OK ladies, I'm starting with Cathe but need to get the most for my bucks (@$100) right now. I asked a friend and now I'm asking all. For strength, what should I get? I'm thinking about the New Step with ME (but haven't heard many comments on it) and either PS or S&H. Or should I get PUB/PLB? Which combination would give me the best variety? Since I'm starting, nothing over the top. Thanks
Best for $100
- Thread starter Alexis52
- Start date
fit@home1
Cathlete
My opinion would be PUB & PLB because you get both upper and lower in two workouts. With PS and S&H, you have 3 tapes, and your upper body is split into two workouts. That's just too much. If you are having a busy week, and you've only done one of the upper body tapes, and you can't workout the rest of the week, you may feel very imbalanced. Personally, that would bother me. PUB & PLB is less than two total hours of heavy weight work for both upper and lower body. PUB is about an hour. PLB is a bit less than an hour. S&H - each tape is one hour. PS - I think at least two out of three tapes are an hour.
That's my 2 cents.
Hollie
That's my 2 cents.
Hollie
Since Hollie already gave you her suggestion for strength...I suggest the CTX Series. In the dvd you would have the Upper body split and Leaner Legs. That takes care of upper and lower body, plus you get the compiled ab workouts and all the variety in cardio which includes step, kickbox and hi/lo, all for about $89. Great deal! Make sure you purchase the DVD, though
Blessings from our home to yours...Runathon
Blessings from our home to yours...Runathon
fit@home1
Cathlete
>"Since Hollie already gave you her suggestion for strength...I
>suggest the CTX Series. In the dvd you would have the Upper
>body split and Leaner Legs. That takes care of upper and
>lower body, plus you get the compiled ab workouts and all the
>variety in cardio which includes step, kickbox and hi/lo, all
>for about $89. Great deal! Make sure you purchase the DVD,
>though"
Ooooooooo.......yes, good idea!! In my opinion, the CTX series is STILL Cathe's all-time best yet!!!!!!
Hollie
>suggest the CTX Series. In the dvd you would have the Upper
>body split and Leaner Legs. That takes care of upper and
>lower body, plus you get the compiled ab workouts and all the
>variety in cardio which includes step, kickbox and hi/lo, all
>for about $89. Great deal! Make sure you purchase the DVD,
>though"
Ooooooooo.......yes, good idea!! In my opinion, the CTX series is STILL Cathe's all-time best yet!!!!!!
Hollie
slnewmanpt
Cathlete
I second CTX! You get such a variety of workouts with this DVD, it's just great! LL and CTX upper body are still my favorite Cathe strength workouts. They are endurance oriented, though. Plus there's a lot of great ab work!! IMHO you can't go wrong with CTX!!
Sherry http://www.gif-seite.de/vorschaubilder/smilies/laola.gif
http://www.picturetrail.com/Peanut7
Sherry http://www.gif-seite.de/vorschaubilder/smilies/laola.gif
http://www.picturetrail.com/Peanut7
I have to agree with all of the ladies here.
If you truly want just strength and nothing else, the PUB and PLB combo is the way to go for exactly the reasons Hollie stated. being able to complete your strength training in 2 days rather than 3 makes a bog difference, makes more options for timetabling your other days in the week.
But for the money CTX is the most value and I still do CTYX more than anything else, one whole year after buying it. I never get bored of it. Leaner legs is my fave lower body workout, and the CTX upper (get it on DVD) is, as Sherry says, phenomenal. I have gotten and still get great strength and definition gains from it and again, as with the PUB and PLB combo, my strength work is complete in 2 days, not 3. I bought the PS series, finally, earlier this year some time, and I have still to do the upper body tapes. Just can't fit it all in.
The cardios on CTX cannot be beaten. Fun, variety, challenging, innovative, intense, and as Honeybunch always says, the CTX series is still Cathe's masterpiece. For incredible versatility as a series, it still beats the I-series hands down in my view.
Clare
If you truly want just strength and nothing else, the PUB and PLB combo is the way to go for exactly the reasons Hollie stated. being able to complete your strength training in 2 days rather than 3 makes a bog difference, makes more options for timetabling your other days in the week.
But for the money CTX is the most value and I still do CTYX more than anything else, one whole year after buying it. I never get bored of it. Leaner legs is my fave lower body workout, and the CTX upper (get it on DVD) is, as Sherry says, phenomenal. I have gotten and still get great strength and definition gains from it and again, as with the PUB and PLB combo, my strength work is complete in 2 days, not 3. I bought the PS series, finally, earlier this year some time, and I have still to do the upper body tapes. Just can't fit it all in.
The cardios on CTX cannot be beaten. Fun, variety, challenging, innovative, intense, and as Honeybunch always says, the CTX series is still Cathe's masterpiece. For incredible versatility as a series, it still beats the I-series hands down in my view.
Clare
WOW! I just got home from work and the masses are helping me! Thanks! Yes, I do have a step. I'm more into strength than cardio though. I bike and treadmill for cardio mostly cuz it's a no brainer. So are you all telling me to skip getting the New Step with ME tape for now? Cheryl
Connie1
Cathlete
Oh go ahead and get it. CTX has a lot of cardio portions you may not utilize. I love it though, for variety! You could still use your cardio machines, but those CTX cardios are so fun! The music is the greatest.
ME and the tall step is good. ME is a very good strength workout with a wonderful abs section. It is glute strong. Go for it.
But if it were me,I would get CTX if I were you-- use something else for the step fr now-- do you have any Firm tall boxes?
ME and the tall step is good. ME is a very good strength workout with a wonderful abs section. It is glute strong. Go for it.
But if it were me,I would get CTX if I were you-- use something else for the step fr now-- do you have any Firm tall boxes?
By all means skip the new step! If you have a barbell and a variety of weights--as well as a step--get CTX! It's my favorite series, and the one that has given me the best results!
BTW, there are cheaper alternatives to the high step, like the Rubbermaid stool which you could use in place of the one Cathe is selling. I have an old Jane Fonda step, which I stack on top of my new club step to equal a tall box.
BTW, there are cheaper alternatives to the high step, like the Rubbermaid stool which you could use in place of the one Cathe is selling. I have an old Jane Fonda step, which I stack on top of my new club step to equal a tall box.
You are all so great! Sounds like I'm getting CTX DVD and Pyramid cuz I really want them all. Eventually I will. Up until I discovered you all, I've been using the cardio machines and Bowflex at home. Also have the PowerBlock weights. So I can fake the tall step and just buy a barbell. Thanks. Without you, I'd probably not buy anything cuz it can get soooo confusing.:7
kathryn
Cathlete
A lot of people recommend CTX, but you asked for strength workouts. CTX has a lot of cardio, and it's pretty high impact cardio at a fast pace. If you're just starting with Cathe, I wouldn't necessarily start there. It may be the best "overall" program for someone familiar with Cathe step who wants both strength and cardio. But is that what you were looking for?
Thanks Kathryn, I got all excited about CTX but woke up this AM and said, "What am I thinking?" Because of a hip with no cartilage left, I do non-weight bearing aerobics i.e. swimming and recumbent bike. Helps a lot. But strength training is excellent for me overall. So let's get back to the strength stuff! FYI, I have a Bowflex and PowerBlock weights that I use 3-4X weekly in addition to cardio. So NOW what do we suggest? Cheryl
kathryn
Cathlete
My original suggestion of the PH/MIS/Bodymax DVD still stands. Since you'll still have some money left over, you could also get the PS series on DVD. Later on, when you have another $100 for workouts, I'd add Slow and Heavy and the Pyramids.
Bodymax is a cardio/weights circuit workout. You could also just use the upper body weight portion of it after doing a warm-up. PH/MIS are worth the price of admission for the DVD, though.
PH gives you a very challenging endurance workout (many of us, myself included, couldn't make it through the lunge section for a while), so it would maybe be best to start with MIS (a good overall strength workout), then go on to PH and/or alternate for variety. Then PS (which is a split routine, 3-days a week). You'll have developed a good base of strength and good techique from these. Then you can at some later point add in Slow and Heavy and the Pyramids.
Even though some of these workouts use barbells (PH, MIS, Pyramids on lower body), you can always substitute with dumbbells (powerblock). In fact, dumbbells (or the Bowflex) will give your stabiliziing muscles a better workout, as they have to work harder to keep the weights stable. Don't try to use the weights that Cathe uses, unless they feel right for you. In most of the workouts, she tells us what she's lifting, but it's just to be used as a gauge. Especially if you're just starting out, it's better to use a weight you think might be "too light" and get the form perfect, than to try to be "macha woman" and end up struggling with iffy form in order to lift heavy.
Bodymax is a cardio/weights circuit workout. You could also just use the upper body weight portion of it after doing a warm-up. PH/MIS are worth the price of admission for the DVD, though.
PH gives you a very challenging endurance workout (many of us, myself included, couldn't make it through the lunge section for a while), so it would maybe be best to start with MIS (a good overall strength workout), then go on to PH and/or alternate for variety. Then PS (which is a split routine, 3-days a week). You'll have developed a good base of strength and good techique from these. Then you can at some later point add in Slow and Heavy and the Pyramids.
Even though some of these workouts use barbells (PH, MIS, Pyramids on lower body), you can always substitute with dumbbells (powerblock). In fact, dumbbells (or the Bowflex) will give your stabiliziing muscles a better workout, as they have to work harder to keep the weights stable. Don't try to use the weights that Cathe uses, unless they feel right for you. In most of the workouts, she tells us what she's lifting, but it's just to be used as a gauge. Especially if you're just starting out, it's better to use a weight you think might be "too light" and get the form perfect, than to try to be "macha woman" and end up struggling with iffy form in order to lift heavy.
Thanks. That sounds more like my kind of workout. I really had the hots to order the New Step & ME but no one is recommending it for me right now, so I'll listen. I get bored doing Bowflex all the time. Maybe I'll invest in dumbbells cuz I've heard they're fairly cheap. Cheryl
