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Old 08-09-13, 10:42 AM  
yahoo205
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Rachel Cosgrove Drop Two Sizes Results and weights?

I'm almost done with phase 1 and so far am stronger but not leaner (should clean up my diet). Actually, I'm a little bulkier. Anyone have any results?

Also what weights are people using? I'm squatting and lunging with 35 pounds now. Still haven't been able to go much higher than 15 pounds for the single overhead press.

I love that her workouts are designed as below. I think it's the best designed strength work and hope she comes out with something even more advanced. I do get a little bored with the third set sometimes.


FROM RACHEL COSGROVE:

At Results Fitness our average client works out 2-3 times a week for an hour at a time and we get all of the above done.

WARM UP
Start with a 10 minute dynamic warm up improving range of motion and flexibility. Walking on the treadmill to warm up is a waste of time because you are only moving in one plane of motion usually walking slower than you walked into the gym. Instead use stretches, foam rolling and dynamic movements in all three planes of motions to get your body ready for your workout while also improving your range of motion and flexibility.

POWER
Spend 10 minutes developing power, which should be a priority in every 21st century fitness routine. The research has shown that the ability to generate power is one of the first things we lose as we age. We have to train power as part of our fitness routine.

CORE STABILITY
Spend 10 minutes doing core stability exercises. The research has shown that crunches are not the most beneficial when it comes to strengthening your core and may even be detrimental. Instead strengthen your core doing stability exercises such as planks along with rotational exercises such as Chops as part of your fitness routine.

STRENGTH
Spend 25-30 minutes performing a full body strength training routine using compound movements and short rest periods to also put a demand on your cardiovascular system building your endurance along with your strength.

FINISHER
At the very end finish with 3-5 minutes of a cardiovascular demanding "finisher" getting your heart rate up and your metabolism boosted. This might be jump rope, body weight jump squats, mountain climbers or squat thrusts as some examples.
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Old 08-09-13, 11:00 AM  
twinkletoes
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
I just finished week 2 of phase 2 and I'm definitely seeing results (I've also cleaned up my eating and joined My Fitness Pal). I wasn't expecting to see much so I didn't record my weight or measurements when I started but I can definitely tell clothes are fitting better and people have asked me if I'm losing weight.

I use 20 or 25 for squats and 12 or 15 for overhead presses, 20 for rows. I sometimes increase the weights for the last round of each exercise.
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Old 08-09-13, 11:30 AM  
momofcha
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Illinois
I'm an anomale, no results to speak of with this program. I really had hoped to drop a size as that was my goal. But nope.

I did just go back to CLX and I didn't lose any of my strength so there's that. I missed my defined shoulders and biceps. I like that look.

I was bored doing 3 sets of the same move, but once I got to phase 3, I did enjoy those moves a bit more.

I really liked the premise of this program, but it just didn't work for me.
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Old 08-09-13, 11:33 AM  
MKEMom
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Milwaukee, WI
I'm just finishing up the second week of Phase One. I'm using 20's for everything but the overhead press, where I use 15's or 12's. Next week I'm going to try 25's for some of the lower body work.

I'm only on the second week, so not too many results to speak of so far. I have noticed my waist seems slimmer and some of my pants feel a little better. I tried following her menu plan in the book and didn't like it. Way too few calories for me. On the off days I do step or walking.

I also really enjoy the structure of the workouts and feel fantastic when they're done. I especially like that core work is done first. I tend to be one who skips core work when it's at the end of a workout.
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Old 08-09-13, 12:43 PM  
GeekyGirl
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW area
Tomorrow I will finish week 2 of phase 1, and I swear I look a little slimmer through the waist and hips, and my clothes fit just a little better. II started off with lighter weights and have been increasing them every or every other workout, depending on the exercise. I'm going to have to buy heavier dumbbells very soon because right now the heaviest I have is a single 20 pounder, and I pulled out my 15's for deadlifts this morning.

Edited to add that I like the structure of the workouts and I like Rachel. Now that I've got the moves down I've been playing my own music, using the vocals only option on the DVD for the company. lol
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Old 08-09-13, 12:53 PM  
Sue B
VF Supporter
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Maryland
I usually start off with a 20-pound kettlebell for single OH presses, but I might drop to 15 pounds for the third set. For split squats or lunges, I usually hold the 20-pounder to my chest. I don't like to go too heavy on the split squats or lunges because they bother my knees.

I'm on week 7, phase 2 and really pleased with the fat loss I've gotten so far. I'm following the diet (except for the supplements). Cleaning up eating really is key.
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Old 08-09-13, 01:31 PM  
ellaenchanted
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
I'm on phase 2. I like the set but no noticeable results so far.


My quibbles (though I really do like the set!):

Arms are a bit neglected. I have lost some bicep definition. Also wouldn't mind if back and chest were worked a little more with a wider variety of exercises.

I use 20s for almost everything except overhead press (15). I think this is a medium weight, medium rep approach. I mean in phase 2, she has you doing 10 offset squats/suitcase deadlifts on each side per set. That's 60 squats at a moderate pace - not heavy lifting.

Also, I add in extra cardio because there just isn't enough in the rotation for me. I definitely do not burn sufficient calories w/ just these. Of course, you could just be extra careful w/ your eating instead.

Rachel's counts are off compared to the counter/timer. Not a big deal for me but I know that really bugs some people.

Inefficient time-wise. I think you get more done in CLX and JNL Fusion in less time. And that is without the warmup which tacks on an extra 10 or so minutes.

Also, I like that Rachel is chatty but I wish she would use the rest time to introduce the next exercise rather than blather on until the last 15 seconds so there is more set up time if needed.
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Old 08-09-13, 02:49 PM  
slysam
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
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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Old 08-09-13, 03:02 PM  
slysam
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Quote:
Originally Posted by yahoo205 View Post
FROM RACHEL COSGROVE:

At Results Fitness our average client works out 2-3 times a week for an hour at a time and we get all of the above done....

POWER
Spend 10 minutes developing power, which should be a priority in every 21st century fitness routine. The research has shown that the ability to generate power is one of the first things we lose as we age. We have to train power as part of our fitness routine.
What I was doing may have lacked the "power" portion. I am not clear on that so not a perfect comparison.

Um... This rotation as described in the book anyway is more frequent exercise than the "average results member" though. She suggests the strength three times a week (I think her demonstrations use kind of light weights--I know she can go heavier even with this rep range and suspect many of her clients do too.) And in addition, the phase 1 rotation in the book suggests 1 metabolic workout and 2 or 3 active recovery days. It suggests walking, hiking or "an activity you enjoy", nothing too taxing on those days. If you are not already maybe the metabolic workouts and active recovery would help. The diet aspect is kind of a big factor though, even though we can't discuss it much here.
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Old 08-09-13, 03:17 PM  
ellaenchanted
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by slysam View Post
What I was doing may have lacked the "power" portion. I am not clear on that so not a perfect comparison.

Um... This rotation as described in the book anyway is more frequent exercise than the "average results member" though. She suggests the strength three times a week (I think her demonstrations use kind of light weights--I know she can go heavier even with this rep range and suspect many of her clients do too.) And in addition, the phase 1 rotation in the book suggests 1 metabolic workout and 2 or 3 active recovery days. It suggests walking, hiking or "an activity you enjoy", nothing too taxing on those days. If you are not already maybe the metabolic workouts and active recovery would help. The diet aspect is kind of a big factor though, even though we can't discuss it much here.
Yes, I have the book as well and my impression is that she she wants you doing "active rest" days that are, to me, seem like she means the equivalent of low impact or moderate cardio workouts unless you are quite active throughout the day. So, Leslie or outdoor walking or some other intermediate workout.

I got the set and Kindle book for $35 total (including the shipping for teh dvds!). I am happy w/ the set because of what I paid. I think I would have paid up to $50 (shipped) for the dvd set. The book is nice but nothing earth shattering. You don't need both! I liked having the Kindle book to take to the gym. But, you can just write down the exercises from the dvds. I would not have been happy if I had paid the original price for the set.
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