Considering a purchase --can some Shock Cardio veterans help me decide?

Mercurial

Mercurial

Cathlete
I'm trying to decide between:
- Cardio Core Circuit
- Circuit Blast
- Step Moves

I own:
- 4 Day Split series
- Butts and Guts
- HiiT
- Basic Step

I talk a lot, so if you dont want to read all my text, my basic questions are:

Which do you think is better? Why should I part with $22.99 (plus S&H) for any of these DVDs? Or, is there another DVD of Cathe's you would recommend? Which one and why? I love Cathe, but especially right now, I need to know my money is going into a workout investment that I'll keep coming back to for years and years and years.

xx

I really enjoy HiiT. I usually do two in one day (but not back to back), but all three workouts are so challenging. I do both 40/20 and 30/30 on modified step heights, and Pyramid is such a challenge. It's one that's growing on me, and I know it'll be a very long time before I can conquer it. Hooray!

I'm hoping my next purchase will be the same, but that's where you guys come in. I've previewed all of the SC videos; these are my top three. Equipment is not a problem as I already own what's required for all the programs.

I'd love CCC because it seems to be the one people on the forums seem to consider the most challenging and the biggest calorie burn (and that is, after all, my goal). I saw it comes with a few premixes, too, which is appealing. Plus, I'm a huge cardio fan, and I need to tone my core. Seems perfect. I also like it because it requires minimal space and equipment. (I'll be living in a dorm room and / or apartment setting for the next eight years... Minimal space is GOOD!)

I feel I'd like Circuit Blast too, but the preview makes me wonder about the cardio difference between CCC and CB; the cardio bursts in CB seem a lot easier. But I cant deny that I'd to purchase a DVD that works your whole body with light weights and isometrics. I'm worried about the length though. Butts and Guts is so much longer than the SC progarms; why is this one so short? Do you feel you got your money's worth?

I want to ask about Step Moves too though, because I look forward to using the step programs I have all the time. (I dont use Basic Step at all anymore, but I love the two step programs included in the 4 Day Split series.) The Step Moves seems like a lot of fun, and I'd like a fun workout... but I am concerned about the length of the DVD, and I also want a bigger burn than Step Moves seems to offer (judging from the preview). Still, it's one of the better ones I see up there, and I miss fun workouts. (I do a lot of HiiT and bootcamp style workouts. I miss fun! :p )

I'm also considering STS Ab Circuits DVD, since that's where I gain most of my weight. If you want to give your opinion on that as well, feel free. I'd especially love your opinion because I already own Butts and Guts; I wonder how different the two are? (And which is better.)

xx

Thanks everyone, and I hope you're doing well!
<3
 
Hello,

Of the three choices you mentioned, my personal preference is CCC. It is tough, but I can't imagine SC without it. I find the MMA moves to be especially challenging, as I can't do the rolling on the floor and springing into the air things to save my life, but I can see some improvements from just making the effort. I love it. It has great music, great intensity, it is fun, and it goes by really fast. This is the one I love the most after the HIIT series, which you already have. I haven't used the premixes on it, so I can't say anything about that.

This is coming from a person who loves the series. Yes, they are short, but on work days, they are great. I don't have more than an hour to work out on days before I head to work, so the shorter workouts are not a problem for me. With Cathe's longer workouts, I usually just do premixes anyway on the days that I do them before leaving for work and I save the longer ones until the weekend.

My next favorite would be Step Moves but that's really for the fun factor. Towards the end, of the workout, my heartrate tends to drop. I actually prefer Athletic step to Step Moves because my heart rate really drops toward the end of the work out. Cardio blast I like, but it really had to grow on me. I don't really care for workouts with lots of equipment, but that's just a personal preference. I hope that helps.

Thanks!
 
Thank you so much for your response, MissW! :)

I'm going to give myself at least a week before I decide on a purchase because I dont want to jump into things, and I dont want to be impulsive (which I usually am, hah!).

I think I'm really leaning toward CCC then, since you mentioned that CB and Step Moves were good, but not the stand-out stars of the series. That was kind of the vibe I got from the previews, and it's all the impression I got from other posts here. (And I love that you mentioned there are MMA moves in the CCC program! I didnt know that, but I absolutely love MMA and used to go to a lot of classes before the owner moved to a new location. I've missed it, and so I'm glad CCC would help me fill that hole. ;) )

After I posted this, I went back and looked through some of her older DVDs that I dont own (which is a lot). The way Shock Cardio looks, I want to own the whole series, but I'm really uncomfortable with the fact that they seem so short, and apparently they dont come with many premixes (understandable though, as they're so short!), but they cost about the same as some of her other DVDs.

I looked through the pages and two that really stand out to me are Body Max 2 and Drill Max, which were released around the same time as Butts and Guts, I think. I love Cathe, but I didnt know about these two DVDs. (I became a fan after these were released, and I bought Butts and Guts through a magazine that named it the workout DVD of the month.) I watched the previews and am interested in both of them, and even though they cost $4 more than most of the SC DVDs, because of the lengths, premixes, and very diverse content, I think I might get more bang for my buck that way. --I'm leaning toward Body Max, by the way.

So my thinking right now is that I will purchase CCC and either Body Max 2 or Drill Max in late May, and lucky for me I still have my 20% discount from when I joined the mailing list. I graduate from high school at the end of May, so that will be my graduation present to myself --and also a motivator to really get in super-tip-top shape for when I go to university! :)

Good choice or bad choice? Thoughts? :)
 
If you like 4DS, you might really like Cross Train Express. It's got great aerobics segments that are intense and varied. They also have a legs segment plus a very complete upper body workout. It has so many ways to "mix it up". I love this dvd.
 
Mercurial said:
I graduate from high school at the end of May, so that will be my graduation present to myself --and also a motivator to really get in super-tip-top shape for when I go to university! :)

Good choice or bad choice? Thoughts? :)
Click to expand...

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation!!! :D

I think you could not go wrong with either BM2 or Drill Max for all the reasons that you mentioned. However, my preference of those two would be BM2. They are both intense, but I lean towards BM2 because it has more of a "fun" factor to me and, I like the music a lot, and there are so many ways to use it. Plus, I love stepping. :p

They are both pretty intense workouts, with BM2 coming in at over 90 minutes. I only try to do the whole thing on one of my high energy days. But those are two workouts that I reach for constantly. I never get bored with either. You'll get your bang for the buck with either of those two. ;)
 
Just a quick note about the shorter length of these workouts- in most cases what they lack in duration they make up for in intensity. I usually like to workout for a minimum of 60 minutes so on days when I choose a SC DVD i'll use it back to back with a weight segment from another workout.... like HiiT 30/30 plus 30 minutes of Tricep work, etc.

I own all of Cathe's DVD and yes, we all have our favorites, but i wouldn't give any of them up! You really can't make a bad choice. I just bought CCC for a friend of mine for her birthday. What better gift than an introduction to the world of Cathe :)

Jenn
 
Exercise-Lover, at your recommendation I checked out Cross-Train Express preview this evening, and OMG. What a great value! $90 is really steep for me right now, but when you think about it, that's a really inexpensive cost per workout. And I cant believe they fit all of those workouts onto just 2 DVDs. I wonder why they needed 40 DVDs for STS if they can fit that much video onto a disc. Maybe they just make DVDs (or film programs) differently these days.

$90 is super steep for me right now, but I have marked it on my wishlist; maybe someone will get it for me for the holiday season. Thank you so much for bringing this gem to my attention! :)

MissW, I got the feeling that Cathe really enjoyed making BodyMax2, at least from the preview, with her singing along to the Kids of America song and laughing. I dont own a lot of her materials, but that's the happiest I think I've ever seen her on a workout DVD. :p It just looks so much fun --Drill Max does too, and it's also on my wishlist, but I think my reasoning (along with your testamony <3 ) is that 4DS has circuit options if I want to do them, and that should keep me for a while at least. Body Max 2, though, seems really unique and really valuable. I think my mind is made up! CCC and BM2.

AYLE09, you know, you make a really good point. I feel like if I do a full run through (or even an hour long premix of Butts and Guts), I dont feel up to doing any cardio. I guess I understand the reasoning behind the shorter-time / highter intensity idea because they were designed to compliment STS, but from an economic standpoint I just dont feel like it's the wisest choice I can make, not when I already have short, high-intensity cardio programs like HiiT and all four cardio sections from 4DS atm. But I cant wait to get my hands on CCC... that one seems so valuable (and ideal for my workout needs / desires and lifestyle), and I'm pretty sure I'll buy that one. <3
 
STS Shock Cardio Set

Hi, I am new to Cathe and just purchased and received today Basic Step & Body Fusion to get a feel for her workouts even though I have heard a lot of great things about her workouts. I am just getting back into working out and getting into shape after allowing myself to fall out of shape over the past several years and having back surgery to fuse my lower spine, which allows me to only life a maximum of 50 pounds.

I have a chance to purchase the entire STS Shock Cardio series at a reduced price from a friend who purchased them new and then found out she had some medical conditions that prevented her from using the DVDs. While the series would be at a reduced rate, it is still a chunk of change and I want to make sure that if I cannot readily do them now that I will eventually be able to do them as I shed some of my extra baggage and also with my limitations on the amount of weights I can lift. As a "newbie", can anyone please give me more insight into this series and help me calm my panic of spending a lot of money on something I know little about?!

Thanks,
Jennifer
 
Jennifer:

if you have the chance to get the Shock Cardio series at a good discount, you should do it.

You will grow into the series and grow with it.

When you first start off, stick with Step Moves and some of the MMA and Kickbox stuff, which is not as intense and more manageable for an intermediate exerciser. Progress on to Athletic Step and Circuit Blast, then onto the HiiT workouts and CCC. It could take 6 months to work your way up, gradually increasing your cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance, but what the heck: are you going anywhere?

It's good to have in your collection workouts you can do right now and also some that are too hard to work towards. It gives you a goal to set your sights on and also a handy way to measure your progress.

You don't already have to be in phenomenal shape in order to do any of the SC series. As you progress through the levels of difficulty, the series will get you in phenomenal shape. Just make sure to progress slowly band surely and modify whenever you need to.

Everyone modifies all the time, so why shouldn't you?!!

Clare
 
Mercurial CCC is great and if you like the Hiits this one is the closest to a Hiit workout. Extremely intense but very fun and I love that it includes core work. I noticed you also are considering Drill Max and BM2 which are also 2 of my favorite workouts. Both of those include toning so would be good choices if you want some toning work. Based on what you have described you might also want to look at the Imax's: The original, Imax 2 and Imax 3. These are very fun and intense. I love them all, but probably go to Imax 2 before I go to the other 2. If cost is an issue you might also want to look into the downloads if they work for you as they are less expensive than purchasing DVDs. I would also suggest checking ebay as I have gotten some of my Cathe DVDs there.

Pam
 
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jatbdp said:
Hi, I am new to Cathe and just purchased and received today Basic Step & Body Fusion to get a feel for her workouts even though I have heard a lot of great things about her workouts. I am just getting back into working out and getting into shape after allowing myself to fall out of shape over the past several years and having back surgery to fuse my lower spine, which allows me to only life a maximum of 50 pounds.

I have a chance to purchase the entire STS Shock Cardio series at a reduced price from a friend who purchased them new and then found out she had some medical conditions that prevented her from using the DVDs. While the series would be at a reduced rate, it is still a chunk of change and I want to make sure that if I cannot readily do them now that I will eventually be able to do them as I shed some of my extra baggage and also with my limitations on the amount of weights I can lift. As a "newbie", can anyone please give me more insight into this series and help me calm my panic of spending a lot of money on something I know little about?!

Thanks,
Jennifer
Click to expand...

Jennifer, I love the SC series, but I have been doing advanced workouts for many years. My concern would be that as a newbie they might scare you off. I'm not an expert on back issues but some of the moves may not be possible for someone with back issues. There are a lot of things like roll back on the floor and spring up on your feet in the air and repeat. You should ask your friend if you can preview the discs first.
The 2 exceptions in this series are Step Moves - I think it's around 45 minutes all step and much less intense than the other workouts and MMA Boxing. HTH

Pam
 
Mercurial Not to muddy the waters even more, but if circuit type workouts are what you are interested in I also LOVE:

Boot Camp
The Terminator
Hardcore Extreme

These are all awesome intense but fun circuit workouts. Bootcamp has 8 segments, each has 1 min of cardio, 1 min lower body, 1 minute upper body and 1 minute of core. The terminator is made up of compilations of Imax 2, cardio and weights and Bootcamp intermixed and there are 3 different segments with different mixes. Hardcore extreme is a similar format with compilations from IMAX 3, Kickmax, Low Max and High step challenge.

Of these, I'd say Hardcore Extreme Interval circuit is my very favorite, but the other nice thing is that they really give you a flavor of what all those other workouts are like.

Pam
 
Mercurial

Congratulations on graduating High School!:)

I am currently making me way through the Shock Cardios. I did Step Moves for the first time yesterday. I found it super fun. Difficult on the first run through but not so hard that you can't catch on. According to HRM I burned about 500 calories.

If you like KB and you don't have it already MMA kickbox I found to be a lot of fun also. Not super intense but fun and I liked the core work in it.

I have not done CB yet, but I am looking forward to it as I enjoy circuit workouts.

CCC, MMA and HIIT I am on the fence about. Most likely because they are super hard and a challenge for me. CCC I found fun but I the core work was super hard as I can't do some of those moves.MMA was fun but again I can't do some of the moves, HIIT I did one of the workouts and found it also fun but very challenging.

Butts and Gutts I like a lot and I have love/hate for firewalkers. :D My favorite out of that series is Low Impact Circuit. Great music and fun routines.

Good luck with your decision.

Jenn
 
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