scrapquilter

Dear Dana,
Thanks for your reply. For some reason, it doesn't show on my Cathespace (davidj) -- I am a klutz about these things. So I only read your message after going into your CatheSpace.

I have started a new social forum "For Beginners and Intermediates". This group is intended for people like you and me. If you're logged on, you can access it here:
http://www.thecathenation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=264175

To get onto a social group, I think one has to log in, go to your cp profile, and go in that way. If you have problems, e-mail me and I will look itno it. I think this kind of social group is needed, since I have seen a few posts from beginners, etc., here and there in various forums.

I am originally from Pittsburgh, and as a young teen I used to watch the weekly wrestling shows originating from there. I like the smaller regional wreslting shows (not so much WWF), though in the past I did remember Chyna!

I agree with your position in "thiness". I am strongly -- extremely emotionally -- against Hollywood's support for the "anorexic" look. I also oppose the anorexic look foisted on consumers by fashion designers. I never thought about it until you mentioned this in your post, but Cathe (and the demonstrators she uses) really do work against the anorexic look -- and that's really positive. There needs to be more anti-anorexic role models for people.

Use Collage Video, and view the short clips, to see what strength tapes are useful for you. Also, I have started to blog, mentioning and describing videos that are useful for me (and thus for beginners and intermediates). For example, I described Janet-Jones Gretsky's tape "Firm #3). This is a very useful strength tape for beginners, since all the exercizes in it are uncomplicated and doable.

Also, keep trolling the Amozon DVDs and VHS's for used videos. Over the past year I have ordered old VHS step tapes (Kathy Smith and Jane Fonda), and these are sold at fairly low prices for the most part.

Everything is going well for me this summer (a time of rest and recouperation, to teaching). I am in good health, but worry about the swine flu!
-- David

Hey David,
Sorry, being new to the cathe site, and not familiar with it, I didn't realize you had started this thread.
Looking over some of the entries on cathe's site, you're right, they are heavy duty exercise people. Which is good, but I don't think I will be at that stage for a while. Even with my history of working out.
I started looking at Cathe when I wanted to get back into working out. I used to (and this will show my age here) use Jane Fonda way back when. I liked her and did several of her tapes, which of course are now defunct. (I know collage video has a compilation of her tapes, but for some reason I don't order them).
When I started watching wrestling, that is when I got interested in weight training. They had a show on for a couple of years about how a new person gets into wrestling, the training, the matches, the everything. That is when I saw how you could make your body look. I actually have a tape from WWF, with Chyna, and it is a pretty basic tape, I liked it, but like I said, I don't want to wear it out. I did check amazon, and didn't find that one.
Anyways, kept looking for a person to use, and wanted a good, one. Cathe is listed about number one now for fitness and knowledge. Sometimes when you look through all the exercise videos out there, you don't know who to do. Every one is the greatest for this, or the newest out , or staff favorite, or jane doe's newest hardest workout. Cathe seemed to really be a challenge, and she knows what she is talking about.
I did try Jari Love, and she isn't bad, but just didn't like her enough to keep doing the tapes. Plus she is too thin, and I am overweight enough I don't llike to look at people that are a size 2. Which is not her fault, just when you are 70 pounds overweight, it is hard to relate. I know Cathe is in awesome shape, but after watching her video clips, she seems like someone I could at least follow,and listen to. We'll see.
I think I am going to order boot camp and muscle endurance. I am so out of shape, and I wouldn't have to do a separate cardio tape with Boot camp. I could do a stretch tape in between or a yoga tape. I could also do the muscle endurance a couple of times a week I guess. I don't know. I change my mind every day it seems.
I was hoping that Cathe would answer. Posting on the ask Cathe forum was the advice of the customer service rep who responded to my email, but so far no luck.
I have ordered from collage video in the past, not had a problem with them. I keep their website on my favorites.
I know that what ever wo tape I order, it is not going to be easy to follow her. I'll do it though. My only other issue is food. I have to get myself in control on that area. I liked Oprah's statement that blue tortilla chips were her drug of choice. I can relate to that remark.
I will remember to keep checking this part of the website. Hope things are going okay for you.

Dear Dana:
I have started to blog for "average exercizers" (three blogs so far). The goal of the blog is to share my experience -- as an average exercizer -- with my own videos, and how average exercizers can navigate through advanced the more advanced video sessions. Since all of Cathe's videos are advanced, its sometines tricky attempt her videos. I am too shy to read any comments on my blogs. I have read some of the stuff on the STS forum section, and many of the posters are very competitive.

One point I thought of, after our exchange a few days ago. I recommend going onto www.collagevideo.com web site. They have a feature on the site, where one can download a list of 'strength" tapes, or other categories of tapes, by area of difficulty. For example, one can get a list of "beginner" strength tapes. Or "beginner-intermediate" tapes, etc. Then play the clip of the tape, to see if the tape would be useful for you.

Having said that, I tend to like the full-fledged hour-long tapes, the tapes that have leg, upper body,etc. exercizes combined. I find these tapes far more relaxing and beneficial, than the shorter tapes that specialize in only one area. And the "begionner" tapes tend to be short, say 20 minutes long. So because of that, roughly 70 percent of my strength tapes are Cathe's.

Take care, and I hope you are making some progress on Cathe's forum site!
-- David