Comparing STS 1.0 & 2.0

G

Gobias

Cathlete
I hope I am asking this clearly. I am trying to create an STS 1.0 / 2.0 mish mosh rotation and am wondering what the equivalent between the 2 programs are….*IF* there are! Maybe they each are uniquely different and there isn’t a comparison?


What is the STS 2.0 equivalent of STS 1.0 Phase #1 Muscle Endurance?

What is the STS 2.0 equivalent of STS 1.0 Phase #2 Hypertrophy?

What is the STS 2.0 equivalent of STS 1.0 Phase #3 Strength?

Conversely,

What is the STS 1.0 equivalent of STS 2.0 Total Body (Super Sets, Giant Sets, Tri Sets)

What is the STS 1.0 equivalent of STS 2.0 Splits (Upper Body 1 & 2, Lower Body 1 & 2)

What is the STS 1.0 equivalent of STS 2.0 Two Body Parts (Back & Biceps, Chest & Triceps, Legs & Shoulders)

What is the STS 1.0 equivalent of STS 2.0 Single Body Parts (Back, Biceps, Chest, Triceps, Legs, Shoulders)

It almost seems that STS 2.0 is more of a "just lift heavy!" program whereas STS 1.0 is more of a progression, playing with reps & weight and adding a bit of plyo. Therefore, maybe there isn't a comparison/equivalent? I LOVE both programs so much!

Thanks for any guidance.
 
I think STS 2.0 lifting exercises are closer to STS 1.0 Phase 2 Hypertrophy. STS 2.0 tends to use between 8-12 reps for most exercises. The lifting exercises in STS 2.0 also seem to be comparable to the lifting exercises in X-Train. STS 1.0 is different in that it splits the workouts into 2 upper body and 1 lower body workout per week throughout all 3 phases and each phase has you use heavier weights based on your personal 1-rep max.
 
Yes, I am thinking of creating a rotation with both programs. I don’t see an easy equivalency, but I think there are enough similarities to put something together. Some ladies mentioned alternating weeks, which could work, weaving Meso 2 and Splits, Meso 3 and body parts. Meso 1, which isn’t as heavy but has a cardio feel to me, could alternate with Total body.
I was planning an STS undulating rotation this fall. I may alternate weeks with STS2.0. How? not sure yet. but I think an undulating STS is more open than the official rotation. It will likely be a "undulating" STS2.0 as well. I mixed body parts and splits this week, and enjoyed that.
 
I've done 3 or 4 full rotations of the original STS program, as well as 2 or 3 rotations of XTrain and never got definition in my arms like I have now. I've done phase 1 and just finished phase 2 of STS 2.0 and am now going back and doing one more week of total body just because I love those workouts.

I'm 46 and well into perimenopause, but a few of the differences between then and now is that as of June 2020, I've completely cut out alcohol (hardest thing I've ever done), after the pandemic changed dining out, I've been eating pretty much at home all the time and eat way more vegetables than I did before, my sleep is better (I'm sure that's from not drinking) and back in late 2021 when I got really serious about lifting, its like things just all came together. I started planning my workouts each week, mixing and matching weeks from various Cathe monthly rotations. I would also say that 2 months of the tank top arms rotation that I did from March - May helped me with some extra upper body strength.

I love STS 2.0 and am now deciding how I want to approach the body parts phase. I don't think I have time to do two complete body part workouts per day and it seems from what I've read from other postings that the two parts per day mish mosh premixes are a little on the short side. In a previous post, I mentioned a layout that I saw on how to do all 6 CTX single body part workouts in one week and that's what I'm leaning towards now. I also plan to tack on the bonuses in each workout. Although that would not allow for a cardio day, I know that legs can still count as cardio and Sunday is always my off day regardless.
 
Gobias, I've been thinking about your ideas of combining these two series. Depending on how much time one wants to devote to weight training ... you could do 3 days of STS1, say M, T, W. Thursday off/recovery/cardio; Friday and/or Saturday a STS2 TB or UB/LB split. Sunday recovery day. That way you'd hit every muscle group 2x/week. The Parts phase could be used after the STS1 series is completed, or could be incorporated in the second half of the week. Hmmm, let us know what you decide. This might be something for me to consider for January ...
 
Guess I'm still brainstorming .... it would also depend on one's goals. I see in randidiane's rotation, she's starting with Meso 2. I note that some people don't care so much for Meso 1 as it's endurance-based. I was thinking of crafting a rotation that was more undulating than progressive as I like the results I had from the 12-week Xtrain rotation. I'm almost done with my STS2 Rotation & although I note strength gains, it doesn't seem as impressive as i had with Xtrain. I'm going to re-read/skim Michael Matthew's Thinner, Leaner, Stronger as I think he doesn't use a Meso cycle program, just progressive overload.

Randidiane, could you elaborate on the kind of results you're getting with your rotation? And the reason why you skipped Meso1? And the thinking behind adding the Endurance Leg ... are those Meso1 workouts?

Thanks for your ideas ... I enjoy reading how people are using the workouts, combining them with other workouts, etc.
 
Debinmi said:
Guess I'm still brainstorming .... it would also depend on one's goals. I see in randidiane's rotation, she's starting with Meso 2. I note that some people don't care so much for Meso 1 as it's endurance-based. I was thinking of crafting a rotation that was more undulating than progressive as I like the results I had from the 12-week Xtrain rotation. I'm almost done with my STS2 Rotation & although I note strength gains, it doesn't seem as impressive as i had with Xtrain. I'm going to re-read/skim Michael Matthew's Thinner, Leaner, Stronger as I think he doesn't use a Meso cycle program, just progressive overload.

Randidiane, could you elaborate on the kind of results you're getting with your rotation? And the reason why you skipped Meso1? And the thinking behind adding the Endurance Leg ... are those Meso1 workouts?

Thanks for your ideas ... I enjoy reading how people are using the workouts, combining them with other workouts, etc.
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Hi Debinmi!
I want to stick with Hypertrophy. It works best for my muscle my growth and definition. I get better results with variety so I do one heavy leg day and one endurance leg day. It keeps my muscles shocked :). I'm really hard on my legs because Lower Body is hard to get defined for some reason and I've been working out for years and eating healthy. I don't understand why my legs are losing their firmness especially in my quads and thighs I'm so frustrated!! I don't know if it's because I'm 43 now and my body is not responding anymore to how it was! So I'm trying a variety now it's working out good so far I'm on my second week and I'm not getting bored lol. But on leg endurance I'm doing any of cathes videos like butts and guts or any light weight high reps. I even use alot of cathes Live leg workouts.
Hopefully this makes since;)
 
Debinmi said:
Guess I'm still brainstorming .... it would also depend on one's goals. I see in randidiane's rotation, she's starting with Meso 2. I note that some people don't care so much for Meso 1 as it's endurance-based. I was thinking of crafting a rotation that was more undulating than progressive as I like the results I had from the 12-week Xtrain rotation. I'm almost done with my STS2 Rotation & although I note strength gains, it doesn't seem as impressive as i had with Xtrain. I'm going to re-read/skim Michael Matthew's Thinner, Leaner, Stronger as I think he doesn't use a Meso cycle program, just progressive overload.

Randidiane, could you elaborate on the kind of results you're getting with your rotation? And the reason why you skipped Meso1? And the thinking behind adding the Endurance Leg ... are those Meso1 workouts?

Thanks for your ideas ... I enjoy reading how people are using the workouts, combining them with other workouts, etc.
Click to expand...
Hi Debinmi!
I want to stick with Hypertrophy. It works best for my muscle my growth and definition. I get better results with variety so I do one heavy leg day and one endurance leg day. It keeps my muscles shocked :). I'm really hard on my legs because Lower Body is hard to get defined for some reason and I've been working out for years and eating healthy. I don't understand why my legs are losing their firmness especially in my quads and thighs I'm so frustrated!! I don't know if it's because I'm 43 now and my body is not responding anymore to how it was! So I'm trying a variety now it's working out good so far I'm on my second week and I'm not getting bored lol. But on leg endurance I'm doing any of cathes videos like butts and guts or any light weight high reps. I even use alot of cathes Live leg workouts.
Hopefully this makes since; This sounds bad but I'm almost wanting if anyone takes a fat burner or some kind of natural supplement to help get more defined
 
randidiane said:
Hi Debinmi!
I want to stick with Hypertrophy. It works best for my muscle my growth and definition. I get better results with variety so I do one heavy leg day and one endurance leg day. It keeps my muscles shocked :). I'm really hard on my legs because Lower Body is hard to get defined for some reason and I've been working out for years and eating healthy. I don't understand why my legs are losing their firmness especially in my quads and thighs I'm so frustrated!! I don't know if it's because I'm 43 now and my body is not responding anymore to how it was! So I'm trying a variety now it's working out good so far I'm on my second week and I'm not getting bored lol. But on leg endurance I'm doing any of cathes videos like butts and guts or any light weight high reps. I even use alot of cathes Live leg workouts.
Hopefully this makes since; This sounds bad but I'm almost wanting if anyone takes a fat burner or some kind of natural supplement to help get more defined
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. I'm not an expert in fat loss or fat burners. I am re-reading/skimming Michael Matthew's "Thinner, Leaner, Stronger" - the one geared toward women. He says he hears this all the time from women that they work out regularly and don't get the results they want. He claims you have to track your food intake to make sure you're in a calorie deficit to lose fat (what he also calls "fluff"), but then also says some women consume too few calories to build muscle - so it sounds like quite the balancing act. He also says it's hard to build muscle if your protein intake is too low. He also says women tend to lift too light and they need to lift 80-85% of their 1 Rep Max. So many variables, but he claims it's simple (but not easy) once you get the variables on track. I'm not so sure it's "simple". Besides diet & exercise, women's hormones must play a role, as may age ... hmmm - I wonder what Cathe does specifically since she's most likely menopausal or peri- at this time in her life and she seems to build muscle and seems to have very little body fat. I also understand that every "body" is different, so there's another variable ...
 
As women mature, our bodies' compositions change. It's natural. Even when you compare Cathe in her younger years (ie: Butts & Guts) to her latest videos, you can see her body composition has changed. She's "thicker" - and I don't mean that in a negative way - it's just that her body has started storing what little fat she has and has been building her muscle different from when she was younger. It's what its genetically programmed to do.

I'm really working at embracing my body and accepting what it wants to give as far as shape and composition goes. I don't do myself any favors by continually battling it and wanting it to be different. The irony is when I let up on my unrealistic expectations and just love myself and my body, it just naturally starts to look good. Maybe it's just psychological, but that's my experience.

I recommend reading some books on peri-menopause and menopause, too, so you can familiarize yourself with what's naturally occurring for you or coming up eventually. You were not able to avoid puberty and how it changed your body - same goes with the other end.

Regarding male fitness "experts" having an opinion on what works best for women's bodies... don't get me started... lol. We already have a hard enough time getting male doctors to be understanding of women's health needs. I suppose I'm biased there. Just would rather hear from a woman who's "been there" about what's good for myself than some dude who probably just wants all women to fit a certain physical stereotype.

I'll get off my soapbox now. We're all free to read what we want in the long run. And i acknowledge my opinion on the male perspective on women's health wasn't asked for either, so do feel free to tell me to take a hike. lol
 
All opinions are welcome Kellyro77! :) I also question the "authorities or experts" whose education, experience and gender are different. Good point about not being able to escape the effects of puberty, nor menopause if we're fortunate to live that long. Most women do gain some added fat as they age, not all tho, some work very hard at keeping it at bay. But I do think that without weight training that we are so much more susceptible to the negative effects of sarcopenia. So I intend to keep up with weight training to keep that robber of health & vitality at bay.

It would be nice tho to see the aesthetic rewards of my efforts more too :rolleyes: - although I am very grateful for the functional & health benefits. And maybe I should be satisfied with that ... hmmm ... food for thought ....
 
Debinmi said:
All opinions are welcome Kellyro77! :) I also question the "authorities or experts" whose
It would be nice tho to see the aesthetic rewards of my efforts more too :rolleyes: - although I am very grateful for the functional & health benefits. And maybe I should be satisfied with that ... hmmm ... food for thought ....
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I agree. I just try to remember in the long run that's not where my focus needs to be because aging and everything that goes with it is natural.
It would also help if I didn't need so many recovery days and could follow the rotations as written.
Mentally, more than physically, I need more recovery days than any of the rotations provide.
 
Lady Vol Fan said:
....
It would also help if I didn't need so many recovery days and could follow the rotations as written.
Mentally, more than physically, I need more recovery days than any of the rotations provide.
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I really enjoyed Phase 3/Body Parts workouts, much to my surprise. So I've been reading more on Parts rotations. Interestingly bodybuilders tend to use "parts" not always, but more so than the typical fitness enthusiasts. I read on one website that when using really heavy weight (for oneself) that it takes longer than the typical 24-48 hours to recover and that's partly why many bodybuilders like the 1-part/day rotation ... maybe give that phase a try? Or is there a dread factor with the heavy weights? .... I didn't follow the Parts Phase closely but note that Cathe seemed to suggest 2 days of lifting, followed by one day of recovery.
 
It's definitely helped me mentally to shift my workout goals from "I want to fit into a certain dress size" to "I want to make sure I don't break a hip if I fall"! I'm peri- right now, or so far as I can tell. I was watching a physical therapist the other day talk about how after we hit a certain age, we just start automatically losing bone density, so yep, strength training helps mitigate that, and any improvements to physical appearance I get from doing it is just icing on the cake.

I'm just really loving STS 2 because it just makes me feel so powerful!

RE those recovery days in Phase 3 - I was also at first thinking "jeez - no just pure rest days at all??" when I read the rotation, but I'm really finding that they're enough. I even excuse myself from foam rolling or yoga on a recovery day if I just flat out don't want to do anything. So far no negatives to doing that. All I can really say is that this system has improved my energy levels so much that it's just rare that I feel like I need a whole day doing nothing. And maybe it's as simple as just going for a brief 20 minute leisurely walk if the idea of popping in a workout DVD and workout clothing is just annoying for the day.
 
I agree with the getting thicker part makes since. My hips and thighs are wider;( And my arms are thicker and less defined but still solid. I want my "shreddingness to come back;( It's making me depressed I've never looked like this. Sorry guys just whinning. I'll get over it:rolleyes: It just happened this year
 
randidiane said:
I agree with the getting thicker part makes since. My hips and thighs are wider;( And my arms are thicker and less defined but still solid. I want my "shreddingness to come back;( It's making me depressed I've never looked like this. Sorry guys just whinning. I'll get over it:rolleyes: It just happened this year
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This reminds me... years ago I worked on a large college campus. We often had young women coming in who were at risk for eating disorders ... they were mourning their adolescent bodies & didn't like coming into full womanhood, with curves and fat deposits in places they didn't have as young, athletic teens. Most of them adjusted to their new bodies over time, some went full into disordered eating & body dysmorphic disorders. Entering into middle-age is sort of like that - the passing into another womanly phase ... we mourn what we are losing & not too sure about what's coming ... but it's better than the alternative and all a part of life.... Maybe we need some role-models on how to age gracefully ... I think I was blessed to watch my mother, aunts and their friends accept this stage of their lives .... hmmm, more "stuff " to reflect on ....
 
randidiane said:
This sounds bad but I'm almost wanting if anyone takes a fat burner or some kind of natural supplement to help get more defined
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I've definitely gotten thicker around my stomach area even though my weight hasn't changed. I've tried fat burners like Oxyshred, thermogenic protein powders, supplements that are meant to melt the fat away etc, etc. None of them have worked for me for reducing fat. Many of them contain caffeine so I get an energy burst, which can help a bit with being able to focus, but that's about it. My menopausal hormones seem to override any of these sports supplements. The one thing I do take is protein powder, but I use a standard one now, not a thermogenic one.

Kellyro77 said:
It's definitely helped me mentally to shift my workout goals from "I want to fit into a certain dress size" to "I want to make sure I don't break a hip if I fall"!
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Same for me. I started getting a sore hip around November last year and was freaking out thinking I might need a hip replacement. As it turned out it was tendonitis. But it did leave me feeling vulnerable. I certainly do more flexibility and mobility now, along with weight training.

Lady Vol Fan said:
It would also help if I didn't need so many recovery days and could follow the rotations as written.
Mentally, more than physically, I need more recovery days than any of the rotations provide.
Click to expand...
I'm finding this too. After some workouts I need two recovery days not one. Usually, I am a bit sore the next day but I'm finding that sometimes the following day, when I would normally do another workout, I am too sore and need to take an extra day.
 
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