Tracy Anderson Method- Super Low Weight/high rep

[viridian]

quote from that article -
She claims that, with these moves, she’s re-*engineering my body by pulling muscle closer to the bone and bringing fat to the surface (where, she says, cardio can eliminate it more easily), but Jordan Metzl, sports medicine physician for the Radio City Rockettes, is skeptical. “You can definitely change your fat-to-muscle ratio,” he says. “But the body is built in layers that are fixed. It’s not like quicksand.”

Thank god they had a teeny bit of REAL info in that darned thing. Im glad they had one guy to say you can't pull your muscle closer to the bone and your fat will move to the surface!

My cat was on that (yeah he loves spinach, what!?) and lost 2lbs in 3 weeks. Then I started feeding him again...

Maybe I should start a craze - CatWoman diet! 1 package of Whiskas + 5 whiplashes a day = sore bum + 10 lbs / month...? Hehe off I go into PT heaven!

Oh geez, that's hilarious.

It might just work too


Cutting line for you:
--- Get the sleek, lean, agile body of a feline and silken your hair in the process!! ---

[missintent]

I wouldn't say women prefer being weak and small and submissive. But if you rock the boat you may get splashed, and people don't like to be splashed.

It's like being the first woman President or the first black governor of Georgia or the first woman on the construction gang. You can do it, but it's a lot easier to stick to whatever the tradition is. People prefer to be comfortable, and it's easiest to be comfortable by finding an established social role and slotting into it, rather than making your own role, doing your own thing.

I was thinking a bit more of the fashion, though. If you look at tv characters, often the strongest character is the skinniest woman. It's like the writers are apologising, "okay she is in charge, sorry we made a woman in charge, but hey at least she's not physically imposing." Voila, being skinny is trendy.

And I do think there's a social backlash against women. Over the last decade, pornography has changed quite a bit, it's a lot more about physically dominating and in some cases demeaning the woman. I think many men and women are very insecure about men and women's relative places, and this is expressed through pornography and what is a fashionably-shaped body.

Women would know much better than me. I can say that men and women's social roles are changing, and that many men are uncomfortable with this, and express it in contempt for women - a contempt the women of BB.com I'm sure are too familiar with.

Am I crazy? What do you reckon?

I think this is absolutely brilliant. I already respected you for your anything training posts, but this majorly increases it.

[missintent]

Here's the article about the W Magazine editor who trained with Anderson. http://www.wmagazine.com/beauty/2009...?currentPage=1

It looks like Anderson's program involves doing a dynamic type of lifting. Could that be why it's popular with celebs? The editor did get results.

Sorry for the double post...

The editor got results yes, but by her own admission she went from once a month yoga to 90 minutes of exercise, 6 days a week, plus a severally limiting diet. Of course she lost inches. I don't think that had anything to do with the type of work out and a lot to do with the fact that her exercise amount increased by something like a factor of 30.

[Linds33]

Teeny Tiny arms? Feminine abs? Did i just enter the twilight zone? Why in the hell would i want teeny tiny arms? Last time i checked teeny tiny arms were not condusive to doing anything really. I mean sure, if you want to be helpless and weak teeny tiny arms are great but i happen to like the fact that I can put my luggage in the overhead compartment without any problems (it is kind of like doing a clean and jerk!)

I really dislike stuff like this. Of course people are going to loose weight if you put them on 1000 calorie diets and have them working out for hours a day. They are also going to loose muscle, possibly gain more body fat and will probably be exhausted and hungry all the freaking time. And they won't stick with their diets either because they suck!

Plus, no one likes to count to 100 when they are working out. Did anyone watch the bootcamp thing? It made me want to go an deadlift 200lbs.

I 100% agree with what KyleAaron said regarding this idea of why women should be seen as small and "weak", Not that he is condoning it but he is giving and excellent sociological theory as to why we are seeing this sort of "thin" prevalence. Think of all the guys that we know who DON'T like it when women lift.

He is also correct about people doing body weight workouts getting results in the case of gymnasts and dancers. Yes they do supplement with weight training but if you spend your days doing plies and the crazy dance moves that i used to do, sure you are going to gain a lot of muscle! Also, in the case of gymnasts, a lot of what they do involves things like chin ups and dips...which are not easy by any stretch.

[NoPinkDBsPlz]

And I do think there's a social backlash against women. Over the last decade, pornography has changed quite a bit, it's a lot more about physically dominating and in some cases demeaning the woman. I think many men and women are very insecure about men and women's relative places, and this is expressed through pornography and what is a fashionably-shaped body.

Women would know much better than me. I can say that men and women's social roles are changing, and that many men are uncomfortable with this, and express it in contempt for women - a contempt the women of BB.com I'm sure are too familiar with.

Am I crazy? What do you reckon?

Fantastic post. I agree... It comes down to the issue of how much space women are allowed to take up, which goes beyond body size. I mean, look at how men and women generally sit on the subway. Women's legs are often crossed, men's are often splayed open. Of course I know this is not how everyone sits, all the time, but how often do you see a man with his legs tightly crossed or a woman with her crotch to the wind? And its not a conscious thing, it's not intentional, its just part of how we are conditioned to perform gender.

[KyleAaron]

Well to be fair, there is some anatomy behind that, some bits get squished when a man crosses his legs

But legs just out of paralllel is enough, a man doesn't have to sit there like he's on the eccentric phase of the thigh abductor machine.

Absolutely there are social reasons behind it. Just, you know, there's some anatomy contributing to it, too, not everything is a social issue

The one I see on the trains is the guy who sits on the window one of three seats, at an angle, his bag on a seat next to him, a broadsheet newspaper in his hands, one elbow over the seat to the one behind him, legs spread out... one guy takes up 4-6 seats. I always sit right next to those guys, it pisses them right off

[NoPinkDBsPlz]

Well to be fair, there is some anatomy behind that, some bits get squished when a man crosses his legs

But legs just out of paralllel is enough, a man doesn't have to sit there like he's on the eccentric phase of the thigh abductor machine.

haha point taken! hell, I don't even find crossing my legs comfy, and I lack dangly bits. After awhile it makes my hips and knees hurt, and yet I still do it constantly.

I hate people who splay out across subway seats. I make up for it by putting my giant bag of gym clothes, hair products, and food on the seat next to me if its not too packed.

[pinkhun]

A friend of mine leant me "her DVD" it was the most ridiculous piece of "bull s**t" I have ever watched.

Watching a women the size of my "12 year old" prancing about in a "late 80's fame ensemble".

Unless you are a trained dancer - then don't bother opening your purse to rush out and buy this!

I'd love to see Tracey Anderson and any "real woman" on here on a celebrity death match! - we'd break her little arms like matches!!!

Stick to what you do ladies, I'd rather be able to punch and kick (like a strong mule) than flop like a weak limbed gym bunny - shame on you and your teeny weights!!!!

(shaking shoulders now and thoroughly off chest ) cough cough!!!

Charlotte x

[KyleAaron]

Stick to what you do ladies, I'd rather be able to punch and kick (like a strong mule) than flop like a weak limbed gym bunny - shame on you and your teeny weights!!!!

There's a woman on bodyweightculture.com who has in her sig "if you're going to hit like a girl, at least hit like a big girl"

[pinkhun]

There's a woman on bodyweightculture.com who has in her sig "if you're going to hit like a girl, at least hit like a big girl"

ha ha ha I agree with this totally x x

I can't do with weak limbed, women who cry for attention either!!!

My hubby said I have a "swinging brick in my chest as I'm quite tough" - this is part of growing up with two older brothers who never allowed me to say "I can't do it i'm a girl"

The downside is - that i'm a tough cookie who thinks she can do everything (lol) x

[Adelaide.]

Holy crap! Is there a name for the female version of broscience?

Brascience?

[pinkhun]

The one I see on the trains is the guy who sits on the window one of three seats, at an angle, his bag on a seat next to him, a broadsheet newspaper in his hands, one elbow over the seat to the one behind him, legs spread out... one guy takes up 4-6 seats. I always sit right next to those guys, it pisses them right off

hee hee - i have a vision of this - hillarious!!!

I hate that too, oh and women (old) who put their blinking dogs on a seat!!! - what the heck is that about!

[TurbulentFluid]

There's a woman on bodyweightculture.com who has in her sig "if you're going to hit like a girl, at least hit like a big girl"

Hahaha LOVE IT!

As I fly in here via time machine, from some 60-70 years ago (yes I do. Time-space continuum DOES exist!), I have a bit to add to the "how much space a woman takes" psycho - social thing...

Some years ago, where I come from - a rural part - a small woman with little fat was considered a "bad deal". Large, strong women with some extra bf% were preferred, while the small, skinny look was considered "bad" and fitting for "higher class" people and "cityfolk". I was brought up fat - fat child, fat teenager, fat young woman - not unintentionally. A woman had to be "strong". My grandma didn't ask if I COULD hack firewood for 4 hours every day for 3 weeks, she TOLD me to. It's very simple: big, sturdy, strong was connected to hard work and hard living, and skinny and frail with richness and easy living. It seems that nowadays, with the skinny-frail craze, every woman wants to pass the message of "I'm high society, living is good. I don't need big lats or flexing biceps to get by."

Thinking about what KyleAaron says, it seems not only women fit in this "teeny weeny" model. At the time of metro and emo, I don't think Dorian Yates or even Frank Zane would pass as "acceptable". The "biggest" widely accepted physique seems to be David Beckham, the "ideal" seems to be Brad Pitt, and teenagers scream after the malnourished, underdeveloped and ill-looking emo vampire fella? Puh - LEASE!

[fitrunnernj]

Hahaha LOVE IT!

Thinking about what KyleAaron says, it seems not only women fit in this "teeny weeny" model. At the time of metro and emo, I don't think Dorian Yates or even Frank Zane would pass as "acceptable". The "biggest" widely accepted physique seems to be David Beckham, the "ideal" seems to be Brad Pitt, and teenagers scream after the malnourished, underdeveloped and ill-looking emo vampire fella? Puh - LEASE!

I love the that, malnourished, underdeveloped and ill-looking emo vampire fella! HA Ha Ha.

[julie2008]

Okay, so read the first part but then let me finish!!

I bought her DVD/book the other week.

Yes, I think she's an idiot. Yes, i think she's a fraud. Yes, I hate when she says things like "teeny-tiny" and talks about elongating muscles and no I would never do her cardio routine or diet or waste my heating bill like that.

However, after youtubing some of her videos.. initially with the intent of hating on her.. she had some really interesting movements that were similar to movements I do in my adult ballet class for fun. I read a little more, found out she started off as a dancer.. tried some more of her leg exercises.. felt soreness in my IT band/abductor area for the first time in years.. where I carry my weight.. ended up running out and buying her book.

Would I ever use her as my main source of training? God, no. But my former trainer wanted me to incorporate leg lifts, both prone/standing/supine to work the glute medius, abductor, and transverse abdominus areas... these were as high rep low weight burnout sets after a normal, more intense heavy weight session. It was always the same damn glute kickback I'd done in physical therapy a million times, or that embarrassing abductor/adductor machine. Even my Jim Stoppani book that I love (the big wheels program) has 50 low weight reps of plie squats in the morning most mornings. Most programs I've done incorporate just a little bit of high rep exercises.

What Tracey is doing is at least.. different. With some ankle weights strapped on, these exercises, utilize very different angles and you do feel it both during the exercises and the day after. To be fair, I think the most effective exercises for the legs are still squat, leg press, deadlift. But I do these every week. And I'm at the point where I either need to add some variety or risk tearing my joints even more (I think I have a little bit of a torn labrum from going up to 400lbs in leg presses and in my shoulder from going heavier than my weight in bench). So I don't think following up a normal press/squat/lunge/deadlift/etc day with a few different types of martial-art or ballet-like kicks is going to hurt.

The b*tch is crazy, and wrong about a lot. But I like doing something completely different once a week.. and while I think many of the non-weight classes I've taken from yoga to pilates to dance classes advocate things that are just wrong (from locking out joints to ballistic stretching etc), I try to take at least SOMETHING from all of them.. and this is no different.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll give it a little while.

[viridian]

Okay, so read the first part but then let me finish!!

I bought her DVD/book the other week.

Yes, I think she's an idiot. Yes, i think she's a fraud. Yes, I hate when she says things like "teeny-tiny" and talks about elongating muscles and no I would never do her cardio routine or diet or waste my heating bill like that.

However, after youtubing some of her videos.. initially with the intent of hating on her.. she had some really interesting movements that were similar to movements I do in my adult ballet class for fun. I read a little more, found out she started off as a dancer.. tried some more of her leg exercises.. felt soreness in my IT band/abductor area for the first time in years.. where I carry my weight.. ended up running out and buying her book.

Would I ever use her as my main source of training? God, no. But my former trainer wanted me to incorporate leg lifts, both prone/standing/supine to work the glute medius, abductor, and transverse abdominus areas... these were as high rep low weight burnout sets after a normal, more intense heavy weight session. It was always the same damn glute kickback I'd done in physical therapy a million times, or that embarrassing abductor/adductor machine. Even my Jim Stoppani book that I love (the big wheels program) has 50 low weight reps of plie squats in the morning most mornings. Most programs I've done incorporate just a little bit of high rep exercises.

What Tracey is doing is at least.. different. With some ankle weights strapped on, these exercises, utilize very different angles and you do feel it both during the exercises and the day after. To be fair, I think the most effective exercises for the legs are still squat, leg press, deadlift. But I do these every week. And I'm at the point where I either need to add some variety or risk tearing my joints even more (I think I have a little bit of a torn labrum from going up to 400lbs in leg presses and in my shoulder from going heavier than my weight in bench). So I don't think following up a normal press/squat/lunge/deadlift/etc day with a few different types of martial-art or ballet-like kicks is going to hurt.

The b*tch is crazy, and wrong about a lot. But I like doing something completely different once a week.. and while I think many of the non-weight classes I've taken from yoga to pilates to dance classes advocate things that are just wrong (from locking out joints to ballistic stretching etc), I try to take at least SOMETHING from all of them.. and this is no different.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll give it a little while.

While I agree with you partially.... what youre talking about isnt really doing her method... youre wanting to take the bases of the moves she uses (those ballet inspired movements) to add onto your training program which sounds exactly like what she preaches against.

Which is fine! And actually probably beneficial. You cant just lift without supplementing other exercises for prehab-rehab or supplementing your training without hurting yourself eventually. Youve got to take care of joints and ligaments, all the soft tissues as well, not just building muscle or strength which is ultimately tearing your body down. Just the same, you cant train the big muscles without up-keep on the littler ones, gotta keep everything balanced.

[KyleAaron]

It's very simple: big, sturdy, strong was connected to hard work and hard living, and skinny and frail with richness and easy living. It seems that nowadays, with the skinny-frail craze, every woman wants to pass the message of "I'm high society, living is good. I don't need big lats or flexing biceps to get by."

Thinking about what KyleAaron says, it seems not only women fit in this "teeny weeny" model.

I missed this last time the thread was around, and you're right.

Just today a woman client was looking at some of the guys in the gym with sizeable muscles (at least in their upper bodies) and saying, "that's disgusting, it looks like a tumour." She is 25 or something, maybe she'll think differently some years from now, I don't know.

Luckily, other clients think differently. I'm getting a couple of them some "strong is the new skinny" t-shirts, with the subline,

girls don't lift heavy weights
but WOMEN do

Rippetoe recently described, "Today's Fit Woman: 20lbs underweight, no strength, almost vegetarian, but a great 5 mile time." It's sad, and some trainers plan their marketing around it.

[hieronymous]

Fantastic post. I agree... It comes down to the issue of how much space women are allowed to take up, which goes beyond body size. I mean, look at how men and women generally sit on the subway. Women's legs are often crossed, men's are often splayed open. Of course I know this is not how everyone sits, all the time, but how often do you see a man with his legs tightly crossed or a woman with her crotch to the wind? And its not a conscious thing, it's not intentional, its just part of how we are conditioned to perform gender.

I read that something similar to that somewhere when I was around 20 and really noticed how true it was within my own actions and body language. Since then I've made a point to take up space (no leg splaying). But, for example, on the bus or public seating area I will put my arm over the empty seat beside me or stretch my legs out.

I like those T-shirts Kyle. I may get one. I want "Buff is the new waif"

[Miranda]

I read that something similar to that somewhere when I was around 20 and really noticed how true it was within my own actions and body language. Since then I've made a point to take up space (no leg splaying).

you should research 'figure four' type of posture - that's where a person bends the knee to place calf/ankle across the opposite thigh.

apparently, it is a very argumentative and 'male' way of sitting (and exposing dominating genitalia for all to see) but i do it - unintentionally - a lot, unless i'm wearing a dress.

PS the 'women taking up less physical space/anorexia' is partially from naomi wolf's the beauty myth, first published in 1990. too bad things haven't really changed since then.