Lifting heavy

[jengollf]

I am in the process of hoarding Cathe workouts. I love every single one I've done so far (I still have quite a few I haven't gotten to yet), but I would like to know which of her workouts give you the opportunity to lift the heaviest? I am assuming Slow and Heavy would be one, but what else? The Hardcore Gym Style workouts? What else?

And I am assuming the STS program (which I plan to buy at some point once I accumulate all of the equipment needed) will allow me to go heavy, right?

Thanks!

 

[janiejoey]

Gengollf,

In Cathe's workout DVD's look under Strength and Toning. There are many DVD's for what you are looking for, each one with a description.

My favorites for heavy lifting are: Gym Style, Muscle Max, Butts & Guts, STS, Hardcore, Pure Strength, Muscle Endurance, Super Sets, Push and Pull, and Pyramid Upper and Lower Body.

Adding other DVD's like cardio, toning & circuits... will confuse the body and when coming back to heavy lifting allows you to lift heavier weight. And don't forget the stretches and yoga... to help stretch out those muscles you worked so hard on. It helps make your muscles elongate.

Hope this helps,

Janie

 

[nkhansen1]

I am in the process of hoarding Cathe workouts. I love every single one I've done so far (I still have quite a few I haven't gotten to yet), but I would like to know which of her workouts give you the opportunity to lift the heaviest? I am assuming Slow and Heavy would be one, but what else? The Hardcore Gym Style workouts? What else?

And I am assuming the STS program (which I plan to buy at some point once I accumulate all of the equipment needed) will allow me to go heavy, right?

Thanks!

STS is definitely the one that you will go heaviest on because of the type of training it is. Slow and Heavy, ironically, does not use super heavy weights. The tempo is so incredibly slow and that you're using the heaviest weight you can for that particular tempo. The tempo is more the guide, does that make sense? Even Cathe is only using 8 pound dumbbells for the triceps work in that one, just for example. Slow and Heavy is an awesome workout, though. You will get some great results from it! It's a favorite of mine! Of her strength training workouts, the Pyramids, Gym Styles, Muscle Max and Pure Strength would be ones that you could go heavy on. Muscle Endurance, High Reps, Butts and Guts, etc are exactly what they say: high rep, endurance style with a slightly lighter weight selection. It's good training to mix the two styles.

 

[jengollf]

Thanks!

I do mix it up, but I'm new to Cathe, so I'm not familiar with everything she has. I have read the descriptions of them all but I can't tell on all of them. Most of the strength workouts of hers I've purchsed so far are endurance and cardio ones, which I love, don't get me wrong--but I also love to go heavy, too. I have heavy lifting workouts from other programs (Beachbody programs mostly, but a few others), but now that I've discovered Cathe, I don't feel like doing any of my old DVDs! I just want to do her workouts. I need to get a barbell set and a bench for STS. I have SelectTechs so I'm covered with dumbbells and all the other equipment.

 

[mrsprincess07]

As far as STS goes, you don't need all the equipment that she uses; same goes for all of her workouts. I never use a barbell anymore and while it does have it's benefits, it's not a requirement. If you don't use a barbell you don't need the tower and you can use a band for the pull downs instead of getting a pull up bar or station. Use your step bench instead of a lifting bench or if you go a little lighter, you can sub in a stability ball or just do the workout on the floor. Just an idear to pass along.

My favorites:

*** GYM STYLES- you can never go wrong with this series!
** Muscle Max- a close 2nd to GS
** 4 Day Split- Another HEAVY style lifting program that is also great for a time-crunched schedule. Many people love the premixes but I've never used them although there are a ton! It's a 4 day lifting split but because each is 30 minutes you can double one day to make it a 3 day lifting schedule if you need or have the time to.
* Push/Pull- not her most advanced but they are solid strength workouts and allow for a nice shake up
* Body Max 2 Upper Body Section- not super heavy work but my favorite Upper Body workout of all time from Cathe. Short, sweet, and to the point!
* Trisets- This one has a more functional feel and really is different compared to what is currently in Cathe's library. It will allow for overall core strength while still providing a nice challenge to the muscle groups worked. The premixes can't be beat.
* STS Total Body- again the premixes alone are great; so much so I've never done the workout from start to finish.

 

[jengollf]

So many wonderful suggestions! Thank you! My wishlist is growing!

 

[nkhansen1]

As far as STS goes, you don't need all the equipment that she uses; same goes for all of her workouts. I never use a barbell anymore and while it does have it's benefits, it's not a requirement. If you don't use a barbell you don't need the tower and you can use a band for the pull downs instead of getting a pull up bar or station. Use your step bench instead of a lifting bench or if you go a little lighter, you can sub in a stability ball or just do the workout on the floor. Just an idear to pass along.

My favorites:

*** GYM STYLES- you can never go wrong with this series!
** Muscle Max- a close 2nd to GS
** 4 Day Split- Another HEAVY style lifting program that is also great for a time-crunched schedule. Many people love the premixes but I've never used them although there are a ton! It's a 4 day lifting split but because each is 30 minutes you can double one day to make it a 3 day lifting schedule if you need or have the time to.
* Push/Pull- not her most advanced but they are solid strength workouts and allow for a nice shake up
* Body Max 2 Upper Body Section- not super heavy work but my favorite Upper Body workout of all time from Cathe. Short, sweet, and to the point!
* Trisets- This one has a more functional feel and really is different compared to what is currently in Cathe's library. It will allow for overall core strength while still providing a nice challenge to the muscle groups worked. The premixes can't be beat.
* STS Total Body- again the premixes alone are great; so much so I've never done the workout from start to finish.

It's true, you do not need to get a barbell or a bench. There are plenty of ways to modify it with the equipment you have. And YES, YES, YES to 4 Day Split! I totally forgot to include that one! It's one of the best heavy workouts Cathe does, in my opinion. And the premixes are fabulous on that one. Thank you for reminding me of that! One of the perils (if there are any ) of having too many Cathes is that you sometimes forget what you have at your fingertips!

 

[jengollf]

I actually would have been willing to use different equipment for STS, but as soon as my husband heard I needed a bench and barbell to do STS, he was completely on board with getting them. He says he'll start working out if I get it (not STS, the bench and barbells) and I'm all for that man exercising! I don't mean that in a deprecating way. He's naturally thin--but he also suffers from all kinds of back problems. I tell him if he would just exercise it would go away--but he won't do it. And now he's saying he will--so I am getting it! However, the Push Pull Tower isn't needed? What is it for and what would I use to substitute?

Thanks!

 

[mrsprincess07]

I actually would have been willing to use different equipment for STS, but as soon as my husband heard I needed a bench and barbell to do STS, he was completely on board with getting them. He says he'll start working out if I get it (not STS, the bench and barbells) and I'm all for that man exercising! I don't mean that in a deprecating way. He's naturally thin--but he also suffers from all kinds of back problems. I tell him if he would just exercise it would go away--but he won't do it. And now he's saying he will--so I am getting it! However, the Push Pull Tower isn't needed? What is it for and what would I use to substitute?

Thanks!

If you use a barbell then you'd get more use out of the Tower, although from what I've heard it's discontinued or at least on a long back order. The Tower can also be used for pull ups and barre work, but I've found the pull up options to be awkward and I've always subbed in the band/tubing options for pull ups (lat pull downs/seated back rows with a band). You can use it as a Barre for Turbo Barre and Lower Body Blast but a chair would also work just fine too. As far as the barbell, the tower acts like a barbell stand for things like squats and bench press. It's nice if you're putting up significant amount of weight like you would in Meso 3. But then again, dumbbells will give you the same workout and actually, DBs help to improve muscle imbalance far better than a barbell. This is because with a barbell the stronger side takes over for the weaker side and it's harder to get that side to play catch up.

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Hi Jengolf,

Most of cathe's heavy lifting DVD have been listed.

I would add lifting moderate weight for high reps lifting program:

*Power hours you get 3 workout on this DVD, The squat session last six minutes I would go easy on the weight load first and see how you body respond.
*high rep
*Muscle endurance

All the best,

Nathalie

 

[maddiesmum]

I guess I respectfully disagree with some of the above posters on which DVDs permit heavy lifting and strength gains.

To lift heavy, I need to be able to lower the reps and control my speed. This, for me, eliminates Muscle Max, Push/Pull, Supersets, and some of the Gym Styles routines, and most especially the Pyramids. The Pyramids feature 52 reps of every exercise and have a massive high rep feel to me. Cathe's speed on these is also turbo charged and to keep up, I have to lower the weight unless I choose to ignore her and do my own thing. But if I am going to do that, I may as well put on Pink or Lady Gaga in concert, as I frequently do, and do the same exercises with truly heavy weights at my tempo.

So, I would say, to lift heavy, you are only looking at 4DS, STS mesocycle 3 and Slow & Heavy. With S&H, you may have to lower the weight initially in order to complete the reps because the slow speed eliminates all momentum, but eventually, you will lift heavier weights because the ability to gain strength and muscle mass with this series is definitely there.

I am a hard gainer with very thin arms, weak pectorals and pathetic triceps, in short, an ectomorph upper body. I only gain real muscle mass and strength with these latter DVDs or when I do my own thing to Lady Gaga. The only time I ever gained strength with the Pyramids was after a rotation with S&H: when I came back to the Pyramids afterwards, I used heavier weights than before because of the S&H rotation.

Doing my own thing to Pink and Lady Gaga has the advantage that I can do drop sets and get to heavier weights than I normally use with Cathe DVDs. I can start with that heavier weight and keep dropping in poundage as I fatigue, but keep going. Even if you only manage 5 reps at the new high weight, this gradually enables you to master that new poundage eventually for a full 8 or 12, whatever your desire.

Lifting heavy requires a rep range per set of less than 8 reps. Hardly any Cathe workouts truly feature that rep range. Anything that includes band work is not heavy work, it's endurance.

Hope this helps,

Clare

 

[Dela]

And I am assuming the STS program (which I plan to buy at some point once I accumulate all of the equipment needed) will allow me to go heavy, right?

Thanks!

STS for sure is all about the heavy lifting. Meso 1 is about endurance, meso 2 is moderate/heavy, and meso 3 is very heavy low rep training.

 

[mrsprincess07]

Clare,

I hae to respectfully disagree with you.

Band work is not endurance work. Perhaps with Cathe's workouts but not in the non-DVD world. There is also a difference between burn sets and endurance reps both of which Cathe uses in her DVDs. Each has it's own unique goal in mind. There are bands that offer up to 110-120 pounds of resistance. These are tools that professionals and serious lifters use. They also work the negative. I want to clarify that for people that are not in the know when it comes to equipment and how gains are made/not made. Simply bc you use a band doesn't = endurance. Not even close.

As far as Cathe goes, the DVDs listed that you disagree with are considered her "heavy" workouts. GS is in between and it depends on how it's used. The OP wanted Cathe workouts. Heavy is a relative term. To get technical it goes in levels:

1-4 reps** up to 6 sets per exercise
6-8 reps** up to 5 sets per exercise
10-12 reps** up to 4 sets; typically 3
15+ reps** 2-4 sets depending on the final rep count

To obtain the most gains you need to stay in the 1-4 range with will cause the most tearing/repairing. The standard, non Body Building routine for heavy is 6-8 reps but when it comes to DVDs, you don't find that often it goes into the moderate range of 10-12 per set. The above listed DVDs stick within that range for the most part. This is why when someone uses Pyramid they can still lift heavy and do 50 reps. Pyramid is a heavy lifting technique used to max the muscles out and cause max tearing. You do fewer exercises for each muscle group but the overall rep count is close to the same as if you did 3-4 exercises compared to 2, maybe 3 (I haven't used pyramid in years so I don't remember how many exercises are used for each group). Just because the overall rep count is higher, doesn't make it endurance. Simply not true. Pyramids are a very common technique used in BBing and you tend to do a heavy/ultra heavy, Moderate, and higher rep set; 3 sets up and 3 sets down. It allows you to increase the poundage used over time in a very effecient and effective way.

 

[maddiesmum]

Theory is one thing, experience is another. I was personally recounting what I have found to be the case with my body, heavy lifting and Cathe DVDs. The Pyramids, as taught in PLB and PUB do not allow for heavy lifting. Especially not for upper body. The pace is just too fast.

I can't lift heavy with those DVDs, not unless I totally ignore the pace. And then, what's the point?

I like to give people who come on here alternative viewpoints because we do not all have the same experience. Who knows? She may have a body and experience more like mine than yours? Possible. The theory does not invalidate my experience.

Clare

 

[mrsprincess07]

And I totally agree with that!

I like to give the theory bc one can make a better choice when they know both logistics and the practical side of strength work. I've seen many times when theory is shot to hell, but it's still good to have the info. From a theoretically standpoint, the info needed clarification. From a practical standpoint, it's important to see how things play out because you never know. Even the best laid plans sometimes don't pan out.