newbie...overwhelmed!

[mom2one]

I am brand new to Cathe's workouts and looking to purchase some soon, but not sure which ones or how to even rotate them and make them a routine suited for my goals! Hoping I can get some help from all you Cathletes!

My goals: I have lost over 90 lbs. in the last 6 years and am now looking to gain muscle. I'm 45 yrs old, 5'2 and currently weigh 107lbs. I would like to get to a healthier weight of 110 lbs. but the weight on the scale itself is not as important to me as building lean muscle is.

I'm currently doing ChaLEAN Extreme (2nd round) and lifting 3x a week with 1x week of intervals with light weights and 1x a week of yoga/stretching.

Any suggestions you all can share as to what Cathe dvd's and a routine in which to use them in order to reach my goal would be greatly, greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[missyt]

Hello. Since you are trying to gain lean muscle... I would suggest starting with the LIS series. This would get you use to Cathe workouts and then I would work your way to do the STS series.

Hope this helps.

[bpurcell]

You can't go wrong with Cathe's STS series. You do need quite a bit of equipment and there is a significant expense involved. I recommend checking her website for information about STS and seeing if that is what you're looking for. Good luck!

[Janis]

First, congratulations on your weight loss and your fitness gains.

Second, welcome!

Now to your questions –

I suggest you buy STS first and, if in your budget, AB Circuits and Shock Cardio to use with it. Then purchase STS Total Body and Higher Reps, then Butts & Guts or Lower Body Blast, or both. Then buy LIS or Hardcore or Body Blast....series.

STS is a fantastic lifting program, but it is also a lifting tutorial. Cathe teaches. You will reach your body composition goals by doing exactly what she says to do. I just began my 5th round, and, once again, I am impressed by how intelligent and professional this program is. You can start the program with the weights you have, and add to your collection over time. The entire program is adaptable to just dumbbells or just a barbell. Don't be afraid of all the equipment you see.

As for gaining lean muscle weight without adding fat, I suggest that you look at the Workout Manager and Nutrition Manager available here, the SNM team have made truly state-of-the-art tools for cathletes to use. The Cathe Nation - Workout Manager

and also look at this calculator/tool website. Weight Gain Calculator

Both will help you determine your caloric intake. You want to add –ever so slightly – to your maintenance calories.

Plan to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. Keep your meals balanced. For example, this is the ratio that works for me, 15 grams of complex carbohydrate to every ounce of protein, and about 10 -15 grams of fat per meal. This ratio of carb to protein will help you build and repair your muscles while also keeping you well fueled for your next workout. (And you’ll sleep like a baby at night.)

Finally – post on this forum frequently; ask questions, discuss your journey, post your results.

[jldx2in2000]

STS is great but as mentioned it is pricey and equipment heavy. If you don't want to invest that much initially, look into the Gym Styles workouts under the Hardcore series. These workouts were my introduction into heavy weight lifting. I think they are great for any level since you can adjust your weights to fit your level of weight lifting.

As far as rotations, there are a ton of rotations listed under the DVD rotations forum. Cahte has developed several over the years for building strength and lean muscle mass. If you decide on the Gym Styles, here are a couple rotations Cathe put together for building Strength:

March Rotation/Hardcore Series Celebration - The Cathe Nation

APRIL ROTATION: Building Strength - The Cathe Nation

You can easily sub in any cardio activity you want if you don't have the DVD listed.

Good luck!

[momto4]

STS is fantastic but as others have indicated it does use a lot of equipment and the costs can add up.
For building muscle and strength I use the Gym Styles dvd's, as well as Slow & Heavy and Pyramid Upper and Lower Body. I also love Pure Strength, it's older but a great dvd. For me the key is to life as heavy as possible while still using proper form.

[Stacy]

STS is great but as others have said can get pricey. A good alternative is purchasing the 3 Gym Style dvds and doing them each once a week.

Congrats on your weight loss!! I'm petite as well and curious how did you lose the weight, especially those pesky "last 10-15 lbs"??

[tralaiven]

Hi mom2one....there are many good weight workouts by Cathe. The full STS program might be overwhelming for you to start out with. But that is totally up to you....

Personally, to build more muscle I would start with High Reps or STS Total Body or both and alternate them. They are really good total body weight workouts.

Then, if you like those you could add some of her other total body weight workouts.

[mini-natty]

Hi there!

Welcome to Cathe and congrats on the wonderful weight loss!!!!!

I can somewhat relate to your post because I'm 5'1 and my lowest weight was 105lbs in my early 20's. Fast forward 10 years and 1 child later, and my weight fluctuates between 114-118 lbs, but I have A LOT more muscle mass at this weight and look leaner than I did at my lowest weight (I rarely did weight training). I am fairly new to Cathe, May 2012 will be 1 year. Yes, it is very intimidating for a newbie. So many workouts to chose! I would suggest you start with an entire series/program to get a "feel" for Cathe (and you'll save money by purchasing in a bundle). In a series, you will get cardio & strength, everything you'll need to get your body in the best shape of your life. This series is probably regarded as one of Cathe's best:
Intensity Series

There are so many other's as well to suit your taste/needs.
Cathe Friedrich - Programs

If investing in a series is not in your budget, you can surely just chose perhaps 2 total body strength training (I would recommend Muscle Max and High Reps) and a few cardio of choice (kickboxing, step, floor areobics) and add from there. You'll get accustomed to Cathe's style and keep coming back to purchase more with confidence.

STS is like others have stated, excellent but pricey and equipment heavy, but nonetheless an excellent purchase if you chose to invest. I am starting STS next month, but like the above poster (Tracy) mentioned it is overwhelming, and I'm glad I waited 1 full year to start it. With Cathe's strength/cardio I have been able to see muscles appear in my body that I never knew existed, plus I was able to tone down a very stubborn pear shape body and lose inches, while gaining lean muscle mass. Her stuff is extremely effective!!

If you have any more questions, ask away! This forum has wonderful people with excellent advice. Perhaps go to the Ask Cathe forum and she might even suggest a program or a rotation for you!

Good luck!

Natasha

[Davidj]

Congrats to coming on board and your recent weight loss.

I agree with some of the comments on this thread that STS might be a bit pricey to start with. If you are interested in building a bit of muscle, with a modest weight gain, you might try to start with Cathe's Slow and Heavy series and her Pyramid Upper and Lower Body series. Also you might find the 4-day split worthwhile as a starter before STS. People over on the STS discussion board have mentioned that with STS a slight weight gain can happen, so eventually you might want to work up to STS.
-- David