frustrated with CTX - Power Circuit

W

winter2b

Cathlete
OK...so I'm pretty new to Cathe, but I've been doing her stuff for 3 weeks or so just over a week doing it consistently... I tried Power Circuit yesterday morning, and my knee was throbbing. I did a little something to it while doing KPC 2-3 weeks ago, but it's been ok for the most part...not much pain, just some creaks and groans now and then. But the jumping around in this workout really didn't feel good or controlled at all. I felt like I could really hurt myself. I didn't remember the others being so floor/jumping oriented...but trying to do this one yesterday morning made me want to sell it and get the intensity series instead. I have the body blast series also, and I haven't tried KPC again yet...but do plan to at some point, but I don't have problems with the other workouts. For some reason that floor section really didn't agree with me. Any thoughts? Should I try it again? Should i just skip that section? Is all of Power circuit the floor jumping stuff?

thanks,
Amy
 
Was it during the step, the hi/lo - or all of it? Do you have the entire CTX series? If so, I recommend trying 10-10-10 as that is equal in impact and intensity to Power Circuit. If your knee is not bothered during that workout, then give Power Circuit another try - it's my personal favorite of the CTX workouts.

Also, Imax 2 and Boot Camp from the Intensity series have just as much impact as CTX so that might not be an option, if it truly is impact that's bothering you.

Maybe your knee simply needs a rest from the KP&C injury.
 
Jillybean,

I have done 10-10-10...and I don't recall having problems. I had problems with the first segment after the warmup of PC, the jump-knee up and over, jump-up and back combo part... After awhile, it really started to ache. Maybe I should have forwarded through this segment and tried the rest. I don't seem to have problems with any of her other stuff, so I wonder if it was just the jumping and crossing over that made my knee feel strained... I might have to try 10-10-10 tonight to see.

Thanks,
Amy
 
Amy:

some of the blasts are on the step, others are on the floor, if memory serves me well. Since you are new to Cathe, you say you have only been doing her workouts for 3 weeks, it could just be that you need a longer period of training and adjustment to let your joints aswell as muscles acclimatize to the intensity and impact.

They say this about beginning running programs too: not to try too much too soon, even if you think that cardiovascularly you are capable of it, because joints need to get used to the impact too.

There is high impact, jumping and blasts in most of Cathe's newer cardio workouts. All the Imaxes have it, Step Blast has it, CTX Step & Intervals, CTX 10 10 10, Step, Jump & Pump, it's hard to avoid.

You may prefer some of her older step workouts where the power is on the step: Powermax, Step Works (The Classics DVD), and Rythmic Step. These may be gentler on your joints. CTX All Step is also power on the step rather than the floor, but then again, the CTX Kickbox has impact work on the floor that you may not like.

It may just be hi-lo that your body doesn't like, and that's easy enough to avoid. Cut out that hi-lo section of CTX Power Circuit, ignore SJP from BB series, and be prepared t omodify on all the Imaxes.

Cathe's new "Low Max" might interest you. There are several posts around right now talking about it so you can read up.

maybe you are ssimply overdoing it on the cardio and not letting your body have enough rest time between cardio workouts. Cathe is intense and she is high impact, so, maybe do cardio every second day, with weight training on the alternate days so your joints have time to recover?

Clare
 
Hi Amy,

I am pregnant so I can not do high impact right now. I do Power Circuit and I just modify the high impact moves to suit me. Even if you aren't doing the exact same move as Cathe, as long as you keep moving you will benefit. :)

Have a great work out!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img][/url]
 
My lower back sometimes acts up after Power Circuit and I know it's the high-impact floor cardio section that does it. I either modify to low impact or skip that section altogether and do the step portion (which I love) twice. Or I'll tack on a shorter cardio section from another tape.

Allison
 
Don't get frustrated! I've been doing Cathe for a few years and I'm still having problems with her hi-lo. I can do impact on step without any problems, but most of the time when I do her hi-lo routines I really feel it in my knees and back. Listen to your body and don't try to do too much too soon. I laid off hi-lo for a month and the other day I did MIC without any problems, but I won't attempt to do it again for another month. I value my joints too much!
 
Hi Amy,

I am not exercise physiology expert -- so this is very primitive advice.

Why not try doing it on a 4 in platform.

Another thing that helped me was having physical therapy for 2 months. My hip would lock out in any type of plie exercise. I had damp heat and ultrasound treatments twice a week for two months, and it's not bothered me since.

I also had plantar fascitis, but by lowering the intensity of the exercises and doing exercises, I was able to get over that too.

Power Circuit is certainly an advanced workout, but one of my favs of the CTX series.

It could be though, that "Power Circut" just is not the right workout for you --

Good luck and I'm sorry to hear about your problems with it.

I was very frustrated until I had physical therapy --
 
Perhaps instead of doing knees up, you can do heels (tapping your heels side to side and swinging your arms as opposed to lifting your knees side to side - Cathe does 'heels' in the very first hi/lo combo of SJ&P - if you have that one).
 
Thanks everyone for the advice. I just finished 10-10-10, and I did ok with it... I think you're all right that I just need to listen to my body and not give up all together on the series. As Wendy said...even if I'm not doing the same move as she is, I'm still working...and I also like the suggestion of doing the step part twice (I didn't make it to the step in PC because I shut it off and switched to a Timesaver workout during the hi/lo section. I'm going to try to take it a little easy on my knee by keeping it wrapped while working out and then also modifying the hi/lo moves.

I'm also considering taking glucosamine. I've heard good things from some elderly patients who have joint problems. Anyone else have experience with glucosamine? It's a little pricey...but I guess if it works!

Thanks again everyone!
 
Could the directional changes be the problem with your knees. Doesn't this one change direction a lot and quite quickly? I know due to my clutz factor I simply take out pivots and turns somtimes. I don't think it lowers the quality of my workout much. I've done Cathe workouts for years, and always find challenges in them. I ofter modify things to fit me. We are all different. We all have our weak and strong points.
 
Hi Amy, your problem with your knees sounds similar to mine. The first few times I tried CTX-Power Circuits, my knees were kinda creaking, too. So I found ways to modify.

First off, Amy Steppe's suggestion to lower your step is a good one. I do CTX-Power Circuits on a 4" board.

Second, I don't jump the power 7's and 15's. I take the power out and do glute raises (not sure if that's the right term -- lifting your leg to the back and squeezing your glute as you go up) instead.

Third, those lunges where you pulse three times before going up... Bad. That's where my knees get creaky. I do regular lunges on the floor on a 2-2 count. Makes my knees happier.

Last, those lunges at the very end... I feel there were enough lunges already. So I do either deadlifts on a 2-2 count, or calf raises.

There are always ways to modify. Every power move has a low impact equivalent. And I feel that my muscles get more of a workout when using low impact moves since I've taken the momentum out. I hope you'll give Power Circuits another chance. It's a great workout once you find ways to MAKE IT YOURS.

Glucosamine helps my knees recover faster. I've been on periods where I'm off glucosamine and boy, I really feel it down there... I'm trying hyaluronic acid, too. Been on it for almost a month now. I can actually feel a difference. HA is so darn expensive, though. I barely feel IMAX 3, which I've been practicing and still can't get.x( I think putting insoles in my sneakers AND doing my workouts on puzzle mats have also helped a lot.

Pinky
 
I had the same problem with the high impact and I'm fairly new also. It was suggested by another forum member to do some of the higher impact jumps, knee tucks, etc on my Urban Rebounder. If you don't have a rebounder, look into getting one, as this works very well for me and it's fun. I usually do some of the impact moves on the floor and take the higher ones to the rebounder. It still gets your heartrate up high and is a great workout ....just takes some of the impact out of your joints. At least once or twice a week, I'll do the high impact on the floor (as much as I can -- I do modify a bit, as I'm 45).
 
I have tried glucosamine w/great results. It takes about a month for you to feel the difference but a couple years ago it allowed me to run without knee problems. I'm like Pinky and I'm on and off (I'm not so good about taking pills) and when I'm off, my knee joints creak like crazy (it grosses my daughter out!). I got more this weekend and have promised myself I'll stay on it! Yes, it is pretty expensive but very worth it and sometimes if you're lucky, you can find buy one/get one free sales. Glucosamine is not FDA approved yet and has limited testing so you have to be careful that you are truly getting what you pay for. My friend went on-line to a consumer reports website and found that they recommended "Exclusive Formula" CosaminDS, so this is what I purchased. Do some research on glusomine first. I don't believe it is recommended for people who have diabetes.

Good luck!

Angie
 
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