Gym Style Workouts

Amy Steppe

Amy Steppe

Cathlete
These workouts are really making a difference in my muscular definition!

I have only been doing them a couple of weeks and pushing myself, but my arms look so defined. Even my husband noticed and said he likes the way my upper body looks!

I strongly recommend this triology for anybody wanting to sculpt and shake up their routines a bit.

Previous to adding heavy lifting into my routines, I was really hung up on circuit training. I also was not doing enough Kickbox.

So I shook up my workout routines for a few weeks. I am doing very few circuit workouts and rotating around all cardio and all weight days.

Here is my workout list for this week:

Crazy for Step by Charlene Prickett

Pure Strength Chest, Shoulders Triceps plus the Timesaver from Gym Style Chest, Shoulders & Biceps.

Kick, Punch, and Crunch

Pure Strength Back, Biceps, Abs with Gym Style Triceps and Chest Timesaver

Mega Step Blast with Low Impact Circuit cardio add-on

Pure Strength Strong Legs and Abs with Butts and Guts Bonus Footage.
 
I'm very glad to hear that they are making a difference. For a while, I had wondered if the Gym Styles were really worth it.

After deciding to go ahead and get them, I've been saving up my "mad money" to purchase the Gym Styles and Coremax.

I think it's really neat when our husbands notice our hard work.
 
I am very impressed with Gym Styles.

I had definitely hit a plateau and almost never lifted in the style used in the Pure Strength, Slow & Heavy and Gym Style workouts.

Now I do all weights 3 days per week and alternate the routines with cardio.

For right now, I am not doing any form of circuit training. I was overusing circuits because I thought I had to have cardio every day.

By alternating days between pure cardio or pure weights, I am noticing a difference in my physique.

I am on week four of this alternating all cardio with all weights. It seems to be the shock my body needed because it is working.

I plan to again incorporate intervals in my workout routines in about 4 more weeks.

I almost forgot to mention that I am now lifting slow and heavy. I am using the same weights Cathe uses in Gym Styles for the most part. On certain exercises, I have to pyramid down for the final set. But I push my muscles until they shake and are at complete failure. Sometimes I poop out on the final two reps or so, but since I am failure and twitching without feeling any pain at all, I keep my weights heavy -- in fact, very heavy. I always use the slow and controlled methods that Cathe recomends and I am careful not to lock out a joint.
 
Hi, I was looking at your rotation. Do you feel doing both the Pure Strength workout and the timesaver Gym Style workouts in the same day is making you feel over-trained?? I've always either done one or the other.

Thanks.
 
i was wondering the same thing. is there a benefit to just doing gym stles as is or are you trying to achieve something different? i am thinking of getting the gym styles for all the results you mentioned you are receiving but i don't have the pure strength and wasn't planning on getting them. thanks!
 
Do I consider doing Pure Strength and Gym Style Timesaver over training?

No, not at all. The weights Cathe uses in Pure Strength are lighter than in Gym Style and the moves are pretty different.

So I consider Pure Strength as a hard warm up for gym styles.

I can only speak for myself. What one person considers overtraining, another may consider fine for them.

It is all about you, your goals, and your body type.

For example, it takes a LOT to fry my lower body. I could do squats at 40 lb forever.

My upper body is less strong, yet is nevertheless very strong.

Using Gym Styles is really making a difference in my shape.

Personally I think that Body Max2's Double Upper Body is more intense than my Pure Strength and Gym Style's Premixes.

I felt the flame for sure in that premix. It is as long as what I describe, but extremely intense!

I almost never feel I work my abs enough, even with Butts and Guts, but in Double Upper Body, I really can feel the difference.

So it's all about the person.

I listen to my body and I think I was hitting a plateau with the circuits.

After a few weeks, I will shake things up again by going back to circuits.
 
I have done most all Cathe's workouts -- I guess I've done them all except for the very early ones (I have Step N Motion One and Two).

Again, I can speak only for myself.

I was not doing heavy lifting before I began this new heavy weight regimen. I was doing all body muscle training like Muscle Max, Muscle Endurance, Power Max, the Pyramids, MIS, etc.

I was totally ignoring all my Pure Strength and Slow and Heavy workouts as well as Legs & Glutes, Supersets and Push/Pull.

I had hit a plateau, was becoming bored, and felt overtrained with little or no new result. I was able to do the workouts well and while I was able to maintain my fitness level, I was not achieving anything new.

I had very stupidly sold all my Gym Style workouts when I purchased the Hardcore Series at presale.

I never even viewed them or gave them a chance; I thought they would be boring (wrong) and too masculine for me (wrong again).

I purchased the Gym Styles all again and even before they arrived, I began to use Pure Strength and Slow and Heavy workouts.

For the past month, I have been lifting heavier for appx. 1 to 1.5 hours per day, every other day and a day off from any workouts.

I am matching Cathe pound per pound in the Gym Style workouts in the Legs part. I have to lower from 20 to 15 pounds during some of the Gym Style chest work. I am able to do the tricep French Press and the back work with the 25 lb dumbbell.

Now, it is not easy! My muscles twitch and shake and it is harder than I ever imagined it would be. I push the muscles to complete failure and at times just cant get those last two or so reps.....but one of my goals is to be able to match Cathe pound for pound and be able to complete all the reps without failure.

As Cathe said during the bicep work in Pyramid Upper Body, I have out of body experiences during the Gym Style Upper Body DVDS!

I focus, really focus on proper form and breathing when I lift. And I no longer consider an all weight day "cheating!

The plus is I am seeing some really nice upper body development....I don't look like a bodybuilder or a man, but just like the way my arms look and my posture is so much better.

So to me, the Gym Styles were money well spent.

Gym Stles are very, very different from any of Cathe's other strength videos (for me).

I would rate the Gym Styles as a 5-Star Must Have series for women or men who want to lift heavier and gain muscle mass and definition.

In the Tricep/Chest video, I was able to do the 72 full body push in drop sets, but by the end, I was flaming and pushing on complete failure!
 
i was not at all implying you were overtraining. i was just wondering if one could get good results using the gym styles as is. you are so right in that everyone is different. i am pretty sure i am caving and going to buy them. dh wonders why i need more dvds.... do you think the gym style legs could get a pretty muscular person more muscular? i don't want that as i am on the short side already. i do like the idea of a shock your body type thing. thanks for the advice
 
I am 5'1" and think lower body work is as, if not more important, than Upper Body Work.

I don't think you will overdevelop your lower body.

It would take more than weight training to do that.

If you are really concerned about lower body muscle mass, you could always use lighter weights.

I really really love the Gym Style workouts!
 
i just bought 'em:) hope dh doesn't check cc bill. if you were just doing the gym styles, would you do workouts as is or a premix? thanks again for all the info
 
I use the Gym Styles both ways. If I am doing a Pure Strength or a Slow and Heavy workout, I use a Gym Style premix.

Then at times, I use just the Gym Styles.
 
Amy,

I just want to comment that you look so adorable in your avatar! Never, would I believe that you are 50!:)
Ann Marie
 
That's definetely my next purchase. I have slow and heavy that I recorded from Fit TV, but I am missing Triceps and Biceps. I want to do those first. Then I will move to the gym style and see the diference.

Anyone knows? If I have slow and heavy, should is it worth getting gym style as well?

Right now for weights I do the Upper and Lower Body Pyramid, which I LOVE!!!

My muscles look good but I want them to be more defined.

Thanks.
 
I have both S & H and all the Gym Styles. I love both but think the GS keep me more interested. There is good variety in the moves. I have not done the Pyramids yet (I just got them) so I can not comare them to either. Also I did notice strength gains with the GS. Oh and I did GS Legs for the first time yesterday and my legs are KILLING me (in a good way). I have NEVER had DOMS in my calves before! I hope some of this helped:)
 
I did the same exact thing!!! My body was getting too used to the circuit training so i started doing the GS workouts and really have noticed a difference in my upper body definition. I just need to do more leg routines because my lower body looks totally different from my upper body. I did Legs and Glutes last night for the first time the whole way through and loved it! it was hard and I had to take breaks and hit pause a few times but I really really loved it and my butt hurts today!

I try to do at least 30 min of cardio first and then do weights. I do the 3 day cycle and then on the fourth day do a straight long cardio workout with abs. the fifth day I either start over again or do a circuit or interval workout. some type of total body workout with lots of intense cardio. I take either the 6th or 7th day completely off and then start over again. so far, i'm feeling really strong and am definitely noticing a difference in my upper body. my SIL told me from the waist up I look likea totally different person! my lower body is soooo behind my upper!!! hahahaha
good luck with your workouts!!!:)

T.

I just read the rest of your posts. thank you for all of your input. I am going to purchase slow and heavy soon and incorporate that into my weight training routine. i am still hung up on getting my cardio in every day but I feel it is a good warm up to lifting and that always seems to work for me in the past when I used to belong to a gym. anyway, thanks again for your input and keep us posted on your continuing progress please!
 
Thank you, Girls!

I will be 53 in October.

I sure do not feel 53 -- and I attribute 99% of that to working out.

Working out truly is the Fountain of Youth!

Cheers!

Amy
 
I agree...I'll be 52 in October and working out is definitely the difference between growing older and GETTING OLD.

BTW...I love my Gym Style workouts. I use Gym Style or Pyramid U/L every other week. The help keep the firm in my muscles.

(recently, at a Dr. recommendation, I STUPIDLY stopped the heavier weights for three weeks...as a result I GAINED 8# and lost hard earned muscle mass.

From now on...unless I have a pinched nerve or torn muscle....I will never again neglect my heavy lifting.

:+(think Scarlett O'Hara...as God is my witness...I will never be soft-muscled again!!!)
 
Considering giving gym styles a whirl since its been years since I've done them. Love reading this old thread!

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