Successful De-Bulk??
- Thread starter Stacy
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Justinef
Cathlete
Stacy - did you read this on fitnessblackbook?
Many People Would Benefit from Dropping Direct Leg Work
I’m going to go ahead and point out my most controversial fitness view. I believe that 9 out of 10 people would have better looking physiques if they dropped all of their leg exercises and replaced it with High Intensity Interval Training combined with Steady State Cardio. This just seems to create the ideal sized leg that is functional as well. Not only that, the extra time available for cardio will help you keep a lower body fat level year round. Also…your legs and butt greater definition from sprinting than they will from lifting. The nice thing is that they will remain a normal size while firming up.
Many People Would Benefit from Dropping Direct Leg Work
I’m going to go ahead and point out my most controversial fitness view. I believe that 9 out of 10 people would have better looking physiques if they dropped all of their leg exercises and replaced it with High Intensity Interval Training combined with Steady State Cardio. This just seems to create the ideal sized leg that is functional as well. Not only that, the extra time available for cardio will help you keep a lower body fat level year round. Also…your legs and butt greater definition from sprinting than they will from lifting. The nice thing is that they will remain a normal size while firming up.
I've often considered doing just that! Do you think Cathe's HiiT would qualify as "true" HiiT or do you/"they" feel it is more "classic" 1 minute sprinting, 10-20 second resting type routine? In the sample workout plan on the Fitness B&W site, it seems a perfect set up for adding HiiT to a few of the upper body days and using the "Ab" day for steady state.
I stopped lifting for legs b/c of knee issues for a long, long time and my legs got flabby, but I"m sure that is diet related. However I did only steady state cardio and didn't do HiiT at all. My husband is a runner, and only runs distance, no weights, no HiiT and he is scrawny. He is an Ectomorph.
I stopped lifting for legs b/c of knee issues for a long, long time and my legs got flabby, but I"m sure that is diet related. However I did only steady state cardio and didn't do HiiT at all. My husband is a runner, and only runs distance, no weights, no HiiT and he is scrawny. He is an Ectomorph.
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desertambrosia
Cathlete
All of this is most interesting. I've thought about doing body weight workouts this Summer. I'm naturally muscular, but it would be interesting to see what changes this kind of workout would bring. Something to think about.
Justinef
Cathlete
It is so interesting - the idea that you really can change parts of your body in relation to others, not just your overall body, and not just bulking up one area to make another appear smaller.
I'm not so sure Cathe's stuff is true HiiT, in the original sense. Certainly the plyo HiiT suff can give you DOMS in the legs, so presumably that would indicate it's strength work to some degree. Also, I was always lead to believe that you should only be able to do HiiT for 20 mins or so. Obviously what constitutes HiiT will vary for different fitness levels, but doing, say, Tabatacise all the way through implies that it's not quite HiiT intensity. Brilliant though it is
I wonder if something like this concept lies behind RWH and XTrain - there's no REALLY heavy lower body work. Certainly cardio-leg-blast-style suits my legs (and I love that sort of workout). Yet Cathe uses fairly heavy (hypertrophy range) weights for the upper body.
I also wonder if different exercises can give different shape to you legs - obviously the thighs have several different muscles, and I suspect different exercises would give different 'looks'. Certainly squats give me that 'lump' above the knee on the outside.......
Keen to hear what you end up trying
I'm not so sure Cathe's stuff is true HiiT, in the original sense. Certainly the plyo HiiT suff can give you DOMS in the legs, so presumably that would indicate it's strength work to some degree. Also, I was always lead to believe that you should only be able to do HiiT for 20 mins or so. Obviously what constitutes HiiT will vary for different fitness levels, but doing, say, Tabatacise all the way through implies that it's not quite HiiT intensity. Brilliant though it is
I wonder if something like this concept lies behind RWH and XTrain - there's no REALLY heavy lower body work. Certainly cardio-leg-blast-style suits my legs (and I love that sort of workout). Yet Cathe uses fairly heavy (hypertrophy range) weights for the upper body.
I also wonder if different exercises can give different shape to you legs - obviously the thighs have several different muscles, and I suspect different exercises would give different 'looks'. Certainly squats give me that 'lump' above the knee on the outside.......
Keen to hear what you end up trying
I do find all this interesting to read about as well. I never thought about Cathe's lack of heavy weight leg work in the past two series. I honestly thought it was b/c most people don't own a squat rack so she did plyo and workouts like Cardio Leg Blast to compensate for that. I do feel certain exercises give a certain look, but not sure to what degree on certain shapes of people. Take Cross Fitters for instance, alot of women (and men obviously) get bigger shoulders and bigger thighs from the emphasis on explosive cardio moves and Olympic style lifting. If you do a search on trying to slim over-developed thighs that started after CF style workouts, you won't find much! You'll find the typical comments such as "strong thighs are beautiful, embrace the muscle" etc which I agree with to some degree and the "you can't bulk" but there are some of us that simply don't like that look. It's been a challenge trying to find good information on "de-bulking" while maintaining muscle strength and density. I always use a gymnast as my example. Women gymnasts are super strong, have great muscle and are also fairly tiny. It is hard to find articles that really get into their training. I know many start very young which I'm sure has alot to do with it. I did find an article that talked about over the years that more coaches are adding pure strength training to a gymnast's training. Not sure if this is because of overall knowledge and training "smarter" or because of the competitiveness of the sports nowadays in general. If you look at the bodies of Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton in their prime you'll see what I mean. Both women are obviously strong, but definitely looked different! I don't know if that difference is due more to HOW they trained or just their body's own propensity to respond a certain way. (Hoping this all makes sense!) Either way, fun reads and stuff to think about!
I'm currently doing TA and barre, and like I stated in a previous post, I've only done it for 2 weeks and I already miss my heavier weights. But 2 weeks is not long enough to really see how my body will respond over the long haul to this type of training. I get torn on whether to continue on and risk losing strength at the expense for size OR move on to something else.
I'm currently doing TA and barre, and like I stated in a previous post, I've only done it for 2 weeks and I already miss my heavier weights. But 2 weeks is not long enough to really see how my body will respond over the long haul to this type of training. I get torn on whether to continue on and risk losing strength at the expense for size OR move on to something else.
nckfitheart2009
Cathlete
Is this what is called QUADS?
That being asked, is there anything wrong having them?
Is this a "dreadful lump"
nckfitheart2009
Cathlete
I like this thread, it is getting more and more interesting to read. IMO , genetics, somatotype body and anatomical skeleton reflect
on the look.What is called fast and slow twitch in each individual also reflect on the look. Each person body contain a certain percentage of different twiches. Although we predominantly are born with a certain twitch type,We can all recruit and increase them depending on
the sport activity we opt/enjoy doing.
A sprinter will have thick thigh. A marathon athlete won't cause he/she mainly work slow twitches etc....
desertambrosia
Cathlete
I work with a marathoner. You would think that she would be thin as a rail, however she is not. This is not stated to jam on anybody, everybody is different. She has great calves, thighs are thin and defined. She is always asking me how she can get rid of her muffin top, her arms are extremely thin with no muscle. Her torso is where she carries her fat, in the form of a muffin top, and belly. Now the guy marathoner, is just thin, with no muscle mass at all. He always looks too thin to me. No judgement here, JMHO. It's interesting how different exercise works for different people.
Justinef
Cathlete
Is this what is called QUADS?
That being asked, is there anything wrong having them?
Is this a "dreadful lump"
No- the quadriceps are 4 different muscles (aptly named!) - the muscle I get from squats is part of the quads called the vastus lateralis. Different 'quad' exercises target different quad muscles - rectus femoris is the one which needs strengthening / developing for me. I don't mind the 'lump', but also want to achieve balance.
nckfitheart2009
Cathlete
My question was genuine aiming to understand what you referred to as a "lump".
I mentioned quads but evident/obvious-ly I referred to one of the quads muscle.
QUADS---Quadriceps muscles,to use your word, aptly means 4 "heads"!!, 4 muscles.
Vastus medialis, lateralis,intermedius and the rectus femoris. the outside part you referred in your post sounded to be
the lateralis which is one of the quads head, hence relevant to my question.
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nckfitheart2009
Cathlete
Each person body contain a certain percentage of different twiches. Although we predominantly are born with a certain twitch type,We can all recruit and increase them depending on
the sport activity we opt/enjoy doing.
A sprinter will have thick thigh. A marathon athlete won't cause he/she mainly work slow twitches etc....
My quote was a observation significantly documented. There was no judgemental intention in my post.
Here below is the comparison I was referring to: marathoner versus sprinter
https://www.google.be/search?q=paula british runner&biw=1280&bih=609&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=A29jVcikIYHm7gbYrIHgAQ&ved=0CDAQsAQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Cibis
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nckfitheart2009
Cathlete
Here is an article about runners versus sprinters:
http://www.fitmole.org/sprinters-vs-marathon-runners/
It is clearly stated that runners do not train to gain muscles. Most of runners.
So if the weight training is non-existent, one could wish to gain a transformation. A better body composition,
muscle definition and mass simply will not land on a plate! Just saying
http://www.fitmole.org/sprinters-vs-marathon-runners/
It is clearly stated that runners do not train to gain muscles. Most of runners.
So if the weight training is non-existent, one could wish to gain a transformation. A better body composition,
muscle definition and mass simply will not land on a plate! Just saying
(Luv da Lump)!! Haha...just a guy thinking out loud!
Is this what is called QUADS?
That being asked, is there anything wrong having them?
Is this a "dreadful lump"
nckfitheart2009
Cathlete
Ha ha ha got to love that lump
Aka quads sweep...I always feel it within seconds while doing narrow squat with heavy dumbbell, front squat narrow stance with my favourite toy Barbell. Love the feeling and I am pleased to see the curvy shape it creates... Oh the lumpy look ha ha ha
why shouldn't i love it
It's past midnight, I saw this message but couldn't refrain myself from replying
Aka quads sweep
...I always feel it within seconds while doing narrow squat with heavy dumbbell, front squat narrow stance with my favourite toy Barbell. Love the feeling and I am pleased to see the curvy shape it creates... Oh the lumpy look ha ha ha why shouldn't i love it
It's past midnight, I saw this message but couldn't refrain myself from replying
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