Where'd my strength go?

[dutchgirl]

Actually, the better question is where did my muscle endurance go? I did the August rotation and that focused more on separating the body parts (i.e. Leaner Legs, CTX Upper Body) and ended with a week of Slow and Heavy. I am now onto the September rotation and today I did Muscle Endurance as a substitute for Power Hour. While I feel like I could lift the weight (it didn't feel heavy or uncomfortable) my endurance was shot!!!!!! I died on the low end static lunges and had to go down to 5 pound dumbells on the bicep segment.!!!!! Anyone have any idea on why I feel like I can lift the same or heavier but the muscle endurance is less than before?

Sabine

 

[clareMc]

Sabine:

I don't know what to tell you except that the same thing happened to me after a 3 week S&H rotation. I had lost all endurance for every muscle in my body!!!!!! I flipped completely and didn't exercise for weeks because I was strong but couldn't use my muscles for anything!!!! Actually, I now think I may have overtrained also during the SLow & H weeks, but that's another story.

So, you are not alone, if that helps any?!?!?!!?

Clare

 

[wutherhi]

It's happened to me, too. I've never been as strong in endurance-type activities, anyway, and I lose it fast, especially, it seems, when I'm losing weight or go more than a few days without at least a maintenance routine.

I'm certainly no expert, but I've heard that pure strength gains last far longer than endurance gains. I don't know why. I wonder if, when we do a S&H rotation, we should toss in a PH or ME once a week or so just to keep the endurance up. Experts, whatcha think????

Shari

 

[PennyLaney]

I'm no expert!

Hi all,

I'm no expert, but I experienced exactly the same thing when S&H was first released. I couldn't finish Power Hour, and was very upset about it.

I haven't done a pure S&H rotation since then. I have either rotated an S&H week with an endurance week, or thrown an endurance workout into every week of a straight S&H rotation. I am 44, and lose endurance much quicker than I lose strength.

My "expert" opinion is that endurance is more necessary for every day activities than pure strength, so it is important to keep it up.

PennyLaney

 

[cathe4me2]

RE: I'm no expert!

Glad to know I haven't gone 'completely' loco banana. LOL I too have to do more endurance workouts. In my quest for bigger muscles,I tried a whole month of S&H when it first came out. I still threw in step tapes but I lost endurance even with Power Hour thrown in the mix every two weeks.
I had little endurance to start with and to get down to zero is not a good feeling. UGH!
With the Intesity Series, BootCamp is a great endurance tape for me. Especially in getting all the oxygen circulated. LOL. In looking at my workout log, I see I now do far more endurance tapes and do S&H once a month.
My problem is the biceps. I find it difficult to go at the speed Cathe does in BodyMax and Muscle Endurance. Ah...someday...I hope I can.
This has been an interesting observation.

 

[Gibbee]

I've tried adding an endurance workout before and...

I've tried adding an endurance workout before and... I ended up WAY past exhausted and over-trained. I would think that if you throw in an endurance workout the same week as S&H, you might want to only do two sets of S&H during those workouts to help prevent over-training. Anyone else's thoughts?

 

[kathryn]

I've also found that endurance goes more quickly than strength. If I pick up a strength routine after not doing one for a while, I don't have as much problems keeping up as when I lay off the endurance for a while and try to get back into it. I think it's a good idea to mix slow and heavy with one endurance workout/week. Or maybe alternate one week of S&H and one week of endurance.

 

[dutchgirl]

Thanks everyone!

It was very reassuring to hear that others have experienced what I did. Yesterday after Muscle Endurance a part of me felt like such a failure because I couldn't do it as well as I had before. And yet because of my August rotation I was feeling stronger than ever. I'm glad to know that I am not losing my mind completely. I appreciate everyone's suggestions to be sure to include endurance workouts even if the rotation calls for something else. I think that in order to keep up endurance capacity it is a necessity.

Thanks for the solidarity!
Sabine