IMAX 2 ut oh for the first time

amyg

amyg

Cathlete
I'm so disappointed with myself!! I could barely do the first 5 intervals!! How will I ever be able to make it through this workout to the point it's fun? I'm not as concerned about the choreography, although I was all over the place with that, but the blasts were really hard on my body, it seemed like.

I was wondering if you get BETTER at this? The genie jumps were really sad- I was all over the place on my mat, and struggling with my heart rate too.

Wah. I ended up stopping and starting over with the warm up since I wanted longer cardio today and knew I couldn't make it through the tougher intervals.

Any words of wisdom on this one are much appreciated! Thanks!!!
 
There have been lots of posts like yours over the years, so don't feel bad. IMAX 2 is a tough workout. It can take numerous attempts to get all the way through it. I'd continue to focus on the first five intervals till you have then down, and then add one more interval on at a time until you get 6, then 7, etc.

If you are worried that you are not getting a long enough workout in you could do a couple of things:

1. Do all 10 intervals, but modify the really tough ones (just replace a more difficult move with an easier one, like plio jacks or power 15s or something). Then, when you feel your 10 modified intervals are getting too easy, start replacing the easier moves with Cathe's moves.

2. Do some other cardio workout first, then tack on a few IMAX 2 intervals. Try different intervals after each cardio workout until you feel comfortable about them. Then, try IMAX 2 as a whole.

Hope this helps and good luck. IMAX 2 is definitely a fun workout so don't give up!

Shelbygirl
 
Hi Amy.

I am new to IMAX 2 myself so I know how you feel! I am just going to keep trying...eventually I will get it. So far I have completed the 2 premixes that split the w/o in half plus I have done the terminators (not necessarily each w/o in full!) which all have some imax 2 intervals in them. Practice makes perfect! Keep at it and good luck! :)
 
Thanks for your ideas, they're great. I think part of the problem is that my mat seemed too small and I kept stepping off the edges and being concerned I was going to hurt myself by falling and bonking into things. ;)

I'm glad I'm not alone on my first response to IMAX 2! Trying Muscle Endurance today... ;)
 
LOL ME is at the start menu on my TV but I thought I should check here before I started! Thanks!!! ;)
 
>1. Do all 10 intervals, but modify the really tough ones
>(just replace a more difficult move with an easier one, like
>plio jacks or power 15s or something). Then, when you feel
>your 10 modified intervals are getting too easy, start
>replacing the easier moves with Cathe's moves.

This is what I usually do. When I feel like I"m getting out of breath, I know it's time to modify. Sometimes, I keep those modifications (ie: in IMAX2, I don't do the genie hops "as-is" because it seems a bit ridiculous to me to do so many hops on one leg...and I believe it's against aerobic safetly guidelines, so I stick with "2 hops per leg" or "4 hops per leg" alternating, or do a skaters hop; and in IMAX3, there are about 3 intervals that I will NEVER do as-is because I don't need THAT much impact!), but usually I keep aiming toward the moves as they are done .

I like the feeling of making a bit of progress each time, but also being able to get through the whole workout (sometimes, especially at the beginning, by modifying A LOT!).

Keep at it. You'll get better at it. And isn't it better to have a challenge to work up to than to have a workout you can breeze through the first time, that gives you no challenge?
 
>Thanks for your ideas, they're great. I think part of the
>problem is that my mat seemed too small and I kept stepping
>off the edges and being concerned I was going to hurt myself
>by falling and bonking into things. ;)

That definitely sounds like a problem to me. Whatever kind of mat you have, it sounds like you need a bigger one.
 
I agree 100% with Shelbygirl's advice. I-Max 2 is a tough workout, but then, tough workouts are how you get better cardiovascularly, not to mention leg power.

And just in passing: there is nothing aerobically unsafe about one-legged hops, including doing an extended number on one leg before switching to another. In fact, one-legged hops are a fairly standard plyometric drill in many athletic sports training programs. An exerciser might have personal orthopedic issues that make hops contraindicated, or indeed just plain not like doing them, but that does not make them unsafe, or unproductive.

Keep up with I-max 2, kiddo, and make sure you're keeping IM2 company with Interval Max and IM3!

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A-Jock
 
I've been attempting Imax 2 for a year, and finally was able to finish 4 intervals without a break two weeks ago.

I love this workout, though! It always challenges me and the time just flies! Keep at it. It DOES get easier the more you do it...I shouldn't say "easier", because it will still kick your butt, but it just gets easier to follow and you're not stepping all over yourself. :)

By the way, on those genie hops: I don't actually "hop"...I kinda lift up on my toes without hopping.
 
When I first started doing IMAX2, I would do either the first 5 intervals or the last 5, doing it as an add on to weight work or something. It made it much "easier" for me and after trying this a few times, I was able to complete the whole thing.

Good luck with it. Know that you are not alone - we were all there once. :)
 
Oy, the genie hops. We were 5 of 6 through before I could hear her call them "genie hops" over my gasping breath.

You guys are inspiring me to take another shot at it!! I'm so glad I posted my complaint. I'm going to sit and focus to watch it through again, so I can maybe do better next time.

When she stopped the video so we could all catch our breath after interval 5, that clued me into the fact I wasn't in Kansas anymore... yikes. I told my DH about that and he wasn't impressed. Just proves he doesn't get it about Cathe. ;)

Okay, so knowing that I can get better with time is GREAT. Thanks so much everybody!!
 
Hi Amy,

Definitely keep trying with IMAX2. Cathe designs these workouts to be a challenge. As she says in one of her workouts, "If you got it the first time, you'd be bored."

I started her interval workouts with the original IMAX. I couldn't do it unmodified for about a year. What kept me coming back was her attitude in that workout. She states somewhere at the start that this is a workout that you are meant to work up to, and even they had to practice quite a bit to get through unmodified. During one of the toughest intervals, one of the members in the video has to modify the move, and Cathe yells, "Good job, Hope!" I guess my point is, if you are finding IMAX2 challenging, then you are using the workout as Cathe intended. If you keep practicing (people here have given you excellent advice), you will see great improvement in your cardiovasculor conditioning, and eventually will be able to do the Happy Dance with Cathe at the end of interval 9. Then, you can tackle IMAX and IMAX3 }( !!!

Sandra
 
Sandra- Thanks. I think I'll keep this thread in mind when I attempt it next time. Won't be for a few more days as I gave platelets on Saturday.
I'm so glad to hear you do get better at it with time. And, I have to remember, I did make the move to Cathe because I needed a challenge, so I'm definitely getting my money's worth!!! :D
 
Amy, if you ever find ANY of the IMAXs fun, you are one very special woman! I love the way they make me feel when I FINISH, but I can't recall ever feeling like I'm having fun while I'm actually doing the workout. More like, "I can't wait for this #@$^$%(Q)^#%^& workout to end" or "what the %*$)@%Q*&%%) is this woman trying to do, kill me?" }(

Rhythmic Step is fun, Step Blast is fun, Power Max is fun, KPC is fun, but the IMAXs are Cathe's own special kind of torture for her biggest fans. ;-)
 
>I'm so disappointed with myself!! I could barely do the
>first 5 intervals!! How will I ever be able to make it
>through this workout to the point it's fun? I'm not as
>concerned about the choreography, although I was all over the
>place with that, but the blasts were really hard on my body,
>it seemed like.
>
>I was wondering if you get BETTER at this? The genie jumps
>were really sad- I was all over the place on my mat, and
>struggling with my heart rate too.
>
>Wah. I ended up stopping and starting over with the warm up
>since I wanted longer cardio today and knew I couldn't make it
>through the tougher intervals.
>
>Any words of wisdom on this one are much appreciated!
>Thanks!!!
 
I'm with Sandra / FiddleFit. I started out on Cathe's workouts with Interval Max (the original) (I was too dumb to know any better), and when I first previewed it I thought it'd be a snap. It was me who snapped, right in the middle of the second interval blast. I couldn't finish the 2nd, 4th, 8th or 10th intervals the first time. I got so mad at myself I did it 2X per week until I could - took me about three weeks. It wasn't pretty.

Amy, just keep at it. Cathe's interval workouts are designed to increase your power potential in the legs as well as your cardiovascular endurance. Just keep at it (I would recommend doing it at least once a week until you can complete all the intervals without mods) and you will be amazed at how much juice you can pump into your other workouts.

Oh, and just in passing - do get Interval Max and I-Max 3! Gotta complete the collection!

A-Jock
 
Thanks, A-Jock. It's playing right now for my review! ;) I will not let this one pass- I know I'll get it eventually, I just expected "eventually" to be a lot sooner than I think it will be now that I've tried it. I love LowMax, and I know a lot of you love Imax2, so it's just a matter of time, like you said.

Oh, and in passing? Imax 3 is in the mail to me as I type. ;) Why do I do this??

Sigh. Because I can, and I love that I can!

I also cleaned up the living room a little to make more room for myself, and ordered more mats this weekend. Like I said, I will not surrender until I can do the whole thing! I'm really glad to hear you get better at this workout.

Ut oh. She's doing plie jacks and jumps along the board right now. Hm. Maybe I'll have to wait a little bit before I attempt that interval... ;)
 
You do get better at it. Trust me. In fact, when I do Interval Max the Original now I am able to extend out all the interval blasts by at least 8-16 reps per blast, AND omit the recoveries. That's how good you can get with these, IF YOU DO THEM CONSISTENTLY. IMHO, you should do at least one Cathe I-Max workout per week. Your heart, lungs and legs will thank you.

Cathe says in her intro to Interval Max the Original: "As you do this workout you will get stronger and stronger, and be able to go longer and longer, not only in this workout but all of your other workouts, therefore deriving even greater benefits." Truer words were never spoken.

Oh, and just in passing - the plie jack interval is not of this world.

A-Jock
 
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