STS first time!

[marazoe]

Carolyn - Grateful Dog - Those exercises you are speaking of have their own name. For instance ; Standing quarter stop curls both arms
Seated front press double arms 1.5's
Seated concentration curls 1.5's

You're not a meathead. You are just learning. The people on this forum are so nice and helpful as i am sure you have noticed. I don't post alot myself but i read alot.
The 1 rm's are very time consuming but just take your time and enjoy it. I didn't do them right the 1st time but now on my 3rd round i think i have done them correctly.
I hope that helped.
Jean

[ro'connell]

Betty,
It took me about 4 days - I'd do them in the evening, (My normal exercise time is in the morning) so that I wasn't too worn out when I did it. From now on there will be some repeating of the exercises with each disk, so the rest should not take as long.

[gratefuldog]

I am almost done my 1rm's!! What a lot of work! I think I need to go back and do some again. Some of the weight selections were off and I was able to do like 30 reps! That isn't right!
My pull up bar just arrived today! I got the kind that hooks to the joists in the basement ceiling. I am also going to move a small tv/dvd combo into my teeny tiny weight room. That way I can use my weight bench and tower, instead of my step on leg days. If I can do ONE pull up when the 3 months is up I am going to give Cathe a big huge hug through the tv!! I will be totally floored if I can do that!
We shall see!
Are you guys getting psyched up for this?! No one has posted recently so I hope we aren't losing our enthusiam!
Carolyn

[Epcot Chick]

Originally Posted by gratefuldog

I am almost done my 1rm's!! What a lot of work! I think I need to go back and do some again. Some of the weight selections were off and I was able to do like 30 reps! That isn't right!
My pull up bar just arrived today! I got the kind that hooks to the joists in the basement ceiling. I am also going to move a small tv/dvd combo into my teeny tiny weight room. That way I can use my weight bench and tower, instead of my step on leg days. If I can do ONE pull up when the 3 months is up I am going to give Cathe a big huge hug through the tv!! I will be totally floored if I can do that!
We shall see!
Are you guys getting psyched up for this?! No one has posted recently so I hope we aren't losing our enthusiam!
Carolyn

Hello, Grateful Dog-

How long did it take you to do all of the 1RM tests? My STS package arrives tomorrow and I'm very excited. Part of me wants to start ASAP and part of me wants to wait until after the Holidays, where there is no danger of me skipping a workout because of impromptu gathering and what not.

Also, I don't have a barbell, but I have dumbells that go up to 60# total. I also have nowhere to put a pull up bar or a doorway for a bracket to use the tubing, since I workout in a great room. Grrrr..

[gratefuldog]

It looks like it will take me about a week total to finish. I am just doing a little at a time. Even though it is just one set of each exercise, it makes you sore! Or atleast it did me! I had to give myself a day to rest after my first attempt at doing them!
A group of us are going to start on December 19. Jump in and join us once you start. The more people we have the less apt we will be to back out!
Carolyn

[Bettypcw]

I'm scratching my head because I thought I finished shoulders/biceps/chest and triceps/back 1 RMs. I am using the Week 1 Discs 1 and 2 to guide me on the exact form and equipment, but it seems like there are many more of those exercises. So do I find them in Week 2 and so on?

I also calculated some incorrectly, with some exercises going over 30 reps! If only I had seen the tip "You need to experience failure as close to 10 reps as possible when you do a test" before I started! I re-did them today, so my arms are quite tired as I'm typing this.

I'm doing this week's regular workouts on MWF (no weights), and then right after, I do the 1RMs. So this Friday I'll do legs. I think I'm still on track for Dec 19, since I'm following the Week 1 discs.

It has taken me just under an hour and a half to do each group so far. And then I do an extended stretch after. All very time-consuming! I keep asking myself why I complicated things by adding STS, when I have so many Cathe workouts I haven't quite mastered yet?!

So do I understand correctly that when I start the rotation, each time I do a workout I'll have to print out an STS card?

I'm excited for you, Epcot Chick/Jen! Have fun! I don't have a pullup bar or doorway bracket either, so I'm not sure how I will deal with those when I get there.

Keep on truckin'!

Betty

[ro'connell]

Originally Posted by Bettypcw

I'm scratching my head because I thought I finished shoulders/biceps/chest and triceps/back 1 RMs. I am using the Week 1 Discs 1 and 2 to guide me on the exact form and equipment, but it seems like there are many more of those exercises. So do I find them in Week 2 and so on?

I also calculated some incorrectly, with some exercises going over 30 reps! If only I had seen the tip "You need to experience failure as close to 10 reps as possible when you do a test" before I started! I re-did them today, so my arms are quite tired as I'm typing this.

I'm doing this week's regular workouts on MWF (no weights), and then right after, I do the 1RMs. So this Friday I'll do legs. I think I'm still on track for Dec 19, since I'm following the Week 1 discs.

It has taken me just under an hour and a half to do each group so far. And then I do an extended stretch after. All very time-consuming! I keep asking myself why I complicated things by adding STS, when I have so many Cathe workouts I haven't quite mastered yet?!

So do I understand correctly that when I start the rotation, each time I do a workout I'll have to print out an STS card?

I'm excited for you, Epcot Chick/Jen! Have fun! I don't have a pullup bar or doorway bracket either, so I'm not sure how I will deal with those when I get there.

Keep on truckin'!

Betty

Betty, about your pullup bar dilemma, If you go to CatheTV and watch the first video for STS, she demonstrates how you can do a "pull up" with a band. I've done P90x before and they also demonstrate this method. For me, I have a ballet barre and will be doing mine lying down. Although this targets the muscles a little differently, and I have an in the door pull up bar, I have to use a chair (because I can't do even one unassisted) and I always feel that I put to much weight into my supporting leg, so I like the supine position better.

Yes, there is a workout card for each disk, and as you go the weight it recommends will increase. Fortunately, once you finish your 1RM tests for the first week, you will be using some of those exercises again. And so when you do the tests for the second week, you don't have to repeat the tests for those exercises (unless you want to - since it takes a while to start choosing the right weight to test with, I think I'm going to finish and then go back and do the first ones again).

In regards to the tip "You need to experience failure as close to 10 reps as possible when you do a test," for some exercises the muscles I'm working don't get really close to failure because some other part of my body (my back usually) starts to strain. Has anyone else had this problem while testing?

~Rachel

[kikster]

Hey Ladies! Just wanted to give congrats to you all for getting ready to start w/STS. It's a great program and you're sure to love it and be SO proud of yourself when you finish! There are a couple of STS check-in's over in the check-in and challenges forum, if you wanted to have even more encouragement. It's always fun doing it together, plus with so many people doing or having finished you'll have people at every level. This always makes it exciting since those that are doing it with you are experiencing what you're experiencing, and those that are ahead of you can give you advice from experience, and those that are behind you can benefit from your advice and encouragement.

Just a suggestion. When I joined a check-in, it really helped me to maximize my goals w/STS and it's a great way to really get to know your fellow Catheletes I'm in two of the STS check-in's now, and either one would be glad to have you:

STS Pyramid Challenge - December

STS BODY ROCKERS WEEK 12/5=)

Or you could start your own!

Happy STSing!

[Epcot Chick]

My STS arrived today. I am so freaking excited! I have wanted this since the pre-sale, but I was about to start grad school, and had to be careful with my money. This is a birthday/Christmas present from my husband. (My birthday is Monday. December b-days suck sometimes.)

I am going to go to Play It Again Sports at the weekend and see what I can pick up. I am also going to see when I can start doing the 1RM, I did Muscle Max today after a 6 mos hiatus and I'm starting to feel a bit sore.

Woo hoo!!! Crank it up!

[ro'connell]

Jen - congrats! and Happy Birthday! I need to make a run to Play it Again Sports myself, I don't have 12lb dumbells.

Everyone - What Cardio are you all doing? How are you planning to include abs?

I'm going to do mostly the Low Impact series cardio workouts and I have a few of the STS Shock Cardio that I might do too. I Love the travel fit video too and so I might do that on some Saturdays, if I'm not too sore (otherwise, lots of yoga My plan is to do abs first each day before STS. When I did P90x I never would do the abs if I waited until afterward because I was too tired. Plus trying to block out two workout times into my day is next to impossible.

~Rachel