I broke down today and bought the STS Dip/Pullup Bars

I know I promised to come back and let y'all know how I liked the STS Bars once I got them and..... I don't like them. I LOVE them! Like the FitTower, it is such a well-thought out piece of equipment, and nice and sturdy. Easy to put together, and somewhat easy to store using the hints in Jenn's videos. It is a hardly noticeable addition to the workout room when stored that way.

It took me a while to unpack, put together and try out because I had a week of Anniversary and Food Festival debauchery, during which I got COVID, which took me out for another week. I'm fully recovered now and ready to finish my current rotation and finally start STS 2.0. I am glad I did eventually get the bars. Using them with the Boss Bands for assist is sheer genius on Cathe's part, and I really feel like there will be a noticeable benefit using them instead of the FitTower for many exercises. While I don't think they are 100% necessary, I don't think you will regret getting them for the extra range/variation that you will get when exercising.

ETA: Also, I think what Cathe is charging for them is totally reasonable. The box says "Made in China", but this is a solid, quality piece of equipment.
 
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yamabachi said:
Thanks!

I've always figured I'd give up the dye at some point. Then sort of out of the blue after my last dye, I immediately regretted it and started googling "how to go gray" as I walked back to the car after the appointment. That's when I knew it was time.
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I would love to know how you did this if you are comfortable sharing. Are you just letting your grays grow in, or are you doing something different? I am ready to do this myself!
 
kristen said:
I would love to know how you did this if you are comfortable sharing. Are you just letting your grays grow in, or are you doing something different? I am ready to do this myself!
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I don't mind at all. AMA.

I'm not doing anything special except letting it grow - LOL! I did buy some root cover-up which I used whenever I went out in public just so I wouldn't look like I missed a hair appointment. It's now sort of at a length (about 2 inches) that it looks at least somewhat intentional, so I am less diligent with the root cover-up. I actually don't care as much about the demarcation line as I thought I would. Does it look nice? Not gonna lie, it looks dang ugly, and it I'll probably continue to look terrible until it grows out enough that I can cut off the dyed part, or at least until the gray is the majority of my hair. But again, I oddly don't care as much as I thought I would. In fact, it's kind of fun - like a visible FU to convention and the societal demand that women try to look young forever.

A friend suggested that I try to blend it in with highlights, but I dismissed that idea right off the bat because I have black-brown hair, and to strip that much color off would just fry my hair. Another method you could try if gray-blending isn't an option is the dye strip technique. What you do there is just continue to dye a section one one side of your head that you comb over the gray parts, while the gray grows out underneath. Then when you are ready, you just flip the section over to reveal the gray side, and then grow out the dyed part. If you Google "dye strip technique", you'll find many resources on how to do this yourself at home or show your colorist at the salon. I chose not to do this because I am seriously done with all the chemicals, plus as I mentioned above, I am actually having fun with the "skunk stripe".

Whatever you decide to do, go for it! Going gray is not for everyone. IMO, you need to really want it to make it through, especially the beginning part.
 
nickisteen said:
I am not there yet but close!
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You'll know when it's time. :)

In-between the anxiety of it looking bad, at the same time there is an incredible sense of freedom that makes it worth it, if that makes sense. Freedom from the salon, more free time to do other things, more money to spend on other things, freedom from the shackles of societal expectations. Whenever I start to doubt my decision, I remind myself of how much of a slave I was to that 6-8 week touch-up schedule, and how much time and money I spent on that when I could have been doing other things. It was like an addiction - I'd feel great because my hair would look great right after a salon visit, but that only lasted a few weeks, and then I'd be compelled to go in for the touch-up. I actually started to resent my stylist (my "dealer") toward the end because I felt so abused and exploited by that whole cycle of addiction. It's weird, but that's kind of how I see that whole situation now.
 
yamabachi said:
... I actually started to resent my stylist (my "dealer") toward the end because I felt so abused and exploited by that whole cycle of addiction. It's weird, but that's kind of how I see that whole situation now.
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Not weird, not at all ... I used to get my hair cut every 6 weeks cuz that's what the stylists all say is necessary- until 2020 & everything shut down. I now go about 2x/year (but I'm retired so I can indulge my resistance & revert back to my 1970's style- ha).

Yesterday I was noticing Cathe & crew during Supersets & thought their make-up & clothing were great ... but i wanted to come on the forums & thank them for their hairstyles looking like mine when I workout - pulled into ponytails, top knots, etc .-- like real women - not models (although they could all be fitness models). I feel like I'm in a real class with people who are more into the workout than their hair being perfect. I like that.
 
I used to get my hair “frosted” which today is known as highlighted every 2 months, but since I retired over a year ago, I think I have only done it once. My hair has more white than gray, and right now, I guess it still looks “frosted” :). I, too, used to have cuts every 5 or 6 weeks, but now, it’s whenever I think about it!
 
Debinmi said:
I used to get my hair cut every 6 weeks cuz that's what the stylists all say is necessary- until 2020 & everything shut down. I now go about 2x/year
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It was like that for me too. I used to go every 8 weeks until lock down. Then I had to cut my own fringe and realised I could actually do this and not mess it up. Now I only go to get it cut about 2-3 x per year and just cut my fringe between visits.
 
aqua girl said:
Oh, I remember that well! My regular hair appt was scheduled for the week following the week that lock-down
started. Yikes! I remember calling Ed and saying "help", but of course, he already had appts booked and
was no way he could get me in. so. .... gosh, I don't know how long it was before I was able to go......a long
time!!!!
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I wore a headband during lock down to keep my growing-out bangs out of my eyes ... it caused a colick & my hairstylist has tried to re-establish my bangs but they're just weird now, so again I'm growing them out -I've had bangs since childhood, so this is strange to me.
 
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with my bangs!!! :). They’re crazy :). Sometimes when I get up in the morning, they’re about sticking right out! :). Yea, I have had bangs for a long time, always like them kinda “poofy”….& yes, back then, they did grow long, I just kind of pushed them over, if that makes sense.
 
aqua girl said:
:p Maybe that’s what’s wrong with my bangs!!! :). They’re crazy :). Sometimes when I get up in the morning, they’re about sticking right out! :). Yea, I have had bangs for a long time, always like them kinda “poofy”….& yes, back then, they did grow long, I just kind of pushed them over, if that makes sense.
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Could be ... same thing happened to my sister. She's still trying to tame the colick but it's like it has a mind of it's own. Me, I gave up! :p
 
When I go to get my hair trimmed, etc., and he's blowing dry & styling & done, he always give me a mirror
and spins me around letting me see "his work", I always say, "Yea, looks nice, but it will never look this
way again...until I come back !!!! :)
 
I remember in March 2020, the day before life shut down, I went to Sally Beauty Supply and bought a pair of hair cutting scissors. The next day I told my husband, just chop off about 2 inches, I don’t care how it looks I just need to lose some of this super thick hair. He did a darn good job and it got me through 2 months until things reopened.
 
I have to admit, I like dips with the bar much better than tricep dips on the step. It's cool that you can use the band to assist and change the resistance. So far I'm loving the bar.

That said, the STS 2 workouts show so many different options for each exercise that it's not necessary to buy anything new.
 
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