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Old 12-14-15, 11:51 AM  
Vintage VFer
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I just cannot do paper workouts!

I have been doing a rotation from Bret Contreras' Strong Curves book. I've done about four workouts and the dread factor is immense. Not due to the workout, which is actually fairly straightforward. It is due to it not being a video. I have to think too hard and not just follow the instructor.

I tried the NROL book workouts a few years ago and only made it about five workouts in. There was no "fun factor" for me. It seemed like torture.

It's funny because my first experience in lifting weights was from Joyce Vedral's "Bottoms Up" book (way back when).

So, I will stick to videos. I've learned my lesson (again!).
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Old 12-14-15, 11:56 AM  
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Maybe if you ever get the urge to try a paper workout again, try a less complex workout design, such as the ones Nia Shanks offers. I found Strong Curves to be very complex with all the different types of combos within a workout. The NROL workouts can feel overwhelming too. Maybe something straightforward will be more appealing.
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Old 12-14-15, 12:50 PM  
LindaL
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Originally Posted by FirmDancer View Post
Maybe if you ever get the urge to try a paper workout again, try a less complex workout design, such as the ones Nia Shanks offers. I found Strong Curves to be very complex with all the different types of combos within a workout. The NROL workouts can feel overwhelming too. Maybe something straightforward will be more appealing.
I agree. Also, for me, paper workouts are all about the music. I have different play lists that I use for different workouts and that makes all the difference for me.
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Old 12-14-15, 01:06 PM  
eyefit
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage VFer View Post
I have been doing a rotation from Bret Contreras' Strong Curves book. I've done about four workouts and the dread factor is immense. Not due to the workout, which is actually fairly straightforward. It is due to it not being a video. I have to think too hard and not just follow the instructor.

I tried the NROL book workouts a few years ago and only made it about five workouts in. There was no "fun factor" for me. It seemed like torture.

It's funny because my first experience in lifting weights was from Joyce Vedral's "Bottoms Up" book (way back when).

So, I will stick to videos. I've learned my lesson (again!).
I am the same way! Even thinking about doing a paper workout makes me want to sit on the couch. Like you said, it requires FAR too much thinking. Come to think of it...maybe that's why I'm not a fan of complex choreography?

I think you have to be supremely motivated to make it through a paper workout. I'm motivated to get sweaty and work hard, but don't make me think about it! I just want to pop in a video and let my mirror neurons do their thing.
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Old 12-14-15, 01:54 PM  
IceQueen07
 
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Last week I purchased a Nia Shanks workout. Never done paper workouts before. I am having a hard time. I just seem to be more motivated with DVDs. I don't know if I should just forget about it and request a refund or not. Why can't there be more lifting dvds.
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Old 12-14-15, 02:24 PM  
Jane P.
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I understand. I haven't had much luck with paper workouts either. One problem is estimating how long a workout will take. Even if you time the rest segments in weight training, you still don't know how much time the weight lifting segments will require until you've done the workouts a few times. With a dvd, you know if you're going faster or slower than the dvd, and you can plan accordingly.

Strong Curves was too complicated for me. I returned it. Never did a single workout from it.
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Old 12-14-15, 02:30 PM  
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I can do anything with music! I did Joyce Vedral's Weight Training Made Easy book workout for 8 months. I did NROL for a few months. Videos are great but my music is always better than what any video has. I have Strong Curves but have never been tempted to try a workout. Maybe you just prefer a video and that's okay.
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Old 12-14-15, 03:10 PM  
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You mentioned a Nia?

which reminded me of something ...

Paper workouts don't ever go well with cardio .... or so it is implied

Except for one. Yes, before there was a Nia (not Shanks—but the workout that is called Nia, in its then-incarnation as "Non Impact Aerobics", by the Rosases) In its day, it was meant to be done slowly [or "at your own pace" which in those days (my then-degree of some overweight) meant slowly], was doable from a semi-memorized list, on paper, based on the illustrated book ...

I am just too scared these days to do cardio from a paper workout (still the short-term memory and balance issues are concerns) ... need audio (with printed picture prompts) or video instructions (if I don't instruct/sequence myself, using my—though unbalanced—intuition).
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Old 12-14-15, 03:32 PM  
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I don't know if it's a personality thing or if it boils down to how you think about strength training (so I guess a mindset thing), but after doing paper workouts, I don't think I'll ever go back to DVDs.

Yes, music is a big part of it. I will almost always prefer my own music, and music is a big factor in how much I enjoy my workouts.

But beyond that, I don't think there are any strength DVDs that are solidly designed and meet my needs. Plus, even if there are, I will want to change things from day to day anyway. (I change things in my paper workouts too, but it's so much easier to do.) I was always changing so many things about my strength DVD workouts from substituting exercises, to pausing to include other exercises, to skipping the endless bicep curls and crunches, etc. It required being a remote ninja and was a pain. On top of that, I love actually going at my own pace based on the weight I selected and not having to try to count my own reps over someone on the DVD counting slower or faster than me.
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Old 12-14-15, 03:38 PM  
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When I saw 'paper workouts' I pictured you working out with animated paper dolls.
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