Aftereffects of IMAX2...

S

Shelbyfit

Active Member
I have never had such excruciating, debilitating pain in my calves after a workout like I did with this video! :)

I almost called off today from work because the pain was so severe...I gave in eventually, feeling my calves were not enough of an excuse to miss work.

I was just wondering if anyone experienced the same pain a couple days after doing this workout for the first time. I absolutely LOVED it (more than the original!), but the effects were intense...

Thanks for such a killer workout, Cathe!

Amy S.
 
Hi Amy -
I just did IMax2 for the first time a few hours ago - on a 10 inch step and so far no calf pain whatsoever...I'm with you - I LOVED it!! I will let you know, though, if calf pain shows up in the next few days...tomorrow - first time with Cardio and Weights (did Boot Camp for the first time yesterday - AWESOME!) Absolutely loving the Intensity Series!!!

RobinC
 
I will only have bad calf pain if I do a particularly intense cardio(like Imax or MIC) if I have been doing light cardio for a week or if I was sick for a week and did one of these.
 
Robin, I was just wondering how tall you were? Did you find the staddle tap interval (#6?) to be a challenge on 10". I did Imax II on 8" this weekend and found the power 3/straddle tap interval somewhat hard to do on 8, I couldn't imaging 10. But I love this workout so much! I was glad to see that with 8" it was so much harder and similar to the original Imax. You will LOVE Cardio and Weights. And I mean Love!
 
I did it a few times an didn't feel any calf pain. For me it's a real cardio workout, and my heart is
pounding, but my legs only seem to "feel it" the next day with leg/weight work.
Faythe
 
Hi Jillybean!
I'm 5'7" and have been doing all my Cathe's on 10 inches for a long time now....I seem to get a better, more intense workout that way. I haven't had any problems...maybe it's because, as a former ballet dancer, I have a very long and flexible achilies tendon...BUT, yes, #6 whipped me ( I couldn't do a clean jump over 10" without risking injury...don't want that!)) so I did it this way: I did the 3 power jumps on the narrow end of the step and then did the taps as sort of a jump tap instead of a straddle tap (actually, it's really a a ballet step called "emboite" except that you are tapping on the step instead of having a beautifully pointed foot in the air...it reminded me of the old days, before retirement! FUN!) That was the only modification I made and I have to do it on Gin Miller's Intense Moves too (if you are familiar with that tape, there is one interval where you jump cleanly over the step...I modify by jumping on it and jumping down).
ANYWAY, can't wait to do C&W tomorrow...DH said he hasn't seen me so happy in months since I've been doing these new tapes!!

Robin
 
are we talking about "pain" here or "soreness". If soreness, I did experience pretty acute soreness when I first started with IMAX 1...


Janice
 
Well, I did Imax2 for the first time yesterday. I am not supposed to do step because of chondo malaysia in my knee. I used the step with no risers, and still got a great workout. The rest of the day I had no knee pain.

And no, my calves were fine.
In addition, my heart rate WAS up enough to get a great workout in!
 
Hi Amy,

Yu have what is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness from using your calves in a way that they aren't accustomed to. I get this when using a tape I haven't used in a long time that requires a lot of work on my toes--Cardio Kicks for example. All that shuffling on my toes KILLS the day after. With IMax 2, you are doing a lot of "jumping," pushing off with your toes, to complete the intervals. This is probably something your legs aren't used to & thus DOMS.

With continued use, you will get used to it & quit having that effect I promise.
 
Step Height

As a certified Step instructor, I would like to politely point out that anything higher than an 8" step height, no matter how long your legs are, is extremely risky and injurious. Most people do not execute proper stepping technique on higher benches.

The leg that steps up onto the bench should allow for full range of motion through the hip and knee joints (think standing tall), and landing should always be a controlled toe-ball-heel movement with no bounce. When I teach, it amazes me to watch the participants who consider themselves advanced. Advanced doesn't translate to just being able to follow the choreography: proper technique coupled with the ability to follow = advanced exerciser. These participants pile on the risers, then either step up in a perpetual squat-like position, bounce off the step on their toes when they land, or both. Often their heels never hit the floor before stepping back up again.

Full range of motion through the joints will drive the instensity up a lot more safely than the number of risers. One would be much better off using full range of motion arm movements and ditching a couple of risers. Getting through to these people is really difficult - one particular woman who I tried to help failed her practical exam due to the ballistic landing.

In the earlier videos (Mega Step Blast, Step Max, Step Heat), Rhonda lands with a little bounce in her step. It is certainly not as pronounced as what I have seen in my classes and her form is much better in later videos, but it an example of what not to do upon landing. (For the record, I adore Rhonda and think she is a perfect example of a fit, healthy, intelligent woman as well as my favorite background exerciser.) Cathe and Cedie have the landing nailed.

This might be a good time to point out that many seem to be experiencing aches and pains with these new videos which may very well be due to incorrect form and body mechanics. Unless you have access to a professional who can evaluate your technique and provide feedback, it might be best to use Cathe as your role model and try to emulate her technique. Placing lighter intensity workouts between the intensity series is also a good idea.

-Roe
 
RE: Step Height

Roe,

That was very interesting! Thanks so much for the info. I was reading a Cathe interview on the videofitness.com website, and she mentions the same thing. She also mentioned how people who bounce too much are risking injury and are not using correct form.

Thanks again!

Danielle ;)
 
Calves!!

Thank you all for your help... I'm thinking the Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness is the culprit. Prior to receiving Cathe's new tapes, I was doing predominantly treadmill work (hard) and weights... I hadn't done a true Cathe cardio as intense as IMAX2 in a long time. So the DOMS sounds very accurate. Thanks! :)

I can't wait to do this workout again, despite the pain!

Amy
 
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