Muscle Endurance- why are they on taller steps?

amyg

amyg

Cathlete
I was merrily doing ME with the 5 risers and topper for a few weeks when my DH came in and asked me why I wasn't doing it like they are. (I don't have mirrors so sometimes ask him to come in and evaluate my form, etc, but this time it was uninvited.) I was totally confused and then he pointed out they use 6 risers and the topper in ME. Any ideas why??

BTW, leg presses are totally different (I mean harder) with 6 risers!! I was huffing and puffing like crazy. Work work!
 
I think you answered your own question, AmyG: leg presses are more challenging when you do them on a higher step! Leave it to Cathe to find the most challenging way to do something!

A-Jock
 
I bought the high step with just 4 risers. x( So, I put my high step on top of my Reebok step (of course on the lowest level). Once, I break down and buy the Original Club Step I'll have the extra risers. For now, it works great.

I've noticed that in ME the high step is at it's very highest. At least out of all the work outs that I own.

Yes, you get a great work out bumping it up.

Dallas
 
I thought the 14 inches was for a reason, like to protect your knees or something.
LOL, now I have yet ANOTHER challenge from Cathe!!!!}(
 
Hi Amy,

I've wondered this myself, and came to the conclusion (like A-Jock) that Cathe is just trying to make it a bigger challenge. But also, if I have my facts correct, when the High Step first came out, if you bought it with all of the risers off of Cathe's site, you got Muscle Endurance thrown in with it. Ergo, she designed the workout to use the High Step to its greatest advantage (and does she ever!). That's just my opinion. Yes, you do work harder on the 6 risers, but if it's going to aggravate your knees to use that many, then go back to using 5. It's not worth the cost to your joints.

Cheers,
Sandra
 
It didn't bother my knees today using the 6 risers. I guess maybe I'm questioning it because she doesn't announce anything about using 6 instead of 5. On LM she says to use 8" but no more than that as it places unnecessary stress on the knees or something, which is probably what got me questioning it.
Maybe I'll look and listen a little harder next time to see if she ever mentions it. I have the HARDEST time counting the risers for some reason- I usually have to touch them and count so I make sure I have the right number. Like I said originally, my DH was the one who pointed it out, so I've been missing that they had "extra" risers.
 
No matter what height Cathe and the crew use, that shouldn't determine the height YOU use. Make sure that your knee isn't bent any tighter than 90 degrees whatever height you use. I certainly wouldn't use a 16" step to do step-ups on. 14" (and sometimes even 12") is effective for me, and safe. (I do use 16" to sit on, though).

Since ME was one of the first (the first?) workouts in which Cathe does step ups, my guess is she was just feeling things out. In later workouts, she'd decided that 16" wasn't necessary, so uses a shorter step. (Just a guess.)
 
I'm 5'2" so I figured if it didn't hurt, and Cathe was doing it too, it's okay for me at 5'2" to use the 16-inch step. I was really huffing and puffing, though, so that was great! I guess years of 14" step-ups will do that to you. The change was nice, the only way I noticed I was doing something different was because my heart (huff) was (puff) telling (huff) me (puff) so (sweat dripping everywhere). I'll probably do it this way again, but not likely every time I do ME.

I was curious if others had noticed she's on a taller step, since I sure didn't! Good point that it was a relatively early high step move- I hadn't thought about that.
 
I did notice that her step was pretty high. I only have the aerobic step cube right now (sold my original step) and it only goes to 14" , which was fine for me. :) Did you use dumbells or hold the plate for that part of the workout. I used the plate and liked it better for that exercise.:)
 
I have been using my 8-lb medicine ball instead of the 10 lb plate. I find I hold the plate with my arm muscles too much but when I use the ball I squish it against my body better. I have really thin plates. I like my medicine ball a lot- it's smaller than hers but still a good thing. Got it on ebay for $8, with $12 shipping so it was a great deal... which automatically means I'll love it! ;)
 
Yes, I noticed and I use a 16" box when I do ME (my novel notion box atop one riser). I figured Cathe was just mixing it up a little, and doing something a little more challenging. I thought that since she recommends regularly changing your workouts, she probably figured it was safe to do 16" once in a while. I do PLB a lot more often than ME, so most of my step-ups are on a 14" box.
 
nancy324- I have the same novel notion box that you do, but does it move around at all on the riser? I can't test mine, as I just sold my step.

Amy G- I have been looking on ebay for a medicine ball but didn't know which one to get. I do ME once a week and I have progressed to a 15# plate since she said "We're going a little lighter on these leg presses." I wanted the ball also becauseshe uses it in the ab section. When she presses her hands on the ball I grab my sons basketball.:)
 
Heather- with one riser for step-ups, the Novel Notion box is just fine. Don't you wish you had an excuse to buy the high step? With the Novel Notion box, there is no reason to get the high step, but I wish I had it to do the calf raises in PLB, and the high step is just so cute.
 
The high step is a rather cool invention. But w/ the NN step, once you get the "heights" memorized it isn't so bad.
 
I got it from http://stores.ebay.com/Koch-Martial-Arts the 8 lb one is bigger than a grapefruit but smaller than a basketball. It's pretty cushy, but I think I can add air to make it more firm- I just haven't seen a need to do that!

I went up from a 2lb ball to the 8lb ball and yikes what a difference! :) Now I need to upgrade my stability ball and get core max... and muscle max... and slow and heavy... and the gym styles... and HC extreme... Hmm. All the DVDs I forgot what I was talking about! ;)

It looked like that ebay store didn't have what I bought from them. You can also find it at: http://www.fitbuy.com/pd/cn2484.html
HTH!
 
This thread is good timing for me, I JUST got the Tall Step and am planning on using ME on Sunday! I used the step with 5 risers yesterday doing LL and WOW what a difference from 4!!! I was always wondering why Cathe went with only 10 lbs! Now I know! My butt hurts today!! :)



Gypsygirl >^..^<
 
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