Getting back into fitness

sschuh91

New Member
Hi!

I have over 95 of Cathe's DVD's, I have used her videos for years and I'm a big Cathe fan meeting her on the Chicago (really Lake Geneva) road trip. Well I have gained weight and have not been great doing my Cathe videos lately and I'm out of shape. I really enjoy Cathe's workouts but I need to start a little easier and work my way up. Does anyone have any suggestions on a monthly rotation that is easier or a series that would be a good start? Cathe kept me in shape for years and I feel she can get me back into shape but I just need a little help.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Congratulations on having such a fabulous collection!!

Do you want to revisit oldies but goodies?

March 2006

If you are new to working out with me and are fairly new to fitness, I suggest you use the following DVD's along with this posted 3 month fitness program to prepare you for my more advanced workouts.


These workouts are Basic Step and Body Fusion (both on one DVD), Low Impact Step and Total Body Sculpting (both on one DVD), and Total Body Stretching. The equipment used in these beginner DVD's is as follows: 3 to 5 pound handweights, an exercise tube (preferably with handles), and a stability ball.

Side Note:
After doing the 3 month break in period, I think all other tapes will be more comfortable for you (however, I suggest Cardio and Weights as the next stepping stone). The workouts that you should hold off on for a good few months are all of the Imax workouts (ie: Interval Max, Imax 1, 2 or 3) and any workouts labled using the words "Extreme or Terminator" in its title.


Here is a three month starter workout plan:

Week 1,2 and 3:

Mon: Basic Step plus Lower body hand weight add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)

Tues: OFF

Wed: Basic Step plus upper body hand weight add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Thurs: One Segment from Total Body Stretching (a good idea to start with the segment that uses no equipment)

Fri: Basic Step plus Abdominal routine add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Sat: Upper AND lower body tubing routine (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Sun: One segment of Total Body Stretching plus the the abdominal add on from the Basic Step DVD



WEEK 4, 5, and 6

Mon: Body Fusion

Tues: Lower Body add on with hand weight from Basic Step DVD

Wed: Body Fusion

Thurs: The abdominal add on from the Basic Step DVD plus One segment from total Body stretching

Fri: Brisk walk outside for 40 minutes and a segment from Total Body Stretching

Sat: Upper and Lower body add on with tubing plus abdominal segment from Basic Step DVD (they are all on the DVD)


Sun: A segment from Total Body Stretching DVD



Week 7, 8, and 9

Mon: Low Impact Step

Tues: Total Body Sculpting

Wed: Low Impact Step

Thurs: Abdominal Add on from Basic Step DVD plus one stretch segment from Total Body Stretching

Fri: Body Fusion

Sat: OFF

Sun: Total Body Sculpting



Week 10, 11, and 12


Mon: Low Impact Step

Tues: Lower Body Add On with hand weights from Basic Step DVD

Wed: Body Fusion

Thurs: Brisk walk for 40 minutes plus abdominal add on from Basic Step DVD

Fri: Total Body Sculpting

Sat: One segment Total Body Stretching

Sun: OFF



As far as what to eat....

Eat a wide variety of veggies, especially dark leafy green veggies, a wide variety of lean protein sources, a wide variety of complex carbohydrates, and keep all your foods in their more natural form (without cream sauces, or frying, or without swimming in oils). Eat a wide variety of healthy fruits too and be sure that you have citrus sources as well. A daily multi-vitamin is a good idea too.


Good luck and always listen to your body along the way. Gently push harder on energetic days. Strive to maintain your best effort on stressful or "not fully into it" days. Take a day off on days that you have lead legs, fighting a bad cold, feeling mentally or physically run down, or experience an overall sense of "I just can't do this today"
 
Her LITE series is a really good one, I feel, for getting back into working out. Remember you can always opt to use lighter weights in weight training workouts, and then choose low-impact options or time-saver pre-mixes to help ease yourself into her workouts, too.
 
Congratulations on having such a fabulous collection!!

Do you want to revisit oldies but goodies?

March 2006

If you are new to working out with me and are fairly new to fitness, I suggest you use the following DVD's along with this posted 3 month fitness program to prepare you for my more advanced workouts.


These workouts are Basic Step and Body Fusion (both on one DVD), Low Impact Step and Total Body Sculpting (both on one DVD), and Total Body Stretching. The equipment used in these beginner DVD's is as follows: 3 to 5 pound handweights, an exercise tube (preferably with handles), and a stability ball.

Side Note:
After doing the 3 month break in period, I think all other tapes will be more comfortable for you (however, I suggest Cardio and Weights as the next stepping stone). The workouts that you should hold off on for a good few months are all of the Imax workouts (ie: Interval Max, Imax 1, 2 or 3) and any workouts labled using the words "Extreme or Terminator" in its title.


Here is a three month starter workout plan:

Week 1,2 and 3:

Mon: Basic Step plus Lower body hand weight add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)

Tues: OFF

Wed: Basic Step plus upper body hand weight add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Thurs: One Segment from Total Body Stretching (a good idea to start with the segment that uses no equipment)

Fri: Basic Step plus Abdominal routine add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Sat: Upper AND lower body tubing routine (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Sun: One segment of Total Body Stretching plus the the abdominal add on from the Basic Step DVD



WEEK 4, 5, and 6

Mon: Body Fusion

Tues: Lower Body add on with hand weight from Basic Step DVD

Wed: Body Fusion

Thurs: The abdominal add on from the Basic Step DVD plus One segment from total Body stretching

Fri: Brisk walk outside for 40 minutes and a segment from Total Body Stretching

Sat: Upper and Lower body add on with tubing plus abdominal segment from Basic Step DVD (they are all on the DVD)


Sun: A segment from Total Body Stretching DVD



Week 7, 8, and 9

Mon: Low Impact Step

Tues: Total Body Sculpting

Wed: Low Impact Step

Thurs: Abdominal Add on from Basic Step DVD plus one stretch segment from Total Body Stretching

Fri: Body Fusion

Sat: OFF

Sun: Total Body Sculpting



Week 10, 11, and 12


Mon: Low Impact Step

Tues: Lower Body Add On with hand weights from Basic Step DVD

Wed: Body Fusion

Thurs: Brisk walk for 40 minutes plus abdominal add on from Basic Step DVD

Fri: Total Body Sculpting

Sat: One segment Total Body Stretching

Sun: OFF



As far as what to eat....

Eat a wide variety of veggies, especially dark leafy green veggies, a wide variety of lean protein sources, a wide variety of complex carbohydrates, and keep all your foods in their more natural form (without cream sauces, or frying, or without swimming in oils). Eat a wide variety of healthy fruits too and be sure that you have citrus sources as well. A daily multi-vitamin is a good idea too.


Good luck and always listen to your body along the way. Gently push harder on energetic days. Strive to maintain your best effort on stressful or "not fully into it" days. Take a day off on days that you have lead legs, fighting a bad cold, feeling mentally or physically run down, or experience an overall sense of "I just can't do this today"
I followed this advice from Cathe and I can tell you that it works! Cathe’s beginner workouts are so well done. Following this plan really helped strengthen my body and build my cardiovascular fitness in a very balanced way.

After her beginner plan you will be able to jump into the Lite series and beyond.
 
Congratulations on having such a fabulous collection!!

Do you want to revisit oldies but goodies?

March 2006

If you are new to working out with me and are fairly new to fitness, I suggest you use the following DVD's along with this posted 3 month fitness program to prepare you for my more advanced workouts.


These workouts are Basic Step and Body Fusion (both on one DVD), Low Impact Step and Total Body Sculpting (both on one DVD), and Total Body Stretching. The equipment used in these beginner DVD's is as follows: 3 to 5 pound handweights, an exercise tube (preferably with handles), and a stability ball.

Side Note:
After doing the 3 month break in period, I think all other tapes will be more comfortable for you (however, I suggest Cardio and Weights as the next stepping stone). The workouts that you should hold off on for a good few months are all of the Imax workouts (ie: Interval Max, Imax 1, 2 or 3) and any workouts labled using the words "Extreme or Terminator" in its title.


Here is a three month starter workout plan:

Week 1,2 and 3:

Mon: Basic Step plus Lower body hand weight add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)

Tues: OFF

Wed: Basic Step plus upper body hand weight add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Thurs: One Segment from Total Body Stretching (a good idea to start with the segment that uses no equipment)

Fri: Basic Step plus Abdominal routine add on (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Sat: Upper AND lower body tubing routine (it is one of the workouts on the tape)


Sun: One segment of Total Body Stretching plus the the abdominal add on from the Basic Step DVD



WEEK 4, 5, and 6

Mon: Body Fusion

Tues: Lower Body add on with hand weight from Basic Step DVD

Wed: Body Fusion

Thurs: The abdominal add on from the Basic Step DVD plus One segment from total Body stretching

Fri: Brisk walk outside for 40 minutes and a segment from Total Body Stretching

Sat: Upper and Lower body add on with tubing plus abdominal segment from Basic Step DVD (they are all on the DVD)


Sun: A segment from Total Body Stretching DVD



Week 7, 8, and 9

Mon: Low Impact Step

Tues: Total Body Sculpting

Wed: Low Impact Step

Thurs: Abdominal Add on from Basic Step DVD plus one stretch segment from Total Body Stretching

Fri: Body Fusion

Sat: OFF

Sun: Total Body Sculpting



Week 10, 11, and 12


Mon: Low Impact Step

Tues: Lower Body Add On with hand weights from Basic Step DVD

Wed: Body Fusion

Thurs: Brisk walk for 40 minutes plus abdominal add on from Basic Step DVD

Fri: Total Body Sculpting

Sat: One segment Total Body Stretching

Sun: OFF



As far as what to eat....

Eat a wide variety of veggies, especially dark leafy green veggies, a wide variety of lean protein sources, a wide variety of complex carbohydrates, and keep all your foods in their more natural form (without cream sauces, or frying, or without swimming in oils). Eat a wide variety of healthy fruits too and be sure that you have citrus sources as well. A daily multi-vitamin is a good idea too.


Good luck and always listen to your body along the way. Gently push harder on energetic days. Strive to maintain your best effort on stressful or "not fully into it" days. Take a day off on days that you have lead legs, fighting a bad cold, feeling mentally or physically run down, or experience an overall sense of "I just can't do this today"
Thank you so much for sharing, I haven't seen this before but it's what I'm looking for.
 
Welcome back to Cathe! I think Cathe's Beginner Rotation is a good pace to start. You can modify up or down to fit your needs. You may progress faster (or slower) than the 3-month rotation, and it will be fine. Then the LITE series would be my next choice too, again modifying to meet your needs. Cathe has a User Guide with suggested LITE rotations in it too.

As Lannette pointed out, some of us have been were you are, ie getting back into fitness after a time away. Be patient with the process & try not to get discouraged: a new start is better than no start; a little bit is better than no bit. Be sure to include recovery days, rest days, drink lots of water, listen to your your body & make it fun & enjoyable. If you don't, you may find yourself having to re-start again down the road. Consistency is key!

And share your experiences with the forum. Cathletes are very supportive...
 

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