I like things about Rachel Cosgroves structure. I haven't followed this rotation, I do have the kindle version of the book and the dvd and tried the level one workouts. There was something about the flow I didn't get into, but I should give it a little more time. I do have some experience with Rachel Cosgrove workouts though, I have her older book Female Body Breakthrough and the Women's Health Big Book of Exercise which has some workouts and rotations by her. I also have New Rules of lifting and NROL for Women that uses workouts by her husband who has a similar approach. So they have influenced me a lot.
I had good leaning results when I used a Cosgrove type approach to following a phase of "Venus Index". My understanding is that VI is probably more like CLX than D2S but there are a lot of exercises in common between VI and D2S. Mu modification was:
*I used the RAMP from FBB and also foam rolling.
*I did the VI workouts with as heavy of weights as I could for the rep ranges so the last rep was hard--sometimes I had to stop *before* the last rep. VI is also kind of moderately heavy for some of the exercises like step ups with shoulder press--15 reps then the other side so you get a lot of shoulder presses in. I went heavy on the weights as much as I could. I worked up to 35 pound dumbbells in each hand for the lower body work, 35 pounds for bent over rows, about 25 pound dumbbells in each hand for much of the upper body work, and I think 20 pounds for overhead presses if the reps were not too high. I usually did just 2 sets of each exercise unless I felt I slacked then I would do 3. I needed the rests but am impatient on rests for strength so I did VI as circuits alternating muscle groups (i.e. deadlifts and bent over rows back to back then a rest before repeating the circuit). I don't recall whether D2S is this format or not--I often prefer paper workouts after I learn the exercises because I can pace it my own way. Then I added a finisher usually from the Cosgrove workouts or I used kettlebell swings as a finisher.
*I am a variety hound so I usually did VI twice a week, with a lighter weight high rep workout the third strength day. (Usually it was barre at that time). I did all the VI workouts it just took longer to finish the rotation this way. I think if I were to follow D2S I would do each workout once a week and something else for the third workout.
*I did cardio or yoga on the off days and sometimes on the on days if I had energy. (Not right after but maybe in the evening I would do cardio hours after the strength workout). I think I need more cardio. I know RC isn't big into a lot of steady state cardio, in the D2S book the rotation is 1-2 metabolic workouts a week and "active recovery or rest" on the off days (I think one "rest day"). I think she would consider some of my cardio as "active recovery" based on a comment in Female Body Breakthrough. But I would probably do moderate cardio on the active recovery days myself.
*Some of my cardio was "Metabolic workouts" either the Sparticus Workout (written version in Big Book of Exercises with light weights) or one of the Metabolic workouts from the "Build Your Own Metabolic Workout" section in Female Body Breakthrough. I usually did 1 metabolic workout a week as I actually prefer dancing as cardio.
I am curious about the rotation as it seems very well thought out, I just think I would need a little more cardio and maybe a little more variety so I would probably mix it up.
Anyway to the OP I did have leaning results with moderately heavy lifting in a similar format. The difference might be that I did the strength as circuits so my heart rate stayed elevated (maybe this also applies to D2S, I need to revisit these workouts I don't recall), I was dieting at the time, and I did some extra cardio on the off days. My inch loss was better than my weight loss though. Sorry if that was too off topic!
Last edited by slysam; 08-09-13 at 02:52 PM.
Reason: adding comment on metabolic workouts
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