Weird workout phenomenon

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I was working with Pure Strength for about 4 months. I made good progress in the very beginning, but wasn't seeing much improvement after that. I was generally doing each of the 3 workouts 1-2x per week. One week I experimented by doing the lunge section every other day, and was happy with the progress. I realized then that training each muscle group only once or twice per week does not seem to be enough for me to keep moving forward. Realizing I would have to quit my job to fit in PS 3x per week, I got completely discouraged and stopped doing anything for about 2 weeks. I'm also discouraged because I recently gained weight, I think as an indirect result of a medication change. :-tired

Today I decided that I had to try to take control of the situation. I decided to forget about PS and today I got out Power Hour. I was thinking that I can do Power Hour 3x per week and maybe I can start to make some progress again.

As I suspected, it took me over 2 hours today to complete all of the exercises in Power Hour. I lost some significant ground by taking time off. I'm thinking that what I should do is perhaps break PH up into 2 workouts on the weekdays. Maybe I can eventually work up to doing PH all the way through 3 days per week.

Do any more experienced exercisers have any better ideas for me so that I can make progress and not get discouraged without turning working out into a part-time job?

Thanks folks!

-Nancy :-tired
 
What is your fitness goal? By "making progress," what do you mean? Is your goal increased strength? Definition? To lose weight? If you could clue us in on what specifically you're trying to accomplish, we could help in a more detailed way. I KNOW it's tough when medication makes you gain weight. Could you maybe have your doc switch your meds to something not as likely to cause a weight gain?

Thanks!

Just Do It! :)
 
Nancy,

I do think of working out as a part-time job. For me it has to be. It doesn't take 20 hours a week but that same type of commitment. I don't lose weight easily & enjoy food (not eating but food!) way too much!

The only words of encouragement I can offer you is that I just finished a 4 week rotation of S&H & haven't done Power Hour more than twice in the last 6 months. When I popped it in the other day as a shake up in my week this week I could barely get through it. It took me an hour & a half. I don't think your experience is to uncommon, really. And if I'm wrong then we are both in trouble!!

I know I wasn't much help but wanted to give you some hope.

Deborah

I'm ready to take the next step! http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/a_smil09.gif
 
Hi Nancy,
Have to agree with Gettingfit here about working out as a part time job! some of us just have to do it, case closed.
but to get more specific regarding your dilemma, it sounds to me like you need to mix things up a bit. Try PH upper + a cardio one day of the week, then PH lower + a cardio workout on another day of the week, then do MIS (whole thing) on another day of the week (or split it up as with PH, to give you 4 days of strength training a week, 2 upper and 2 lower). And don't froget your cardio-try 4 a week?

I think different things work for different people. I have PS, and love it too, but I'm just not a 3-day split kind of gal. I am a full body or a 2-day split type of gal; that is what I am most comfortable with (although I love to mix things up once in awhile and do a three-day split, PS or S+H, when I need that jolt). You can't keep doing the same old thing and expect to keep getting results, unfortunately. You gotta mix it up. If cash is an issue, and you don't have access to many Cathe tapes, you can often find them for sale used, or trade, used, on many fitness forums, such as videofitness, fitprime, or the firm ya yas. You can beef up your Cathe collection this way, cheaper (or free if you trade), and save the moolah for the new Intensity Series!

Also, maybe you want to try a rotation. There are many different ones you can try, for fun and variety. You can check some of them out at http://pub109.ezboard.com/ffirmbeliversfrm7. This is the firm Ya Yas site, and has a mix of Firm/Cathe rotations. There are other rotations that are specifically Cathe, but I can't find the link to those at the moment, sorry. Maybe do a search on this forum for rotations, and you can get an idea.

Best of luck to you, and keep working out! Remember how great you feel after. And your fitness will improve if you keep it up and contiue to shake it up!
Kathy
 
Thanks guys,

There is nothing I would love better in the world than to cut back on the time I spend working and devote more time to working out. When I'm relaxed there is nothing I enjoy more. But that is not the reality of my life.

Money is not an issue, but time definitely IS. My other issue is SPACE. I do not own a step!! (see profile) Therefore, I do not own any step videos (except BodyMax, which came on the PH DVD). I want things super simple so I don't have to think about them too much. Let's say I get the whole intensity series. How should I use them? I want what so many others want: to build my strength, endurance and definition and to do enough cardio to stay healthy without getting bored. I also have about 5 lbs. to lose.

The work I was doing with PS was no doubt great for my health, but the other thing I've noticed is that I need to SEE results to stay motivated. It doesn't matter what the results are. Maybe lasting a little longer or using a heavier weight, or just finishing all the exercises in a shorter period. Using PS once or twice a week I had almost no further results and couldn't sustain my interest. Does this mean I'm an ectomorph? Thanks!

BTW, Deb, any LSAT results yet??
-Nancy
 
Nancy,

Please reconsider getting a step. It slides right under the couch. Really, I got mine only after I committed to never having one. A short series of mishaps just persuaded me to get one.

When your cardio capacity is optimal, it enables you to put more "heart" into strength work, thereby maximizing muscular gains per hour spent weight training. The only way to increase cardio performance is to have cardio optins that you'll DO (step right in the living room, & don't be afraid of choreography!) The step also further muffles sound by absorbing shock, a plus for your downstairs neighbors.

Just a suggestion!

-Connie
 
Well, I don't have any suggestions for keeping working out from becoming a part-time job, but I have a way of rationalizing the amount of time we DO spend working out. I always think about how much more I can do now, how much longer and harder I can work compared to 99 pounds (and no muscle) ago, and I realize that an hour or two a day is actually less time than I was "wasting" by being exhausted all the time. :)
 
Connie-

I think you're right. I haven't done a step workout in decades, but I used to love them. I'll ruthlessly go through my apt. and throw stuff out to make lots of room. I'll buy the black and gray version of the traditional step. And, eventually, if it works out, I'll give up my gym membership and save a LOAD of $.

Oh boy, now I'm starting to get excited..... Thanks!!

-Nancy
 
Hey Nancy,

Thanks for asking about the LSAT--I get my results on the 4th. They have a call in service. I'll post on the General discussion board immediately after making that phone call. I'm overwhelmed with the support I've gotten from my friends here!

As long as I'm here, let me clarify what I mean by "making workingout a part-time job." I mean that I look at it as something I have to find the time to do. It is very high priority for me. Let me give you another example. I've been encouraging a friend to workout & have told her to keep a journal of everything she does in a day; like a food journal. She should write down what she does from the time she gets up in the AM to the time she goes to bed in the PM. Write down the time it takes to do whatever she is doing. At the end of the week, evaluate what can be postponed to a rest day or what can be cut down or even eliminated from her day completely. I compared working out daily devotion to Bible reading for her. This is something she would never miss. Working out is something we should commit to in the same manner. If there is a day that we know we can't squeeze in a workout because of commitments to other important things (like Christmas Day) promise 15 minutes of time for a walk or even just the first 15 minutes of a cardio tape. Instead of plopping down in front of the TV, pop in a tape.

Just some food for thought in making fitness a priority.

Deborah

I'm ready to take the next step! http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/a_smil09.gif
 
Workout either really early or really late. I was always a late night exerciser because that was the only time available, kept hearing about this strange breed of people who woke up at 5:30 am to exercise but I was from a different tribe. Anyway when I started reading BFL it suggested AM workouts and sure enough you do stick to a rotation more if you do it very early. Guess because it gets it out of the way? Plus there's something totally EVUL about doing PH or LL at 5 AM. Cardio that early also makes the day ahead seem easier. Plus get it done in an hour, decrease the weights till you're strong enough to handle them and keep up with the time otherwise lighten up and finish on time. Bill Phillips wrote that the goal isn't to work out all day. That made sense to me. Apparently working out longer just makes recovery harder and it raises cortisol levels and stress. I'm looking into reading up on Schwarzbein Principle too because she was also talking about the effects of too much cardio on our hormones. Apparently we get used to the high endorphin levels and then need to work out to get that feeling so some people work out just to feel ok.
 
I could be not an issue of how often you work out, but HOW you work out. By that I mean, do you REALLY pay attention to your form? Do you concentrate on the movements - like really squeezing the muscles being worked for each exercise?

If you say you belong to a gym, could I suggest that you get one of their trainers to critique your form?

Just Do It! :)
 
Hi Nancy!
I know what you mean about ruthlessly throwing things out! My house is very, very small, and now I need to get rid of a couch and love seat. They are taking up too much space! Good luck with your rearranging!
 
??? to R_Lam

Ya know I work out especially step and yoga because it does give me endorphins and those help me soooo much in my life. They enhance my self esteem, keep me from feeling overwhelmed and defeated, and gives me new energy.

I've been highly critized for working out 6 days a week and enjoying the endorphins I get from it by a couple of friends I have. They really feel I should stop. Well, I'm not gonna, I do a Cathe cardio video 3 days and a Power Yoga video 3 days. It helps, makes me feel better, live better, cope better and I think I need it!!!

SO, my question to R-Lam why on earth does the person who wrote the Schwarbestzn (sp? sorry) Principal feel it's bad to get used to getting endorphins? I have a couple of friends who hassle me about it and I'm really curious about the problem with it.
 
Mix up your Workout

Someone else already said it. I would try mixing up your workout routine. It sounds like your body has become very accustomed to your current routine as evidenced by the shock of Power Hour. I know there are lots of theories about how often you should change. I usually change it every 3 weeks. I also need to do this because of the boredom factor. 2-3 hours a day of exercise is not practical for me either and I've seen some good results with about 1 hr to 1.25 hours per day 5-6x per week. There's also the diet factor which I struggle with the most but it sure can make a difference.
 
Nancy, some questions and suggestions...

... from a retired attorney also in my mid-to-late 40's :). (Been there, done that, understand TOTALLY the lifestyle and stress levels and the perimenopausal hormonal junk!)

First, a couple of comments. Re: having more success with building strength -- I totally agree with everyone else that you really should try mixing it up a bit. PH is an endurance-oriented video while PS is oriented to building mass, so it's not surprising to me that even though you've had progress with PS you'd find PH daunting. I'll bet you're really pretty strong but have a bit of a "black hole" in the endurance arena since you've been concentrating for a long time on mass-building. The only cure for that is more endurance work.

Re: weight loss -- ah, the perpetual quest, and one that being in your mid-40's turns into some kind of cosmic joke. Yuck! You know there's no magic elixir, but some folks here have found great success at weight loss by adding more cardio; others swear by less cardio and more heavy lifting. You will need to give yourself a little time to experiment with what works for you and feels good, too. To that end, I have a couple of questions for ya.

Are you sure you're eating well to support what sounds like an ambitious career/lifestyle AND an ambitious training & lifting program? You might need a little more protein than you think, or other nutrients. And it is true, though sad for me :), that you do have to eat clean -- lots of good, unprocessed food, fruits, veggies, dark leafy greens, chicken, fish, etc. I try to think of it as hi-octane gasoline. I wouldn't feed my minivan the gasoline equivalent of what I put into my own mouth occasionally -- and that's a horrifying thought, isn't it?

Are you getting enough rest (I know, with your job the answer's bound to be no :)) and enough water?

Any chance that you've been overtraining? I ask because you say that you felt the need to do more than your program of PS twice a week -- but that's strenuous lifting, and it really seems to be the rare person who doesn't see good results from a program of each part 2x a week. As a matter of fact, most folks here seem to report having GREAT strength and definition results from that program -- the exception being legs which seem to need a lot of careful individualized attention. (Honeybunch is a good example there -- she has chronicled her quest for the perfect leg program for us, and after a lot of experimentation she found that she needed more leg work than the "average" poster but less than she'd thought -- she overtrained for a while and then cut back to a set of carefully selected leg exercises that work just for her.)

Last, one suggestion -- for crosstraining and a TON of fun, I recommend that you get Cathe's CardioKicks -- if you have a DVD player, get the DVD with CardioKicks and CircuitMax, and you can start with the four non-step circuits in CircuitMax (you can do the kickbox circuits with no step pretty easily), then when you get a step you can add that in, too. I find that CircuitMax and IMAX really blast me past plateaus, especially mental plateaus. And both are a whole lot of fun. Painful, yes, but you just feel SO great afterwards!

Good luck -- keep us posted!

http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
 
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