Bar method and thigh bulk - Page 2

Tugger31 · 02-24-09, 07:54 AM

I gained bigger thighs doing these types of workouts b/c they didnt offer the calorie burn I was used to, and since I didnt change my diet, I gained fat. Fat always goes to my lower half first.

alikruegs · 02-24-09, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingoo

Thanks so much for all the great advice. Now that I look back I was prob. over working myself. I tend to start out slow, but then exercise way too much. Infact, I was doing the bar method on the same day that I was doing cardio barre. I'm just really bad with rotations and try to squeeze too much into one day. I've recently started doing kundalini yoga with exhale core fusion. I do want to order the new bar methods, but my credit card tells me otherwise

If you find you like and get good results from the Core Fusion dvds, I'm pretty sure you'd like the new Bar Method dvds. When it comes to thigh work, these two methods are very similar.
Also, I've always had good results from doing barre workouts, but I don't do them as often as you do. For example, 3-4x per week sounds good and like something I have done (and been happy with the results), but I consider Cardio Barre to be a fast version of a barre workout, so that means that by my calculations you were doing a lot of barre workouts every week. I find that what works best for me is doing 3 tough barre workouts with added cardio (that is usually running for me, but sometimes it's dancing/kickboxing/high-low). I also need to take a rest day about once a week -- and every now and again, two.

fuzzie · 02-24-09, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingoo

Now that I look back I was prob. over working myself. I tend to start out slow, but then exercise way too much. Infact, I was doing the bar method on the same day that I was doing cardio barre.

This could very well be problem. At one point last year I decided to do Lotte Berk-type workouts for 5-6 days a week (60 to 75 minutes each day) and I found it was counterproductive: I felt like I was overtraining, my knees and lower back did not feel great, and I lost muscle definition. I get the best results when I do these workouts 4 days a week (45-60 minutes per workout), focusing on absolute perfect form and doing larger range of movement workouts on alternate days.

flamingoo · 02-24-09, 08:56 AM

So do you guys think it would be o.k. to do corefusion on the same day as yoga( kundalini) I'm loving both so much right now.

alikruegs · 02-24-09, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingoo

So do you guys think it would be o.k. to do corefusion on the same day as yoga( kundalini) I'm loving both so much right now.

Oh definitely. I'm thinking of doing 1 or 2 segments of Core Fusion Body Sculpt and Raviana's Fat Free or Dance the Chakras today. I think you just have to consider how tough your kundalini yoga workout is. If I were planning to do Warrior, I wouldn't be planning on doing much else that day. Also, with a few exceptions, I don't find most KY workouts to be particularly tough on the thighs and lower body.

workinprogress · 03-08-09, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingoo

Am I the only one who increased in thigh size from doing the bar method? I've seen so many posts on how great the new dvds are and I really loved the old ones. I did a three or four month rotation last summer using The Bar Method 3x per week along with cardiobarre and by the start of winter my jeans were soo tight in the thighs. Did I not give it long enough? Now I'm wondering if it was because I was using them in conjunction with Cardiobarre. So many awesome dvds and too little time. Any ideas?

Hi, Flamingo,

I also experienced my thighs getting bigger with BM, especially the front of the thigh.

Once I switched over to a rotation using TA Mat, Dance Aerobics, Ellen Barrett and yoga workouts, my thighs look so much better! I do still do my Fluidity Advanced here and there as that disc I don't feel overworks the front of the thigh. HTH!!

tan3374 · 03-08-09, 06:36 PM

I agree that its important to vary the exercises to avoid overtaining - I actually do a large variety Lotte Berk exercises five or even six days a week but I rotate them so that I am working different body parts on different days. I take different exercise from different DVDS and books and youtube clips (Physique 57 and Tracy Anderson) and piece them together to make my own routine.

I have also found that when I don't do enough cardio I start to feel heavy - I do some kind of cardio 4-5 days per week, usually TA dance workout, but even if I'm tired I just make sure I that get a walk in. It might be that you need to check that you are varying your exercises so as not to over train - most of the barre genre videos tend to emphasise the thighs in my opinion - and check that you are getting enough cardio. Every body responds differently and its just a question of tinkering around the edges until you find what works for you.
Good luck!

flamingoo · 03-09-09, 06:03 AM

How do you like TA mat? What was or is your rotation like?

tan3374 · 03-09-09, 04:35 PM

I'm not sure if that is a question for me?

I don't have TA mat but I so want it - I live in the UK and it is so expensive to ship and pay taxes that it almost doubles the price. Thanks to the kind VFers on this thread posting links I have downloaded the TA workouts from youtube/ Self magazine and I am using them at the moment.

I'm not very good at following a set rotation for a number of reasons, mainly because I have a toddler and if I plan anything life sort of gets in the way. I do get some kind of movement in every day though - for my sanity more than anything else!

My 'rotation' changes all the time but in a nutshell I make sure that I focus on thighs (plies, knee dancing etc one day) and hip and outer thigh work the following day. I pick and choose from a variety of DVDs. For thighs at the moment I'm loving the plies from the Physique 57 youtube clips and the Pure Barre standing plie series.

For outer thigh/ hips/ gluts I love love TA exercises on the Goop website together with variations on the pretzel - again from the Physique 57 youtube clips or some variations I remember from Callanetics or Lotte Berk classes that I used to attend years ago. The Bar Method Designer Sculpting has the pretzel too as does Tracy Effinger's Squeeze Stronger.

Arms I alternate every day - at the moment it is the A List arms with and without weights from TA A List Arms alternated with the tricep dips/ pressups/ weight work etc from the Physique 57 youtube clips or Core Fusion.

Abs - I have a condition called diastasis recti so I do exercises from two books - one by Helen Byrne and the other by Julie Tupler.

I also stretch alot after each workout.

Cardio - I love TA dance workout and do it about four times a week. At the moment I am addicted to learning the routines. If I'm tired I will go for a walk instead or do Cardio Callanetics, the cardio portion only.

This rotation changes all the time and at another period I might find myself using Callanetics, or Tracy Effinger's Squeeze or Core Fusion and running or something. I find that changing things up a bit is good for my body and good for me mentally.

Sorry that this is not a rotation as such. Is this the kind of thing you were looking for?

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02-24-09, 07:54 AM
Tugger31 Join Date: Feb 2002	I gained bigger thighs doing these types of workouts b/c they didnt offer the calorie burn I was used to, and since I didnt change my diet, I gained fat. Fat always goes to my lower half first.

02-24-09, 08:56 AM
flamingoo Join Date: Nov 2007	So do you guys think it would be o.k. to do corefusion on the same day as yoga( kundalini) I'm loving both so much right now.

03-08-09, 06:36 PM
tan3374 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: UK	I agree that its important to vary the exercises to avoid overtaining - I actually do a large variety Lotte Berk exercises five or even six days a week but I rotate them so that I am working different body parts on different days. I take different exercise from different DVDS and books and youtube clips (Physique 57 and Tracy Anderson) and piece them together to make my own routine. I have also found that when I don't do enough cardio I start to feel heavy - I do some kind of cardio 4-5 days per week, usually TA dance workout, but even if I'm tired I just make sure I that get a walk in. It might be that you need to check that you are varying your exercises so as not to over train - most of the barre genre videos tend to emphasise the thighs in my opinion - and check that you are getting enough cardio. Every body responds differently and its just a question of tinkering around the edges until you find what works for you. Good luck!

03-09-09, 06:03 AM
flamingoo Join Date: Nov 2007	How do you like TA mat? What was or is your rotation like?

03-09-09, 04:35 PM
tan3374 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: UK	I'm not sure if that is a question for me? I don't have TA mat but I so want it - I live in the UK and it is so expensive to ship and pay taxes that it almost doubles the price. Thanks to the kind VFers on this thread posting links I have downloaded the TA workouts from youtube/ Self magazine and I am using them at the moment. I'm not very good at following a set rotation for a number of reasons, mainly because I have a toddler and if I plan anything life sort of gets in the way. I do get some kind of movement in every day though - for my sanity more than anything else! My 'rotation' changes all the time but in a nutshell I make sure that I focus on thighs (plies, knee dancing etc one day) and hip and outer thigh work the following day. I pick and choose from a variety of DVDs. For thighs at the moment I'm loving the plies from the Physique 57 youtube clips and the Pure Barre standing plie series. For outer thigh/ hips/ gluts I love love TA exercises on the Goop website together with variations on the pretzel - again from the Physique 57 youtube clips or some variations I remember from Callanetics or Lotte Berk classes that I used to attend years ago. The Bar Method Designer Sculpting has the pretzel too as does Tracy Effinger's Squeeze Stronger. Arms I alternate every day - at the moment it is the A List arms with and without weights from TA A List Arms alternated with the tricep dips/ pressups/ weight work etc from the Physique 57 youtube clips or Core Fusion. Abs - I have a condition called diastasis recti so I do exercises from two books - one by Helen Byrne and the other by Julie Tupler. I also stretch alot after each workout. Cardio - I love TA dance workout and do it about four times a week. At the moment I am addicted to learning the routines. If I'm tired I will go for a walk instead or do Cardio Callanetics, the cardio portion only. This rotation changes all the time and at another period I might find myself using Callanetics, or Tracy Effinger's Squeeze or Core Fusion and running or something. I find that changing things up a bit is good for my body and good for me mentally. Sorry that this is not a rotation as such. Is this the kind of thing you were looking for?