I take these to the gym
Hi,
I take all the workouts to the gym. Here is my experience, pros and cons:
Pros:
All the equipment is there - no need to purchase anything
Can get a spotter if you need one for working to failure
You can substitute machines and the cable system for extra variety
Trainers (at my gym) are there if I have any form questions
I can use the aerobics room or boxing room for extra space when they are not in use
Social - people will be curious about your workouts
Show off your results lol!
Cons:
You might have to wait for equipment to free up and your rest period may be longer, but that is ok - this depends on what time you go to the gym of course.
You will need to let people work in when you are doing meso 2 and 3. I feel bad if I am on a piece of equipment too long, but I also want to get in my sets. I just tell people to feel free to work in. I also ask to work in when I need to use a piece of equipment. Proper gym etiquette! (Although one lady got mad when I asked her - not cool! It was only 7 reps!!! - meso 3)
Your gym might be crowded at times and you might have a space issue.
You will also need to move equipment and get things set up for the timing of some of the exercises - but you would need to do that at home too.
You can't see Cathe - but that is why I previewed the videos and took extensive notes on the exercises that I was unsure of - now I know them by heart.
I copied all of the workout cards into a multi-tabbed Excel sheet (one tab per workout color coded of course by meso cycle). I have a master tab for my 1 RM list. All of the tabs have formulas in it to calculate the appropriate weight based on that 1 RM master sheet. All of the 1RMs on the tabs are linked back to the master sheet. So I just update the master sheet and then it populates through the whole workbook. I am finishing up my second round of STS so I am going to create a new worksheet with graphs that will compare my gains over the last 6 months. Yes, I am seriously a hyper nerd and I will probably find other ways to analyze this to death as well. hahaha!
Anyway, I print out these Excel sheets and take them to the gym. I have included instructions and all the details about how the exercises are done. I took good notes when I previewed the videos. I make notes during the workouts too about what I used and the reps and how it felt. This way I can track and compare everything. I so love STS!!!
Another thing to mention - you have to be comfortable about doing this workout in public at the gym. At first people stared at me, now they are used to my routine. I know there were wondering why this girl was lifting so heavy. Plus, if you are female, you may also be in the minority in the weight room/area at your gym. Be comfortable with that. I just put on my headphones and plowed through the workouts. The cool thing is that since I have achieved such great results, the trainers at my gym want to know all about my program. They were impressed with how challenging it looks and how hard I work. I have been told I am the hardest working person at the gym and that my results have not gone un-noticed. Pretty cool. Of course, I just refer all the trainers and other people who ask to
www.cathe.com!!!
I hope that helps - I have had a great experience at the gym with this workout. Good luck!!
But I would have access to everything that I need. Wondering if anybody else has done this and how it worked for them....
