into a pyramid workout - I start with lighter weights and work up to as heavy as I can stand on the third set.

Angela
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

What is the Slow & Heavy rotation, sounds like something I'm looking for, and would love to try it!!:D
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

It's the best. I was pregnant and/or lactating during the CTX and SH releases. I bought them and was scared of SH for the longest. Finally after my last baby (now 8 months) I gave it a shot. Talk about a mean workout. It's excellent.

Before I started SH, I had taken off about 20lbs baby weight but because of so many things going on in my life, I stopped focusing on weight loss, but just increasing energy and strength; getting in a workout when I could (hard on someone who became an amazon with Cathe ;( ). Anyway, I happened to be renewing my driver's license one day and while waiting, some health news flashed across the electronic banner saying that putting weights before cardio actually helped you lose weight faster rather than the other way around. Maybe everyone here already knew that, but I didn't. So I started working out like that. I divided them into one body part per day and finished with 1 or 2 sections of a Cathe step. It was actually easier than I thought; I thought I would be too worn out especially after legs. In about three weeks, 10 lbs just floated off without me even noticing, and it put curves back! Woah! Curves! Now SH is regular part of my routine when I want to just go for it and blast off the fat. This was difficult at first, because I couldn't count on a decent night sleep in the beginning, which I find is crucial to heavy weight training.


My only problems were maintaining this type of workout for more than three weeks. It's so physically taxing, even though I crave that feeling. I also find that slow count on lunges just impossible sometimes; I usually modify by switching legs on the fourth rep and continuing into the minute break to get the total reps Cathe and crew do. Anyway, give it a shot. It's awesome.
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

I think S & H Legs is the weak link in the chain because you simply can't lift that heavy at home without help. I use my Bun and Thigh Rocker with lots of extra resistance for leg work. It works well and it's safe.

I actually think the leg tape is excellent for beginners because the reps are done slowly and there aren't that many of them. Of course, you can't use the same weights that Cathe and crew do, but it's a great way to get your form down at a nice slow pace before moving on to workouts with a more reps done at a faster pace.


I like Clare's suggestions for pre-exhausting the legs. Doing Power Circuit or Body Max Circuit first might be another option.
 
RE: Slow & Heavy!!!

I think it just means using the Slow and Heavy series in its entirety in any rotation. So you can make up your own!

I have no problem with leg exhaustion. I still have some weight to go before it's too much to lift overhead.

I used the S&H shoulder section this morning. I first did the All-Step warm-up. Did S&H shoulders and added 3 sets of dumbbell upright rows. Finished with the ab section of All-Step and felt well worked.

Next time I am going to reverse the counts- 2 up and 6 down.

(Shoulders are an area I want to beef up a bit.)
 
Hi Ruth,
Just wanted to add my voice to the congratulations on your results! I also want to thank you for your review of S&H :) I've been considering it for a while and your review has me convinced! Did you do any other workouts while you were on your 8 week S&H rotation or was it purely S&H and nothing else?
ATB,
- Lisa :)
 
I just LOVE LOVE S&H. I get great results. The only problem is I hate when it's over and usually end out doing 4 week rotation.

YES once a week is fine and you do build. It's amazing. I have found that the REST is almost as important as the the workout. This once per week gives the body parts time to come back even stronger.

I have to disagree with the person who thought the legs was for beginners. I did the legs slowly and found my legs and butt really firming up.

All around WONDERFUL workout.

Congrats Ruth oun your results!
 
Congratulations Ruth on your success with the S&H rotation! I am also curious what your rotation looks like and if your eating changed during that time.

Yesterday I put together a S&H rotation and have been thinking about starting it soon. Kathryn, I took your advice about changing up the counts. I think that will do my muscles a lot of good, but it will also keep the workout from becoming boring.

Keep the ideas coming. I love mixing the workouts up.
 
Hi everyone!
Thanks SO much for your kind words, I really appreciate it. Sorry for the delay in answering, but I have been OOT.
I'm afraid it's not very interesting though...I tend to just do what Cathe tells me mostly! LOL. I did each of the three workouts once a week most of the time, although there were a couple of weeks when I was feeling strong & did the Legs & Shoulders twice (not on consecutive days of course). I did cardio 5 times a week so on S&H days I did cardio right after, EXCEPT for Tuesday mornings when I did chest & back because I didn't have time for a second workout due to work schedule. I had one complete rest day each week...usually Saturday but sometimes Sunday if schedule demanded.
For cardio I did whatever I felt like each day, but made sure to cross train at least once & usually twice a week. I have a tendency to do nothing but step because I LOVE step! but made myself do floor aerobics or slide or kickboxing (which I also love) at least once each week.
Basically the only sort of innovative thing I did with S&H was I changed the counts to 6 down instead of 6 up on one set for one week. It was fun, however I think it slowed down my results so stopped. It just felt too easy. (Never thought I'd hear myself say that about anything!)
I personally found the leg workout to be quite taxing, so am probably not as strong as some of you ladies...I'm old! Leave me alone! Just kidding...It was hard for me, but got easier the last week. I find it easier...relatively speaking...to do lunges now. I hate lunges & have always struggled with them. As for food, I'm ashamed to admit I haven't done as much as I should to clean up my diet. I did cut junk food WAY down & started teaching myself what a portion looks like in any other country! I'm a fast eater so tend to eat way more than I need, so I think just learning portion control was my biggest help. I also tried to slow down in my eating but it didn't really work so I've pretty much given that up.
That's about it...as I said, not very exciting. But the weight loss is VERY exciting! When I got home today I had lost 2 more pounds...residual effect? LOL
I truly recommend S&H highly...I too have never had faster results with anything.
Have fun!
Ruth :)
p.s. Hey Miss Debbie! Can't wait to celebrate your milestone! Keep posting! :D
 
Hey Ruth!

Thanks for sharing. I am so happy to hear about your success! Can you share what body type you are? I love S&H but I definitely saw an increase in the size of my thighs and bis. I am also wondering if someone stuck at a S&H rotation for 8 weeks, if they would start to "lean" out more after the first three weeks??? I have only done 3 weeks rotations. Anyone know? (Besides Ruth! Ha!) Thank you Ruth for the info. BTW, I sent you two E-mails in the past week or so. Did they get there?
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
RE: Hey Ruth!

thank you for asking this question, DebbieH! i have been reading all the great things about S&H and am tempted to try it... but once upon a time i tried to focus more on heavier lifting, and my butt and thighs grew noticeably (eek!). so i am wondering if you shrink back down after a while, if it's a body type thing, or if it depends on how much fat you have to lose in the first place. i was only trying to drop five or so when i tried it. any responses would be appreciated!
 
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