Interval Max question......

[naughtoj]

Hi Annete!! I know you are going to read this!!! Fire away at the answers.


Did IMax for the first time today. Wasn't as humbled as I thought I was going to be, but I did lower my step anticipating early fatigue. Modified pretty much everything for my first time so I could finish the whole workout for learnings sake.

When you all started with IMAX, did you all start at the 8" step level?? I think I am going to cruise along with the 6" level until I learn the steps. Seemed choreagraphy challenging to me, for now. Also, does your height effect how tall the step should be?? I am 5'0 and the 6" step level almost seems safer and more comfortable for me. At the 8" level I feel like I am really climbing. When Cathe does lunges off the step and says "Don't drop your buttocks below your knee", it happens almost instantly for my little short legs off that 8" step..does anyone else experience that??

Also, Cathe says not to do IMAX more than twice a week with two days in between. If I were to modify ALL the exercises and keep my 6" step, could I use this tape for a regular cardio day?? Honestly, working at this level today, this tape didn't seem any harder than CK going all out. I work at about 85%-90% of my HR I think during all Cathe cardios. It is either because of the HR elevation or because of the impact or both that Cathe advises to do this workout less..which is it???? And what are your thoughts..(ahem..Aquajock!!


Thanks for the input....the Survivor!!!!!!

 

[Aquajock]

Hey, Naughtoj! I actually laughed out loud at the beginning of your post! Am I REALLY that predictable?

(yes)

But seriously folks . . .

To answer your question, I've never raised my step higher than 6" for any step routine, including my beloved Interval Max. At 5'3", that's a good manageable height for me, and it gives me just the right platform for good propulsion on the step moves. Plus, in Interval Max, the true power intervals occur on the floor, not on the step (specifically interval #2, #4, #5, #8, and #10), and maintaining a 6" step keeps my legs and knees from flaming out too quickly and risking tripping or otherwise losing good form. Yes, I do believe your physical height determines the appropriate step height for you; you seriously want to guard against your knee going deeper than 90-degrees of flexion especially during fast-paced aerobic work.

I'm sure that if you consistently modified all of the intervals, especially the ones I just enumerated above, you could use it as a regular, mid-range cardio workout. I think Cathe's caution about using I-Max 2X per week has two bases (and presumes you will be performing it without modifications): the extreme cardiovascular challenge; AND the impact forces on the lower body joints. By performing the intensity modifications you reduce both of these.

HOWEVER

Build yourself to the point where you can do all 10 intervals with no mods! You will experience an energy rush about half an hour after completing it like you would not believe. You may have read my story of getting thru I-Max with no mods; that took about two straight weeks of doing it 2X per week, and at the end of the session when I was able to get thru them all I walked around like I'd tinkled myself! But I was higher than a kite for the rest of the night, and that's a feeling worth working for, not to mention the extraordinary leg and heart strengthening benefits you get from it. As I've mentioned previously, I'm now to the point where I modify UPWARD, extending out all of the intervals 8-16 reps, and increasing propulsion on the mid-range step interstices AND increasing intensity during the "recovery" periods. There really is no ceiling here!

Hope this helps! Thanks again for the guffaw!

You go, girl!

Annette Q. Aquajock
The I-Max Junkie

 

[naughtoj]

Hi Annette..
Thanks for the quick reply, and yes, you are that predictable!!!

I think I will work IMAX in atleast twice a week, with or without modifications. Being able to do it all with no modifications in only 2 weeks seems very optimistic, but I'll go for that. I didn't get to interval 10..that tuck thing..the other day cuz of time constraints. Looking forward to doing it later this week. I am really hoping this makes the other Cathe's easier for me, cuz right about now I am feeling no progress!!

I am glad you agreed with me on the step issue. When I raise it to 8" it almost seems like I am tripping over it..especially when I strain to watch the TV. Especially with the lunges off the step, it makes sense to go lower with the step the shorter and stubbier your legs are....and my legs are REALLY stubby!!!!

Thanks again Annette..I actually have a million questions I would like your opinion on but am too hungry right now to eek them out..maybe later....Janice

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Janice! Ms. Predictable here

Good for you for sticking with your guns about a lower step height; IMHO, when you raise the step height to increase intensity, you tend to decrease intensity in other areas of performance such as leg range of motion, arm crispness of form, surety of step onto the bench, etc. Us peewees gotta look out for that!

Re getting to the point where you can do I-Max with no mods - go easy on setting a timetable for yourself; 2 weeks of doing it 2X worked for me, but that might not be the case for you. What I tell my participants in the aqua classes I teach, and what I do/say to myself, is: "A little bit more than you did before, each and every exercise session, and you will be amazed at the progress you can make!" If you can crank out one more non-modified rep in each interval, or in some intervals, each workout bout, you will get there SAFELY and EFFECTIVELY.

As Cathe says in her I-Max introduction, "As you get stronger and stronger you will be able to go longer and longer, not only in this workout but all of your other workouts," and truer words were never spoken. I-Max is a true training workout, and because that was the first Cathe workout I ever mastered, everything else feels easier. What I do now with Cathe's other workouts is modify upward as needed, throwing in a few plyo jacks, plyo jumps, plyo lunges ("Power Scissors"), box jumps and side-to-side slalom jumps, into her other routines as I feel like it to upkick the cardio and leg intensity.

I-MAX RULES! And so do you!

Nice cyber-chatting with you - lemme know if you have any other questions!

Annette Q. Aquajock