The size of my hips won't budge...PLEASE HELP!!!

[ntoofitness]

I just recently discovered Cathe's workout(wishing I would have found her a lot sooner) and have been doing them for about 3 months now...I have seen lots of improvement in my body and I am very pleased, but the size of my hips just are budging!!! I don't know what I'm doing wrong...
I have lost 3 inches in my waist and lost 6lbs(I am trying to lose at the most 10 more)...I'm starting to see definition in my arms, my legs are much tighter and toned(though my inner thighs can use some more work) and butt is just FABULOUS!!! I do believe I have a fairly good diet, but I do slip on occasion and can probably fine tune it a little but overall it's good...

I would appreciate some recommendations or what I can do to see some changes in my thighs? What can I do more of? I currently have, KickMax,HSTA,Supersets,BC/ME,PowerHour...

I am strongly considering purchasing KPC/Legs & Glutes, but my pocketbook is saying NO, NO, NO!!!

Thanks in advance for any responses

 

[Lunacat]

Keep at it. The areas you need/want to slim down the most take the longest time. Kick Max Leg Condition Drills are great for shaping and flexibility. I would definitely sat get KPC/Legs & Glutes. Both are terrific workouts. If you're not liking your lower body, you should probably have a lower body only workout. GS Legs is great too. A lot of the forum members swear by freestyle training. Here's a little info on it:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/gideons11.htm

Use the search function on the Cathe forums and type in freestyle training and you will come up with tons of information about it that should answer most of your questions.

Lunacat

 

[red_mct]

Hi, there, NTO:

I am pretty new to Cathe, too. I started her workouts in earnest the first week in January. Since then, I have lost nearly 10 pounds and two dress sizes.... I should mention my diet has been really clean and I am careful to get enough protein.

For me, lower body results came as a results of Legs & Glutes and the Pyramids as well as increasing my cardio. I noticed that my hips and hip flexors really respond when I am doing a lot of the dreaded lunges. So perhaps if you don't want to spend the money (but who doesn't want to spend money on Cathe!), you can add some walking lunges to your workout routine... do a search in this forum, someone posted a very good description of how to do these recently. Otherwise I would really recommend L&G, it is an AWESOME workout (as is KPC, conveniently located on the same DVD).

Good luck!!

Marie

 

[ntoofitness]

Thanks!

 

[hippahips]

Take note of my screen name: hippahips. Welcome to the board, and welcome to my world.

I've been using Cathe's workouts for almost 2 years now. It took me about 6 months to start FEELING certain things changing in my lower body, and an additional 3 months or so before I finally saw what exactly I was feeling. It took about another year before I figured out, through trial and error, what works for me.

First off, my hips, butt, inner and outer thighs still hold the most amount of fat in my body despite all the work. The only difference is they're smaller. Watching what I put in my mouth every day is crucial. I've cut out all the whites (bread, pasta, sugar, rice) and replaced these with slow-cooking oatmeal, whole wheat bread (a slice at a time), a small baked potato with no trimmings, and lots of greens and fruits.

Second, I took note of the weights I use for lower body workouts. If I use 45 lbs. and up, my legs bulk up. So I use heavy weights twice a month only. This helps me keep the strength I gained without bulking me up even more, although I know I can go 10-15 lbs. higher. Honestly, 45 lbs. doesn't feel as challenging anymore. BUT I don't want more muscle pushing out the stubborn fat in my legs and making me look even more pear-shaped. I use Cathe's endurance leg workouts (my favorite is Leaner Legs), segments of floor work from her other leg workouts, and kickboxing -- all for shaping more than adding bulk. I use PLB more for endurance and use lower weights. I love GS-Legs because it starts with a mass-building exercise then moves on to a lot of endurance work. I work harder when doing GS-Legs and try to go higher than Cathe on the lunges and use weights instead of a band on leg presses.

Third, use Cathe's interval workouts (IMAXes) as leg workouts. The different kinds of jumps are great for strengthening the legs without weights while you're burning fat. I can't do all her jumps and for as long as she can due to knee problems, but I do what I can. Every little bit helps. I put puzzle mats in my workout area to protect my joints from the impact. I just got a rebounder and plan to do these jumps on them. I have to come up with some sort of homemade routine though, but that'll come later...

Fourth, stretch a lot. All this work on the legs can shorten your muscles. I'm making it a point to do more yoga. That's my fitness resolution this year.

Last, give yourself a break. Don't feel so bad if the hips don't budge and you're starting to think about taking hammer and chisel to them. Hey... I have.}( These things are genetic. We do the best we can and take what we can get.

And yes, there are ladies in this forum who work their legs everyday. I'm not one of them. My knees aren't up to such a program. But I hear a lot of success stories from those who do this kind of training.

Pinky