Cathe Step workouts

jengollf

jengollf

Cathlete
Hello! I am fairly new to Cathe though I have accumulated a nice collection of her workouts over the past 5 months or so (18 DVDs). I bought one of her step workouts about 4-5 years ago because I heard she did the most intense step workouts out there. I was doing The Firm and Gin Miller workouts at the time and was looking for something more challenging. The choreography to the Cathe step workout I bought was so complex I didn't really get a decent workout because I was lost throughout most of it. The workouts I have recently been purchasing either don't have a step component in them or the step section is basic and athletic (which is just what I like--intense but no complex choreography)--To the Max, Cardio Supersets, Athletic Training. These workouts surprised me btw--I didn't expect such "doable" step choreography from Cathe.

That brings me to my question--I'm interested in getting more of Cathe's workouts that incorporate step. Which of Cathe's workouts that incorporate step routines (cardio workouts or cardio + strength workouts) have athletic step combos that are doable for people with 2 left feet. I don't want to waste my money on workouts with complex choreography, but so far I love every Cathe workout I own. Of her cardio workouts, I have all of her kickboxing ones, HIIT, Crossfire/To the Max, Cardio Core Circuit and Cardio Supersets.
 
Cathe's Basic Step/Body Fusion DVD is beginner/intermediate and can help you learn Cathe's style of choreography because there's more repetition than in her other workouts.

If you have a high step, then High Step Challenge and High Step Training both have cardio using the smaller step that has easy choreography, but is still challenging cardio.
 
I posted where did it go! I suggest doing the high step ones. Also if u would like to try to learn the person who jjust posted put in thee beginer step and fusion. That is good but then if u want alittle more then low impact step is good 40 minutes long u can makke it easy by using just topper til u learn the moves. You caan add risers as you learn. It. But if you ddo these you can learn tthen more advanced ones. I use this one. On days I don't feel like exercise but ii know I need to do something! I ddoo sweat to.. noot like ttm but I can get in a sweat if I reach further jump higher and so on. It is the first. One listed. If u click the catagory forr step in cathes shop.com. hope it helps!
 
Most of the step combos in Imax 2 have pretty basic choreography. I started with Imax 2 after mastering basic step/body fusion. It's still the most used cathe dvd in my collection.
 
amberdawn said:
Most of the step combos in Imax 2 have pretty basic choreography. I started with Imax 2 after mastering basic step/body fusion. It's still the most used cathe dvd in my collection.
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I can't do the flying angel can you tell me how you did it ..I mean is there a trick? I love imax2 it is easy choreography wise. But flying angel I don't know what I'm doing lol. Thanks
 
ReneePruitt said:
I can't do the flying angel can you tell me how you did it ..I mean is there a trick? I love imax2 it is easy choreography wise. But flying angel I don't know what I'm doing lol. Thanks
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I love the Flying Angel!

Cathe originally taught this move in Step Fit. She started with outer thighs on the side of the step. If your platform is to your left, put your left leg on and raise your right leg out the side, then step down on the floor and lift your left leg, then back up on the step and raise the right leg, then step down and tap your left foot on the floor. Repeat until you feel comfortable with it. Then, repeat the move with a hop every time you place the foot down (except, of couse, the Down-Tap). Finally, when you step on the step.with the left foot, turn 180 degrees on the hop, so that you are facing the back wall. Stay there, shift to your right leg and hop, then when returning to the left leg, turn 180 degrees back the way you came, and Down-Tap.

HTH! Let me know if it wasn't clear - somtimes it's easier to show than describe!
 
Hello there,

Last year when I found Cathe, I "stepped" for the first time in my entire life. I kid you not, I had never even seen a step in real life! My first workout was Intensity thinking "how hard can this be? You go up, you come down.". Ya, I quickly realized there is more to it than that :eek:. I then humbly downloaded Basic Step/Body Fusion. If you have two-left-feet, that is THE workout to get you started! I considered myself to be very choreo-challenged, and was extremely intimidated by any step workout that did not involve athletic-style moves. I'm glad I stuck with it, and now I can enjoy all of Cathe's step routines. I've never had so much fun exercising and I've never been so fit :D. I would encourage you to eventually give complex-choreo a try. It is not only good for the body, but the brain. BTW, no one just starts out stepping like a pro. It takes LOTS of practice and determination.

I agree with the other poster's, Cathe's "older" step workouts are more athletic in nature. By doing those, you will get accustomed to her style. You never know, one day you might be reaching for Rhythmic Step :D.

Good luck!

Natasha
 
You could get her Classics dvd which has 3 older step workouts, they are a bit dated as far as looks good but they are all solid step routines and Cathe breaks the moves down a bit more in these. These are good ones to learn the moves and from there you can branch out. I also thought the step portion in Cardio&Weights was pretty easy to learn as well the step choreography in Low Impact Circuit (there is a cardio only premix if you arent interested in doing the weight segments). Also you can increase the impact in any step move in LIC, so dont let the "low impact" make you think it is low intensity!
 
My first Cathe step DVD

was LowMax, and I think it does have some athletic moves, and it is not that difficult to learn. The only drawback is that some of the blasts are easier than the step combos.
 
Intensity!

Intensity! Love it!
Simple moves but oh so powerful and fun!
Then it's followed by 2 HiiT workouts, one of them is low impact.
There also is a bootcamp on it.
 
Update

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am pretty sure I now own all of her non-step cardio workouts (except MMA Boxing). I got the high step workouts. I did High Step Challenge this morning and LOVED it. The step portion was definitely my speed. I haven't done High Step Training yet. I also got the Power Hour + DVD that has 3 workouts on it, including BodyMax. Though I loved Power Hour (haven't done the third workout yet), I hated BodyMax. I now have over 20 Cathe workouts and it is the only one I don't like! And it is because of the step cardio. I confess that it was more basic then the nightmare step workout that drove me away from Cathe step workouts many years ago, but it was still too complex for me. I truly have 2 left feet. During BodyMax, I actually tripped over my step and fell on it! I drew blood and have a huge goose-egg on my shin. So when I say I am not coordinated, I am not joking.

I love high intensity, athletic cardio--no choreographed moves. So I have decided to avoid her pure step workouts. All the others I have that use a step I can do with no problem--To the Max, HIIT, LI Athletic Training, LI Cardio Supersets--and High Step Challenge now. I love all of those.
 
My first Cathe Step workout - Body Max

My first Cathe's step workout was Body Max which is not a pure step, it is a circuit step and weight. I had not tried any step before attempting Cathe's. I loved it. I do not recall struggling to learn the moves...It took me time to get my moves clean though.The first thought I had was, "well here is the challenge you were looking for". I have not done the MIS segment often compared to power hours and Body max. I am very attached to Power dvd cause it is my second cathe dvd, it has trigged the fat loss process.I do revisit Body max now and then, it still does whip my legs really good :D

Now IMAX3, was a complete different animal...moves were difficult to learn and it has got plyometrics moves. Heart rate is high high high.

To the max and cross fire are for anyone avoiding intricate steps moves.

Hope this helps,

xxx
 
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I actually enjoyed the upper body portion of Body Max, but none of the step work--including the circuits that combined lower body with step. The lower body choreography was more basic than the straight step cardio at the beginning, but I didn't find it fun, like all of her other workouts--and it still required some coordination.

I have no problems with plyometrics--I have done (and still do) Insanity, and many other plyo workouts. I can do a hard/intense workout--in fact, that is what I love and look for. It's complex choreography that I hate.

But that's just a personal thing. I know lots of people are coordinated and love it. I am very uncoordinated! But I can jump! :D

That's why I posted, originally--I wanted to know if she had more step workouts that were more my speed because after doing To the Max, HIIT, and LI Athletic Step, I loved how using a step increased the intensity of the workout even more. I had originally assumed all of her step work was full of complex choreograhy until discovering those.

I know if I did some of these step workouts often enough, I would probably learn the choreography. But I like variety and would get bored repeating a workout frequently just because I needed to practice it to learn the moves. I like to be able to pop in a workout and just get an awesome workout--no practice required.
 
When I started with Cathe her SASH Series just came out (LIC, BM2, DM, & BnG). I started for the 1st month with Basic Step. I went right into Rhythmic Step and practically threw it out of the window. It was right after that I purchased the Hardcore Series and the SASH Series.

These are what I recommend for what you are looking for:

* Low Max- has 7 rounds of different step & intervals choreography with no repeats; includes a step-only (no intensity blasts) premix
* Body Max 2 (has my favorite upper body lifting work too!)- Athletic step that is easier to catch onto
* Low Impact Circuit (LIC)- has several premixes for circuits, a total body workout, and step-only
* Cardio Fusion- contains mixed footage from DM, LIC, and BM2; also includes *step only* premix that has routines from both BM2 and LIC. It's a fun way to combine the best of both step workouts.

I LOVE the music in Low Impact Circuit, it's by far my absolute favorite Cathe step workout to date!!! I also enjoy BM2 but my second favorite step routine is 4 Day Split's Lower Intensity Step although most people tend to think 4DS has complex choreography. I personally never found that to be the case. So when you progress past the listed 4 above, look into 4DS's Step Routines. It has some kick-butt strength workouts too!
 
Another idea is to watch the clips she has posted from Hardcore Series and before. Those clips (unless they've been redone) were anywhere from 8-11 minutes long. I would watch those step clips 3-5x before the DVD arrived and it gave me a good sense of what combos where what. I was able to see some of the choreography combined into a routine and thus it allowed me to jump right in with some of her more difficult DVDs.

Imax 3 is another DVD that I enjoyed but it does have more complex movements. I would recommend that as the next step up from Low Max, BM2, and LIC. The ones I've listed previously will give you most of the transition and choreography styles that Cathe tends to use frequently. If you can make it through those, you shouldn't have too many issues progressing into her more complex offerings.

I prefer to stick to her less complex workouts these days as is. I just no longer have the mental desire to think about the combos anymore. I just want to listen to the music and have fun hoping around my step.
 
Cathe step with less choreography

IMHO:

Low impact circuit has less choreography
Cardio superset from Low impact series.
Steps segments from 4DS.

IMAX3 has plyo but the step segment has intricate choreography, so has IMAX2.

Hope this help.

xxx
 
Also two left feet

I started with Cathe in my 30's with two left feet. In fact, it is a common joke with my adult sons just how graceless I am! I am now in my 50's and still a Cathe fan. I have found that for my breaking it down in segments and using the slow button on the DVD helps. I will do the warmup and first segment of a new workout over and over for the first day, using the slow button for moves I just can't get and moving along with the DVD. Then I just continue repeating that segment until my scheduled workout time is up. Next day, WU and second segment, etc. until I can put it all together. I am just not genetically designed to do anything dancey but this works for me, added benefit, I never forget the moves!

My husband was so impressed when I made him watch after learning my first Cathe. It was Stepjam. I still love that one! I've been hooked ever since and have all her dvd's.
 
DRILLMAX. !!!!!!!:)

I think these ladies have the best intentions, but from what you are describing I don't think they even know what you are talking about. I may be presuming here, but I think I know what you are talking about. On those workouts where Cathe never even counts to 8 my brain cannot keep up! :)
Look at the preview for DM.The main workout is a 77 min circuit and there is a cardio timesaver premix that is 39 min. long. This is a DVD you can workout to ( not stand staring at the screen with your mouth wide open!:) )it is for those of us who were NOT cheerleaders or don't really wake up until 10:00-long after our workout was complete.

I wish I could do the step on BM2 and IMAX 2 and..... But for me I don't have the time to commit to learning the routine. I love BM2 for the premix called double upper body (72 min). Also the Upper body segment on the BODYMAX workout is a good one (I just did that yesterday-you do the warmup, skip past the step and power circuits, and you have a nice 46 min upper body workout)

There are two HiiT segments and a BC segment on the Intensity DVD. You may want to consider that one - but I'll warn you -the WARMUP has complicated choreography!!!! ( I hear people laughing! ) However, if you don't mind modifying the warmup, you may like INTESITY. I did that one today! Cathe calls the HiiT segments "random " intervals. It's similar to the HiiT DVD.

You might also consider getting ME/BC DVD. ME alone is worth owning that, but if you like the higher impact , you will also like BC for the cardio.

In terms of BS/ BF, it is a good suggestion to start with BS to learn the step. For me, the problem with that DVD is that BS isn't really a workout, it doesn't get my heart rate up, and BF is WAY too complex for me! The way I do that workout is : ( crazy but it works for me) I bought BS and LM ( which also has difficult choreography) then I got the downloads of both. I used the Workout Blender to make my own mix of BS combos and the Blasts from LM( the blasts are simple choreography), I mix them so it is my own interval workout. It actually is a workout I enjoy!

One last idea is LIC ( the green case) from I think 2006? Of all the ones the gals listed here, That is one I can do( mostly) it -like DM - has a good cardio premix. I think Cathe actually counts to 8 on that one ! :) I think if you want to try it , and you get BS down, the next one to try is LIC.

I hope you find some that work for YOU :)
 
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