Crazy talk here..."Pear Love" thread got me thinking...

[alisoncooks]

The recent "Pear Love" thread has caused me to start wondering about my workouts & goals, and so I'm just doing some wondering out loud here...

I'm a pear (when I'm fit). Right now, I'm more like a potato. A lumpy potato. A lumpy, jello-potato. Yummmm. LOL.

Anyhoo -- I always, ALWAYS judge a video's effectiveness by how well it works the lower body. I'm always looking for LB add-ons or new ways to torture my butt & thighs into submission. Will gliding be the key? Maybe barre...or pilates...or floorwork....maybe I should just stick with traditional squats and lunges? Kettlebells?!?!

But I was thinking last night... what if I stopped all that?
What if I just:

• kept up with my new walking goal (at least 2 miles a day with the body boost cables from Leslie's QVC set or WIO)
• upper body weights 2-3 times a week (a la Jari's GR&C)
• 1 lower body focused workout a week (something fun, like original Buns of Steel)

Do you think that would work the lower body enough? Must I punish my pear-shaped behind multiple times a week...or do you think the above (plus diet, of course) would tame some of the jiggles? Right now I rarely do cardio, so this is somewhat of a shift for me...

[txfitmom]

I think we should put this experiment into action. I am a pear shape as well and I know what you mean about feeling like a potato. I have been doing 3-4 Jari Love workouts a week and adding some cardio here and there, but I am not getting results in my lower body as quickly as I would like. I was thinking of doing something similar to what you described. I know my lower body always looks better when I do more consistent walking every day. So my idea is to do keep doing my Jari Love workouts or something similar (might occasionally sub in a KCM or something), walk everyday for 30-45 minutes, and a couple of times a week I am going to add on lower body work like Brazil Butt Lift, pilates, etc.

Sometimes keeping things simple is the way to go. I feel like sometimes I am just distracted by all the workouts I have, but I really need to just stick with ones that produce the best results for me.

[karenl]

Alison, I have been wondering something similar to this. I am also a pear and always looking for that "magic" workout tht will slim me down between my waist and knees
Right now I am doing Ellen Barrett's Studio series and the rotation she posted for weight loss in her blog. I don't have much to lose, maybe 8 to 10 lbs, but I've been wondering is this enough to lose the weight and tone my lower half?

I do these in the am, but have been thinking, should I add a Mile Leslie in the evening? Or should I do a 20 minutes lower body workout? Maybe the quick callanetics or a barre workout. I just can't decide. I'm not fond of cario but wonder if Ellen is enough.

I don't have Leslie's set with the cables so I don't know how much it works the lower body. If it were me I'd maybe do the Buns of Steel 2 times a week. Just my thoughts.

karen

[FightinFlab]

I'm also a pear and have struggled with this for the 10+ years. More cardio or less cardio? Workouts that target small muscle groups or large ones? Weights or no weights for lower body? Is the Fanny Lifter really doing anything? Do I have the dreaded "lazy glute"? I could go on and on.

I'm on the final week of the Couch to 5K program, and that has helped smooth and slim my lower body more than anything else. I'm not setting any speed or distance records (I run slower than some people walk...and feel like I'm going to die some days), but I'm beginning to think that cardio may be the trick. This is a 9 week, 3 days a week program, and I think that structure and consistency, combined with the intensity of running (for me), is what is doing the trick.

That said, I don't feel as toned as when I was doing The Firm consistently, and I hate to "waste" time on my puny upper body.

alisoncooks, I like your plan and think I'd like to try it myself. Should we do a "pear love" check in?

[Jane P.]

I'm a pear, but I've also got pounds to lose. Right now I'm alternating cardio and a balanced weight lifting program with the emphasis on losing weight. Once I've slimmed down some, I'll tweak the program for lower body emphasis if I need to.

One thing that did cheer me up. I have a book called The Six Week Bikini Countdown by Karon Karter. There are a lot of color photos in the book. I don't know if they're of the author or a model, but whoever it is has a pear shape. She's larger on the bottom than the top, but she still looks great in a bikini. However, she's not overweight and I think that makes all the difference.

It proves to me that even if you're not completely symmetrical, you can still look great!

[alisoncooks]

Originally Posted by FightinFlab

alisoncooks, I like your plan and think I'd like to try it myself. Should we do a "pear love" check in?

I was thinking this.... if anyone's interested, I'm in.

I will note: I don't mind my pear-shape. At all.
I do mind those lumpy extra 20ish pounds that I'm carrying from navel to knee. I have no high aspiration for a butt like Leah Sarago or the model on the cover of the Core Fusion dvds. I am a realist. I'd just like to fit back into some of the snug clothes in my closet.

[KarenJo]

Allison, over time a lot of us here have found, to our distress, that the toning happens underneath the jiggle and doesn't really diminish it. Phooey.

Also, I don't think I've seen it recently, but there's a strong VF history of people vowing they don't do much lower body work since most cardio works those areas and extra work just makes the jiggle sit out further until you get rid of it. Lots of us just build muscle under the flab and build too much in our lower body too easily. Phooey 2.

I did once spend a summer at the place we then had on an island walking 3 miles along the waterfront in the evening with DH, who walks fast when he slows down for me, 3 times a week and lost 5 pounds in a month with no other changes and little other exercise at the time. Anti-phooey!

All things to keep in mind as you think about which video to trade for what next.

ETA I'm an hour galss but recently ran into lazy gluteous minimus issues in PT. Maximus is fine but mini wants to opt out and is part of my achiiles/heel spur problem.

[mommy2two]

Originally Posted by KarenJo

Allison, over time a lot of us here have found, to our distress, that the toning happens underneath the jiggle and doesn't really diminish it. Phooey.

Also, I don't think I've seen it recently, but there's a strong VF history of people vowing they don't do much lower body work since most cardio works those areas and extra work just makes the jiggle sit out further until you get rid of it. Lots of us just build muscle under the flab and build too much in our lower body too easily. Phooey 2.

I did once spend a summer at the place we then had on an island walking 3 miles along the waterfront in the evening with DH, who walks fast when he slows down for me, 3 times a week and lost 5 pounds in a month with no other changes and little other exercise at the time. Anti-phooey!

All things to keep in mind as you think about which video to trade for what next.

ETA I'm an hour galss but recently ran into lazy gluteous minimus issues in PT. Maximus is fine but mini wants to opt out and is part of my achiiles/heel spur problem.

I don't know what shape I am , but I just know that around 170lbs and 5ft2in I am still pudgy. My belly is what really bothers me. So do you think it is generally a good idea to focus on the cardio until you get alot of the fat off ? When my time is limited why focus on miserable ab work if it is not helping because of the fat which needs cardio to come off.....or am I way off here. Course I don't know if I will ever get my fat levels or weight to a low enough level that I will ever have a flat stomach or flat abs.

[KarenJo]

Ab strength is really important for overall fitness and injury prevention. But losing the fat first helps in the looks department.

[daisysunshine]

i'm in!
[though i find - Ballet Body <<--- major duh, right? + Kettlebells has done wonderful things for my pearish shape - but I am going towards Ballet Body for Upper body and some more yoga, cardio too]