Just started STS yesterday...

[hstarnes]

and, man, am I sore! After much reading, research, and debate, I finally decided to go for it and asked for STS for my birthday. I just finished disc 1 yesterday...wow, I only THOUGHT I was in good shape, ha ha! I've been an avid user of Cathe's DVDs for about 3 1/2 years now (most recently STS Shock Cardio, which I got for Christmas). I love coming home after work to de-stress and exercise and do so about 4 days a week on average. After yesterday I realized all this time I must not have been pushing myself as hard as I should be! I was fried by the end of the push-ups and that was only 3 exercises in! I guess I know for sure this series will really push my limits and am excited to see the results I hear everyone else talking about. Yeah, those STS Results Stories and pictures don't lie! I AM glad I took the time to do the 1RM testing beforehand as I'm gonna need all the downtime I can get in between exercises to breathe, stretch, and not have to think about which weight to use for the next exercise. That being said, I hope this gets a little easier as the weeks go along! Yikes!

 

[Autumn68]

It will get easier. you will be shocked at what you will be doing by the 3rd month.....even before that you will see changes. Good ones - autumn

 

[jdollprince]

It will SORTOF get easier. You will really feel stronger by meso 2 but the workouts get harder so it is still kicking your butt. Im in week 2 of Meso 2 and im seriously AMAZED at how much weight I am able to use and how much core strength I have gained. This is the first time I have EVER followed a rotation or program and I actually look forward to the workouts. I was freaking exhausted after the first week of push ups in meso 1. I cant wait to see how insane Meso 3 is. Keep going!

jes

 

[hstarnes]

Thanks for the encouragement! I just finished Mesocycle 1 today and feel great. And I'm even already starting to notice very subtle results. Can't wait to start Meso 2!

 

[DebbieH]

I totally agree with what you said...I found that in previous workouts, before STS came out, I wasn't pushing myself as hard as I should have been. Having done the 1RM ahead of time made me push beyond what I had ever done. Plus, having the rotation all spelled out beforehand made it so much easier...just put the next disc in and go! As far as it getting easier, I would say it if does, you need to up your weights! No slacking!!! That is the beauty of doing the 1RM. The series will never wear out! Have fun and WORK IT!

 

[dlgrosen5]

1 rep max question

i decided not to do the 1 rep max tests before i began the STS workout series b/c it looked like it would've taken forever to do for all the exercises in the STS series.

so i'm just doing my best at picking weights that work and are a challenge to me. i'm only 2 weeks into meso cycle 1, but can already tell that how much weight i can lift is affected by whatever else i've done during the day or even the day before.

let me know if you have a short cut way of squeezing in the 1 rep max.

also, i do use the barbell, but often sub 15-25lb DBs for ease. do you think it matters? i have DB from 2 lbs thru 30 lbs.

as i get stronger, i may sub using my vectra (universal-like machine) for chest press type work since i don't have a spotter at home. do you think it will matter?

 

[hstarnes]

Yeah, I too wished there were a quick and easy way to get the 1RM out of the way. I was dreading it, too, before I started STS but just spent one week doing most of the exercises that had the most stars. It really didn't take as long as I had thought but has really made a difference. I didn't invest in a barbell until Meso 2 but wow! For me the barbell is so much more difficult than dumbbells. Not sure exactly why, but I'm thinking maybe it's easier to cheat when I use dumbbells. I definitely find myself using better form (using less momentum) with the barbell but that may just be me.

 

[Ketros]

I just ordered the Sts program should be here on Saturday... I am very excited about getting started... I haven't been very active in the last year so I am hope with this program it will get me back into shape. I was thinking about trying the one month nutrition site just wondering if anyone has tried it?

 

[phoenix130]

I just finished Week 2 of Mesocycle 1 and am seeing small improvements already. I can only imagine what I will see by the end of the program. I'm loving it so far - I'm seriously sore after each workout...especially the legs ones...DOMS is killer on those!

It's my first time doing STS - I bought it last year but kept putting it on hold. Now I'm wondering why I didn't start it earlier! I did most of the 1RMs but rushed through them too quickly - I wish I had taken more time to do them...next round!

Ketros - I signed up for the nutrition program and it's good but there are also a lot of free ones out there. It depends on what you are looking for. Signing up for a one month trial is a good idea so you can see if you will use it and it works for you. I don't use it much these days but that's mainly because I stopped tracking food - it just makes me crazy if I do that.