Former Firmer, new to Cathe workouts

C

cindylou42

New Member
I have been doing the Firm workouts for the past 3 years and I have become bored with it. I consider myself an intermediate to advanced exerciser and the Firm does not provide enough advanced workouts, and I am finding myself needing something more challenging. I have been watching Cathe on Fit TV for the past few months, and have just found this website and have been reviewing several clips of her different workout DVDs, I just don't know which one to start with. I don't have a stepper yet, but I have a Fanny Lifter from the Firm which I think I can use as a high step. Is it necessary to get the Basic Step and Body Fusion DVD in order to learn the step moves? After reviewing that one it seems very beginner to me, but I want to buy it if it teaches the step moves that she does in the more advanced dvds. I would appreciate any advice from anyone that can relate to me!

cindylou42
 
I am also a previous firmer.
My 1st was low max. I just kep rewounding it till i got it.
After a while it comes and takes less brain function.
The firm doesn't have the cardio that cathe does.
Don't start out with imax 3. You will die.
You can use your fanny lifter. It works. I bought the high step because it is more stable. I am a junkie. Gotta have it.
Good starter is the gym style series in my opinion.Has everything and you will feel the burn.Weights , cardio, abs.
I have them all now and i still feel they are the hardest.
I switch a series per week.You won't go wrong with cathe. You will do things you never thought were possible.Like a pike on a ball.
The firm is no comparison as far as i am concerned.
Welcome aboard and good luck.
(Take it easy at 1st or you will suffer some really bad doms.)
Anne

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=8227804&uid=3969941
 
Hi :)

I'm not familiar with The Firm, but I can relate to your not being familiar with Cathe's step. haha I was like that back in July, and now I can't stand to miss a day of my Cathe step routine. :) I was very choreo challenged, and the members here advised me to start with Cathe's Classics vol 1 dvd. I LOVE it! It's been 6 mos now, and I'm still hooked on it. I began with Step Heat. Then, I got sick of choreo (lol), and got hooked on Step Max (more athletic moves). Then, I got a craving for MORE choreo (currently) and so I'm now hooked on Step Jam (fun choreo, easy flowing, but harder than Step Heat--to me, anyway). It never gets boring, because initially I could only use 1 riser and could only get through 1 segment (+ warmup, lol). As time went on, I could add on another segment. Finally, I got up to completing the warmup+all 3 segments+ the cool down. Then, I went to 2 risers for 1 segment, and then back to 1 riser for the others. :) It's a work in progress. But, it keeps things fresh. I have all of her step dvds, yet I'm still on Classics. rofl. I did add in Kick/Punch/Crunch as a change for my cardio, and I LOVE it, too!

As for the Step, I was using the smaller studio step, but just recently bought the full size Club Step. MUCH much easier to do the step routines too (if you have the space for it). I ordered mine from Walmart online. Great price! check it out!

Welcome to the Board, Good luck and hang in there! The ladies here are a great help!
 
Hi I'm a former Firmie too. When I came over I skipped getting Basic Step and Body Fusion because if you have done the Firm for 3 years consistently they won't be challenging for you. Instead I would suggest getting a cardio that introduces you to some of Cathe's moves as well as keeps your heartrate up such as Low Impact Step. This introduces you to Cathe's interval style training something the Firm doesn't offer. The sculpting video might be a little easy though if you sculpt with the Firm. Some of the older Cardio's such as Step Heat, Step Jam and others are relatively easy as far as choreography go but intensity wise are challenging (if you don't mind looking at old school workout clothes LOL!). Or if you want to be like me....;-) you can throw caution to the wind and start out with Step Blast (which is super choreographed and intense as well with 3 intensity blasts at the end), or Low Max which is also interval cardio, but without high impact, or even get the Imax 2 and Cardio and Weights DVD, which by the way has an awesome and challenging but not too challenging AWT on it, and a super awesome interval cardio that's so fun, you stop caring about how hard it is. Anyway, it depends on where you want to go. Just look at the workouts as you did the Firm when you first started. You have to work up to it!

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Hi Cindylou42,
I too started with the Firm. My first Cathe was IMax2&Cardio and weights. I am not a huge fan of Step only type of workouts with a lot of choreography. I had a hard time at first with the choreography in these 2 but I think that no matter which Cathe workout I would have started with I would have had a learning curve. You just do it over and over a few times until you get it. I now love this DVD because of the interval style and it is so FUN. Who am I kidding, I love all of my Cathe DVD's (except Rhythmic Step)and I have most of them. I chose IMax2 and C&W based on recommendations from this site and watching it on Fit TV. You can't go wrong with those types of recommendations. Good Luck to you - you're going to love Cathe!!!
~Tracy~
 
Hi Cindylou42,

You really can't go wrong with whatever you choose, but since you are probably pretty fit already, I think going with the beginner DVDs might discourage you. Yes, they would help you learn choreography, but you would learn it with the advanced DVDs also, thus not purchasing stuff that you really may be too advanced to enjoy for long. Since you have FitTV, why don't you try various workouts that she does before you buy? You can always do step on your floor, or substitute the Firm box, if you have that. This will give you a good idea of what you might enjoy.
I am also a former Firmie, and I started with Circuit Max because it looked like the Firm's cardio/sculpt on steroids to me. It was challenging, but it was doable. (I used my Firm box to begin with). Then I challenged myself and bought the Body Blast series and committed myself to learning the choreography by doing a month's rotation that Cathe had written for that series. Again, challenging, but doable. I think you might enjoy her weight work, particularly, because you can adapt it to your own strength and the learning curve there would be very small.

HTH, and welcome!

Julie
 
Just a clarification: you CAN use the Fanny Lifter instead of the HIGH STEP, but NOT in place of a regular step (you'll have to get a Club step for that). Also, I would be wary of using the Fanny Lifter for moves with any impact. (I use mine as a computer table!) The high step or regular step both absorb some shock, and are heavier than the Fanny Lifter. The FL is made of a harder plastic and won't absorb shock. And it is lighter, so can easily be accidentally kicked out of place.

I use Cathe and the Firm (as well as many other workouts) and think they compliment each other nicely. The Firm shapes my butt like no other workout (and I find the workouts enjoyable and time-efficient). Cathe kicks booty on cardio and weights.
 
Hi cindylou42,

You are in for a treat when you do any of Cathe's workouts. One word of caution if you're thinking of using the Firm's products with Cathe's workouts: DON'T...... They're into cheap gadgets, and their selling point is sex appeal (notice how pretty the Firm gals look--kind of like barbie dolls, just perfect in every sense, not a hair out of place or sweaty bodies). I'm not saying that Cathe's crew isn't a great looking bunch of gals. They are---but they look much more natural--not phoney. They're not pencil-thin, but healthy-looking.

If you can do it, I'd suggest investing in a good quality club step, or even try Cathe's new set at Target. I wouldn't trust the Firm's products with Cathe's workouts because when you get more comfortable with Cathe's more advanced workouts, you'll want a more better quality step, not the one the Firm uses. Even the Firm suggests to not use their products with other companies workouts. I'm not sure what the weight limit is on the Firm's step (275 lbs, I think???), but as you get stronger and your fitness level increases, you may want to increase the weights you use, or add impact to step aerobic moves, and I wouldn't dare trust the Firm's step for any of that. Compare the Firm's step and Cathe's step. You can pretty much see that the step Cathe uses is of better quality. I still do the Firm's workouts on days when I'm not feeling too well, like "that time of the month" when I have my period (which happens to be RIGHT NOW), or I have a cold, but I always use the club step or Cathe's high step, and not the Firm's cheap stuff.
 
Cindylou,

I'm a former firmer, too, and switched to Cathe because the Firm was no longer intense enough for me (hence the name cathe-convert).

I think you've been given lots of good advice. Cardio Hits DVD is good for learning choreography because Cathe's newer workouts sometimes assume that you've seen the older ones.

Because of my history with the Firm, I love Cathe's circuit workouts because they combine weights and aerobics, which I started on. A great one is Cardio & Weights which is fun but not as tough as some of the other Cathe workouts.

Also on the DVD with Cardio & Weights is Imax 2. Beware. The Imax workouts will definitely show you how far Cathe is above Firm in intensity! Hurray!

Welcome to Cathe workouts. I have more than 40 Firm workouts that just sit on my shelf these days because of Cathe.
 
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