? For everyone doing STS by-the-book now...

[SirenSongWoman]

I've been doing Cathe and FF Rotations pretty consistantly for the past year (or more?..I forget).

I'm doing the Standard 3 and 1/2 Month STS, and completed Disc 6 yesterday.

I had done my 1RM's the week before I started. Mostly all upper body, only deadlifts for lower body.

I felt the first week I really pushed my weights , moreso than I have in the past. (Fitness Freak rotations pretty close though). I definitely worked until failure.

I find when I do the weights and feel like I've pushed the weight to my limit (as in failing last 1-2 reps), I feel DOMS in that muscle, lasting 2-3 days even! That's for upper body.

For lower body, Disc 3 got me good. New exercises really got in there, and I had MAJOR DOMS for 2 days, especially in my BUTT.

I did Disc 6 yesterday and have minor DOMS in my lower body today. Definitely not as bad....

What's your experience ?

Well, as you probably know, I'm doing STS as full body workouts, using 3 discs at a time broken into thirds, with Legs first (i.e., Workout #1 was the first third of disc 3 [with warmup], followed by the first third of disc 2 [with warmup], then first 3rd of disc 1). I asked the question because what I'm doing I'm doing with just enough knowledge to be dangerous() and because doms is the only way I know to gauge effectiveness (since I didn't have that feeling of utter exhaustion I almost always have with Cathe... or Amy Bento... Heck, even The Firm!) and because I wasn't experiencing it I had to ask what everyone else is getting. I'm glad I did. It seems most are having a similar experience to mine. I didn't feel anything until tonight, when I finished the final thirds of discs 1-3. I feel a bit more secure in what I'm doing now.

 

[Lakeside]

SusanDean, the woody bands sound good. I was halfway through my second X rotation when I did a chinup for the first time in my life. My power rack is in my basement along with the washer and dryer. Every time I would do a wash, I would go to the rack and do a chinup to see if it was real. I was like a little kid. Right now I am using both my cable attachment and the rack pullup bar for chins. I was previewing meso 2, I think it was, in which Cathe says it is ok to use a different hand position with barbell rows as long as one is consistent with that position throughout. I will be using the overhand position for the rows. I tend to get soreness (not the good kind) at the crook of my elbow if too many exercises stress it.

Good Luck, Susan, with the chinups and STS. It is never too late for us older gals.

 

[Afreet]

Hi there;

I actually cancelled my STS pre-order because I decided I was more of a circuit or cardio person than an "hour-long weightlifting" person. So please consider this when reading about my experience!

My sweetie felt that I would regret cancelling my pre-order, so he bought STS for me as a gift. He's doing a 3 1/2 month rotation, and I was planning to join him. We did the first disc together and I couldn't do anything like 60% of my 1RM (I tested 1RM very conservatively, too!). I didn't think the workout was much fun.

My SO liked it fine but found it VERY challenging. I got bored about 20 minutes into the second disc and bailed out. We haven't tried any of the leg work yet, but I'm optimistic about it (Cathe's leg workouts are always awesome).

Although I was very challenged by the upper body work, I wasn't sore after disc 1 (I wasn't sore after the second disc, either, but like I said, I didn't finish).

I'm actually a little surprised with myself for not liking it more. I LOVE the Gym Styles series. I have a ton of Cathe DVDs and have really liked everything I've ordered. I feel very "meh" about STS, though.

I definitely get the sense that I'm alone in my lukewarm response to STS. It's just my opinion! And I've barely dipped a toe into the STS pool! I'm hoping the leg workouts will engage my enthusiasm and I'll be able to get my head into the STS game! But if not, I'm OK being a cardio/circuit person and just not loving STS.

 

[Amy Steppe]

After the workout, I felt great, but I had no DOMS today.

I used pretty heavy weights too and did not modify any of the pushups except for the last three staggered ones.