Hi. I was a "Firmie" from 1989 until the company changed hands in 1999.
Yes, Cathe includes a 14 inch "Tall Box" (think adjustable version of the firm 14 in box) in many of her leg workouts (i.e., Muscle Endurance, Legs and Glutes, Butts and Guts (as a bonus and in the premixes) Leaner Legs, Pyramid Lower Body & Boot Camp. I don't have the Gym Style Series yet but someone else who reads this will be able to let you know about that. I'd be surprised if it isn't.
Muscle Max has an interesting and effective variation using a green (medium tension) resistance band on the 8 inch step. If you intend to use your firm box, that one would not be do-able for you because your box would most likely tip over. In any event, it wouldn't be safe.
I assume by your questions that you are some what new to Cathe. So let me tell you this, some of Cathe's workouts are like The Firm (vintage Firm not the new stuff) on steriods. Her aerobics and weight work take things to a whole new level. In reference to the leg press on the 14 inch box, you will do more sets of them with Cathe's workouts. The reps are about the same, usually 12 to 16 per leg. Sometimes the moves are faster when the weight is lower (you will see this in Legs and Glutes. She (and most of us who try and match her weight) use a 15# dumbell held by both hands center chest. The movement is quicker than with the Firm workouts using the same weight.
In Pyramid Lower Body (PLB) she uses a barbell starting with set one at around 25# (I can't recall for sure but somewhere around that) and then the next set at 35# and then the next one at 45# and then back down to the 35# and then finally back to 25#. These sets are all done in a row with about 30 seconds of rest in between. So you are doing five sets of presses on each leg with a challenging weight. The pace is about what you would do with The Firm using a 15# dumbell.
I haven't seen anything where she does the "box climb". But trust me, you WILL NOT miss it. You can always add it into your workout to supplement our leg work though. I might do that as well (when my knees allow). Coincidentally, my DVD player broke over the weekend so I couldn't do Cathe's aerobic workouts. I broke out my Firm Tape, Maximum Cardio (it includes the box climb). I hadn't done that one in probably 4 years. It used to be a really tough workout for me. It was very easy yesterday. I got bored with it quickly but kept it up. I found that I really missed doing a Cathe so I dug out her "Legs and Glutes" workout that I taped from FIT TV 4 or 5 years ago. If you get that channel watch the Legs and Glutes workout (part of the cardio blast series) to see the leg presses I mentioned earlier.
There are plenty of ex-Firmies here in the forum. I am sure they can tell you the other workouts that use the tall box for leg presses.
If you do a Cathe Leg Workout, you will be more than satisfied with the workout and the physical results; and your strength and endurance level will go through the roof.
Hope this helps.
Teals
