Firm user moving into Cathe, questions ?

G

Gyggles1

Cathlete
I am totally a Firm believer but once I started Cathe's tapes I really enjoy the workouts and Cathe as an instructor.... I am burning out on the Firm now and also worried about a Hmmm "spongebob square pants" look from the rear. Alot of people are doing the slim series. But is there a Cathe tape that would help slim or is cardio the best ticket for this ? I want to Firm & Tone and also burn calories. I absolutely love Rythmic Step which is my 1st step tape of her's.... the other morning I said hmmm don't know what tape to do, my DH says pick something fun and I picked Rythmic Step. Might need to buy Step Blast now from all your reviews.

But is cardio - step aerobics enough to acheive a nice looking body ?
Maybe w/ the Firm tapes ?

I have Cardio Kicks from Cathe too and those are the only 2 tapes I own... but I have to say Cardio Kicks I need to save for when I have lots of energy at 5 am, which isn't often, LOL!

OK enough of my rambling, not sure any of this even makes any sense.
Thank you,
Laura =)



Laura =)
251.5/135.2/141
 
Hi Laura,
I don't think I can answer all of your questions, but I can answer one of them!

YES YES YES you do need to get Step Blast. You will LOVE it.

Now I will let the other esteemed members of the Cathe club help you spend your money on other Cathe workouts

(I'll give you a hint - get them all and get them on DVD!)

:D

-joy
 
I used the firm a couple of times trying to get a high intensity workout. I didn't like them - boring and cheesy. I started researching and found Cathe about a year ago. I LOVE CATHE! She's great! I'd say that if you want good workouts that don't freak you out at 5:00am, you might want to try the CTX series. I bought that to help me get back into shape after taking most of the summer off. It is awesome! I love all of them. They are fun and definitely not boring. They are a bit easier than her other tapes, but I think that just has to do with the time factor. It is a great all-over toning workout, though. I'm looking forward to my DH getting me the BB series for X-mas. Good luck and have fun!
Jen
 
Laura, you will absolutely love Cathe's productions regardless of which cardio mode you prefer. The problem will be in what to start with, how much you can afford to purchase at the outset. I can't speak to The Firm or its "Slim Series" because I've never done any of those workouts, but if you like step, kickbox, hi-lo and melanges of these, you'll love Cathe.

The only thing I'd like to point out is that in order to have a good, well-rounded program that helps you achieve your health, athletic and aesthetic goals, you have to strength train as well as do cardio. Cathe has a great variety of resistance training series (CTX has strength training segments for all the major upper and lower body muscle groups), including split-set training (Pure Strength, Slow and Heavy, Pyramid Upper Body and Pyramid Lower Body), total body training (Maximum Intensity Strength, Power Hour {Power Hour is arguably more muscle endurance training}, Muscle Endurance {see note about Power Hour}, the new Super Sets workout from Body Blast), etc. Body Max is an extended cardio, cardio-leg-circuit and upper body strength workout that does it all.

I'll leave it to others to suggest your starter Cathe routines, but again, make strength training a part of your program as well.

A-Jock
 
Hi Laura! I second the suggestion for the CTX series. Another one you might want to try, but isn't released just yet, is the 5 Day Timesaver DVD from the new BB series. The DVD will offer a "Workout Blender" that allows us to select what we want to do and it plays in the order of selection. This DVD will have total body weights plus a variety of cardio. I think it would be a good sampler of the different cardio Cathe has to offer. I am especially looking forward to this DVD! It might also fit well with you as it sounds like you are an AM exerciser; shorter workouts.

HTH, take care and welcome to Cathe! ;-)
 
Laura- I had done the FIRM tapes for 10 years which includes the newest step/bar they sold. I found Cathe over the summer and haven't looked back... I actually believe the Firm tapes were getting me to a plateau and I needed workouts that were more difficult as opposed to just "heavying up". I would suggest Cathe's Boot Camp for cardio/toning, but I think any of her tapes are a jolt to the regular workout.

Step Blast is great along with IMAX2 for overall cardio. The intensity series is really good combining cardio tapes w/strength training tapes.

I think there are many of us who had done the Firm (and alot still do) so you're in good company. I'm very grateful that I found the Cathe tapes- my body has responded similar to when I first started the Firm tapes years ago. Let us know what you think!

Brenda
 
Laura, are you looking for a Cathe workout that will shape your rear? Am I reading you correctly? If so, I'd suggest Pure Strength Legs, Pyramid Lower Body or Leaner Legs, for starters. Her lower body weight workouts have helped tone, firm and strengthen my ENTIRE lower body.

As for your question: But is cardio - step aerobics enough to acheive a nice looking body? My answer to that would be no, but that's just based on personal experience. Others might disagree. I have been stepping for many, many years and I used to do it exclusively believing it was enough. But after I started doing Cathe's lower body weight workouts, I could really see a big difference. My thighs and calves got leaner, my hips (though still wide) and butt (though still lardy) got smaller. And I have inner thighs where there used to be only blobs of flab.

Hope this helps,
Pinky
 
Hi Laura, I don't know if you have a DVD player or not but the Terminator DVD is similiar to some of my favorite Firm workouts. I like cardio and weights mixed so this DVD has been a great purchase. All three workouts are cardio and total body weight training routines. They are a little longer (70-80 minutes) but I can skip certain exercises when I'm pressed for time.
 
I suggest Bodymax, which is a combo step cardio and weight workout, and Circuit max, which combines step/hi-low/kickbox and weight circuits. Both of these workouts give a combination of cardio and resistance training. They're somewhat like the Firm in that way, but more intense (especially in the cardio department, which is where the Firm is rather lacking, IMO). If your didn't already have Cardio Kicks, I'd suggest the CK/CM DVD. What about the new "Kick, punch and crunch?" I haven't gotten mine yet, but it sounds like a fab cardio workout, more intense than Cardio Kicks, but using less room. Kickboxing is a great form of cardio for working the booty!
 
I also started with Firm. I liked the tapes although I don't believe the cardio portions are anywhere near as intense as Cathe's cardio. I have most of Cathe's step tapes from the beginning. As far as acheiving a nice looking body I agree with alot of the posts. You need cardio and weights, but it does depend on what kind of results you are looking for. I know I have read many times in this forum about the tapes that have cardio intervals alternating with weights will give you the best results. You just need to experiment. I did get the Firm body bar and some of the new tapes...I use them when I don't want a hard workout!...I do agree with the post about getting Bodymax. A good step workout with leg weights in the last part of the step then arms and a good ab routine after. I also really like Step, Jump and Pump..one of her new ones in the Body Blast series...good luck...Carole
 
I use the Firm and Cathe regularly. Love them both for different reasons. Cathe is intense, the Firm is more intermediate. I find that the two together are great and gives the variety in intensity that has helped me to increase in cardiovascular and muscular strength.

Last month I did a cardio and weights rotation with Cathe tapes that uses intense cardio with moderate weights. I used the following tapes every other day: Cardio and Weights, Bootcamp, Muscle Endurance, Power Hour and Circuit Max. It was a great rotation for me. The in-between days I either took a complete rest day or I did an alternative add-on workout to target specific areas. For example I did a stability ball abs workout or a 20 min. pilates workout.

I enjoyed this so much that I'm doing a Firm rotation just like it this month (I will move on to a BB rotation next month). I'm using Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3, Maximum Cardio and Maximum Burn every other day for the whole month. On the alternate days I will either rest or do an add-on. Last Tues I did the warm-up and stability ball abs of PUB and the stability ball and cooldown of PLB. FANTASTIC little workout.

If you still like The Firm, then I would strongly recommend alternating their use with Cathe tapes. The two are excellent complements. JMHO.

Cathy:)
 
Hi Laura,

I started with the Firm and dicovered Cathe and haven't looked back. I started with the CTX series and loved it. It really seemed to strengthen my core and legs. I found the cardio was what I needed. I must say that I have loved all of Cathe's workouts thus far - I look forward to that time of the day.

Good Luck

JoJo
 
Welcome to the world of cathe. You've gotten some great suggestions on workouts. I find cathe workouts compliment the firm, breaking up the monotony. Cathe cardio though is definely more intense, but the firms are great as a boredome buster or to get a more fun toning workout. After doing mostly cathes and cias for the past few weeks,i reached for my firms this week, super cardio, super sculpt and total body shaping mix, my body definely felt these and my butt still feels it, and I had forgotten how fun these are, but do keep buying cathes.
 
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