LovingLife
Cathlete
I mentioned on an STS thread that I've been doing an STS-like periodization rotation (am on the 13th week now) and a few people asked for more details. I'm posting my response here too in case anyone's interested. It's been a lot of fun and has been a great mental and physical preparation as we await STS. I mainly did it because I wanted to see if I could stick with a 14 week program and wanted to see how my body would respond to periodization. Here's the copy and paste:
I'm doing a check-in on the VF (Videofitness.com) forum. Here's a link for the search of all our weeks http://forum.videofitness.com/search.php?searchid=2514553
Basically, I alternated weights and cardio days for Mesocyles 1 and 2 something like this:
Meso 1
M -- Power Hour
T -- Cardio
W -- Legs & Glutes
Th -- Cardio
F - -Muscle Endurance
S -- Cardio
I tried to add in some yoga on my cardio days and mostly did Cathe's step for cardio -- some kickboxing and occasionally rebounding to Cardio Coach.
Meso 2
M -- Gym Style Chest & Triceps
T -- Cardio
W -- Gym Style Legs Standing + PLB Stability Ball work
Th -- Cardio
F -- Gym Style Back, Biceps, & Shoulders
S -- Cardio
I reached for more Dance cardio workouts in this Mesocycle for some reason -- maybe I was needing less impact and muscle work that stepping and kickboxing requires? I also found that I slept in the day after my leg workouts. Maybe it required more recovery. I initially planned to do more of the Pyramids, but I just enjoyed the Gym Styles so much that I stuck with them. I did throw in PUB Ball work for core here and there.
Meso 3
M -- 4DS Higher Intensity Step + Chest & Back
T -- 4DS Cardio Kickbox + Legs & Core
W -- Cardio
Th -- 4DS Low Impact Step + Shoulders, Calves, & Core
F -- 4DS Bootcamp + Biceps & Triceps (just finished it
)
S -- 1/2 hour Cardio + 4DS Legs & Core
I've been doing rebounding to Cardio Coach on my cardio days that aren't 4DS. I've hardly gotten any yoga in on this Mesocyle, but plan to do it more after the rotation ends (and do a lot of yoga on my rest weeks).
Check out our check-ins -- especially the planning week, and weeks 1, 6, and 11 - -that's when we usually spelled out our plans (although they often changed as life continued on and as our preferences became known -- like I first thought I'd do Slow & Heavy for half or all of Meso 3, but by the end of Meso 2, I had no desire to do S&H -- just wanted to do 4DS).
Everyone's done it a little differently. Vee mainly did hers in the gym and chronicled it with photos on her blog.
I'm doing a check-in on the VF (Videofitness.com) forum. Here's a link for the search of all our weeks http://forum.videofitness.com/search.php?searchid=2514553
Basically, I alternated weights and cardio days for Mesocyles 1 and 2 something like this:
Meso 1
M -- Power Hour
T -- Cardio
W -- Legs & Glutes
Th -- Cardio
F - -Muscle Endurance
S -- Cardio
I tried to add in some yoga on my cardio days and mostly did Cathe's step for cardio -- some kickboxing and occasionally rebounding to Cardio Coach.
Meso 2
M -- Gym Style Chest & Triceps
T -- Cardio
W -- Gym Style Legs Standing + PLB Stability Ball work
Th -- Cardio
F -- Gym Style Back, Biceps, & Shoulders
S -- Cardio
I reached for more Dance cardio workouts in this Mesocycle for some reason -- maybe I was needing less impact and muscle work that stepping and kickboxing requires? I also found that I slept in the day after my leg workouts. Maybe it required more recovery. I initially planned to do more of the Pyramids, but I just enjoyed the Gym Styles so much that I stuck with them. I did throw in PUB Ball work for core here and there.
Meso 3
M -- 4DS Higher Intensity Step + Chest & Back
T -- 4DS Cardio Kickbox + Legs & Core
W -- Cardio
Th -- 4DS Low Impact Step + Shoulders, Calves, & Core
F -- 4DS Bootcamp + Biceps & Triceps (just finished it
)S -- 1/2 hour Cardio + 4DS Legs & Core
I've been doing rebounding to Cardio Coach on my cardio days that aren't 4DS. I've hardly gotten any yoga in on this Mesocyle, but plan to do it more after the rotation ends (and do a lot of yoga on my rest weeks).
Check out our check-ins -- especially the planning week, and weeks 1, 6, and 11 - -that's when we usually spelled out our plans (although they often changed as life continued on and as our preferences became known -- like I first thought I'd do Slow & Heavy for half or all of Meso 3, but by the end of Meso 2, I had no desire to do S&H -- just wanted to do 4DS).
Everyone's done it a little differently. Vee mainly did hers in the gym and chronicled it with photos on her blog.
