Gym Style Series - considering buying

[lainabaina]

hello...i'm thinking of buying GS legs, both upper body DVD's and IMAX 3. i need a break from STS and I have heard good things abt GS DVD's. would love to hear your opinions so gush away!

[112toGuru]

There's that 20% coupon too for four DVDs....just add another, hmmm?

I don't have those....and yes.....they're on the wish list!

[jewels5]

I do not have STS, but I love the GS series. I first bought GS Legs and waited awhile getting the other two. Once I got them I regretted not getting them all together. I would definitely recommend all three!

As for IMAX 3, I just downloaded it this morning. (It's on sale in case you weren't aware.) I don't think I can give it a fair review because I am not working out at the intensity I'd like to be (knee issue and recent case of shin splints). So I had to modify most of what I was able to make it through, which was about the seventh interval. But I don't regret buying it, that's for sure.

[lisa_la_machina]

I think the GS series is a great purchase, especially if you want to keep using the split format for weight training (as opposed to total body weight workouts like MM).

GS Legs is unquestionably my favorite Cathe leg workout (and I have all of them). It is fun yet very challenging. I would describe it as a mixture of the Meso 1 and Meso 2 approaches. There is endurance work where you are using light weights (like stationary lunges with 5lb dumbbells) or the floor work during the second half of the workout, then there are other moves where you can go heavier, like the 3 (I think) sets of squats at the beginning or the plie squats later on. And she keeps you moving the entire time, so you are huffing and puffing for a solid hour. The premixes are also great if you are short on time or want to add a GS "boost" to another workout. I love GS Legs so much that my DH often teases me by saying, "What did you do for your workout today? Let me guess, GS Legs?"

GS Chest & Tris is my "love to hate it" workout. It's a killer. It opens with a gazillion push ups, done in drop set fashion. Then you move on to more traditional weight moves for the chest (flat and incline presses and flyes--3 sets of 12 reps each, I think). It's more like Meso 3 in the sense that you go as heavy as you can, with more emphasis on strength than endurance (except for the push ups, that is!). She transitions to triceps using the close grip chest press, and continues burning you from there with the usual suspects (like overhead extensions) and some band work, IIRC.

GS Back, Shoulders & Bis is a friendlier workout. It still gets the job done (I usually feel it in the biceps especially), but I don't feel the dread factor on this one like I do with GS Chest & Tris. The one thing that stands out to me about this video is that the description says its 62 mins long. It isn't. IIRC it's about 48 or 50 mins long.

Did I gush enough about these workouts for you, LOL?

[Kitterfly]

I just got the gym styles except imax 3. I love all of them and agree with everything Lisa above said. I had slow and heavy first and liked those but I really really like these also. i had been waiting to get them and so glad I did!! Maybe next will be sts for me. The chest and triceps made me ouchy for days!, and the first time I did the legs well, sitting down was a intersting task

[ebonynicole]

Originally Posted by lisa_la_machina

I think the GS series is a great purchase, especially if you want to keep using the split format for weight training (as opposed to total body weight workouts like MM).

GS Legs is unquestionably my favorite Cathe leg workout (and I have all of them). It is fun yet very challenging. I would describe it as a mixture of the Meso 1 and Meso 2 approaches. There is endurance work where you are using light weights (like stationary lunges with 5lb dumbbells) or the floor work during the second half of the workout, then there are other moves where you can go heavier, like the 3 (I think) sets of squats at the beginning or the plie squats later on. And she keeps you moving the entire time, so you are huffing and puffing for a solid hour. The premixes are also great if you are short on time or want to add a GS "boost" to another workout. I love GS Legs so much that my DH often teases me by saying, "What did you do for your workout today? Let me guess, GS Legs?"

GS Chest & Tris is my "love to hate it" workout. It's a killer. It opens with a gazillion push ups, done in drop set fashion. Then you move on to more traditional weight moves for the chest (flat and incline presses and flyes--3 sets of 12 reps each, I think). It's more like Meso 3 in the sense that you go as heavy as you can, with more emphasis on strength than endurance (except for the push ups, that is!). She transitions to triceps using the close grip chest press, and continues burning you from there with the usual suspects (like overhead extensions) and some band work, IIRC.

GS Back, Shoulders & Bis is a friendlier workout. It still gets the job done (I usually feel it in the biceps especially), but I don't feel the dread factor on this one like I do with GS Chest & Tris. The one thing that stands out to me about this video is that the description says its 62 mins long. It isn't. IIRC it's about 48 or 50 mins long.

Did I gush enough about these workouts for you, LOL?

Yeah that one sure did say 62 mins and when I did it the other I was like what? I'm doing chest and back in a little bit but I think it's a good series. Working toward STS next

[jewels5]

Originally Posted by ebonynicole

Yeah that one sure did say 62 mins and when I did it the other I was like what? I'm doing chest and back in a little bit but I think it's a good series. Working toward STS next

I don't think I had even noticed that.

Just wanted to add, beware of the calf exercises in GS Legs! Whenever I do them I can't walk for days, lol! Is it just me?! I love it though!

[112toGuru]

Originally Posted by lainabaina

hello...i'm thinking of buying GS legs, both upper body DVD's and IMAX 3. i need a break from STS and I have heard good things abt GS DVD's. would love to hear your opinions so gush away!

I don't know about you, but that description is a winner, I like too that you could use a short, say 50 minute version if you want......I would probably go for Body Max 2 as a fourth, only because I'm not even up to Imax 2 yet...

[lainabaina]

thanks everyone! wow, Lisa...great description, thanks mucho! BTW, what is a DH? I have seen that before.

I definitely had the 20% off coupon in mind for this, too. I think I will get the GS ones and for the 4th still thinking IMAX 3, but need to review Body Max I suppose!

I feel like I'm backwards from most since my first purchase was STS. I am still loving STS and the coolest thing lately is that my teenage son is starting to do these workouts on his own. this morning I found MMA Boxing in the DVD player! and my younger son likes to do No Equipment Abs and Stability ball abs from the STS Abs DVD.

really looking forward to GS...thanks again!!

[lisa_la_machina]

Originally Posted by lainabaina

thanks everyone! wow, Lisa...great description, thanks mucho! BTW, what is a DH? I have seen that before.

I definitely had the 20% off coupon in mind for this, too. I think I will get the GS ones and for the 4th still thinking IMAX 3, but need to review Body Max I suppose!

I feel like I'm backwards from most since my first purchase was STS. I am still loving STS and the coolest thing lately is that my teenage son is starting to do these workouts on his own. this morning I found MMA Boxing in the DVD player! and my younger son likes to do No Equipment Abs and Stability ball abs from the STS Abs DVD.

really looking forward to GS...thanks again!!

Lainabaina, you are welcome! And DH = dear husband. Cool that your DS (dear son) is working out now, following your good example.

I forgot to mention earlier that Imax 3 is a toughie. I like Imax 1 the best (it's retro--Cathe is wearing an awesome headband!), but Imax 3 is my second favorite Imax. It's definitely harder than Imax 2, but the choreography is fairly straightforward and you should catch on with little trouble if you are somewhat familiar to step. Honestly, I use BM2 more than the Imaxes. It starts w/30 mins of step, then you do 25-ish mins of power circuits, which are 5 (maybe 4, can't remember) different rounds of high intensity step moves + high rep leg work. After a brief cool down you move into 20 mins upper body weights and 10 mins of abs. The entire workout is LONG (approx 90mins), but I use this more than the Imaxes b/c there are some really great premixes on the disc (the 78 min BM2 "boot camp" is one of my all-time fave premixes).

I'm sure you will love whatever you decide to buy. You really can't go wrong with Cathe!