Modifier
Hi ChaoticSoul,
Let me explain our view point on this and why we film the way we do. In all of our videos Cathe will always show modifications for exercises where she feels there is a need to do so. You will see this done throughout the Low Impact series. So we do show modifications, just not for every move. Also, usually in a fitness video that has a person showing modifications they usually show a low impact move instead of a high impact exercise. But since there are no high impact moves in LIS, there is no need for this to be done.
Our approach to showing modifications is really the same as you would see in almost any live class taught at your local gym. In our health club during a live Cathe class she will always show a modification where she feels it is needed, but this is not done for every move and there is not a separate person showing modifications during live classes. This is exactly what we do in our videos too.
Our philosophy has always been to make workouts one at a time for a specific audience, not to try make a fitness video that reaches the maximum size audience. There are certainly valid reasons and advantages for having one person be a modifier, but there are also disadvantages.
Our videos are known for providing great workouts and having a certain flow and sync that only happens when everyone is moving in rhythm and doing the same thing. We feel having a modifier doing something different adversely affects the flow and sync of the workout.
What makes Cathe truly special, in my opinion, is her ability to control everyone’s heart rate throughout a workout at just the right rate. She just knows when to push harder and when to pull back. This skill comes from years of experience and from actually doing each workout with her classes almost every day for over 30 years.
One of the key ways Cathe controls the heart rate is through her exercise selection. If you had a person doing modification exercises for every move the modified workout would not be the same as the original routine …and the heart rate of the person doing the modified workout would not be where Cathe intended it to be and the integrity of the workout would be lost.
Another reason we film the way we do is that many of our workouts can be very fast paced. You just can’t cue two different audiences doing two different things in a fast paced workout without sacrificing quality and creating confusion. In a workout like Athletic Training having to cue two different audiences would probably be impossible! This is why we prefer to make separate videos for beginners and advanced exercisers.
Lastly, our goal has always been to bring you a workout similar to what we do in our own health club. This is also true when showing modifications. As a certified instructor Cathe will always show modifications when she feels it is important to do so, but our videos are also designed to be challenging and this means you may have to do them several times before you master them. We feel that when a workout is easily mastered it will also stop challenging you and your fitness level will not improve.
I know it can be frustrating not to be able to do something you see in one of our videos, but if you challenge yourself and are determined enough you will eventually conquer all of the moves in the video. You will not only feel great from your accomplishment, but your fitness level will take a giant leap forward too.
