You're Most Effective and Least Effective Exercises for your bodytype

[mandie123]

HoCo-Horizontal Conditioning-gave me great ab results but such dread

[JackieB]

I'm a short little mesomorph. Best for me is Classical Stretch/Essentrics, walking, Qi Gong, Ellen Barrett's stretchy yoga type stuff.

Worst...step up box, heavy lifting. Makes for big thighs and a sore back.

[at120]

Endomorph. Weight training workouts with lots of cardio elements or weight training followed by cardio at the end to promote fat loss by depleting any remaining glycogen. My ideal workouts are Les Mills Pump or the majority of what Jillian Michaels puts out (her 3-2-1 method). Barre stuff or Tracy Anderson doesn't seem to do much for me.

[ealakey]

I am a short, small framed ectomorph with a few mesomorph attributes. In the past I've gotten fast results leaning out and toning using heavy weights. I just got to a point where I didn't feel like lifting heavy anymore and switched to barre/ballet type workouts. I love the flow of barre, CS, Ballet Beautiful workouts and I do get some inch loss from them, but I think I looked more toned when I lifted weights. I'm trying to find a happy medium and incorporated kettlebells a few weeks ago as my main strength workout with barre/ballet as add ons.
~Beth

[videofit]

Originally Posted by bethlakey

I think I looked more toned when I lifted weights. I'm trying to find a happy medium and incorporated kettlebells a few weeks ago as my main strength workout with barre/ballet as add ons.
~Beth

You might like Margaret Richard's workouts. Lower weight-high rep. I got better results than when doing heavy weights. She is a former dancer.

[donnamp]

Originally Posted by videofit

You might like Margaret Richard's workouts. Lower weight-high rep. I got better results than when doing heavy weights. She is a former dancer.

LOL! That is my recommendation, too. I love MR. I'm a medium height (just shy of 5' 6") ecto/meso and one of my favorite combos is cardio (low impact/walking), Margaret Richard and Classical Stretch!

Donna

[Lori_Michigan]

Originally Posted by JackieB

I'm a short little mesomorph. Best for me is Classical Stretch/Essentrics, walking, Qi Gong, Ellen Barrett's stretchy yoga type stuff.

Worst...step up box, heavy lifting. Makes for big thighs and a sore back.

Me, too! Short (5'4"), no waist, all weight in my midsection and upper body, thin legs and arms. My body has never responded to anything as well as consistently doing CS/Essentrics every day and light cardio/low weights.

My body hates high impact, high reps, heavy weights.

[Eibhinn]

I have a very curvy hourglass shape. When I add weight it mainly goes to my thighs, stomach, butt, and breasts, but my waist remains defined. I'm 5'5", and have always been very strong.

Most effective exercises for me are kettlebell training: swing and variations, deadlifts, squats, rows, combined with bodyweight exercises (mountain climbers, push-ups, plank), including yoga. Also martial arts training.

Least effective exercises for me are pretty much all barre/fusion and dance training, and formal cardio like hi-lo aerobics. Only exception is the high-rep, light weight arm work in workouts like Squeeze, which do shape my arms, and some ballet training helps my posture which makes me look better. I do enjoy dancing and walking (indoor and outdoor), and do them for my mental health, but they have little to no effect on my physique.

[ealakey]

Hi videofit and Donna, I was just thinking about Margaret yesterday. I have Sculpture, All My Best Vol. 1-2, Muscle and Grace, and used them a few times here and there but was doing so many workouts I had to scale back. I was thinking about a Margaret rotation after I finish Lauren Brooks Shut Up and Train. What have your results been like and if you don't mind could you share how you used the workouts?
~Beth

[donnamp]

Hi,

Beth - it is hard for me to really describe results, b/c to me, I seem to always look the same no matter what I do. Overall, though I think Margaret is a nice compliment to barre b/c of her upper body work. I think most barre workouts tend to neglect upper body (except for Suzanne Bowen's but her plank/body weight workouts are just too much stress for my neck/shoulders) so adding some upper body w/ MR for me has worked well when doing a barre or Pilates rotation. MR's lower body is mostly floorwork which I like b/c I can do it w/out aggravating my back/hip which sometimes become quite finicky. I do still like to do some standing work and some of her workouts do include it.

Overall, I just feel good and graceful when I do her workouts, I think there is a low chance of injury with them and if you are "nursing" a body part it is always easy to skip something in her workouts and not feel cheated.

Oh, you can also customize the workouts by going heavier, adding ankle weights to the floorwork, etc.

I'm not a huge fan of her ab work as I prefer Pilates or standing core work.

My favorite way of doing her workouts is in combo w/ cardio and classical stretch. One of my favorite rotations is to do a 30 min cardio (generally low impact or walking), followed by either an Unplugged Episode or 30 min of one of her full length workouts, followed by a Classical Stretch episode. This combo just seems to hit the spot for me and I will focus on it for at least part of the summer (or maybe all if I don't get bored!)

Hope that helps!

Donna