fitgoddess
Cathlete
I hope this post does not come off as disrespectful to Cathe...if anything, I am seeking to give an opportunity to stand up for Cathe, so I was just curious to know what ya'lls opinions are about this:
I've seen negative comments about Cathe's workouts scattered here and there across other websites/forums. Most of them seem to be that the workouts are boring, monotonous, too hard, and too high impact.
I am new to Cathe, but so far, I have this to say in response:
1. too hard= I see lots of ways to modify down to your level (a lot of the comments about being too hard were that Cathe does not offer modification...but I find it pretty easy to figure out a modification on my own (i.e., if I can't figure out how to do an around-the-world-mambo, I just do a plain 6-step-mambo....simple enough to figure out, no?) And am happy to do the mods on my own, because when I work my way up to the full move, I will be glad that I don't have to listen to "beginner talk." Also, I do the amount of reps I can, use the weights I can, and look forward to progressing over time. And when I do progress, I will be glad that the challenge is already there for me, and I don't have to look for my own ways to make things more challenging.
2. too high impact= same thoughts as the choreography being too hard...I feel it is simple enough to take a high-impact move and make it low impact move. A simple formula is "just don't let your feet leave the ground!" Simple, no?
3. boring and monotonous= Again, I am new, but I have noticed the variety across workout DVDs (like Kickboxing, bootcamp, interval, circuit, step, etc.) and the new ones coming out seem to offer a lot of variety. I currently own Muslce Max, Core Max, and Low Max ... and while it is true that there are no Hip-hop-ab, turbo-jam, yoga-booty, transfirmer gimicks to make things "more exciting," isn't the plain fact that what Cathe is doing WORKS like none other? Not to be rude, but I have seen DOZENS of pics of TOTALLY buff women on this site in just a couple of weeks....and in the couple of years I was on the Firm site, I saw lots of pics of women who had lost weight, but rarely any who were in prime leaness. While things like the Firm keeps you going with all the bells and whistles, the fact was that I don't think I was ever going to see buff results. So some say boring and monotonous, but I say that if "boring and monotonous" means the results you are looking for, then that's good enough for me. Also, I think there can be a lot of joy and excitement found just in the fact that you are completing a challenge and REALLY feeling your muscles WORK (again, doing Muscle Max for the very first time, I noticed a HUGE difference in how my muscles felt while I was doing the workout ... my muscles never felt that way when firming. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not looking to be entertained...I'm looking to get buff....and I feel that the entertaining DVDs are not going to get me there. Also, aren't these bells & whistles workouts designed to get people off the couch who have been there for years? So I can see why you would put on a dog and pony show to lure people over to the world of exercise. But once you reach the point where you get it, and you are sold on exercise, you don't need the glitz and the glamor anymore....you are sold, and don't need to be enticed anymore, and now you just want what works. And what works best is not glitz and glam, but just getting down and doing it in the most effective way, even is that way is "boring"?
Again, not meaning to spark any debate ... just wanted to clear the air and see if the rest of you who seem to know so much more than I do about fitness, and are currently in much better shape than I am right now, feel the same way I do about those who give negative comments about Cathe. Are we just in a different boat than those who prefer the bells & whistles workouts that are simple, easy to master, hold your hand the entire time, and not encourage you to strike out on yoru own and take some more ownership over your fitness ... and feel that, with time, you can conquer what you don't yet know how to do?
I've seen negative comments about Cathe's workouts scattered here and there across other websites/forums. Most of them seem to be that the workouts are boring, monotonous, too hard, and too high impact.
I am new to Cathe, but so far, I have this to say in response:
1. too hard= I see lots of ways to modify down to your level (a lot of the comments about being too hard were that Cathe does not offer modification...but I find it pretty easy to figure out a modification on my own (i.e., if I can't figure out how to do an around-the-world-mambo, I just do a plain 6-step-mambo....simple enough to figure out, no?) And am happy to do the mods on my own, because when I work my way up to the full move, I will be glad that I don't have to listen to "beginner talk." Also, I do the amount of reps I can, use the weights I can, and look forward to progressing over time. And when I do progress, I will be glad that the challenge is already there for me, and I don't have to look for my own ways to make things more challenging.
2. too high impact= same thoughts as the choreography being too hard...I feel it is simple enough to take a high-impact move and make it low impact move. A simple formula is "just don't let your feet leave the ground!" Simple, no?
3. boring and monotonous= Again, I am new, but I have noticed the variety across workout DVDs (like Kickboxing, bootcamp, interval, circuit, step, etc.) and the new ones coming out seem to offer a lot of variety. I currently own Muslce Max, Core Max, and Low Max ... and while it is true that there are no Hip-hop-ab, turbo-jam, yoga-booty, transfirmer gimicks to make things "more exciting," isn't the plain fact that what Cathe is doing WORKS like none other? Not to be rude, but I have seen DOZENS of pics of TOTALLY buff women on this site in just a couple of weeks....and in the couple of years I was on the Firm site, I saw lots of pics of women who had lost weight, but rarely any who were in prime leaness. While things like the Firm keeps you going with all the bells and whistles, the fact was that I don't think I was ever going to see buff results. So some say boring and monotonous, but I say that if "boring and monotonous" means the results you are looking for, then that's good enough for me. Also, I think there can be a lot of joy and excitement found just in the fact that you are completing a challenge and REALLY feeling your muscles WORK (again, doing Muscle Max for the very first time, I noticed a HUGE difference in how my muscles felt while I was doing the workout ... my muscles never felt that way when firming. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not looking to be entertained...I'm looking to get buff....and I feel that the entertaining DVDs are not going to get me there. Also, aren't these bells & whistles workouts designed to get people off the couch who have been there for years? So I can see why you would put on a dog and pony show to lure people over to the world of exercise. But once you reach the point where you get it, and you are sold on exercise, you don't need the glitz and the glamor anymore....you are sold, and don't need to be enticed anymore, and now you just want what works. And what works best is not glitz and glam, but just getting down and doing it in the most effective way, even is that way is "boring"?
Again, not meaning to spark any debate ... just wanted to clear the air and see if the rest of you who seem to know so much more than I do about fitness, and are currently in much better shape than I am right now, feel the same way I do about those who give negative comments about Cathe. Are we just in a different boat than those who prefer the bells & whistles workouts that are simple, easy to master, hold your hand the entire time, and not encourage you to strike out on yoru own and take some more ownership over your fitness ... and feel that, with time, you can conquer what you don't yet know how to do?
But IMAX 2 makes me laugh out loud and say "that's soooo fun!". IT almost feels illegal to have that much fun working out!!!!!
