Favorite Series and Workouts?

[Eden68]

Germania68, you'll find many Cathletes enjoy Kelly's (KCM) workouts too. As in many aspects of life, we crave/need variety to keep our interests up, our motivation up, & to assist in our progress/development. So there's room for both KCM & Cathe! (And others!).

After 4 weeks of almost daily training with 21 different Cathe DVDs, I have to admit that the effects for me are different than training with Kelly's DVDs only. With Cathe it is more exhausting and demanding. I had sore muscles but was also on the verge of overtraining. Since I absolutely want to train every day, for max. 40 minutes, I have to alternate the programs. Now I do 3 days cathe splits and (for recovery so to speak) 2 days with Kelly.
In summary, Cathe's programs enrich my training because they set different accents and I got new equipment like sliding discs or ultra long resistance bands. The body apparently needs new impulses even in old age to lure it out of its feel-good corner. I benefit from combining the strengths of both, Kelly and Cathe as fitness instructors. Kelly's Workouts are more familary to me but I am also thankful to be part of the Cathete Universe now.

 

[Debinmi]

Guten tag Germania68,

Glad to see you are paying attention to your body's response to the new Cathe workouts and making adjustments so as to not overtrain and burnout or risk injury. . Cathe's workouts tend to be more advanced than Kelly's (although Kelly does have some advanced workouts, most seem to be in the intermediate range), so it's no surprise you are experiencing some challenges. As Cathe often says, "it it doesn't challenge you, it does not change you". Cathe also encourages people to change things up to keep the body being challenged. Variety can really help with training progress. And recovery is as important as training. You could check out Cathe's newer Perfect 30 Mobility workout for assistance with recovery.

Keep tuned as Cathe is supposedly planning some new weight-training workouts for us, probably ready some time in 2022. The excitement is already building.

 

[Eden68]

Guten tag Germania68,

Glad to see you are paying attention to your body's response to the new Cathe workouts and making adjustments so as to not overtrain and burnout or risk injury. . Cathe's workouts tend to be more advanced than Kelly's (although Kelly does have some advanced workouts, most seem to be in the intermediate range), so it's no surprise you are experiencing some challenges. As Cathe often says, "it it doesn't challenge you, it does not change you". Cathe also encourages people to change things up to keep the body being challenged. Variety can really help with training progress. And recovery is as important as training. You could check out Cathe's newer Perfect 30 Mobility workout for assistance with recovery.

Keep tuned as Cathe is supposedly planning some new weight-training workouts for us, probably ready some time in 2022. The excitement is already building.

Hello, dear Debinmi!
Thank you so much for your detailed response.
My favorites up to now are Bodyweight and Bands, Total Body Trisets, Kickmax and Cardio Party.
Can you please recommend me a workout similar to Cardio Party?
Do you think MMA Fusion or MMA Kickbox would be a good choice?
Thank you for your efforts in advance!
Kind greetings from Germany

 

[Debinmi]

Hello, dear Debinmi!
Thank you so much for your detailed response.
My favorites up to now are Bodyweight and Bands, Total Body Trisets, Kickmax and Cardio Party.
Can you please recommend me a workout similar to Cardio Party?
Do you think MMA Fusion or MMA Kickbox would be a good choice?
Thank you for your efforts in advance!
Kind greetings from Germany

Hi Germania68 ...
Cardio Party is a low impact "old-school" choreographed floor-based aerobic workout. Cathe doesn't really have much in that category. She has a lot of choreographed step workouts though. When I was getting back into step, I would just do them on the floor first.

Some other low-impact, non-step cardio would be Ripped w/Hiit (RWH) Low Impact Hiit - has 2 LI ~30 minute workouts w/premixes, and Low Impact Series (LIS) Cardio SuperSets. If you're enjoying the disc's, there's LIS Slide n Glide which has a shorter cardio segment. ICE Low Impact Challenge & Xtrain's All Out Low Impact Hiit have a step chapter, but I sometimes don't bother to pull out the step & just do it on the floor. These are not choreographed, dancy-type workouts, but they are good, solid cardio.

For another kickbox, I would consider ICE Rock'm Sock'm, as I think Amanda shows some lower impact moves. My favorite KB is Kick Punch & Crunch, but it needs to be modified to be low impact.

Glad to see you're enjoying your newer workouts ... you seem to be doing great with challenging yourself!

HTH, Deb

 

[Eden68]

Hi Germania68 ...
Cardio Party is a low impact "old-school" choreographed floor-based aerobic workout. Cathe doesn't really have much in that category. She has a lot of choreographed step workouts though. When I was getting back into step, I would just do them on the floor first.

Some other low-impact, non-step cardio would be Ripped w/Hiit (RWH) Low Impact Hiit - has 2 LI ~30 minute workouts w/premixes, and Low Impact Series (LIS) Cardio SuperSets. If you're enjoying the disc's, there's LIS Slide n Glide which has a shorter cardio segment. ICE Low Impact Challenge & Xtrain's All Out Low Impact Hiit have a step chapter, but I sometimes don't bother to pull out the step & just do it on the floor. These are not choreographed, dancy-type workouts, but they are good, solid cardio.

For another kickbox, I would consider ICE Rock'm Sock'm, as I think Amanda shows some lower impact moves. My favorite KB is Kick Punch & Crunch, but it needs to be modified to be low impact.

Glad to see you're enjoying your newer workouts ... you seem to be doing great with challenging yourself!

HTH, Deb

I already have a few of those you mentioned: Low Impact Challenge, Slide and Glide and Cardio Supersets.
My knees are hurting sometimes after doing a lot of step based programs - that's why I am not a big fan of Step Workouts.
But I think it's a great idea to do them without step. I will begin with the Basic Step and Low Max DVD. And as you recommended, I think I will buy the KB DVD Rock m suck m next.
I really appreciate your huge knowledge about the Cathe DVDs. Again, thank you for your help. You're awesome!

 

[FitandFifty]

Hi sunbird - you'll have so much to explore...;/)! Doing Cathe for over 10 years (absolutely at the top of my fitness routine), there's so much variety to start with, but also through just doing the workouts in different ways and using premixes etc.

Just recovering from a flue - so not going for HIITs or anything too strenuous, and would add to the list Cardio & Weights (Intensity series) and Low Impact Circuit worksout again. Both give a really good sweat and "worked out feel", without exhausting one too much. For short and effective, without the "dread-effect" is also the newer Perfect 30 series, love the low impact HIIT for instance!

 

[Debinmi]

I already have a few of those you mentioned: Low Impact Challenge, Slide and Glide and Cardio Supersets.
My knees are hurting sometimes after doing a lot of step based programs - that's why I am not a big fan of Step Workouts.
But I think it's a great idea to do them without step. I will begin with the Basic Step and Low Max DVD. And as you recommended, I think I will buy the KB DVD Rock m suck m next.
I really appreciate your huge knowledge about the Cathe DVDs. Again, thank you for your help. You're awesome!

Whoops .... I meant ICE Low Impact Sweat (not challenge...that's part of the LIS series).

(As an aside, my knee pain mostly subsided after eliminating/decreasing grains, processed foods, sugar, & vegetable oils ... all inflammatory for me ... night and day difference. It took a few months to notice the difference, it was so gradual. Oh, and I added in collagen).

 

[Eden68]

Whoops .... I meant ICE Low Impact Sweat (not challenge...that's part of the LIS series).

(As an aside, my knee pain mostly subsided after eliminating/decreasing grains, processed foods, sugar, & vegetable oils ... all inflammatory for me ... night and day difference. It took a few months to notice the difference, it was so gradual. Oh, and I added in collagen).

Hello Debinmi!
That is very interesting!
I practice clean eating, for 25 years I eat no meat and as much bio and natural cost as possible. But I love sweets, coffee and perhaps I don't drink enough water. Do you think that may cause knee problems?

Today I did the whole Basic Step workout with the lid of the step but without the raisers for the first time. Very complex, since I'm not a native American speaker (if you don't know what 'straddle' means, the term 'Around the world knee straddle' sounds very abstract ). But I'm very proud to have made it. I can only recommend every step choreography beginner to start with the Basic Step DVD, even if you have been doing workouts at home for years!

By the way, can you please explain the following abbreviations to me: STS, PHA and IMAX?
Thanks again for your help.
Eden

 

[Debinmi]

Hello Debinmi!
That is very interesting!
I practice clean eating, for 25 years I eat no meat and as much bio and natural cost as possible. But I love sweets, coffee and perhaps I don't drink enough water. Do you think that may cause knee problems?

Today I did the whole Basic Step workout with the lid of the step but without the raisers for the first time. Very complex, since I'm not a native American speaker (if you don't know what 'straddle' means, the term 'Around the world knee straddle' sounds very abstract ). But I'm very proud to have made it. I can only recommend every step choreography beginner to start with the Basic Step DVD, even if you have been doing workouts at home for years!

By the way, can you please explain the following abbreviations to me: STS, PHA and IMAX?
Thanks again for your help.
Eden

Hi Eden68,

(I note you changed your forum name - confused me at first).

Knee pain can have multiple affecting factors. When my knee pain started in my early 30's, I saw my primary care provider, a sports medicine doctor, a podiatrist and eventually an orthopedic surgeon. I followed all recommendations except for the surgery option from the orthopedic - nothing seemed to help much. As the decades progressed, the knee pain worsened, I could not do step workouts or anything with impact, even going up/down stairs was very painful. A few years ago, my new primary care provider suggested I eat low carb for a variety of reasons ... a wonderful side effect was the improvement in my knee pain. Turns out, a lower-carb, whole-food diet is anti-inflammatory ... arthritis is defined as a painful inflammation of the joints ... anti-inflammatory diets can help improve this. (Interestingly I made some regular brownies for a fundraiser in September, and of course sampled a few pieces - I had knee pain for the rest of the week (flour and sugar are not my friends) -so your sweets habit may be a contributing factor.) And water helps our bodies flush out toxins and other waste products, so drink up!

Congrats on making it through Basic Step - it's a good place to start for people not used to step. It will with building confidence in doing step workouts. I started step in the early 90's and loved it, but stopped eventually due to the knee pain. I re-started when my knee pain improved and used Basic Step as a re-starter. After doing Basic Step, try the Body Fusion workout on the same DVD ... it builds on Basic and is more Intermediate ... you'll learn even more of Cathe's terminology. After you get Body Fusion down, the next DVD I'd suggest is Low Impact Step ... it's Intermediate also. After that, you're ready for more complex step workouts if you enjoy it.

Cathe has some step tutorials on YouTube that she did during the pandemic (I think a series of 8) ... here's the first one:

Abbreviations and Cathe explanations:

STS - Shock Training System - Cathe's huge accomplishment series:
https://cathe.com/about-sts/

PHA - Peripheral Heart Action -

Boost Your Metabolism & Break Through Plateaus with PHA Training

PHA stands for peripheral heart action and it can help boost your metabolism. Find out whether PHA Training is right for you.

cathe.com

IMAX - Interval Max - Cathe step-workouts that include a short, fun choreoghaphed step routine (repeated 6 times), then followed by an intense cardio blast (the Interval), then a short recovery. Then the process is repeated. They are similar to High Intensity Interval Training, but the recovery from the Interval blasts are longer, hence the workout is longer. I just did IMAX4 yesterday ... really enjoy them.

HTH, Deb

Oh, one more thing ... Cathe usually has a big "Black Friday" sale near the US Thanksgiving holiday, near the end of November ... If you're thinking of purchasing more DVDs, you might want to wait for the sale.

 

[Eden68]

Hi Germania68 ...
Cardio Party is a low impact "old-school" choreographed floor-based aerobic workout. Cathe doesn't really have much in that category. She has a lot of choreographed step workouts though. When I was getting back into step, I would just do them on the floor first.

Some other low-impact, non-step cardio would be Ripped w/Hiit (RWH) Low Impact Hiit - has 2 LI ~30 minute workouts w/premixes, and Low Impact Series (LIS) Cardio SuperSets. If you're enjoying the disc's, there's LIS Slide n Glide which has a shorter cardio segment. ICE Low Impact Challenge & Xtrain's All Out Low Impact Hiit have a step chapter, but I sometimes don't bother to pull out the step & just do it on the floor. These are not choreographed, dancy-type workouts, but they are good, solid cardio.

For another kickbox, I would consider ICE Rock'm Sock'm, as I think Amanda shows some lower impact moves. My favorite KB is Kick Punch & Crunch, but it needs to be modified to be low impact.

Glad to see you're enjoying your newer workouts ... you seem to be doing great with challenging yourself!

HTH, Deb

Hi Deb!
Guess what I received today...
Yesterday I ordered my first 2 DVDs from the ICE Series (I nearly have the complete Hardcore, Low Impact and Lite Series but til today no DVD from the ICE Series).
Well I followed your orders and got Rock em Suck em Kickbox and the Low Impact Sweat DVD.
Today I did the 5 Combo Timesaver Rock m suck m Kickbox Workout and I am so glad I followed your advice. Right from the start I felt familiar with that workout like it was Kelly's. There were some new elements, too and with 1lb weighted gloves it was also pretty excausting.
I just want to say thank you very much for your help! You truly are very valuable for the Cathe community.
Kind greetings from Germany
Eden

 

[Debinmi]

Hi Deb!
Guess what I received today...
Yesterday I ordered my first 2 DVDs from the ICE Series (I nearly have the complete Hardcore, Low Impact and Lite Series but til today no DVD from the ICE Series).
Well I followed your orders and got Rock em Suck em Kickbox and the Low Impact Sweat DVD.
Today I did the 5 Combo Timesaver Rock m suck m Kickbox Workout and I am so glad I followed your advice. Right from the start I felt familiar with that workout like it was Kelly's. There were some new elements, too and with 1lb weighted gloves it was also pretty excausting.
I just want to say thank you very much for your help! You truly are very valuable for the Cathe community.
Kind greetings from Germany
Eden

Hi Eden68,

I'm so glad you enjoyed ICE Rock'm Sock'm KB. Just thought I'd let you know I did Kick Punch & Crunch this week and paid attention to the impact ... I think it's easy to modify the higher impact moves .... slides can be grapevines, jumping jacks can become grounded, one-leg jacks, Hi/Lo runs can become Hi/Lo marches, etc. I still modify it by moving the Hi Intensity Drills to the end instead of where Cathe puts it before the Combos. For me, it burns me out a little too soon to enjoy the combos ... but I like them at the end and can give it my all because I know it's about finished ...

 

[Eden68]

... ICE Low Impact Challenge & Xtrain's All Out Low Impact Hiit have a step chapter, but I sometimes don't bother to pull out the step & just do it on the floor. These are not choreographed, dancy-type workouts, but they are good, solid cardio.

Good morning, Debinmi!

I wanted to give you some feedback on the workouts you recommended to me.

Yesterday I did X-Train All out low Impact Hiit for the first time.
First time I was quite disappointed by a Cathe Workout. The training was extremely exhausting, especially I noticed it in my knees. They are still hurting.
And I can't walk today as if I had ridden a horse all night.
I think Hiit Training is no good for me at all. Don't get me wrong, I like challenging cardio workouts, e.g. in the form of kickboxing or oldschool floor based aerobics. But in this one I missed the fun factor of all the other Cathe DVDs I know, and it seemed very hectical to me, too.
I will sell the X-Train Hiit DVD on Ebay.

I also bought MMA Fusion MMA Kickbox and Butts and Guts, those three are fantastic!

Perhaps I shouldn't do Cathe's Workouts every day, as they are very advanced and there's such a big focus on legs and lower body.

Yesterday I ordered Kick, Punch and Crunch, witch you also recommend. I hope it will be delivered today.
And I am also looking forward to the new released DVDs of Kelly Coffey-Meyer "Cardio Fit" and "Power Splits". They are more intermediate format than Cathe's, I guess. And she uses Egg Weights, I will buy a set of Egg Weights as a Christmas present for myself.
I wish you a relaxing weekend.
Greetings from Germany
Eden

 

[Debinmi]

Good morning, Debinmi!

I wanted to give you some feedback on the workouts you recommended to me.

Yesterday I did X-Train All out low Impact Hiit for the first time.
First time I was quite disappointed by a Cathe Workout. The training was extremely exhausting, especially I noticed it in my knees. They are still hurting.
And I can't walk today as if I had ridden a horse all night.
I think Hiit Training is no good for me at all. Don't get me wrong, I like challenging cardio workouts, e.g. in the form of kickboxing or oldschool floor based aerobics. But in this one I missed the fun factor of all the other Cathe DVDs I know, and it seemed very hectical to me, too.
I will sell the X-Train Hiit DVD on Ebay.

I also bought MMA Fusion MMA Kickbox and Butts and Guts, those three are fantastic!

Perhaps I shouldn't do Cathe's Workouts every day, as they are very advanced and there's such a big focus on legs and lower body.

Yesterday I ordered Kick, Punch and Crunch, witch you also recommend. I hope it will be delivered today.
And I am also looking forward to the new released DVDs of Kelly Coffey-Meyer "Cardio Fit" and "Power Splits". They are more intermediate format than Cathe's, I guess. And she uses Egg Weights, I will buy a set of Egg Weights as a Christmas present for myself.
I wish you a relaxing weekend.
Greetings from Germany
Eden

Hi Eden ,

Sorry to read of your disappointment in the HIIT workouts.... HIIT is challenging & not for everyone.... I like them for shorter, more intense cardio ... you could possibly add a chapter to another workout to gradually get used to the intensity, or just sell them as you were thinking of doing .. . I hope you'll enjoy KPC more. Let us know your thoughts on the new KCM workouts ... I was on the fence & decided to wait until I saw reviews.

 

[Eden68]

Hi Eden ,

Sorry to read of your disappointment in the HIIT workouts.... HIIT is challenging & not for everyone.... I like them for shorter, more intense cardio ... you could possibly add a chapter to another workout to gradually get used to the intensity, or just sell them as you were thinking of doing .. . I hope you'll enjoy KPC more. Let us know your thoughts on the new KCM workouts ... I was on the fence & decided to wait until I saw reviews.

Hi Deb!
Meanwhile I have 30 (!) Cathe DVDs and there is just one of 30 I wasn't satisfied with. So don't worry.
You know, today I tried Low Impact Circuit.
That's a workout I am totally enthusiastic about! Just did One Segment and Abs ( total 44 Minutes). Great DVD!
Do you think the IMAX 3 and the Cardio Fusion from the Hardcore Series would be something that I would like, too?
Thank you for your help in this matter.
Eden

 

[Debinmi]

Hi Eden,

I enjoy LIC too. If you're interested in Step+Circuit workouts, then another DVD I enjoy is IS's Cardio & Weights - it also has IMAX2 on it if you wanted to try an IMAX - these are not designed as low impact however - you can modify by removing jumps, keep your foot flat or use a heel-lift, and lower your step height. It is a classic, fun Cathe workout.

Another fun circuit, but NOT low impact is BB's Step, Jump & Pump - it also has Step Blast included on the DVD. I do the circuit with the step premix as I enjoy the step routines so much. I seldom ever do the Hi/Lo as it is pretty high impact.

Another circuit to try is the premix/bonus on the LIS's Step Challenge, which I think you said you have. I like that premix.

Another Step series to consider if you are enjoying Step workouts is Step Boss -- three DVDs designed for Low Impact. Step Sync is choreographed - it also has an Intermediate chapter. IMAX4 is a less intense (than IMAX2 or 3), but still fun, choreographed IMAX-type workout - I love it. And there is PHA3 - which alternates upper and lower body weight exercises and is very metabolic.

I do not own IMAX3 as it is considered by many Cathletes to be one of her more intense workouts, and high impact. So I'll probably never purchase it. I seldom, almost never, use Cardio Fusion, as I also have the 3 DVDs that is a compilation of - Low Impact Circuit, Drill Max and BodyMax2. These are long workouts, so I usually do premixes or just portions of them.

Sounds like you are building quite the Cathe library. You'll soon be a Cathlete

 

[Eden68]

Hi Eden,

I enjoy LIC too. If you're interested in Step+Circuit workouts, then another DVD I enjoy is IS's Cardio & Weights - it also has IMAX2 on it if you wanted to try an IMAX - these are not designed as low impact however - you can modify by removing jumps, keep your foot flat or use a heel-lift, and lower your step height. It is a classic, fun Cathe workout.

Another fun circuit, but NOT low impact is BB's Step, Jump & Pump - it also has Step Blast included on the DVD. I do the circuit with the step premix as I enjoy the step routines so much. I seldom ever do the Hi/Lo as it is pretty high impact.

Another circuit to try is the premix/bonus on the LIS's Step Challenge, which I think you said you have. I like that premix.

Another Step series to consider if you are enjoying Step workouts is Step Boss -- three DVDs designed for Low Impact. Step Sync is choreographed - it also has an Intermediate chapter. IMAX4 is a less intense (than IMAX2 or 3), but still fun, choreographed IMAX-type workout - I love it. And there is PHA3 - which alternates upper and lower body weight exercises and is very metabolic.

I do not own IMAX3 as it is considered by many Cathletes to be one of her more intense workouts, and high impact. So I'll probably never purchase it. I seldom, almost never, use Cardio Fusion, as I also have the 3 DVDs that is a compilation of - Low Impact Circuit, Drill Max and BodyMax2. These are long workouts, so I usually do premixes or just portions of them.

Sounds like you are building quite the Cathe library. You'll soon be a Cathlete

Hi Deb!
Like to wish you a happy new year!
Meanwhile I have some more Cathe DVDs: Travel Fit, ICE To the Mat, Hardcore High Step Challenge and Rockout Knockout Kickbox. They are all great!
Stay healthy, and thanks for your excellent participation here in the forum!
Eden

 

[sunbird]

Hi Eden68,

(I note you changed your forum name - confused me at first).

Knee pain can have multiple affecting factors. When my knee pain started in my early 30's, I saw my primary care provider, a sports medicine doctor, a podiatrist and eventually an orthopedic surgeon. I followed all recommendations except for the surgery option from the orthopedic - nothing seemed to help much. As the decades progressed, the knee pain worsened, I could not do step workouts or anything with impact, even going up/down stairs was very painful. A few years ago, my new primary care provider suggested I eat low carb for a variety of reasons ... a wonderful side effect was the improvement in my knee pain. Turns out, a lower-carb, whole-food diet is anti-inflammatory ... arthritis is defined as a painful inflammation of the joints ... anti-inflammatory diets can help improve this. (Interestingly I made some regular brownies for a fundraiser in September, and of course sampled a few pieces - I had knee pain for the rest of the week (flour and sugar are not my friends) -so your sweets habit may be a contributing factor.) And water helps our bodies flush out toxins and other waste products, so drink up!

Congrats on making it through Basic Step - it's a good place to start for people not used to step. It will with building confidence in doing step workouts. I started step in the early 90's and loved it, but stopped eventually due to the knee pain. I re-started when my knee pain improved and used Basic Step as a re-starter. After doing Basic Step, try the Body Fusion workout on the same DVD ... it builds on Basic and is more Intermediate ... you'll learn even more of Cathe's terminology. After you get Body Fusion down, the next DVD I'd suggest is Low Impact Step ... it's Intermediate also. After that, you're ready for more complex step workouts if you enjoy it.

Cathe has some step tutorials on YouTube that she did during the pandemic (I think a series of 8) ... here's the first one:

Abbreviations and Cathe explanations:

STS - Shock Training System - Cathe's huge accomplishment series:
https://cathe.com/about-sts/

PHA - Peripheral Heart Action -

Boost Your Metabolism & Break Through Plateaus with PHA Training

PHA stands for peripheral heart action and it can help boost your metabolism. Find out whether PHA Training is right for you.

cathe.com

IMAX - Interval Max - Cathe step-workouts that include a short, fun choreoghaphed step routine (repeated 6 times), then followed by an intense cardio blast (the Interval), then a short recovery. Then the process is repeated. They are similar to High Intensity Interval Training, but the recovery from the Interval blasts are longer, hence the workout is longer. I just did IMAX4 yesterday ... really enjoy them.

HTH, Deb

Oh, one more thing ... Cathe usually has a big "Black Friday" sale near the US Thanksgiving holiday, near the end of November ... If you're thinking of purchasing more DVDs, you might want to wait for the sale.

This tutorial (and others in the series on youtube) is fantastic! Thank you for sharing!!

 

[sunbird]

All these recommendations are awesome! I purchased the ICE, Lite, XTrain, and STS (oh my! I definitely need to work up to the STS), and some other workouts that were recommended here. Cathe is so motivating and has the best energy ever. I'm trying not to go overboard with buying so many, ha!