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- Thread starter Debinmi
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Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
I absolutely love contrast training - it is my favourite way to train the lower body. I personally do it no more than once per week and then after 4-6 weeks I switch to another style of lower body training (heavy weights, barre, mat, pyramid, etc.). The Cardio Legs routine in XTrain is also a great contrast training program.
The benefits I see are increased cardiovascular fitness while at the same time lifting fairly heavy. So lots of calorie burn without losing muscle mass. I just did STS Disk 26 last night - whoa! Super tough! The heart is pounding (hiit type benefits), the pylo moves help me build bone density (I have low bone mass so I love that benefit), it is time efficient (Cathe just gives about 30 seconds rest between rounds), there is so much variety within the workout there is no boredom (only one set of each move) and I feel as if I am working toward stronger yet leaner lower body musculature.
Great idea to do the squat rack option while doing Meso 3 and then the Plyo option the following month.
Good luck Debinmi!
The benefits I see are increased cardiovascular fitness while at the same time lifting fairly heavy. So lots of calorie burn without losing muscle mass. I just did STS Disk 26 last night - whoa! Super tough! The heart is pounding (hiit type benefits), the pylo moves help me build bone density (I have low bone mass so I love that benefit), it is time efficient (Cathe just gives about 30 seconds rest between rounds), there is so much variety within the workout there is no boredom (only one set of each move) and I feel as if I am working toward stronger yet leaner lower body musculature.
Great idea to do the squat rack option while doing Meso 3 and then the Plyo option the following month.
Good luck Debinmi!
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
YES! Thanks for the reminders of these other great contrast workouts for the lower body, Debinmi! Counting the STS Meso 3 workouts and XTrain's Cardio Legs, that gives us 9 choices for a contrast training program! Cathe provides so many options - we will never get bored and we will always be challenged! 
RWH Legs is the gold standard - it technically uses the intended structure - doing a weighted move followed by a cardio move that mimics what was just done with weights so that the same muscle fibres are activated. For example, squats followed by pop squats, or plies followed by plie jacks. Cathe says it "activates additional high threshold muscle fibres". In the intro to the RWH Legs workout Cathe gives a good explanation of the benefits of this type of training.
I am going to take your advice and ensure one of these workouts are in my next rotation once per week. I am planning on doing Cathe's new Rock Bottom Rotation and it has one of the workouts you mentioned in 3 of the 4 weeks. It has RWH Legs in week 1 and Lower Body Blast in weeks 3 and 4. I think I will switch out Perfect Pump Lower Body for RWH Circuit Leg Blast in week 2 and I will be good to go! Thanks for the motivation!
RWH Legs is the gold standard - it technically uses the intended structure - doing a weighted move followed by a cardio move that mimics what was just done with weights so that the same muscle fibres are activated. For example, squats followed by pop squats, or plies followed by plie jacks. Cathe says it "activates additional high threshold muscle fibres". In the intro to the RWH Legs workout Cathe gives a good explanation of the benefits of this type of training.
I am going to take your advice and ensure one of these workouts are in my next rotation once per week. I am planning on doing Cathe's new Rock Bottom Rotation and it has one of the workouts you mentioned in 3 of the 4 weeks. It has RWH Legs in week 1 and Lower Body Blast in weeks 3 and 4. I think I will switch out Perfect Pump Lower Body for RWH Circuit Leg Blast in week 2 and I will be good to go! Thanks for the motivation!
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
Debinmi, what does the 'KB' stand for in #6 ?
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
Yeah, from my viewpoint, it's an aggressive cardio and lower body rotation (if those workouts all occur in one actual week. )
I'd need a steady state cardio, a yoga/mobility or rest day thrown in amongst what you mention. However, I like to vary the intensity within the week and realize that may not be your preference.
I love the idea behind what you are thinking about doing
I'd need a steady state cardio, a yoga/mobility or rest day thrown in amongst what you mention. However, I like to vary the intensity within the week and realize that may not be your preference.
I love the idea behind what you are thinking about doing
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
Debinmi
Is there a good online article you can point out to me so I can understand what qualifies for contrast training a little better? (Trying not to hijack your thread with a bunch of questions )
Is there a good online article you can point out to me so I can understand what qualifies for contrast training a little better? (Trying not to hijack your thread with a bunch of questions
)
Lady Vol Fan
Cathlete
That's a brilliant idea... to mimic the flow of the Xtrain rotation! Love it!! Honestly, I enjoy playing around with rotations and it's so cool when I read about other folks working through possibilities because I always get great ideas.
I also love to challenge myself, too, but I'm no STS graduate. So clearly my challenges have lower limits
Ok I guess I have never paid attention to those Cathe posts hah!
I will have to give those a true read. Thank you for helping me learn something new!
I also love to challenge myself, too, but I'm no STS graduate. So clearly my challenges have lower limits
Ok I guess I have never paid attention to those Cathe posts hah!
I will have to give those a true read. Thank you for helping me learn something new!
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
Loved reading your posts Linda/Lady Vol Fan and Debinmi! Thank you! Great to read those blog posts of Cathe's and get myself motivated to fit in power moves into my rotations!
And I LOVED the weekly rotation you designed Debinmi. On a week when I really want to focus on lower body it is perfectly laid out - between kickboxing, a leg workout and a contrast workout there's lots of leg action! When I finish STS I will do your rotation for a couple of weeks for sure. I too do more cardio outdoors once the weather improves in May and June and I teach 3 fitness classes per week, so I can't always follow a rotation to a T. But I love planning ahead and thinking of all the options and what would best help me work toward my goals safely and effectively. Thanks again!
I agree with what you said about STS, Debinmi. I feel anyone at an intermediate level with the time can do STS - just use manageable level weights. And I too find that I need the time between sets to change out my weights, drink water (lots!), and stretch, so the various rest periods work out for me. Sometimes I have to rewind as I need a few more seconds.
And I LOVED the weekly rotation you designed Debinmi.
On a week when I really want to focus on lower body it is perfectly laid out - between kickboxing, a leg workout and a contrast workout there's lots of leg action! When I finish STS I will do your rotation for a couple of weeks for sure. I too do more cardio outdoors once the weather improves in May and June and I teach 3 fitness classes per week, so I can't always follow a rotation to a T. But I love planning ahead and thinking of all the options and what would best help me work toward my goals safely and effectively. Thanks again!I agree with what you said about STS, Debinmi. I feel anyone at an intermediate level with the time can do STS - just use manageable level weights. And I too find that I need the time between sets to change out my weights, drink water (lots!), and stretch, so the various rest periods work out for me. Sometimes I have to rewind as I need a few more seconds.
mrsmel
Cathlete
I love contrast training for legs, too. I used the workout blender to make a hybrid of RWH Lift it Hit it Legs and ICE Chiseled Lower Body Blast since RWH by itself is more than I want to do these days. I was doing it the other day and realized I could make another version using Lower Body Pump and the cardio work outs from Perfect 30. Huzzah! I haven't tried this one yet, but I think it will be fun. Happy training, everyone! ;-)