Need advice on giving advice...

[susan-lynn]

Hi everyone!

My sister-in-law is wanting to start a fitness program, but doesn't want to join a gym. She is walking in the mornings, after I suggested she start doing that, but now she wants to start weights and aerobics at home. She is slim, and 32 years old, but has never done any serious exercising.

I did tell her how much I love Cathe & the CTX series. But the thing is, I belonged to a gym before I started working out at home, so I had a good idea on how to perform many of the exercises. She has never done aerobics before, and wants to try stepping. When I started stepping, I joined the beginner classes at the gym to learn basic moves, and went from there.

What should I suggest she do? Should she start right into Cathe's stepping or start with a beginner tape? I suggested for weights that she start with 5 and 8 lbs dumbells & I offered to lend her a couple of CTX tapes first so she can try it before buying it.

I feel uncomfortable giving out advice because I don't want her to hurt herself!

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[wendyloo]

I definitely think she should start with some beginner tapes to get her used to stepping. Even when people suggest TWV or Mega Step Blast to new people, I am always worried that those tapes, though beginner Cathe stuff, is not beginner stuff for a true beginner!

For step, suggest a Gin Miller Reebok tape (a nice boring but very basic one is Step Reebok the Video, or even Aerostep, which uses the floor and a step.) Or Kathy Smith's Step workout is basic and good for learning...direct her to videofitness.com after she tries those for many more ideas.

I do think she can use a Cathe strength tape and just lower her weights. But I'm not sure the CTX tapes give as many form pointers and general guidelines as something like PS or even MIS. S&H is the best for learning form, in my opinion, but may be too boring for a beginner. (I LOVE these tapes and don't get bored with them at all, but I think a beginner may.)

She could also start with more real beginner strength tapes (Kathy Smith Secrets to a Great Upper body is really good, I think), or maybe the strength section from TWV if you already have that one...

Anyway, good luck to both of you!
Wendy

 

[honeybunch]

Cathe is NOT for beginners! As much as we love her tapes, it's easy to urge them onto anyone who mentions wanting to start exercising. Too many of us make that mistake.

Collage videos has a ton of beginner tapes, and so do the libraries and stores like target. Denise Austin is geared towards beginners, so she may be a good one to start with. Denise does weights and step.

She can also start walking along with the stepping. If she gets into exercise gradually, she will be less likely to give it up out of discouragement.

 

[fit@home]

What about Karen Voight's Energy Sprint? It's easy to learn, has a toning section, and it's a really great workout! That tape was one of the first step tapes I ever did after borrowing some other step tape from a friend. I fell in love with Energy Sprint, and I still use that tape from time to time!

Hollie

 

[Debra]

I'm so glad people are suggesting beginning cardio workouts - transitional tapes. Cathe's cardio is so fast paced that I think it blows beginners away.

I started my sister w/ the toning in the Wedding Tape. I mistakenly thought the next step would be something like MIS w/ light weights. She just didn't have the endurance for an hour of wt. training. So I'd chose a 30 to 40 min wt workout.

 

[susan-lynn]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I had a feeling that she really shouldn't do Cathe stepping until she learns how to do basic moves first. My gosh I remembered when I first learned it at the gym, it took a few classes to catch on even to just the basic moves.

It's the weights I'm more concerned with so that she learns proper technique.

Thanks again!

 

[honeybunch]

Another suggestion...even if she doesn't want to join a gym, it would be worthwhile for her to go to a personal trainer for a couple of sessions to get instruction on weight lifting. I had that advantage when I started, and I'm very glad. Let her get good habits from the beginning. It will be money well spent.