Tell me about Margaret Richards

[macska]

Originally Posted by akaAnnie

I've just had a chance to briefly look at my new video, but I think I'll like it. I also like the half hour lenght, especially for during the week. Mari, which of her workoouts have the iballet-like moves for lower body?
Ann

Honestly, her floor works are very similar to practically all the iballets floor works. Not the standing legs though. The glute raises, leg raises, inner thighs etc. Very similar, and about the same number of reps -- that is definitely not less then a hundred if not more.

[annetteb]

Are MR's comparable to Jari and some of Gin's SS? I have seen MR and was curious as well. Thanks, Annette

[PhyllisG]

Which are your favorites. I have to say that "dated" bothers me so I guess favorites of her latest? This is of course just in case I cave before the weekend is over! TIA

[Jane C]

I am a big fan of the MR Unpluggeds. I have them all and use them frequently. I find them very user friendly, they're easy to mix and match, and I love tht I can use my own music. I love Margaret's personality on the programs, the nice outdoor set, and I find them surprisingly effective.

I don't care for Jari Love - I find her robotic and her moves stress the joints.

[Dabbadooey]

I did Upper Body Sculpture this morning and I have to confess it's somewhat boring!

[~^~RedFlame~^~]

Originally Posted by Lucky Star

I haven't done enough Margaret to really judge her effect on my body, but here's what puzzles me: I'm always always always hearing/reading that without using heavy weights to failure (few reps) you won't really build strength and increase metabolism, and that all the high-rep workouts are inefficient time-wasters. Then I look at Margaret Richard and Karen Voight and think, can they only be following their own programs?, because they have awesome muscle and I'd to have their figures.
So, what's the truth then?

Hi lucky. The deal with working to fatigue is that if you don't push your muscles to the point that they are being 'worked', they won't adapt. They have no reason to unless you put them under stress. However, high rep low weight will still bring your muscles to fatigue! It's true that this will not increase your max strength much, but endurance is also very critical to good fitness. As I always say, what good is being 1RM strong, if you can only do 1R!!! For definition I always work high rep. A nice heavy rotation in there every once in a while is enough to keep the muscles strong while defining them with high rep. As long as you push them past their current ability, if they have to WORK to keep up with you, you will progress.

Another vote for MR's personality. Ilove that she is more mature and not trying to jump around like a 20 year old trainer. Her voice, her style, I just really liked her much to my surprise! And she is so beautiful with a perfect 'mature' body, which is great motivation. I am personally thinking about adding some pounds to look more like her body style, as thinness when you are more mature is aging. The fact that she has curves keeps her young, and I am noticing that more and more these days. I just can't get past playing those old tapes that make me freak when the scale starts to climb, and smile when it is down!! It is silly and just decades of programming. Now I "intellectually" want to gain some pounds, but emotionally find myself fighting it! If anything can get me past this fear of pounds, her beautiful feminine form should!

[~^~RedFlame~^~]

Originally Posted by Jane C

I am a big fan of the MR Unpluggeds. I have them all and use them frequently. I find them very user friendly, they're easy to mix and match, and I love tht I can use my own music. I love Margaret's personality on the programs, the nice outdoor set, and I find them surprisingly effective.

I don't care for Jari Love - I find her robotic and her moves stress the joints.

Hi Jane!! Thinking of your wonderful music, LOL!! The Unplugged is the part that I would worry about here. I LOVED the music she used,or the channel used, for her Body Electric segments. Great soft easy listening which shocked me that I liked it!! But it was perfect with her style. I don't want to have to figure the tempo of the music and try to match that often, it is a bit of a job!!

[Lucky Star]

Red, thanks for your thoughtful reply - I always love reading your posts; you are so knowledgable and so kind about sharing that knowledge.

[kelsey211]

Here's a listing of the songs that Margaret used for the current TV series (i.e., the Unpluggeds) : http://www.bodyelectrictv.com/Exercise&Music.htm

She's got great taste in music.

[lfcjasp]

Yes, Margaret is a little heavier than when she was younger, but gosh does it look good on her. I'm like you with the scale, but I'm still trying to get into that healthier weight range (WW's recs)...but will be content to be in the higher part of that range, not the lower, where I was many years ago

To Lucky Star: I have no idea if Karen and Margaret or any instructor for that matter, does ONLY the workouts they market to US, but one thing that may help you is to remember many of these women (and men, too!) have been working out for decades. If you have been, too, then you may well be asking a question that deserves a better answer. I haven't been that consistent, but if I had, I'd look a whole lot better than I do today (and I don't look so badly anyway!). Karen and Margaret come from the discipline of dancing IIRC, so they'd look great as well as being so strong to begin with.

Also they not only put out these workouts, many of them are still instructing in their gyms/studios as before. Kelly C-M has posted her class teaching regimen and that's about all she does for exercising! But again, she's been at this for over 20 years! Cathe and Jari still teach, too. Hope this helps.

Another thing to remember (and we really can't go into it here) is they are used to eating pretty cleanly or strictly. Karen Voight is known for being pretty strict on her diet. That may account for a lot in appearance for many of these folks! They know many of us, at least subconsciously, judge the effectiveness of their workouts by how they LOOK!