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 Women's Discussion Board
 Training Question??
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| Author | Topic: Training Question?? | ||
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Cool Novice 
Posts: 17 |
I started working out about 16 weeks ago. I have made great gains but my legs seem to be lagging in comparison to my upper body. So I started to workout my legs twice a week about 9 weeks ago. Although almost all of the cellulite is gone except for a couple of dimples under my glutes and my legs have gotten hard; I have no definition and the glute area is still not hard. A Pro BB friend said that I should workout my legs three times a week instead and add cardio after the leg workout. Prefareably stair master. I started the new leg workout last week. My legs had been somewhat sore all the time doing twice a week, but could still complete the workout and add more weight to it. I did legs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but on Friday I could not do all the sets and/or weights that I do as I was too sore and exhausted. I rested Saturday & Sunday and when Monday rolled around had to do legs again which I did but was still very sore. Same on Wednesday, here we are on Friday and I have to do legs again today. My question is this: Is being sore all the time OK or am I overtraining the muscle? Should I be sore when working out or should I let the muscle recover before working it out again? I know I haven't pulled anything because I don't feel pain. It is just very sore. Your help is appreciated. ------------------     | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder 
Posts: 331 |
I suppose I could be all wet here, but breaking down tissue that has not had adequate time to repair ...by my understanding....is a waste of time. ..the definition of overtraining. Depending on your goals (toning, mass, etc.) working any body part 3(+) times a week may or may not be appropriate. For someone looking for lean, tone, endurance it works fine, but you'll find that this person is not pushing at the same intensity (ie, they might be working at 40% of their 1RM for 20 reps). Regardless, I don't believe that you should be working sore muscles especially if they hurt to the point of inhibiting your routine. And too, this is supposed to be fun. ------------------ | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder 
Posts: 998 |
Do you think though JL that training legs twice a week is advisable? Particularly if thats where I carry fat (like most females). ------------------ | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 331 |
Okay, first things first: you can't spot reduce by any means other than lipo. (I know you know that) Second, if you don't go after that fat properly (ie, with patience) than I guarantee you it will come off after ..AND ONLY AFTER you have exhausted the more attractive fat sources located in your face, breasts and so on including alarming percentages of muscle tissue. Now that said, if you are working out with the intent to build strength/ increase lean mass/ or otherwise alter the ratio of lean mass to bodyfat, then I'm hoping that you're working out (to be sore the next day or two) so that the additional lean tissue automagically increases your metabolism (well that and a million other reasons). If that is the case, then under few circumstances would I recommend that a person workout sore muscles. I'm not an expert Sky: I'm still trying to master my own body and I have some very unfavorable genetics for this sport. (Uncle sam coulda made parachutes from my great aunt mona's underwear during the second world war!) Regardless, I've learned quite a lot over the last few years. I can say that since coming to this board, I've lost 1"-1.5" in my hips while maintaining a c-cup. What I would recommend is approaching 'sessions of metabolic elevation' in a way similar to a bodybuilders eating habits. Do your heavy stuff once a week: then do multiple moderate cardios in between. We're talking 30 minutes 1-2X per day for maybe a total of 5 hours per week of various activities. Don't always do the stair master, or the exercise bike. Keep your body guessing. How long has it been since you've gone to the local roller skating rink. I guarantee you it's a lot harder than you remember ------------------ | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 998 |
Thanks JL - my program consists of your suggestions...its laid out pretty much that way and I have been seeing results. Just wondered if working legs more would produce more result. It does take a hell of a lot of patience (hence my signature) yet the ol' hips and thighs are shrinking - jeez and growing at the same time if that makes any sense. I'm concentrating on growing right now, that seems to be where my body wants to go. The more I focus on that, the more the fat seems to run away. Thanks again. ------------------ | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 56 |
Ok, now this may ruffle a few feathers, and have people out to whip my ass, but theres a little something that needs to be brought up, and it has to do with spot reduction... ok, I'll concede that in the most technical sense of the term, spot reduction doesnt work, since working a muscle doesnt cause the fat stores closest to it to be utilized. This led me to wonder, why did so many top level pros of old believe in spot reduction? AND seem to get results? Well, that led me to do a little research and come to a couple of possibilities... Ok, by its very structure, fat is a last resort energy source. That sucks, but its true, its 9 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 for protien and carbs (3 for glycerin, but whatever). So our lazy ass bodies dont want to use fat as an energy source. Not just because its more calorically dense, but because it is a bitch to metabolize into a useable form... Heres where "spot reduction" comes in. By working the area in question, it raises the temperature of the muscle in turn raising the temperature of the fat in the area. This COULD (and may actually do, to a slight degree) cause the fat to oxidize to a tiny degree and be more apt to turn to fatty acid. As a fatty acid it id taken up by the blood stream and utilized as an energy source... I believe this concept is backed up by the "compression belt". After you take water loss into account, you have intense heat in the area, which may do exactly what Ive just said! Ive tested the theory on my slef a while ago, and could not only see a change due to loss of water in the general area, but the little fat in the area became... softer is the best explaination. As if the fat itself was oxidizing. Now this also goes back to the old machines from way back, where they would wrap that belt around you and the machine would vibrate and shake and jiggle you (hey, Im not THAT old, I know someone remebers what Im talking about). People actaully got some results from those (other than whiplash and a sore back). Mabye the however negligible results were in actuality the heat and vibration in the area causeing localized fat store oxidation??? Hmmmmm???? I dont know, this seemed interesting 5 minutes ago... now Im just hungry and tired... and what the hell do I know anyway... | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 331 |
My mother had one of those belts in the basement and us kids had a blast with it. Regardless, I would argue that any suspected results anyone gained from them would have come from the other activities that came in conjunction. ...ie, change in diet etc. If your theories were true, then I should be able to put a heating pad (or rubber shorts)around my problem areas and watch the fat melt away ?? In truth, I would suspect that all anyone (except for us kids) ever got out of the vibrating belt was stretched skin. You forgot the slimgym, and the sweat tanks they used to put people in. *giggle* ------------------ | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 56 |
Haha! Yeah, inversion boots! There have been some doozies!!!
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 89 |
And where, oh where, is my plastic work-out suit? How about diet? Where does this play in? Has to be somewhere... You are what you eat? I'm about ready to be a banana split!!!! I seem to have the same problem with the lower body. Upper is a breeze... Someone.. MS maybe, what's the deal on cutting those legs??? | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 56 |
Ok, here I go again with a little more evidence to back up my latest zanny theory... Why do we take E/C/A??? To increase body temperature to mobilize fat stores into fatty acids that the body can use! My spot pecific theory was that increased heat in the area caused whatever kind of results people think they saw... increased heat that would do the above mentioned...
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 826 |
An interesting theory Monster. I think there is some local mobilization of fat that can occur, but it is very minimal. You will not (as all you guys know) get rid of those love handles just by doing lots of crunches. I will not train my legs if they are still sore from my last workout. I think it would be silly if you're looking to gain muscle. No one can tell you how often to train legs. It depends on your intensity and recovery ability. For me sometimes once every 7 days is too often! But there is some evidence that training legs raises your metabolism higher and for longer than any other body part (as well as GH, IGF, etc...) so several lower intensity sessions per week MAY be better from a fatloss point of view. Losing the fat on thighs and butt takes enormous patience/perserverance for a woman. And how 'cut' you get is also partly under genetic control. But the bottom line is diet and cardio, along with enough resistance training to maintain your muscles. No real quick or easy cures (maybe lipo). There are drugs that will help you maintain muscle, or burn more fat in a general way, but the fatburners (with the possible exception of yohimbine) don't really touch estrogen sensitive fat stores until ALL other fat has been burned off your body. In other words, even modern pharmacology hasn't found a way to spot reduce female fat. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 56 |
What about those cellulite creams? They MUST work! They advertise them on TV dont they?  Yeah, lipo is the only answer for some people, and I say great! Id get plastic surgery done if I had the money and they came out with some kind of de-uglying package deal ------------------ | ||
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Cool Novice
Posts: 17 |
I want to thank you all for your input. I started a fat loss diet given to me by Hardtail about 3 weeks ago and am very encouraged by the results so far. Bodyfat has gone down 2% and have not lost any weight therefore I have increased my lean body mass. I will lay off the legs until I am not sore anymore and will adjust my workout to my leg recoup time. Monster's theory may hold some water as I do feel the fat around the inner and outer thighs softer not as thick as before. Maybe its a combo of the diet and the spot targeting. Thank you all again. ------------------ | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 874 |
Legs once a week. Hit them hard when you do workout. Too bad a proBB can't give good advice. |
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posted September 15, 2000 03:04 PM
Go to the local municipal pool and go laps for 30 and I promiss you'll be gasping for air.