First Time Posting

F

FruitLoop25

Active Member
Hello, all! I am pretty new to Cathe and have steadily been collecting dvds this year. I have always been so intimidated to try her workouts so they just sat on my shelf. Well, yesterday I bit the bullet and unwrapped Push/Pull because I read (while lurking on forums) that people think that is her easiest workout. Well, not only was I able to do the workout but I matched Cathe’s weights (except for one exercise because I don’t have a 25 pound dumbbell only up to 20 pounds)!! I know this is her easiest workout but I was SO FREAKING proud of myself! This 51 year old woman was jumping around like a toddler on Xmas morning!! I ran out to my husband and told him and honestly- I was on cloud nine!!! I felt so powerful afterwards like I was Super Woman!! Haha

Cathe is AMAZING!!!! I can’t believe I am only discovering her at this point in my fitness journey!! I love everything about her!! I love seeing such strong, powerful women! I loved her cute personality! I loved her timely pointers. She’s pretty dang awesome!!! I splurged during the Labor Day sale so I have more workouts coming (and that cool round mat)! Thanks so much for listening to this Cathe newbie babble on! I was nervous to post but after lurking here for awhile feel this is a very supportive community. Do you all remember your first Cathe workout where you finished it feeling so proud of yourself?
 
Congratulations and welcome! So happy you gave Cathe a try.

I've found over the years that her strength training workouts feel far less intimidating than her cardio workouts, if that's helpful to you at all while choosing which next workout to dip your toe in. If you've got the DVD that has both Push & Pull and Supersets on it, give Supersets a try for sure. It's also on the easier side, and still a favorite of mine to fall back on when I just need to lighten up (literally and figuratively).

My first two Cathe workouts were Rhythmic Step and Power Hour which I got on VHS back in 2002. Rhythmic Step took me a long, long time to figure out as I only had extremely basic step experience before that one, so I tended to avoid it quite a bit back in the day. I felt pretty dang amazing and accomplished when I got through all of Power Hour, though. I was pretty much hooked on Cathe's workouts from that point forward.

I'd say 90% of my home workout library consists of Cathe's stuff now - and I've since grown to adore most of Cathe's cardio - especially step workouts (and most especially the intricately choreographed ones) - I no longer have two left feet!

Glad you're here!
 
Sorry for the delayed reply! I had, originally, posted during a quick work break!! Thank you so much to everyone that responded! I really appreciate it. I have already learned so much from you all while lurking! It will be nice to actively learn more from you by being able to ask questions!

Kellyro77- I will definitely try Supersets!

Debinmi- oh, no!! Well, thanks for the warning!! Haha Wish me luck!!!!
 
Welcome FruitLoop25! I started with Cathe's Basic Step and Body Fusion, and Low Impact Step DVDs. The first one of Cathe's workouts that I really felt proud of myself after finishing was Party Rockin' Step 1, after finally nailing the choreography. The other really big one was completing STS 1 for the first time. I hadn't done a dedicated program before and was proud of myself for sticking with it.
 
Hazlady said:
The first one of Cathe's workouts that I really felt proud of myself after finishing was Party Rockin' Step 1, after finally nailing the choreography. The other really big one was completing STS 1 for the first time. I hadn't done a dedicated program before and was proud of myself for sticking with it.
Click to expand...
STS is a big achievement. You are right to be proud of such big accomplishments.
For both STS and party rocking.

Party rocking is so much fun. I recall being frustrated learning and mastering the choreography.
It is one of the most difficult to learn.

Here is the clip for anyone wondering!
 
Hazlady and FitSaxe- Holy cow!!!! Ok, I am so not ready for Cathe’s cardio!! My eyes just about fell out of my head!!! That’s crazy impressive!! You should definitely be proud!!! Also, I’m jealous you could complete the STS rotation! I’m horrible with rotations! Although, I think I did buy a couple dvds from that set. I want to say one of them is a chair/mat yoga and the other had 2 mobility workouts. However, I could also be confusing them with a different workout set which is more likely!

Right now, I am doing mostly walking workouts and hi/lo aerobics for my cardio. I know- I’m definitely not up to snuff for the standards here! I hope I can still stay!!

All the studies I read say that I should do HIIT as I age- especially now that I am 50+. However, I really, really love steady state, low to moderate intensity cardio. It just truly makes me happy and zen. It’s my favorite form of exercise. I think that’s why I have been able to stay motivated to work out because I only do workouts that make me feel good! I don’t know if that’s good or bad for my future in terms of longevity and fitness.
 
@FruitLoop25 We all get better with time. If you like challenges you will strive for more and will complete STS. Truth is I was intimidated to embark on STS journey. I set myself a goal: Completing 4ds, Gym style and CTX.

Oh also i did Bodybeast :D

Funny thing with STS is once you have completed it for the purpose it was made for, you will ask yourselF to re-embark again. Read through past threads here on the forum. There are many of us who love and swear by STS. We love it so much to the point of asking for STS 2.0 lol:D:D. Try it and you may have FUN;

I built up intensity, strength by embracing and reaching out for various goals. Trust me I had no idea all those challenges were resulting to what I have gained :D :D The best achievement to be honest is the mental strength. It is all in the head. You can do it.


Take care:D;)
 
Last edited:
Welcome FruitLoop25. What a fun user name!

I feel that most of Cathe's strength workouts can work for everyone, because one can always lift lighter, do every other rep, do a timesaver premix, or any number of of other ways to adapt. I've restarted an interrupted fitness journey, but didn't feel comfortable using another instructor, so I used a lot of those strategies. I trust Cathe, because she does the workout with us and gives valuable form pointers. If something strikes your fancy... don't let the "level" stop you, as you can generally make it easier. It sounds like you're doing great! :)

As others have mentioned... many of Cathe's step workouts are challenging, especially the choreography. If you're interested in trying step, but not ready for the fancy stuff, Cathe's Basic Step is fun and "doable" and a great place to start. If you don't like it... don't do step. If you do... it stimulates the mind, learning all those new steps, so try another. HIIT, even when I was in better shape and working out regularly wasn't a favorite of mine. I only did it about once a month. I did want the anaerobic benefits from that type of workout, though, so I found that some of Cathe's step as well as her kickboxing workouts provided anaerobic "blasts", and I really enjoy that type of workout.

We all have our own preferences, and while I like to step outside of my comfort zone every so often, I do tend to stick mostly to the types of workouts that I love. The fun factor gets me putting in my full effort (rather than just going through the motions).

I do remember the first time I completed a Cathe workout, and I remember how proud I was of myself, the additional motivation that drove me to try other Cathe workouts, and a sense of joy and accomplishment. You want to know something? For me... that didn't go away. Every time I lifted heavier, mastered a knew step, got a MMA combo completely correct, improved my form... I felt it again. Now, I'm starting over again, and it took me awhile to "feel" good about anything (kept comparing my "now" workouts to my "old self" lol), but once the girls on this forum helped me get my head on straight (thanks ladies!) and started seeing some progress, I started "feeling" it again. Thank you for sharing. I'm one of those people that feels joy when I hear about someone else's accomplishment. I love that you are so happy, and I hope that you feel that many times when completing a Cathe workout. :)
 
Braille- thank you for your very thoughtful reply! I loved reading about your rediscovery of joy with each new challenge! I, too, am excited to explore new Cathe workouts!!

Yes, I’m not a fan of step. I have so many step tapes (Kathy S, Kathy K, Gilad, Kari, Denise, Christi, etc). I have never been able to get into it! I have done high impact cardio to power yoga and everything in between! However, my real love is steady state low to moderate cardio!

I am by no means a beginner exerciser. I’ve been exercising for a long time. I’m just a beginner with Cathe’s strength!! Most recently, I was doing a 3 exercise power lift program, Nia Shanks, and Jari Love (to mix things up on occasion)!

I’m sorry that you have had to start over again in your fitness journey. That stinks. Been there, done that. I felt the same way each time as you felt. It is definitely a challenge to stay positive and not compare where you were to where you are. I think what helped me the last time I had to restart (due to illness) was just realizing that fitness is a journey with longevity being the goal. It’s a marathon not a sprint as they say!
 
FruitLoop25 said:
Although, I think I did buy a couple dvds from that set. I want to say one of them is a chair/mat yoga and the other had 2 mobility workouts.
Click to expand...
Those are from STS 2.0, another good series. The original STS was released around 2009. Choreographed step workouts aren't for everyone, but Cathe has lots of different types of workouts. The premixes on the DVDs are really good if you want to add a bonus for a longer workout or use a timesaver premix for a shorter workout. Also, even though some of Cathe's workouts can be quite advanced many of them can be modified quite easily. I use Cathe's weight selections as more of a guide as I can't lift as heavy. I usually go one step lighter, so for example if Cathe uses 15lbs I will use 12lbs. Some of Cathe's weightlifting workouts, like PHA, also have quite a cardio impact.
 
FruitLoop25 said:
I am by no means a beginner exerciser. I’ve been exercising for a long time. I’m just a beginner with Cathe’s strength!! Most recently, I was doing a 3 exercise power lift program, Nia Shanks, and Jari Love (to mix things up on occasion)!
Click to expand...
I'd kind of assumed you'd been a long-term exerciser when you mentioned that you matched Cathe's weights. I don't know any beginners that could do that at any age. lol Very impressive. :) You may have already discovered this through shopping for the workouts you purchased, but Cathe spoils us with with awesome premixes, including timesaver premixes as well as bonuses. You really get a lot of bang for your buck. Just the variety of ab workouts she provides (often as bonuses) keep me from ever getting bored. She has workouts that use very little in the way of equipment (bands) or have you dragging out everything except the kitchen sink. lol Cathe makes working out fun and interesting. I'm glad you discovered her. :)
 
FruitLoop25 said:
I am by no means a beginner exerciser. I’ve been exercising for a long time. I’m just a beginner with Cathe’s strength!! Most recently, I was doing a 3 exercise power lift program, Nia Shanks, and Jari Love (to mix things up on occasion)!
Click to expand...
#No belittling intention here. Cathe is known for being intense in any type of her offerings. Cardio, endurance high reps and strength. She is clearly not into sticking to pink toothpick loads:rolleyes:

The point i am making is what is ranked as an intermediate by other fitness companies could proove, in the actual fact, to be a beginner workout as far as cathe dot com is concerned! it is a fact.

So embarking an intense cathe program would likely require many modification to the point of not reaping potential results offered by the program. It does not mean the exerciser is not committed. There is simply no matching between the ability, the commitment and the intensity of the program.

I was working out other trainers before Cathe and stopped because I was no longer challenged:D:p. In the beginning I realised i got myself into an ongoing challenge in terms of intensity in various shape and forms. I never looked back. I tried few trainers but sticked to Cathe:D Oh I turned my enthusiasm into passion for health and fitness. Voilà!
 
Last edited:
Braille said:
You may have already discovered this through shopping for the workouts you purchased, but Cathe spoils us with with awesome premixes, including timesaver premixes as well as bonuses. You really get a lot of bang for your buck.
Click to expand...
Oh, cool! I didn’t know that!! Wow! It sounds like she gives so many workout options with the premixes!!! At the Labor Day Sale, I bought Muscle Max, the one with Muscle Endurance, Pyramid Pump and the Travel one. Of course, I had to buy the resistance bands and firewalker bands which I absolutely don’t need but these say Cathe on them so we’re a must have! I have the Power Hour one and LMR Total Body still wrapped at home. As you might be able to tell, I prefer total body workouts! I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to have finally tried Cathe! I feel like a kid in a candy store!! Haha Oh, I just bought a pair of 25 pound dumbbells last night! I’m going all in on Cathe!! Super excited!!
 
Last edited:
Oh! I love Muscle Max. Muscle Endurance and Pyramid Pump are great, too. And I also love Travel Fit.

Yes, for Muscle Max and Travel Fit, she uses bands - they're worth it and if you get into more and more of her workouts, you'll find she uses them quite a bit, so you'll get your money's worth out of them.

The above workouts are also great intros into Cathe's weighted workouts. Once you build confidence doing those, I definitely recommend you try out some of her heavier-weighted workouts. Since you like total body workouts, all three of her total body workouts from STS 2.0 are magnificent (and those would be heavy-weighted workouts.)

Although you can get any of her heavy workouts and always go light, but you may find yourself disappointed because she keeps the reps low in those, and, for instance, you'd not get much benefit out of just sticking with 10 reps of kickbacks with 5# weights, instead of 16+ reps of kickbacks that you'd find in one of her muscle endurance workouts (like the ones you just purchased.)

Hope that makes sense.

Anyways - enjoy! And now I want to pull out Muscle Max and do it soon!
 
Braille said:
You really get a lot of bang for your buck.
Click to expand...
Cathe's DVDs that have the thoughtful premixes and bonuses are pure gold.
FruitLoop25 said:
At the Labor Day Sale, I bought Muscle Max, the one with Muscle Endurance, Pyramid Pump and the Travel one.
Click to expand...
GREAT choices! Travel fit doesn't get mentioned much but I love Cathe's band workouts. Also Love MM and Pyramid Pump especially since they have some very useful premixes to mix things up!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top