Hello ! I am English and new to the forum

B

Bernard

Cathlete
Hi there, My real name is Anna, I am 30 years old, and want to be my pre-pregnancy weight, I had 3 children within 4 years. Hard work but worth it, unfortunately I am now 3 1/2 stone overweight, and need some inspiration. I have been reading through the messages on the forum, and you are all so friendly, and very encouraging.
I am trying to build up an exercise tape library, so far I have alot of the Aussie Fit videos, and the Aerobics Oz Style videos, which I have ordered over the internet from Australia (they are only available on PAL, and some now on DVD). I adore the Keli Roberts Ultimate step workout, it is fantastic. My husband recently bought me a new VCR with NTSC playback, so I am now awaiting 2 Karen Voight videos coming to me from America (Lean Legs and Buns, and Energy Sprint).
The Cathe videos look fantastic, and very advanced, could anyone recommend a Cathe step video for an Intermediate exerciser, please ?
It is so hard here in England to buy decent exercise videos, the Step industry here seems to have gone down hill for some unknown reason ?
It would be great to hear from anyone, and I must point out that Bernard isn't my real name, it is my husband's pet name for me - I know, its very romantic (not) !

Bye from Anna
 
HI Anna,
It is nice to have you join us.This is a very friendly bunch of people.I am in Canada and it is hard to get any videos here as well.I have to order them from another part of the country or order them from here but the exchange rate is so awful.I lose my shirt.although it is well worth it.
Are you into weights at all? I ordered the Energy Sprint video but didn't enjoy it very much.I am use to Cathe but for a intermediate work out it is good.
With Cathe all of her tapes are pretty much advanced but you could probably try starting off with the CTX series.Or order one of them.Atleast this way, you could get some sort of idea what Cathe is like and how tough she actually is.
The CTX series as about 25 min of aerobics followed by weight training.The tape is probably about 1 hour long,which I think would be great if you have 3 children.In the series there is 5 aerobic/upper body work outs and one leg work out.Which is pretty tough.
Other then that everything else is really tough and you may find it hard to get all the moves.But you could start out with something tough and work your way up.My first Cathe tape was Body MAx.It has 3 different segments.I do all of it now which runs you about 90 min.But first I would only do the first part and then the second part another day.
Hope I helped some.
Lori
 
Hi Lori,

Thankyou for your reply, and advice.
I do like weights, but at the moment I only have weight routines that are combined with low impact moves. I must admit, I prefer step aerobics to low impact aerobics - I have a dodgy right knee and I find that after a low impact routine, it can hurt, but with step, it doesn't really happen. And with high impact aerobics, I just don't go there anymore, my bust doesn't like high impact aerobics either, since having the children, my chest increased from 34" to 40" !!!!!!!!!!!!! And I gained 2 inches in height !!

I will certainly have a look at the preview clips for the CTX videos. When doing a Cathe strength workout, can one improvise with a body bar, or handweights, instead of a barbell ?

Many thanks
Anna
 
Wow! 3 children in 4 years and you still make time to exercise. I want to be just like you when I grow up. Glad to meet you and welcome to the forum.
Lisa
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Sep-18-02 AT 08:25AM (Est)[/font][p]Hello :-jumpy yea another brit.

I am English living and working in London 35 single no kids and happy its nice talking to someone in stones at the moment I'm 10st 4lb want to get to 9st.

I think the most recommended step vid is Mega Step Blast.

I am wondering was teh Step industry here ever up hill the only really good step vids I noticed in the UK where Keli Roberts and she is American.

I greatly recommend this forum not only informed but you get very helpful informed responses its the only forum I post on.


I noticed in your second post about the body bar its what I started with when i did Cathe and then went out and got a barbell.
Babs
 
Hi and welcome! To answer some of your questions, yes, Cathe's strength tapes can all be modified by using a body bar and/or dumbells. For pure step tapes I'd recommend some of Cathe's earlier ones. Their tempo is a tad slower and the choreography is a bit easier to learn. I am fairly slow to pick up on choreography and while the CTX series and Body Max are excellent videos when I first starte doing Cathe I found them frustrating, but that's just me. Her earlier step tapes I'd recommend would be Step Max, Mega Step Blast, Step Heat (which is a bit shorter than the other two I mentioned and includes an ab section)or Cathe's Get In Shape for Your Wedding...the name is sortof silly but it's an excellent intro to Cathe plus it contains an intro to weight training using all dumbells. A great place to start with weight training would be Maximum Intensity Strength. Let us know what you decide!!

:) Stacy
 
Hi Anna,
Welcome to the Forum! As Lori says, you will gets loads of invaluable help and advice here, as well as people more than willing to spend your money on Cathe workouts for you, LOL!
I started using Cathe workouts about 8 or 9 months ago and can honestly say I haven't looked back since! Her workouts are alot faster paced then I was used to - her later workouts assume that you are familiar with alot of the steps and moves that she does. However, I have picked up most of Cathe's choreography with relatively no difficulty at all after a few runs through.
My first purchase was the Cardio Hits DVD, which contains Step Works, Power Max and Step Fit - for me, this was a really good introduction to 3 of Cathe's earlier but popular workouts and her style of teaching. I then purchased the CTX series, which I absolutely love. I have since purchased pretty much all of Cathe's strength and cardio workouts, and they have really moved me on to the next level in my fitness. I am still using her workouts now at 51/2 months pregnant, although modifying where I need to.
The Wedding Video is another (slightly older) workout which contains approx 1 hour of step and 1 hour of strength work, which tends to get recommended alot for people new to Cathe. I don't have this one myself, but understand it is slightly more basic in terms of choreography, although still a good intense workout. The additional hour of strength training also gives you more "bang for your buck"!
I hope this helps - I am sure you will get lots more advice and recommendations!
Kaz.

PS - I am also from the UK (approx 15 miles from Bristol), so understand where you are coming from in terms of the choice available here in the UK - it's dire!! I order my workouts from www.cksales.com who are based in Canada (you get a great exchange rate). You might want to hea over and have a look at their website.

Today Is The Tomorrow We Worried About Yesterday And All Is Well.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Sep-18-02 AT 08:34AM (Est)[/font][p]Short answer a stone is 14lb's of weight in the old imperial measurements.

There are some peculiar rules on weights and measures here I'm not sure how it came about but its how we are or were weighed here until we joined Europe and now its Kilos?? I'm a 60's baby so stones make more sense to me.



Babs
 
Hi Stacy,

We call 14lbs "1 stone", 28lbs "2 stones", 42lbs "3 stones", etc, etc. Not sure where the term "stone" comes from, actually. Hmmmn, any other Brits know??

Kaz.

Today Is The Tomorrow We Worried About Yesterday And All Is Well.
 
Hi Anna! Welcome! I think you'd be happy with any of Cathe's videos. They're all great. I also have Karen Voight's Energy Sprint, and I LOVE it! It's a nice, moderate step video. :) I'm sure we'll see you around here often.

Hollie
 
Hi Stacy,

Thankyou for your advice, I think I will probably go for Cathe's Wedding video, and maybe Step Heat to start with. What is the abs section like ? Are they effective ?
By the way, I loved your question 'Whats a stone?' (LOL). I may as well be honest, I am 182 pounds, which I think is about the 13 stone mark, and 5 feet 8 inches.

Anna
 
Hi Kaz,
Thanks for your message, it is nice to know there are fellow exercisers down the road, well almost down the road, I am from Nottingham.
Wow ! I am so impressed that you are exercising while pregnant, it is brilliant, see, that is obviously where I went wrong. Apart from walking I did nothing during my pregnancies, however I think I know what piled on my weight. It was in my first pregnancy, I stopped smoking 20-30 cigarettes a day. The day I found out I was pregnant, I just quit on the spot and have never smoked since, that was 6 years ago, and I think my suppressed tastebuds went into overdrive. Food tasted great (too great), and my initial craving was meat, especially beef, I couldn't get enough of it. And subsequently, I grew in all directions ! And now I am so pleased I have found this forum, because it is so encouraging.
I am a yo-yo exerciser, I do really well for a month and then stop, and I think it is because I get bored of my exercise videos. So, thankyou, I am definitely going to check out the Canadian web site. I find with ordering videos from America, it is the shipping that is so expensive !

Many thanks and keep up the bump exercising !

Anna
 
Hello, Anna. Welcome.
Intermediate step videos of Cathe's: Mega Step Blast, the Wedding tape, and Step Heat.
Enjoy!
Kathy
 
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your welcome, this forum is just brilliant and so inspiring, I feel inspired to do some exercise tonight, and I have been, so far, sticking to my healthy eating plan today.
I had my three children quite quickly, my first was born in 1997, my second in 1999, and my youngest in 2000. It has been hard work, but definitely worth it. I do my exercise between 8pm and 10pm at night, the children are always in bed by 7.30pm. When my exercise plan is going well, I aim to exercise 5-6 nights a week, varying my workouts between step, low impact aerobics, body conditioning, and Pilates.
On my rest nights, I treat my feet to a pedicure, and my hands to a manicure, and self tan the bits of me that are on show. This tends to boost my self esteem quite a bit, since I stopped working, and put on the weight, my self esteem became quite low.
Still, I keep working on trying to change that, its not easy but I keep trying !

Great to meet you, Lisa
Anna
 
Hi Babs,

I think you are probably right, the step industry never really did take off here in the UK, did it ? Even Rosemary Conley hasn't made a step video !
I have the Keli Roberts Ultimate step video, and I have to say I love it. The only other one I have is the Aerobics Oz Style 'Stepping Out' video, which is quite dated, and geared more for a beginner.
Thats great to know that Cathe's strength work videos can be done with a body bar. In my present Intermediate position, I don't think I could lift a barbell !!!!!!!!!!!!

Anna
 
Actually yes you could I bought a barbell with 3 sets of weights heaviest is 11lbs. I only started lifting this year and I have to watch it as I have a very bad shoulder a difficulty lifting things beyond shoulder level.

If you can do Keli you will be able to move onto Cathe just take out the power moves and get used to who she uses the step (i.e. Cathe will say "horseshoe" which Keli will just say turn step).

Go light on weights until you get the form stick with the body bar and then progress onto a barbell.

Do you get any fitness mags the store I get my weights from is called Physical Company great service good prices.


I bought CTX first and just kept watching I had a mymomectomy and my sister wouldn't let me workout until 6 months after. So when I ordered Cathe I just kept watching them and figuring out her moves.

Babs
 
Hi starbuck
Kelli Roberts is actually Australian however she has lived & worked in California for years.Kelli actually was a top fashion model in Australian but became disillusioned by the unhealthy model lifestyle.She became a top fitness trainer & moved to America and is now one of the leaders in the fitness industry today.
Ki
 
Thanks for the info on Keli I didn't know she was an Aussie but did know about her modelling and eating disorders. I still love her tapes I started on the her Ultimate Step workout and then did Cindy Crawford's 2 tapes.

Babs
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top