New here...and a question.

sahara

sahara

Cathlete
Hi everyone,

I have been doing Cathe since 2004 and have been reading the boards for a few weeks. I lost 40 pounds and naively did not realize how much flab would remain. I have toned considerably since I started exercising regularly but still have a few minor issues (mainly my abs and inner thighs). I am not a fan of exercise and am proud that I have been able to stick with Cathe this long. Up until now, I have been exercising to the workouts that I videotaped from Fittv. I recently broke down and bought two dvds (Power Hour/MIS/Body Max and Low Impact Step/Total Body Sculpt) because I got tired of having to fast forward through the commercials. I did Power Hour on Monday and all I can say is OUCH! I knew that Fittv cut out some of the workout to make room for their commercials but three whole sections??!! My triceps are still killing me. But, that's OK. Power Hour is still my favorite workout. I want to get Kick, Punch, & Crunch (my second favorite), but I have gotten quite comfortable with the Fittv version and am dreading what awaits me on the full version.

My question though is about the Step equipment. I have avoided Cathe's step workouts because I am not coordinated at all and I don't have a step. I will still do the step portions of workouts, but on the floor. I tried to do IMAX 2 on Fittv and ended up marching in place for much of the workout and eventually gave up out of frustration. I like Step, Pump, & Jump because the step part is very limited and I can follow the routine even though I still get lost sometimes. I bought the Low Impact Step DVD because I want to learn to do a step workout and eventually get comfortable doing the advanced step workouts. I have noticed that most of the steps available in regular stores are quite a bit smaller than Cathe's. Cathe is all over the place in her step workouts and I am afraid that the size difference (Cathe's step surface is 40Lx14W, most of the others are 26 to 28L x 11 to 14W) will impact my ability to do the workout properly. Has anyone used Cathe's step workout with a regular step? If so did you notice a difference between what you could do and what they did in the workout? If there are regular steps that work well with Cathe's workout, please let me know what they are.

I have really enjoyed reading through the posts and think this is a wonderful community. Thanks.


Tracey
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
 
Hi Tracey.

Welcome to the forums and a big ^5 on the weight loss and fitness accomplishments you have made! You have every right to be dang proud of yourself!:)

When I first started doing step (w/Cathe) I had a small step and it worked out just fine for me. It actually made alot of the movements EASIER because there was less surface to cover but if you really get into to it you have to be careful that you don't RUN OUT OF STEP! LOL When I finally broke down and got a full size step I felt like I was starting all over again in that the same work outs were now MUCH harder! It was actually a nice progression in intensity for me and I am now glad it worked out that way.

If you are interested in a full size step you might want to check out ebay. I picked mine up for $15 there and that INCLUDED shipping! I had to buy risers for it but they sell those on Cathe's site for what I feel is quite a reasonable price. You can also look for risers on Ebay as well though if you want.

HTH some!:)
 
Tracey-

I second Wendy's welcome and ^^^^5's!! I know from personal experience that losing weight is NOT easy!!! Congratulations and keep up the hard work!

Something that you may want to consider if you are wanting to ease into Cathe's step stuff is getting Basic Step. It's very basic and teaches you the names of stuff. Another option on the DVDs is to pause your DVD at the beginning of a combo, then push the fast forward button (this makes the DVD go about 1/4-1/2 speed so you can slow-mo your way through the footwork and not get your feet tangled up. I have done that with LowMax more than I can count before "getting" it!

I couldn't tell you about the Step, I started with the long one as it was given to me by my former roommate when I moved out. I would go with Wendy again, on this one and check out Ebay!
 
Welcome Tracey! Congrats on your weight loss and committment to Cathe's workouts, kudos!! :) I'm new to the forums, too, and received a very warm welcome.

I started doing Cathe step workouts with a smaller step, and it worked just fine. I think it made it a bit easier for me at the beginning. LIC is a great step workout to get yourself used to doing Cathe style stepping. Always remember that part of the fun is in the learning and then mastering her choregraphy. I feel sooooo proud of myself when I get a new and/or hard move right. :D }( :D

Take care,
Connie :)
 
First congrats on the 40 pounds weight loss. Great job!!

You might want to try the "new" Reebok step. It is 14" W, 36" L, and adjustable to 6", 8" or 10" H. It is very sturdy and doesn't move at all while you are using it. I am fairly new to Cathe and have been adding her workouts into my rotations for the last couple of months. I first added Basic Step (as someone else suggested) and then added Low Impact Step. I am not coordinated or graceful and have difficulty following some of the complex step and/or dance routines in other workouts. It took me about three tries to "get" the step routines for each of these two workouts, and I now feel confident that I can move on to others. Basic Step is not as much of a workout as LIS and is something I will use on light days. LIS is a really good cardio workout (for me) and I am glad I took the time to learn it.

As far as the step is concerned, I have the longer 44" step, but I do not use it much at all. It is just more difficult to pull out the step and risers and set it up, whereas the Reebok Step I can just pick up (all in one piece) and place in my workout space and I'm good to go, so it works better for me. This length works fine for both of these workouts, speaking from my own experience. I also have the high step for the workouts that require it, though, b/c the Reebok only goes to the 10" height.

Good luck.

MissL
 
hi tracy

welcome, first of all. i have a small step and i work pretty good with it. i notice some moves i can't open up with the small step(side step on the step) but i still get a great workout with it and since i live in a small aparment it works perfectly for me.

kassia

http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana

"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
 
Tracey,

I just want to welcome you and say congratulations on your weight loss and fitness accomplishments!! Hope to see you around the forum.:)
 
Thanks Connie. I think my biggest challenge is concentration. My mind tends to wander and that's when I really start messing up.:)

I assume LIC means Low Impact Cardio, right? Still getting used to all the abbreviations.

Tracey
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
 
You mentioned that your concentration is off somewhat on the step workouts while doing them on the floor. Actually, having a step will help improve your concentration. Lack of concentration while doing step can lead to landing on one's backside! :+ (Been there...done that! LOL)

I found that Imax2 WAS hard to learn but just take it one section at a time. When I was learning it I did intervals 1 and 2 for several days, rewinding and watching it in slow-motion as needed. The next several days I would do Intervals 3 and 4 etc.

Great job on your wonderful progress! :7 Also, Don't be afraid to try KPC on DVD. If you find it is too much just do what you can and do a little more the next time. (Note: You WILL eventually get the pikes on the ballx( . It took me a long time before I could do those. Amazing after hearing my kids laugh at me rolling around all over the place when I started!);( :+ ;( :+

Good Luck!

Terri
 
Hi Sara and welcome to the Cathe forums! Wow, you've had amazing results so far! Keep up the good work.

Well, I know what you mean about step workouts. I'm a first rate klutz and step is very hard for me. I highly recommend that you start with Cathe's Basic Step and Body Fusion DVD. Basic Step is her easiet workout and it does a great job of teaching you the choreography that she uses in her more difficult DVD's. Cathe takes you through Basic Step at a slower pace so it's much easier to follow. Also, check out the rotations forum. Cathe put together a beginner rotation that I found very helpful. Here's a link:

http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=7&topic_id=5117&mesg_id=5117&page=

I'll see you around the forums!:)

I just wanted to tell you not to worry about Cathe's DVD's running longer than her FitTV workouts. Most of her DVD's have premixes that give you the option for a shorter workout.
 
Hi Tracey!
Congrats on your fitness gains! Just to add to the other posters...I started on the smaller step and it certainly worked well as a step beginner. I have no coordination at all and it has taken me a while to get comfortable with all the routines:* . I started out with the smaller step and Cathe's Basic Step and Low Impact Step, and have worked my way up from there. I got my short step at Sports Authority. I would think that most any would do. I think the smaller step is easier to learn your moves on, but I would suspect that later your are going to want to upgrade to the longer step;-). What I found is that you get more cardio with the longer step and as I progressed in my abilities I need more challenge.

Good luck in your quest:) !

Debra
 
Sarah, another thought just occurred to me. It might be more cost effective to buy the Original Club Step (the one Cathe uses), because if you ever decide to add the High Step to your home gym the risers for the original step will fit.
 
Hi Terri,

Thanks for the laugh. I am sure I will fall once I get a step. Luckily, it's not too far to the ground. :7

>You mentioned that your concentration is off somewhat on the
>step workouts while doing them on the floor. Actually, having
>a step will help improve your concentration. Lack of
>concentration while doing step can lead to landing on one's
>backside! :+ (Been there...done that! LOL)

I actually sat and watched IMAX2 on FITtv on Friday. That workout really scares me. I'll get there, eventually. ;)

>I found that Imax2 WAS hard to learn but just take it one
>section at a time. When I was learning it I did intervals 1
>and 2 for several days, rewinding and watching it in
>slow-motion as needed. The next several days I would do
>Intervals 3 and 4 etc.
>


Tracey
"Where there's a will, there's a way." ;)
 
Thanks Michelle and everyone for your help. I have been scoping out a few steps on Ebay and Amazon. So hopefully, in another week or two, I will be ready to go.

Thanks again.
Tracey
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
 
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