Fit Split is Kicking My Butt

[AVeyRa]

I’m 45 — almost 46 — and started working out again a little less than a year ago. I’ve done lots of Cathe, lots of straight-up gym work, heavy lifting, functional fitness, etc. Very good progress, lots of muscle gains, better cardio, better flexibility, very few DOMS or sick days. I consistently am working 5-6 days a week in my home gym. Loving it.

Last month my rotation was a mix of Lite and Step Boss. It was manageable. I took a de-load week last week and then started a one-month FitSplit rotation two days ago.

Holy-smoking-banana-peels: WHAT?!

FitSplit does not stop. I thought I was in decent shape, y’all. I was wrong, LOL! I have to pause or modify quite a bit. I’m getting winded really easily on this one. My only saving grace is that I am pretty strong, so the weights portion is actually fairly easy(ish). “Grab your 25-pound weights“ doesn’t scare me at all. That’s right up my alley. All the cardio is kicking my butt, though. Definitely working up to this one as the month progresses.

I am curious, however, at the reviews that say this is a “good workout, but not that hard” or “high-intermediate level“. As I said, I’ve done a LOT of Cathe, and this one feels solidly advanced (although easy to modify). Am I wrong? Do I really need to get in much, much better shape after all?

 

[jillybean]

I am not sure what shape those reviewers are in or what they mean by “not that hard” but I think these workouts are very challenging. Especially shred cardio and the bonus abs. I also think the weight segments are very challenging. The weights Cathe uses are pretty heavy. I consider Fit Split advanced! Maybe the cardio portions of Mixed Impact Cardio or Boxing Boot Camp aren’t as challenging as, say, CrossFire or KPC, but then again th me Fit Split cardios are shorter because they’re followed by heavy weight routines. I love Fit Split and get so much use out of it. I hope you’re enjoying it. That’s what matters!

 

[Debinmi]

I did FitSplit as part of my July & August rotations (with other workouts too). I find it challenging. Maybe those reviewers wanted longer workouts.... I think they're great for shorter workouts for hot, sweaty summer, and as timesavers or add-ons. I've been working out with Cathe & crew for a long while, yet don't consider myself "advanced ". What's important to me is the workout gets my heart rate up, can be modified for my level, is varied, effective, & FUN. FitSplit fits the bill for me.

 

[AVeyRa]

I am not sure what shape those reviewers are in or what they mean by “not that hard” but I think these workouts are very challenging. Especially shred cardio and the bonus abs. I also think the weight segments are very challenging. The weights Cathe uses are pretty heavy. I consider Fit Split advanced! Maybe the cardio portions of Mixed Impact Cardio or Boxing Boot Camp aren’t as challenging as, say, CrossFire or KPC, but then again th me Fit Split cardios are shorter because they’re followed by heavy weight routines. I love Fit Split and get so much use out of it. I hope you’re enjoying it. That’s what matters!

Yes! Definitely enjoying It. I’ve seen almost all of what Cathe can throw at us — or thought I had. There are some new moves in this one that I love because they are not in my wheelhouse. Learning how to move my body in different ways certainly keeps me engaged and shooting for new goals.

I did FitSplit as part of my July & August rotations (with other workouts too). I find it challenging. Maybe those reviewers wanted longer workouts.... I think they're great for shorter workouts for hot, sweaty summer, and as timesavers or add-ons. I've been working out with Cathe & crew for a long while, yet don't consider myself "advanced ". What's important to me is the workout gets my heart rate up, can be modified for my level, is varied, effective, & FUN. FitSplit fits the bill for me.

Amen to this! And I agree. I think I get intimidated by “reviewers” (who may or may not be 100% truthful) and lose my “why” sometimes. I’d love to finally make it to the “advanced” user (I’ve been a medium-high intermediate user for awhile), but I know that‘s going to take a great deal of perseverance and effort. I‘m up for it. But I do look at Cathe and wonder how on earth this woman can still be so fit in her late 50’s. She kicks my butt every time! Amazing.

 

[AVeyRa]

Just completed Mixed Impact Cardio — just Pull Day (Timesaver #3). Now *that* was awesome. Definitely in my wheelhouse. And I finally was able to do roll ins on the ball. PR, for sure.

Sticking with FitSplit for the next four weeks. I’ll be interested to see how I improve.

Cathe’s weights and mine are fairly evenly matched for upper body on this one. Some exercises I can lift heavier than she does; some she can lift heavier than I do. So I see where I can improve for sure. My arms are very happy and Im nice and loose and happily fatigued. We’ll see about how I feel tomorrow after just the cardio portion! It looks challenging.

 

[Debinmi]

FitSplit is so versatile! Either by using Premixes or even the chapters. I did it "as is" when we first purchased it, but now I piece-meal it to make it work for me. Glad to see you enjoying the challenges it can offer!

 

[ashaw]

I love the Low Impact HIIT workout from fit split. It was the first standing cardio I felt safe doing after I hurt my knee in June. I mixed in the two upper body workouts with my P.volve lower body workouts and it was awesome. The only workout I’m not wild about is the kickbox and lower body. That metabolic workout is no joke. I only got to do the shred and mixed impact cardio workouts once each but they were both tough. I hope I can do high impact stuff again one of these days.

 

[AVeyRa]

Shred Cardio is evil. LOL I had to just put the bench on the floor and modify — a lot. That workout is “goals”, for sure. So much jumping. Today is Mixed Impact (the whole enchilada). I’m looking forward to the weights. Not so much the cardio, HAHAHA.

 

[AVeyRa]

Mixed Impact Weights were amazing. Like a beefy steak. Loved it. The cardio is hard, but modifiable (is that a word?). After all the Fit Split work this week, I was supposed to just to the kickboxing bit today, but I’m really tired. I can definitely feel an active recovery day coming on today. So just walking for this one. But tomorrow I get legs… always a challenge. And Saturday is the dreaded entirety of Shred Cardio and weights. I can tell I’m improving, for sure. And I love to work. FitSplit, so far, is working as prescribed. Cant wait to see how it all shakes out by the end of the month rotation.

 

[Terina]

I am not sure what shape those reviewers are in or what they mean by “not that hard” but I think these workouts are very challenging. Especially shred cardio and the bonus abs. I also think the weight segments are very challenging. The weights Cathe uses are pretty heavy. I consider Fit Split advanced! Maybe the cardio portions of Mixed Impact Cardio or Boxing Boot Camp aren’t as challenging as, say, CrossFire or KPC, but then again th me Fit Split cardios are shorter because they’re followed by heavy weight routines. I love Fit Split and get so much use out of it. I hope you’re enjoying it. That’s what matters!

Just did a month of FitSplit rotation and I agree it’s challenging. Cardio Shred is Intense,weight work is awesome love Strengh gains it’s a great series.

 

[AVeyRa]

“Finished“ FitSplit. Kinda. I pooped out about week 3 and had to take the last half of that week off. Also, apparently strained my triceps in my left arm. It’s taking forever to heal. (You don’t realize how much you rely on your triceps until it’s perpetually sore.)

This week was a deload week — jumping back in with Low Impact Series rotation next week. Hoping my triceps can handle it. I struggle with “I can do this, I just need to push myself” versus “This is too hard for my skill set right now and I really need to modify.” It’s a struggle to know the difference … and not feel like I am short-changing myself. I’m not 26 anymore. intellectually, I know I need to take it a little slower — because my recovery isn‘t going to be as swift. But it’s hard.

TL;DR Love the intensity and challenge of the FitSplit series… But my body is going to have to work up to it gradually. I have rotations set up until next summer (I know I’m going to have to insert the new STS 2.0 in there somewhere when it’s available for purchase — 100%!) but I think I’ll revisit FitSplit again after those and see how it goes. Definitely going to slow down the reps and be more conservative with the triceps.

 

[Debinmi]

AVeyRa, congrats on persevering as long as you did & then listening to your body & changing things up. I can only do FitSplit for a week or two straight, most times I intersperse it with other workouts in a month- long rotation. In fact, with the exception of Xtrain, and a ICE/LITE, I seldom ever do one sole series for an entire month - I want/need more variety. Even with thecXtrain 90-day rotation, I substitute other kickbox and HIIT workouts in the rotation. So kudos to you for attempting to do an entire series in one month

 

[AVeyRa]

AVeyRa, congrats on persevering as long as you did & then listening to your body & changing things up. I can only do FitSplit for a week or two straight, most times I intersperse it with other workouts in a month- long rotation. In fact, with the exception of Xtrain, and a ICE/LITE, I seldom ever do one sole series for an entire month - I want/need more variety. Even with thecXtrain 90-day rotation, I substitute other kickbox and HIIT workouts in the rotation. So kudos to you for attempting to do an entire series in one month

Thank you for the kind response! Out of 24 planned workouts in the rotation (6 per week for 4 weeks) I completed 14. That’s a completion rate of 58%… Not great. So I can take that data and do two things with it.

1) I can take the negative approach, beat myself up, and ignite in a shame-spiral and take nothing positive from the experiment.
—OR—
2) I can take the positive approach, pat myself on the back for what I did accomplish (which was a considerable amount, all things considered) and re-calibrate my intensity going forward.

FitSplit taught me a lot. I‘m capable of more than I thought I was – for sure! But I also have limits. Both aspects are helpful going forward. I certainly don‘t want to get injured again. So I’ll be wiser next rotation and program for that. The most important things for me in any workout rotation are:
* Is this challenging?
* Is this doable?
* Am I learning something new?
* Do I have enough energy after this workout for the rest of my duties? (which are considerable!)
* IS IT FUN???
The fun part keeps me coming back. If it’s not fun, it’s just more “work”. And that‘s not adding value to my life. “Functionally fun” is the mantra.

 

[Braille]

I struggle with “I can do this, I just need to push myself” versus “This is too hard for my skill set right now and I really need to modify.” It’s a struggle to know the difference … and not feel like I am short-changing myself. I’m not 26 anymore. intellectually, I know I need to take it a little slower — because my recovery isn‘t going to be as swift. But it’s hard.

AVeyRa, I hear you. I went through this mindset change years ago. Every once in awhile... I still have to give myself a little shake (or kick in the butt), and remind myself to workout smarter. I ended up not choosing between pushing myself too hard or telling myself this is too hard. I gave myself a third choice. I know, I'm so clever - right? Give me a minute to pat myself on the back... Okay, here's your other option: Ask yourself where you're at right now and what will make you better tomorrow. If you push yourself too hard, you make yourself worse for tomorrow - defeats the purpose of exercise. Don't think of it as too hard for you right now, because then you (if you're like me) tend to compare yourself today with a younger version of yourself. It serves no purpose to compete with the past. Basically, a phrase that Cathe uses in her yoga workouts about doing what you're body can do today resonated with me. It was a "light bulb" moment. So, I guess I need to give those pats on the back to Cathe. When I first started having to modify, it made me feel old. Then, I started looking at it as giving my body what it needs. Well, everybody should give their body what it needs. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just common sense. So, I now see myself as wiser, which makes me not miss my younger self as much. Be happy with where you are and congratulate yourself on being smart enough to recognize that no matter what age we're at, we can always improve. Your working out is part of that progress. Your third choice is to do what's right for your body right now. If you do this, you'll be happy with your body and your mindset. By following this, I didn't end up being younger, but I am healthier, stronger, more flexible, better balance, more agile, etc. than when I started. I'm also pretty darn proud of myself. You should be proud of yourself too. Accomplishment is ALWAYS a positive. Progress is ALWAYS a step forward. You're accomplishing something and moving forward, regardless of the %s involved. You're on the the right path. Congrats!

 

[ChelePA]

AVeyRa, I hear you. I went through this mindset change years ago. Every once in awhile... I still have to give myself a little shake (or kick in the butt), and remind myself to workout smarter. I ended up not choosing between pushing myself too hard or telling myself this is too hard. I gave myself a third choice. I know, I'm so clever - right? Give me a minute to pat myself on the back... Okay, here's your other option: Ask yourself where you're at right now and what will make you better tomorrow. If you push yourself too hard, you make yourself worse for tomorrow - defeats the purpose of exercise. Don't think of it as too hard for you right now, because then you (if you're like me) tend to compare yourself today with a younger version of yourself. It serves no purpose to compete with the past. Basically, a phrase that Cathe uses in her yoga workouts about doing what you're body can do today resonated with me. It was a "light bulb" moment. So, I guess I need to give those pats on the back to Cathe. When I first started having to modify, it made me feel old. Then, I started looking at it as giving my body what it needs. Well, everybody should give their body what it needs. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just common sense. So, I now see myself as wiser, which makes me not miss my younger self as much. Be happy with where you are and congratulate yourself on being smart enough to recognize that no matter what age we're at, we can always improve. Your working out is part of that progress. Your third choice is to do what's right for your body right now. If you do this, you'll be happy with your body and your mindset. By following this, I didn't end up being younger, but I am healthier, stronger, more flexible, better balance, more agile, etc. than when I started. I'm also pretty darn proud of myself. You should be proud of yourself too. Accomplishment is ALWAYS a positive. Progress is ALWAYS a step forward. You're accomplishing something and moving forward, regardless of the %s involved. You're on the the right path. Congrats!

This was so well said. Thank you for sharing.