I'm afraid of IMAX!

K

KayM

Cathlete
I would really like to try an interval traning tape, but I am very scared of IMAX! For one thing, I try to keep things fairly low-impact (at 217 I figure it's easier for me to hurt my knees). Also, I am just plain SCARED of the workout, I'm not sure I'd be able to even do it.

Donna and others who have tried this, can I modify the video to low-impact in any way at first, until I lose some more weight and strengthen my legs some (and hopefully have less chance of killing my knees)? Is there a little easier interval training video I can use?

I have heard so much about the fat-burning benefits of IMAX it sounds great but I am just plain running SCARED! Course, I was scared of Cathe at first and when I got Step Heat, I had a blast!

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Kay
 
Hi Kay,

You may want to try Reebok's Intense Moves with Gin Miller. It's easier than IMAX and she shows a lot of modifications. I used Intense Moves before I bought IMAX and I really loved it!
Cari
 
Hi Kay,

I actually had Imax before Intense Moves and Gin Miller's Intense Moves is easier than Imax, but I got it so I'd have a second interval workout to rotate with Imax.

You certainly can modify Imax to make it work. You can take much of the jumping out completely and until you work your way up to hanging in there through the entire 1 min of the interval (and it does seem like more than 1 min!) you can just do as much as you can, then walk in place if necessary until Cathe picks you up at the cool down portion of the interval. I built my way up slowly through each interval. Some are easier than others, and for me the hardest were the ones that required me to leave the ground (ie: air born jumps, air born jacks, etc.) so for most of them I stayed grounded until I could manage, which wasn't until I hit about 200lbs. I don't know if it was psychological or physical, but many of the jumping moves that I could not do previously, suddenly I could? And they get easier with every 5# down I go, which really makes me think it's a physical thing.
Adding Intense Moves helped me as well I think. Gin's intervals are very athletic, but they didn't require as much modification for me, and from warm up to cooldown it's 50min so it's a tad shorter than Imax. But Imax is worth it! As you progress you really feel the accomplishment, and you can see and feel your cardio capacity growing week by week, which is a real boost for your ego! :)

If you do get it, I can go interval by interval and tell you how I modified, so each one is do-able for anyone. Heck, you're already worked out by the end of the warm up on that one! :)

Donna

Fitness~ it's a journey, not a race!
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-07-02 AT 04:19PM (Est)[/font][p]OMG, Donna - are the intervals REALLY only one minute ? It seems like forever when you are really going for it .

Anna (SHOCKED :eek:)
 
Anna..............

Yeah, don't some of them feel like longer? And a few are, like if you look at your timer on some of them like interval #10, the 1 min countdown doesn't start until you start the leaps, air jacks/tuck jumps, but hey, I'm already winded from the "modifications" practice of leaps and regular jacks! So that interval IS longer than 1 min.! :)

Donna
Fitness~ it's a journey, not a race!
 
One thing you can do is only use one riser under your step. I hate to admit it (I'm afraid it makes me wimpy!)--I only use one riser because my knees just can't take it if I use both. That might be partly because I'm only 5'3"...maybe?

Don't be scared--it's fun!

Good luck--

Ariel :)
 
My suggestion is to get one of the Cross Train Xpress videos and start there. What I love about them is that the cardio is only about a 1/2 hour. That way you can work up to doing Imax. This is what I am doing since I have never done any type of aerobics before until I bought All Step. The 1/2 hour of step is a great into for me.

Beth
 
Ariel - ha!! You give me too much credit. :) I am only using a 6" step already. I actually couldn't add risers if I wanted to because it's a cheap knockoff (it flips a lot. Someday I'll kill myself on it!).

All - thanks for the info. Donna, I am going to wait a month or two before buying IMAX, and then I will post here and ask for your modifications - they would be EXTREMELY helpful. I hate to do much impact at this point because it would totally suck if I hurt myself and couldn't exercise! I don't know what I would do.

Step Heat is probably an IMAX for me - ha! I'm out of shape enough that a few parts get my heart rate right up there! (think 7 arabesque repeater section!)

Thanks for your advice!
 
Kay.....

I totally understand your feeling about not wanting to injure yourself. I was/am always very conscious of that as well!

There was an excellent suggestion made earlier about the CTX series. They are like "Imax in training" videos. They are shorter in duration, yet just as intense. They too will really help build cardio capacity and endurance, plus a lot of the same intervals are within some of the videos that you will see in Imax.

And Gin Miller's Intense Moves is another good way to build up to Imax as well. She offers like 3 levels of modifications, and her cuing I find is really good.

Donna




Fitness~ it's a journey, not a race!
 
RE: Kay.....

Ariel..

You are NOT a wimp!! I am 5'1 and regularly do IMAX with one riser, so 6". I find that 8" really doesn't add much intensity since much of the intensity is experienced when you are on the floor. Also, I can get more "dancy" with the routine and I enjoy it more when I am not looking out for the step. At 5'1 with 2 risers you really do have to concentrate atleast a little not to fall on your tush!! Especially on Interval 9. Even at 6" I am basically just counting on the fact that I will make it all the way across the step. One day, I am going down, I know it!!!:)

Janice
 
RE: Kay.....

Thanks for the feedback. I kind of thought that might be the case (about the intensity not being that much greater at 8"). You know the funny thing about IMAX--I can do all the intervals just fine except the power scissors. Those absolutely KILL me! If I didn't modify them part of the time I would actually fall down. OH well-room for improvement!

Ariel :)
 
I watched half of Imax last night and realised that Cathe can get quite a way into the air when interval-ing, yet her crew jump up more like me, which isn't far. So, it just goes to show just how athletic Cathe is ? I feel better now knowing I am more in league with Cedie :) I have also had a little go at Imax without the step, to help me learn the step moves.

Anna :)
 
YAHOO! I got all the way through IMAX this morning with some modifications but not as many as I expected. When we got to interval 10 I started the side hops and thought this isn't so bad.. BUT THEN the jump and tuck move came... I just stood there and watched and said out loud "You've got to be kidding me!" My husband walked by and said "Wow! Hey kids.. you gotta see what Mommy's doing!" So I rewound and the kids did interval 10 with me. Now with all that I didn't get to work until 9:30A but it was a great start to the day and for a bonus IT'S FRIDAY!!! :-jumpy :-jumpy

- Sharon
 
Hi Sharon,

Well done ! To get through it gives a real snse of achievement, doesn't it ? At first I wasn't sure about Imax, but now I LOVE it !!!

Anna :)
 
Hi Kay!

I am also scared of IMAX. I bought 6 of Cathe's tapes about a month ago and still have not unwrapped IMAX. For the past 3 weeks I have been fighing the flu. As soon as I get well then I get sick again. Everyone at work is spreading the germs around so I keep catching a different strand. But as soon as I am well then I will try it out. After everything I have read from the educated crowd I will need to be at my best.

Good luck!
 
Kay,

I meant to be encouraging to you but got carried away with my enthusiasm at having finished it.

I should have added, I weigh a bit more than you do and baby my knees as well. The point being WHEN IN DOUBT, MODIFY!

Enjoy,

Sharon
 
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