combining 2 or mroe forms of workouts

Hi all

I wanted to know if its okay to combine two or more different forms of workouts. Like mixing 30 day shred with some yoga or similar exercise. In other words, mixing weight lifting, squats, lunges with yoga or similar exercises which work on small muscle groups. So far as i think, working simultaneously with large and small muscle group might mess up the body? leaving it confused which shape to form finally? Or does it work otherwise and always is a better option than working on the same muscle group over and over forever?

I am really confused coz i realize that the normal crunches (like in 30 day shred) leaves my tummy looking and feeling kind of bulky. while when i do crunches in which i spread my legs on the floor and then crunch, i dont feel bulky. Also the push ups make my shoulders look broader in less than 4-5 days. has this happened to anyone else?

thanks a lot.

Original Post by pinkdumbbells:

In other words, mixing weight lifting, squats, lunges with yoga or similar exercises which work on small muscle groups.

Yoga works the same muscles that other forms of exercise do.

oh ok. But i am not exactly doing Yoga. The trainer that I am following says "this exercise will wake up small muscle groups, trip up your accessory muscle and build long lean muscles" and Jillian Michaels says "we are pulling up the large muscle group".

Original Post by pinkdumbbells:

oh ok. But i am not exactly doing Yoga. The trainer that I am following says "this exercise will wake up small muscle groups, trip up your accessory muscle and build long lean muscles" and Jillian Michaels says "we are pulling up the large muscle group".

The "long lean muscles" is a marketing ploy, not an actual assessment of what it will do to your muscles - your muscles will continue to be the same length they always were, and will continue to be counted as part of your lean body mass (vs fat). From Stumptuous...

LIE: You can change the shape of your muscles.

You hear a lot from nimrods at the gym about which exercise is better for reshaping your muscles, or for building big peaks on your biceps, etc. Sorry, but the shape of your muscles is genetic. Muscles are attached to bones and joints in a way that is specific to each person’s body. As an example of this, look at the bump of people’s outer thigh muscles above the knee. You will notice that some people’s quads make a bump almost right at the knee, while other people have their quad bump higher up, sometimes quite high above the knee. This is merely an individual variation in muscle attachments. So, no matter what exercises you do, you’re not going to change where your muscles attach, and you’re not going to change their individual shape. You can, however, make them bigger and stronger.

Ok that was helpful. So does that mean that my muscles have such a structure that when i do pushups, it make my shoulders look broad and when i do the conventional form of crunches, it makes my tummy look bulky?

Probably not. Obviously, I can't see what you're describing, but it's unlikely that you'd see such visible effects after a week. You can get a little swelling (blood going to the muscle) after working out that can be visible but it goes away and isn't actually your muscles changing - at least not the way you are describing. That's my opinion, based on what I've seen with my own body and what I've read.

I have no idea why you'd see differences in your stomach between different types of crunches, but I also find it difficult to imagine how crunches would cause such an immediate change at all - I mean, you are talking about your stomach, which changes size throughout the day/week due to eating, drinking, bloating from carbination or TTOM... in other words, enough variables that I can't imagine that it's because of how your legs are positioned during crunches.

hmmm..

then maybe its psychological?

But over all i want to know, if its okay to work out anyway we feel comfortable? weather its working on large muscle group or smaller ones.. together in one session itself.

Yes, that's good to do, and most workouts will do it whether you mean to or not (since the big muscles usually use the little muscles).

Original Post by pinkdumbbells:

The trainer that I am following says "this exercise will wake up small muscle groups, trip up your accessory muscle and build long lean muscles"

 This sounds like something right out of the Tracy Anderson school of "I don't know squat so I make stuff up so I sound really knowledgable and can seperate my clients from more of their hard earned money"

Thanks amethystgirl. thats all i wanted to know.

floggingsully, you have either read another post of mine in another thread or you really know Tracy Anderson that well. hehe. Yeh i was referring to her only. She did help me tighten my bum and legs though which were kind of saggy earlier (and I am only almost 26! :O). Either i was too much of an illiterate to approach her DVD or people are just  too obsessed with her background/history to hate her so much. That way she shouldnt have that great a body i guess? Whatever she does with her body, i love it. its feminine and sexy.

Original Post by pinkdumbbells:

... Whatever she does with her body, i love it. its feminine and sexy.

 She chose her parents well.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by pinkdumbbells:

oh ok. But i am not exactly doing Yoga. The trainer that I am following says "this exercise will wake up small muscle groups, trip up your accessory muscle and build long lean muscles" and Jillian Michaels says "we are pulling up the large muscle group".

The "long lean muscles" is a marketing ploy, not an actual assessment of what it will do to your muscles - your muscles will continue to be the same length they always were, and will continue to be counted as part of your lean body mass (vs fat). From Stumptuous...

LIE: You can change the shape of your muscles.

You hear a lot from nimrods at the gym about which exercise is better for reshaping your muscles, or for building big peaks on your biceps, etc. Sorry, but the shape of your muscles is genetic. Muscles are attached to bones and joints in a way that is specific to each person’s body. As an example of this, look at the bump of people’s outer thigh muscles above the knee. You will notice that some people’s quads make a bump almost right at the knee, while other people have their quad bump higher up, sometimes quite high above the knee. This is merely an individual variation in muscle attachments. So, no matter what exercises you do, you’re not going to change where your muscles attach, and you’re not going to change their individual shape. You can, however, make them bigger and stronger.

I know Stumptuous is not part of the CC website. But still, how I wish the link could be stickied!

Original Post by amethystgirl:

I have no idea why you'd see differences in your stomach between different types of crunches, but I also find it difficult to imagine how crunches would cause such an immediate change at all - I mean, you are talking about your stomach, which changes size throughout the day/week due to eating, drinking, bloating from carbination or TTOM... in other words, enough variables that I can't imagine that it's because of how your legs are positioned during crunches.

 Exactly.

I will just add as a side note...there is a possibility that you are doing your crunches wrong. It is actually quite common for people to push instead of pull in  when they do crunches. This can cause the abdominal to bulge out. Make sure you are breathing correctly, pulling your belly button in towards the floor, not pushing out.

Original Post by merylwhite1:

Original Post by amethystgirl:

 Stumptuous...

I know Stumptuous is not part of the CC website. But still, how I wish the link could be stickied!

Whenever there is injustice done to free weights.... I will post this. Whenever a girl cries out "I don't want to be bulky!"... I will post this. Whenever a guy suggests that a woman must have a different training strategy than he, otherwise she will become an ugly she-hulk... I will post this. 

Original Post by fitnessgirll:

I will just add as a side note...there is a possibility that you are doing your crunches wrong. It is actually quite common for people to push instead of pull in  when they do crunches. This can cause the abdominal to bulge out. Make sure you are breathing correctly, pulling your belly button in towards the floor, not pushing out.

hmmm..

that maybe the problem. i'll try to do it like what you mentioned.

Yeh Stumputous's that post was good. At one place she mentions to look at her before and after pics. but i couldnt find them. has anyone of you got to see it by chance?

thanks a lot all of you.