STS FAQ

#1 Cathe Describes STS in her Own Words.

Hi Everyone! I am noticing that there is still a bit of confusion surrounding the STS program and also that many are still viewing the series as a bit complicated and perhaps overwhelming. I am just wondering if I, or even Chris, are failing to explain anything properly. The only reason I ask is because I am THE LAST person who will touch a complicated program. I won't go near anything that I have to read at length to "get it". So doing these rehearsals and feeling the ease at which the routines flow, the soreness they are producing, and the muscle recruitment of the various applied techniques, I can't help but feel the need to let you know how uncomplicated, yet very effective, this system is.

All you have to do is find your one rep max...that’s it!

And if you don't want to use an online rep max calculator, simply pick up a weight that makes you say "hmmm, I don't know about that weight" and try to lift it 10 times. If you keep good form while turning all funny shades of red and say things I can't type here...you found your weight. But if you are losing your form and not even getting 8 reps out of that weight its too heavy. On the other hand if you are getting 15 reps like a breeze, do yourself a favor and load up!!

Also, I noticed that many people are feeling the sound of 37 DVD's is just too many workouts, when in essence it is no different than the 10 to 12 original DVD's we were going to make. Those 10 to 12 were just going to contain the EXACT SAME premixes that we have now chosen to put on individual discs. Yes, it is more discs, but this is actually done to simplify things by not having to use dual layer discs (which sometimes causes frustrating glitches) and the ability to let you mix and match more freely if you choose to do the program outside of the structured STS format. Plus we can edit the program much faster and better by doing it this way and the quality of each program will be superior to what we could do with a premix. We will keep the 37 discs in handy compact cases so that you don't have them scattered and separated on your shelf.

Here is how the program works:

MESOCYCLE #1 - Muscle Endurance (60% to 70% of 1RM)… In this phase the workouts will feel similar in nature (yet totally different format) to our other muscle endurance type workouts...working with higher reps ( 15 reps or more)....Here is where we burn calories, develop muscular endurance for long term activities, build stamina, and condition the joints, tissues, tendons for the next phase.....let the soreness begin

#1 Week ONE/Day One...(Chest, Shoulders & Biceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 1
At Least A Day Off In Between
#2 Week ONE/Day Two.... (Back & Triceps)- Workout number 2
At Least A Day Off In Between
#3 Week ONE/Day Three... (Legs)- Workout Number 3
At Least A Day Off In Between
#4 WEEK TWO/Day One... (Chest, Shoulders & Biceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 4
At Least A Day Off In Between
#5 Week TWO/Day Two.... (Back & Triceps)- Workout number 5
At Least A Day Off In Between
#6 Week TWO/Day Three... (Legs)- Workout Number 6
At Least A Day Off In Between
#7 Week THREE/Day One... (Chest, Shoulders & Biceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 7
At Least A Day Off In Between
#8 Week THREE/Day Two.... (Back & Triceps)- Workout number 8
At Least A Day Off In Between
#9 Week THREE/Day Three... (Legs)- Workout Number 9
At Least A Day Off In Between
#10 Week FOUR/Day One... (Chest, Shoulders & Biceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 10
At Least A Day Off In Between
#11 Week FOUR/Day Two.... (Back & Triceps)- Workout number 11
At Least A Day Off In Between
#12 Week FOUR/Day Three... (Legs)- Workout Number 12
(((((Active Recovery - Take one week off and do light activities))))))

MESOCYCLE #2 Hypertrophy (70% to 80% of 1RM)...here is where we build LEAN muscle mass, break plateaus, define our muscles, stimulate our metabolism....these workouts will feel similar to our Gym Style Workouts in lifting nature except with a whole new approach, various techniques, and slightly less reps (8reps to 12 reps)

#13 Week ONE/Day One... (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 13
At Least A Day Off In Between
#14 Week ONE/Day Two.... (Legs)-Workout number 14
At Least A Day Off In Between
#15 Week ONE/Day Three... (Back & Biceps)-Workout Number 15
At Least A Day Off In Between
#16 Week TWO/Day One... (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 16
At Least A Day Off In Between
#17 Week TWO/Day Two.... (Legs)-Workout number 17
At Least A Day Off In Between
#18 Week TWO/Day Three... (Back & Biceps)-Workout Number 18
At Least A Day Off In Between
#19 Week THREE/Day One... (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 19
At Least A Day Off In Between
#20 Week THREE/Day Two.... (Legs)-Workout number 20
At Least A Day Off In Between
#21 Week THREE/Day Three... (Back & Biceps)-Workout Number 21
At Least A Day Off In Between
#22 Week FOUR/Day One... (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps)-Pull Out Workout Number 22
At Least A Day Off In Between
#23 Week FOUR/Day Two.... (Legs)-Workout number 23
At Least A Day Off In Between
#24 Week FOUR/Day Three... (Back & Biceps)-Workout Number 24

(((((Take one week off and do light activities))))))

MESOCYCLE # 3....Strength (80% to 90% of 1RM)…here you will do the least reps of all (6reps to 8 reps)…and really challenge the muscle to get stronger. Your body will burn more total fat, even at rest, because you have now increased your lean muscle mass, especially in Meso #2, and overall strength.

#25 Week ONE/Day One... (Chest & Back)-Pull out Workout Number 25
At Least A Day Off In Between
#26 Week ONE/Day Two.... (Legs)-Workout number 26
At Least A Day Off In Between
#27 Week ONE/Day Three... (Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps)-Workout Number 27
At Least A Day Off In Between

#28 Week TWO/Day One... (Chest & Back)-Pull Out Workout Number 28
At Least A Day Off In Between
#29 Week TWO/Day Two.... (Legs)-Workout number 29
At Least A Day Off In Between
#30 Week TWO/Day Three... (Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps)-Workout Number 30
At Least A Day Off In Between

#31 Week THREE/Day One... (Chest & Back)-Pull Out Workout Number 31
At Least A Day Off In Between
#32 Week THREE/Day Two.... (Legs)-Workout number 32
At Least A Day Off In Between
#33 Week THREE/Day Three... (Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps)-Workout Number 33
At Least A Day Off In Between

#34 Week FOUR/Day One... (Chest & Back)-Pull Out Workout Number 34
At Least A Day Off In Between
#35 Week FOUR/Day Two.... (Legs )-Workout number 35
At Least A Day Off In Between
#36 Week FOUR/Day Three... (Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps)-Workout Number 36


The final DVD is Ab Circuits and you can do Ab/core workouts two to three times per week. Two times if using weight with the Ab workout, three times if using no weight. Ab Circuits will be a separate DVD for you to do on times/days that work for you. Remember this will be a 60 minute DVD consisting of six, 10 minute ab/core workouts mixing both traditional and non-traditional exercises within each workout.

We will also be making cardio suggestions for STS. We will provide recommendations for various days, various durations, various types and various intensities. Though I personally prefer that you do cardio on separate days (or at the very least at a different time of the weight day) it is still acceptable to do both on the same day. I realize everyone needs to find the best way to fit their workout routine into their busy lifestyle. We will also include recommendations of things to do during your rest weeks.

While this may look like a lot of words on paper…this is the whole program laid out right before you. Please ask if you have any further questions.

Thanks Everyone
 

#2 Why do I have to take a 1RM test to select my weights in STS?

Selecting the proper weight for an exercise is one of the most important decisions a person makes when working out. If you want to achieve maximum results you must select a weight that is not too light nor too heavy. According to a study done by the University of Michigan, most exercisers select weights that are way too light to stimulate hypertrophy and strength gains in a muscle. The study also showed that when it was left up to the exerciser they usually selected a weight that was only 42% to 57% of their 1RM. This is 20% to 30% less than the weight they should have chosen and barely qualifies as a warm up set. This simply means that the results these individuals could hope to obtain were hindered and greatly reduced simply by selecting a weight that was too light. If you’re going to spend the time to workout, you might as well do it right and select the best weight to help you achieve maximum results. This is why with STS you will use our new website to determine your 1RM for each exercise. Though this will take an investment in time from you in the beginning, the payoffs overtime will be well worth the little time spent doing some simple test's now.  Even if you never purchase STS we hope this project motivates you to reexamine the weights you use when working out.

#3 Why do I need to lift heavy weights?

When we weight lift our goal is to apply a load to a muscle that is beyond normal causing as many “muscle motor units” as possible to be activated causing their associated muscle fibers to contract.  A muscle motor is either turned 100% on or it is 100% off.  Through time and practice from birth your brain learns how many muscle motor units it needs to turn on to lift a small glass of water or something much heavier like a 100lb weight bar. In the case of the small glass of water your brain will only turn on a few muscle motor units, otherwise you would throw the glass of water through the ceiling. With the 100 lb weight bar many more motor units must be turned on in order to lift the bar. Since a muscle motor is either turned on or it stays at rest the weight you lift determines how many muscle fibers are worked. If you only workout with light weights you will only stimulate and work a small percentage of your muscle fibers and thus most of the muscle fibers in your muscle will not experience the wonderful benefits of weightlifting and your results will suffer.

#4 Why is only one workout on one DVD disc?

We want this series to be on single layered discs so there are no layer change points. A single layered disc can only hold about 80 minutes of video at the encode rates we like to use. We also want the option of being able to sell these in workouts separately the future if we decide to do so. With the right type of packaging the discs really will not take up that much room. For example, if we use dual thinset cases the total shelf space will only be about 5 ½ inches. If use a thinset quad case even less room will be needed. By contrast the Hardcore series, which is only 11 DVDs takes up nearly 7 inches of shelf space. We’re still looking at various packaging options, but I don’t think shelve space is really going to be a problem for anyone with STS.

#5 Will STS bulk me up?

STS is not a system that will bulk individuals. Perhaps the oldest myth in weightlifting  is that lifting heavy weights will cause females to bulk. Women just don’t naturally have enough testosterone in their bodies to develop huge massive muscles. I can tell you from my our personal experience and from observing nearly a 1000 people each day using our health club in NJ  for the last 20 years that heavy lifting  only improves a women’s physique. Building muscle takes a huge amount of effort with no room to do much else than focus on lifting hard and heavy and eating constantly to support muscle growth. It is just not that easy to build bulk even for a male....or  for those who are predisposed to this genetically.
STS will enhance muscle definition, increase lean muscle density, reduce overall body fat, increase your metabolism, and improve your overall energy, health, and vitality. If you’re a female and want to look your best –YOU NEED TO LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS!

#6 Why does STS have two Active Recovery weeks and what does this mean?

There will be two one week active recovery weeks allotted during STS.  The first “rest” week  will occur at the end of week four which is the end of Mesocycle #1 (muscle endurance). The 2nd “rest” week follows the end of Mesocycle #2 (hypertrophy) which is just after week #9.  So your two active recovery rest weeks are week #5 and week #10.  By active recovery week we don’t mean that you lay around the house doing nothing, but at the same time you need to let your body and mind relax during this week. As Cathe says, “we’re taking a break – not a vacation”.

One of the hardest things to teach serious exercisers is that by taking breaks they will improve over the long haul more than if they had worked out nonstop.  An active rest recovery week will also help to prevent overuse injuries and mind fatigue. During this week you might want to try something like a relaxing Yoga video or a Cathe stretch DVD. Perhaps you will want to do some outdoor activities like walking, tennis or hiking. Whatever you do it should be a light activity as you’re letting your body recover from the previous Mesocycle while getting ready for the more intense Mesocycle to follow.

#7 STS only has strength training workouts, what about cardio?

We will make recommendations in the STS Workout manual concerning cardio, but this is really going to be dependent on your lifestyle and the type of cardio you prefer to do. With STS you can use any of Cathe’s numerous cardio workouts or any other instructors’ cardio DVDs that you prefer. You can also use your treadmill, exercise bike or elliptical. We believe in “Balance” and always promote and encourage exercisers to choose various types of activities, but always make sure to include cardio, strength training and stretching into your weekly fitness routines. In the future we will develop cardio STS routines that are also based on periodization.

#8 What about rep speed and will you follow the beat of the music in STS?

We will use various tempo speeds throughout STS as just another tool to constantly confuse your muscles. Tempo will be listed on our website and in your handbook as a 4 digit number; i.e., 2-1-1-0. The first number (2 in this case) refers to the eccentric (negative) part of the movement in seconds. The second number (1 in this case) refers to the pause at the bottom of the negative stroke. The third number (1 in this case) refers to the speed of the positive stroke and the last number (0 in this case) refers to the pause at the end of the positive stroke. I know it sounds confusing, but it really is simple once you get used to it.
The greatest muscle fiber stimulation occurs in a stroke of no more than 4 seconds. Thus our rep speed or tempo as we call it, will usually be between 1 and 4 seconds. Sometimes we will pause and sometimes we will not. Our most common rep speed  (negative or positive stroke) will be 2 seconds or less.
Since we encourage people to use our 1RM test in selecting their weights we want you to lift to failure in many of the sets you will perform. This causes several problems as far as music is concerned. First, as you begin to tire your rep speed will slow down. Second, different people will fail at different points during each set of an exercise. Some people may only be able to get 8 reps while others will be able to do 12.
There is no perfect solution for this, but we have what we feel is the best solution. Instead of Cathe following the music, the music will come and follow Cathe. This is not easy to do and requires some highly skilled technicians and musicians and is very expensive to do. But this how movies are actually made and this is how we plan on making STS.

#9 I am looking to increase muscle size, definition and tone. Don't you have to add bulk to enhance muscle definition and increase muscle density?

This is a great question and actually a quite a common one amongst many people. Not to worry, the hypertrophy phase of Mesocycle #2 addresses your exact concerns. Here is how: Hypertrophy is best developed using reps in the 8-12 rep range (70% to 80% of your 1RM). But it is also important to point out that hypertrophy is dependent upon relative weight, not absolute weight. That means if you begin a new weight routine using weights in the 70% to 80% range your muscles will experience hypertrophy in the beginning because the intensity is new and different from what your muscles were used to. However, if you always lift the same weight (absolute), after a short period of time your muscles will stop growing and you will plateau. This is why periodization is important as we change things up during each mesocycle such as the intensity (amount lifted) of the exercise. Since hypertrophy responds best to relative changes in weight, by simply making weekly or biweekly changes (up and down) in the amount of weight used and the exercises performed in this mesocycle, you will continue to experience hypertrophy for a much longer time and will eventually be able to reach the goal that seems to have eluded you so far. Expect to see “back off sets” as well as other effective muscle building techniques in Mesocycle #2 Hypertrophy Phase to help prevent plateaus.

#10 What is periodization?

The STS workouts are based on the training principle of Periodization. Periodization is simply an organized approach to weight training and exercise that involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a workout program during a specific period of time. In our case we have designed STS to be a 3 ½ month program featuring three workout cycles called Mesocycles, each lasting four weeks. You will get a different workout every week for a total of 12 weeks along with an active recovery week between the Mesocycles to help your body rejuvenate and your mind prepare for the next cycle. Because of the way in which we vary the intensity (weight lifted) and the volume (reps and sets) of each exercise over the 3 month workout period you should obtain faster and better results than if you had chosen your workouts at random. Periodization has been around for decades and is used by most strength training coaches and personal trainers to train their athletes and clients. With STS we truly are bringing you a health club workout into the privacy of your own home.

#11 What are the STS payment options?

Our special Presale offer allows you the following payment options:

Option A: Our Best Deal! (only $6.11 per DVD +S/H)

Purchase Mesocycle #1, #2 and #3 (all 36 DVDs) and get Ab Circuits for Free
Paid in Full at $225.99 + s/h (normal PIF price excluding Ab Circuits is $279 + s/h)

Option B: (only $5.67 per DVD +S/H)
Purchase Mesocycle #1, #2 and #3 (all 36 DVDs) and get Ab Circuits for Free

Pay in 3 monthly payments of $79.99 each + s/h (credit card required)
Total $239.97 + s/h
If you choose the 3 monthly payment option your credit card will be charged ($79.99 + s/h) plus any current DVDs you may also order within a few days of your purchase and then your next payment ($79.99)will be charged about 30 - 40 days later and you r final payment ($79.99)will be charged about 60-70 days after your purchase date.

As long as you PREORDER STS DVDs ABOVE, you can also order any of our 66 DVD that we currently have in stock and save on shipping (USA customers only). You will only be charged a shipping charge for the presale DVDs. Any current DVDs that you order with your preorder will be shipped immediately by UPS ground at no charge to you! Your presale DVDs will ship once they're available. International Customers: Due to the high cost of shipping (usually well above what we charge), we cannot ship a partial order. Any current DVDs you order will ship along with your presale DVDs once they're available

#12 Do I need a lot of equipment to do STS?

No, STS really doesn't require any more equipment than we have used in our other videos with the one exception being a pull up bar for pull-ups (you can use elastic tubing as an option or substitute another back exercise if you prefer).

The equipment needed for STS is a bench or step, a weight adjustable barbell, a wide variety of dumbbells, a stability ball, a resistance band, paper plates, and good focus. Other pieces of equipment are totally optional such as a pull up bar (or tubing), weighted vest, ankle weights, micro load weighted gloves, and slanted risers.

#13 When will STS Ship?

It really is impossible to predict a ship date with a project of this size and we learned the hard way along time ago to never give tentative dates for presales until the project is finished and off to the duplicators. Quality takes time and we want STS to the best produced videos on the market today when they are released. With a total of 41 STS workouts this will of course take time. Please visit our STS Blog for major announcements about the progress of STS or visit the STS Forum to ask any question you may  have or to read the thousands of threads about STS from our customers and Staff. Though we don't give estimated release dates you can control how long you are willing to wait by taking advantage of our no hassle presale cancellation policy at anytime you choose.

#14 How Do I Order?

Our STS Presale is now underway. To order please go to:
http://www.cathe.com/Presale_Launch_2007DVD.htm