Strategies for getting out of the "plateau"

C

ChicagoJen

Cathlete
Hello Educated Crowd,

I've been working out with Cathe's videos for about 9 years and I just love them!

I recently turned the big 3-0 and it seems as though my body just isn't responding to my workouts anymore. I try to switch things up with different rotations and I've even started running anywhere from 1-3 times a week for 3-5 miles.

Nothing really seems to be shocking my body into better shape. I've tried more focus on cardio- nope. More focus on high rep, light weights-nope. Slow and Heavy Series seems to help a bit, however. When I gain weight, it tends to go to my lower half.

I also purchased a bun & thigh rocker and I alternate using the machine every few weeks with barbell / dumbbells- still, no more major changes.

I'm excited to get the new body blast series dvds, as I'm sure that it will re-fuel my motivation, but I've just lost my love for working out lately because I don't see the same results that I saw in my first few years of working out.

Any pointers / motivational tips would be greatly appreciated! :)

Thanks so much! Take care everyone!

Jen
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Couple of suggestions:

If Slow and Heavy works for you, keep using it, and go even heavier on the weights.

Also, you don't specify what kind of cardio you're doing, nor do you state how often you do cardio and weights per week. That might help prompt good suggestions for you.

Also, consider bringing in water training to your ongoing program; there's nothing more "cross" in cross-training than combining a land and a water program.

Finally, it could be that because you're exceptionally fit, the gains will be subtler than they once were.

Just a few thoughts.

A-Jock
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

I know exactly how you feel. I just turned 41 last week and my body just seems to be getting fatter every day. I know this is an exageration, but that is how I feel. Some months back I was doing the pyramids workouts and they seemed to be helping, but then I switched to something else. I think, starting today, I'm going back on the pyramid workouts and see if they were really helping. Below is an example of what I was doing.

Sunday - Pyramid Lower Body
Monday - Pyramid Upper Body/30 minutes of Cardio
Tuesday - Pyramid Lower Body
Wednesday - Pyramid Upper Body/30 minutes of Cardio
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Fully body workout such as Muscle Endurance, Power Hour, etc. or maybe Cardio & Weights or Boot Camp if for some reason I missed some cardio above.
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Thanks so much for the great responses!

A-jock, I split up my cardio and weight work-outs equally. 3 days cardio/endurance and 3 days weights per week. My cardio consists of all of Cathe's step tapes, usual an Imax or Body Max / MIc thrown in 1x/week, and the powerstrike series just to shake things up a bit! : )

You're right. I should go back to S&H. I haven't rotated the series into my workouts lately. It's difficult for me to go heavier than the 30 lb dumbbells due to my upper body strength. Some day when I have my own house, I will buy a weight rack...sigh... :p

I feel like even though I've been working out for so long, I still don't know how to gauge what amount of cardio I best respond to. What do you use as a rule of thumb?

Personally, I liked your response that I'm exceptionally fit. :)

Take care and thank you so much,
Jen
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Kelley
I am 42 and Iam finding this is working good for me the pyramids and the pure strenght I rotate
And Jen i know how you feel when I turned 30 or so it got harder but I love the aqua jock reply you could be just very fit
Trevor told me once workout really intense for cardio and shorter maybe 20 minutes a day I think that would shake things up too. I have been trying this on the treadmill 1 minute real fast then slower for 2 minutes and so on it is definitely hard so maybe the interval max would work for you.
I think the older we get the more we have to watch the diet but I just really can't do that so I work out harder, drink lots of water and eat what I want in moderation most of the time
Good luck
Lisa
 
RE: Jen -

Couple more suggestions:

Bring in Circuit Max at least once every two weeks, using leg circuits with barbell or heavy dumbbell only during the resistance cycles instead of the compound upper/lower body stuff with lighter weights as produced; this is a major-league sweat factory;

Try a couple of my favorite mish-moshes:

"Hi/Lo Heaven": MIC warm-up and hi/lo, 10-10-10 hi/lo, and Boot Camp cardio only premix (BTW, if you don't have the DVD's of these, get them toot sweet);

"Oh-My Mish-Mosh": Rhythmic Step warm-up, CTX Power Circuit circuit segment; Boot Camp cardio+lower body only premix;

The Gauntlet workout, either strictly as produced OR the Gauntlet cardio only, "nexting" through the resistance cycles.

Methinks a couple of things:

Your cardio program is probably a little "over-steppy", and your body has probably gotten too efficient at step; increase the kickbox and hi/lo component of your cardio;

Re knowing how to gauge the amount of cardio you respond too: actually, that's quite easy. Use the Rating of Perceived Exertion, which is a fancy-schmancy way of asking yourself, "Am I REALLY working hard? REALLY breathing hard and deep? Are the legs REALLY being recruited? Are the arms REALLY being recruited meaningfully? Do I have to fully concentrate on the workout, or is my mind able to wander?" If you can answer "Yes" to the first four questions and "Yes, I have to concentrate fully . . ." to the last, then you're doing the cardio you're capable of and that challenges you. If the answer is "no", then you need to increase the INTENSITY (not necessarily the duration) of your cardio work. And increasing intensity is simple: add more plyo moves on the floor, add more propulsion moves on the step, etc.

I stand by another piece of advice: bring water training into your program. That's a totally different challenge to all the muscles including the heart.

Hope this helps -

A-Jock
 
RE: Jen -

A-Jock
Could you explaing this circuit max thing to me a little more detailed I do not quite get what you mean I am not Jen but would really like to try your advice as you are so knowledgeable If you have time that is? The water training sounds great for mixing it up
thanks
Lisa
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Hi Jen! I believe that the new BB series will do the trick. I have the VHS tapes & there all MARVELOUS!!!! You'll find the Legs & Glutes DVD especially helpful to you now. Its very different than all the other leg workouts. Try taking down your measurements at the beginning of the month also keeping a food journal specifically targeting your protein/carbs/fat/fiber percentages as well as your calories. Then after 4 wks. take your measurements again & if you don't have any results, then you'll at least know that this rotation didn't work for your body. You already know there are many different ways to work your body heavy weight training/circuit style/low weight high rep/pyramid, etc. Its all in experimenting. Good luck! Kathy:D
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Hi Chicago Jen-

I think we have corresponded before.. didn't you use to live in Kalamazoo? ( That's where I am from.):)

Anyways, one suggestion I would like to throw in is to train one body part/day. I am a huge advocate of this type of training. I have had phenomenal results in my muscle defintion by doing this. (And I don't build muscle easily.)

As Aquajock suggested, it does sound like you might already be pretty fit. Maybe really working one bodypart/day to the maximum and really fatiguing it with heavy weight will be the key.

My tried and true rotation for this is to break S & H into 1 part/day and then doing either a cardio portion of CTX or something else cardio for about 30 minutes. I would do the weight training first and then cardio. Its a six day rotation and each workout lasts for about an hour.

Keep us posted and Good Luck! Lynn M.
 
RE: Lisa -

Hi, Lisa! The way I modify Circuit Max is to do strictly barbell squats and lunges during the cycles where Cathe is using lighter dumbbells and combining squat and lunge variations with upper body exercises such as biceps curls, overhead presses + lateral raises, triceps extensions, and so on. Because my legs can take so much more weight than my upper body, when I tried to do the workout as produced I always fell out of my heartrate, and my legs weren't getting any training at all. However, when I chucked the dumbbells and slapped Barbie the Barbell on my shoulders, the world became a wonderful and sweaty place.

From the time Cathe begins the actual reps, if you squat or lunge on the beat you can complete 56 full reps at standard tempo (no hover-holds at the bottom). The first cycle I do 56 standard squats. The second cycle I do 28 lunges each leg with a quick-switch in between. The third cycle 56 plie squats. The fourth cycle 28 lunges each leg with a quick switch in between. The fifth cycle I do squats and plie squats with varying tempos (standard tempos, 3-count hovers and 8-count hover), and the sixth cycle I do 14 lunges per leg with a 3-count hover per lunge and a quick switch in the middle.

Major, major challenge!

Hope this helps -

A-Jock
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Hi Chicago Jen,

I too have been working out with Cathe for a long time and I also turned 30 (um...2 years ago :)). I know it sounds cliche, but you really do have to keep trying things until you figure out what works for you. I think everyone here has given some really great suggestions.

As for exercise, what works for *me* is 1 hour of intense cardio everyday (with an occasional day off). I love the Terminator DVD. I consider all 3 of the workouts on that DVD to be "cardio" even though there is a little weight work thrown in. I have also seen fantastic results in my upper and lower body with the kickbox workouts! In addition to the cardio, I do at least 45 minutes weights everyday (with an occasional day off) working all bodyparts twice per week. The pyramids have done wonders for me. I have never had such good results. I go lighter on the weights for legs (usually not using as much weight as Cathe in all the leg exercises) because I have a tendency to be larger in my lower body than my upper body. But occasionally I'll do a really heavy leg workout just to shake things up. I try to mix in some endurance work and some heavy weight work every week to keep my muscles guessing :)

As for diet, what works for *me* is fewer carbs and more protein. I try to get 1g per pound of my bodyweight of protein everyday. For the longest time my body looked exactly the same, even though I worked out a lot, which was discouraging. When I really took a look at my diet -- I was not getting very much protein at all. Since I have increased the protein, my body has changed tremendously over the last 6 months. Also, pay attention to the # of calories you are consuming. I was always under the mis-conception that I needed to keep my calories low. I increased my calories (consisting of healthy protein, veggies, fruits, occasional bread, and occasional treats) and I have *lost* fat. I was afraid at first because I thought I'd really pack on the pounds, but it didn't happen. So make sure you're not eating too few calories.

Also, you may consider working with a personal trainer for a while. It is a really good way to keep you motivated on days where you might not be "into it".

Lastly -- I went to visit Cathe in September. That was a huge motivation for me to get into shape! I wanted to make sure I was strong enough to make it through one of her live classes. I couldn't have her thinking I was a big wuss :) So maybe come up with a goal like that to keep you going.

Just hang in there. Keep up the good work that you've been doing over the past 9 years (that's great, BTW)!!!! Maybe you just need to shake things up a little!

Shonie
 
RE: Lisa -

thank you so much A-Jock
I appreciate your clear explanation I did Circuit max thursday and I did the workout as you suggested your right major challenge lower body I am going to do this at least once a week like you suggest
Thanks again
Lisa
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

I will definitely try this strategy, Lynn! Thanks! And, yes, I am from Kazoo! You remembered... :)

I started rotating S&H into my routine 2 days ago and I am pretty sore. I think that I just need to remember to change things up...and watch the treats. For some reason, I can't seem to stick to a serious rotation schedule to save my life. There's a new year's resolution... :p

Do you have snow there? I always wonder, as there is barely any snowfall in Chicago for the most part, these days. I remember driving through a couple inches of snow. As soon as we get a few snowflakes here, schools close! Ha ha ha!

Take care,
Jen
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Good point about the diet / protein-intake, Shonie. At one time, I was using whey protein and also eating more green, leafy vegetables. Carbs just seem to be the food of convenience... and I love bread. :-(

I love the terminator series, too, and tend to work that back into my routine on the weekends. Thanks for the tips!

Take care,
Jen
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Kelley & Lisa (& co)-
I'm curious about your rotations... I'm always afraid of bulking up, but I haven't tried the pyramids w/cardio incorporated. I've increased my cardio greatly in the last few weeks but I'm now looking to mix it up a little. What changes have you found w/your workouts as you've moved into the 40's? (I'll be 36 in June)
Hope this isn't too personal :)
Brenda
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Hi Brenda, I was always afraid of bulking also. I'm only 5', weigh 123, and carry most of my weight in the butt, hips, and thighs. As I've gotten older, I have also started getting very pudgy around the mid section. When I was doing the pyramids with cardio, I started seeing and feeling results in my core and legs. I decided not to worry about bulking and was lifting as heavy as I possibly could. I was keeping track of the weights I was using in a notebook and, anytime I felt I could, I would up the weights. I'm not sure why I stopped this rotation, probably just wanted to try something else, and I've lost all my results. I've been Firming for the past couple of weeks and I'm so unhappy with the results. I need to get my butt in gear and really try something starting next week. I'm debating between 3 different rotations - Cathe's BB rotation, another Pyramid rotation, or Muscle & Fitness Her's 8 week body makeover. I just know I have to get busy. I'm leaning toward the Pyramid workouts as listed above since I know I saw results with that one.
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Kelley- thanks for your response. I may try that rotation next week and see what happens. Which M&F Hers rotation- the one that has a heavy week then cardio week? Let me know- I'd love to see if this is the one I'm thinking about.
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

HI Brenda, It is called the Look Great in Eight rotation.

Week 1 focuses on circuit weight training
Week 2 focuses on heavy weight training
Week 3 focuses on high reps weight training
Week 4 focuses on supersets weight training
and then it repeats

And there's lots of cardio included also. I went to the website, but I couldn't find the rotation. If you have any magazines, it is featured in the, I think, July 2003 magazine. If I can't find it anywhere, I'll type it in later as it is pretty extensive.

If anyone is interested in trying this with me, I would love to give it a shot. On reading the descriptions of the weeks, it sounds like SuperSets would work for the circuit training week as it describes doing each body part once and then repeating 4 times. Cathe does this in SuperSets, although, she uses different exercises which I like better. Heavy week is great for Slow & Heavy. I'm thinking of doing the Pyramids for high reps week as I want to throw them in somewhere. And Push/Pull I think would work for supersets week since you work opposing muscle groups.

If anyone is interested and wants the full rotation, let me know and I'll type in later today.
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Kelley- count me in. I was going to do the BB Dec rotation in Jan when everyone got their DVDs (I had the videos) but I'd miss the intensity series too much. Let me know... thanks!
 
RE: Strategies for getting out of the

Hi Jen-

It is always nice to hear from a fellow Kalamazooan! We have had a few snowfalls already this year. But, nothing that has really stuck.
It is definitely weird to see how the "lake effect" hits us on this side.. so much more snow than you guys. Which is probably a good thing considering the traffic in your neck of the woods! How long have you lived in Chicago? Do you like it?

Let me know how S and H goes for you. I really think you will see some results. Also, if you ever get back to this area and want to meet, I would definitely enjoy to visit with a fellow Cathe fan!

Take care, Lynn
 
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