Loving fit/split except for abs...

When will Cathe get older and weaker like the rest of us? :(

Lol lol:D One would quote: 'watch me' #Joke!

I believe cathe does have her up and down just like anyone else. She just find a way to keep herself motivated
and passionate enough to get going.;);):)
I wish her the very best to stay healthy, strong mentally and physically.:):)
 
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I can't do planks holding dumbbells because of wrist pain. I've tried 2 different WAGs but neither size worked for me. I went back to using yoga blocks. I have them on top of my exercise mat which is covered with a thick carpet. This combination works the best for me. My wrists leave small indentations in the yoga blocks that take a while to return to normal.

Another suggestion: Think of planks initially as training your wrists and joints with support from core muscles. Same for push ups. Joints take much longer to adapt. Going from vertical (90 degree angle) to horizontal (zero degree) can be too much of a leap. If the stress on the wrists is too severe, the body will not be able to repair. You end up doing more damage. If you've been trying to do planks for a while and not progressing, do planks on a step with several risers. This is what I did to strengthen my weak wrists. Any angle between vertical and horizontal will allow you to progress slowly and will give bones and connective tissues time to adapt. The higher the elevation, the less of your body weight you're putting on your wrists. Pick an elevation that doesn't cause wrist pain to start with and start with a short workout. Just focus on form (ie keeping your body as straight as possible, no hinging) and you'll feel the work. Remove risers 2 to 4 weeks after a level becomes too easy. It might take a year or more to go safely from a step with 4 to 6 risers on each side to the floor.

I have a thick mat that I put on the step (about 1" thick) when I use the step.
 
I can't do planks holding dumbbells because of wrist pain. I've tried 2 different WAGs but neither size worked for me. I went back to using yoga blocks. I have them on top of my exercise mat which is covered with a thick carpet. This combination works the best for me. My wrists leave small indentations in the yoga blocks that take a while to return to normal.

Another suggestion: Think of planks initially as training your wrists and joints with support from core muscles. Same for push ups. Joints take much longer to adapt. Going from vertical (90 degree angle) to horizontal (zero degree) can be too much of a leap. If the stress on the wrists is too severe, the body will not be able to repair. You end up doing more damage. If you've been trying to do planks for a while and not progressing, do planks on a step with several risers. This is what I did to strengthen my weak wrists. Any angle between vertical and horizontal will allow you to progress slowly and will give bones and connective tissues time to adapt. The higher the elevation, the less of your body weight you're putting on your wrists. Pick an elevation that doesn't cause wrist pain to start with and start with a short workout. Just focus on form (ie keeping your body as straight as possible, no hinging) and you'll feel the work. Remove risers 2 to 4 weeks after a level becomes too easy. It might take a year or more to go safely from a step with 4 to 6 risers on each side to the floor.

I have a thick mat that I put on the step (about 1" thick) when I use the step.
I LOVE THIS IDEA!!!! Brilliant, absolutely BRILLIANT!!! Trying this tonight!
 
I, too, have decided I will not be trying this " Bonus Abs" again. Cathe states several time during the workout that this is really a total body workout - and she is right ! I have done it twice modifying a lot because of my wrist issues. The problem is I don't really get a workout because I am modifying so much !
But, I have SO many Cathe DVDs with GREAT core segments that I can do without more injury to my wrists, I will use those instead . :)
I can see how others may like it, but " Bonus Abs" is really not an accurate description. This one is not for me, and that is OK.
( I am not even going to try the Low Impact Cardio, but the Metabolic Training is a great 30 min Timesaver Premix - there are 3 exercises I modify by using push-up bars and just doing standard - or tricep - push-ups. I do triceps planks on my elbow. That works for me! Love it ! )
 
Luckily I have no wrist issues and absolutely love the ab workout in this series. I still can't believe when Cathe continually comes up with moves I've never done before! I must admit that when I started with Cathe-maybe about 8 years ago-I didn't think my right wrist could handle the pushups but have found that whatever "problem" I had was remedied the more I worked out. That actually goes for other things as well. Hey, I even thought I was a terrible jumper until I worked out with Cathe. I'm surprised at what my body can do and loving it!
 
I have to say the more I do this bonus ab section the more I like it. It's become my favorite ab workout by far. Those piston moves really get me and love the innovative moves with the band. That's unfortunate for those with wrist issues. I wish we all could enjoy it this much.
 
Agreed with all the postings.
I have wrist problem and I used dumbbells for planks and push ups. But I ended up hurting (deeply bruising) my palms instead because just the part of the palm that pushes down on the dumbbell takes all the body weight!
 

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