New to Cathe and need help....

[Roni]

Hi Cathe and all!

I am new to this site and to Cathe. I am asking for advice on which Cathe videos to start with.

Background: I am not new to home fitness. I have recently started again after a long break. I have been exercising consistently since the first of the year. I am probably intermediate when it comes to cardio and an advanced beginner when it comes to strength. For comparison, I can do Karen Voight's Cardio Strength with no modifications using 5 and 8 pound dumbells. I am slightly choreography challenged, but very persistent at learning new routines.

Goals: I need to lose about 50 pounds and am 5'11'' tall. I lost 110 pounds a few years ago but ended up just being skinny. I want to be lean and strong! I want great cardio endurance and a nice muscular build.

Any advice on which Cathe videos to begin with? I am really willing to push myself hard. I workout 5 to 6 times per week in the evenings. This is MY time. I homeschool my 2 elementary aged children, so my darling husband gives me an hour or two in the evenings to release my tension through sweating it all out! He's very supportive.

I think I've watched all the clips on this site and am just drooling over the potential! Stepping is my cardio of choice but I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Roni

 

[Aquajock]

RE: Help is on the way . . .

Hi, Roni! Welcome to the Cathe Forums, where we specialize in spending your money for you!

Couple of suggestions:

CROSS TRAIN EXPRESS (CTX) series - really an exceptional value:
5 workouts that include cardio and a muscle-training segment (one muscle group per workout) and a 6th workout that exclusively trains and shapes the legs (no cardio in Leaner Legs, a.k.a. Meaner legs); the cardio workouts include step, step leg-circuit, step intervals, hi/lo, and kickbox; and you can design a workout rotation that does just one workout tape per day, or do your own mix/matching to create extended cardio or strength sets.

MAXIMUM INTENSITY STRENGTH (MIS):
a total-body strengthening workout

POWER HOUR: one of Cathe's newest, another total-body strengthening that is highly choreographed

INTERVAL MAX! The most challenging cardio workout on the market, replete with 10 cardio intervals that will absolutely blow you away!

Those are my suggestions.

Welcome to the gang!

Annette

 

[Nic14]

Hey Roni!!

Well to the Cathe crowd!! Her vids are INCREDIBLE .. and regardless of what you decide, you won't be disappointed!!

If you're intermediate with regard to cardio, and choreographically challenged to some degree, I would recommend starting with Step Heat (killer ab work at the end) and Mega Step Blast. Those two vids offer up a great cardio workout, but are less intense from a choreography standpoint, and a good intro to Cathe. From there, I would recommend Step Max, Step Fit, and if you're really feeling brave, Step Works. Her choreography gets a little more intricate as you move up.

For strength work, you can't go wrong with MIS, it's a great challenge, and a total body strength workout that hits everything. Depending on whether you're looking to tone, or build your muscle would determine what to go for. MIS is great for adding mass and defining. The CTX series is also geared for added muscle, however the cardio sections are really intense being that they're shorter. The PS Series is solid strength, and I've fallen in love with those tapes (actually .. it's more of a love/hate relationship at the moment , I've seen some great results.

Happy Shopping!! Buy big and enjoy the quantity discounts if you can!!

~ Nicole

 

[Roni]

Thanks Annette and Nicole!

I knew I could count on you all to spend my money wisely! I've been talking to my husband and he said I can get whatever I want as long as I promise to use them. Isn't he sweet?

I'm definately going to get MIS. I'm going to choose a couple of the cardio videos you suggested. I was also thinking about the wedding video. I heard that's a great one for a Cathe "newbie."

I think I'm going to love working out with Cathe. I plan on using her workouts for a few months, admiring my new fitness level, and ordering the CTX series for my birthday present in June!

Thanks again for the great input!

Roni

 

[DebbieH]

Hi Roni!

Just wanted to WELCOME you and tell you to lookout!!! You are about to become a Cathe-Addict! MIS is a great choice & the CTX Series is awesome and will be one of the very best birthday presents you will ever receive! Again, welcome and let us know what you think.

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Roni! You have already gotten great advise but I just wanted to welcome you to the site and wish you lots of fun as you workout with your tapes. Take! Care!

 

[Roni]

You all have been so wonderful welcoming me to the world of Cathe! Thank you so much!

I ordered Step Heat, Mega Step Blast, The Wedding Video, Power Hour and MIS! Am I gonna have fun or what!?

Will one of you be so kind as to help me put these into a rotation? Or point me to a previous thread that does so? I am looking for weight loss, increased strength and muscle definition. I should just say, "I want it all!"

I also have a treadmill, a couple of floor cardio tapes and a beautiful upcoming spring in Southern CA in which I can joyfully walk outdoors!

Thanks a million for the welcome and suggestions.

Roni

 

[LynnFinn]

Roni;

Welcome, welcome, welcome!!!.
A word for future videos....I don't think you'll be able to "hold out" until that June birthday before you buy CTX. Teehee....take it from a long time Cathe-addict. If hubby gives the total green light, I can guarantee you won't stop buying until you have every Cathe video available. If you have a DVD player, its even sweeter to buy the DVDs, cuz you can mix and match workouts and you dont have to go throught the time-consuming minutes of rewinding, fast forwarding, etc...
As far as a good rotation for you on the videos you bought, I'm gonna let the real "experts" here on the forum give you some hints. I've done Cathe for about 5 years now, fairly consistently (with a break for recovering from a knee injury), and I usually did her videos as "the mood struck". Everyone is right when they say you will want to "move up" from some of Cathe's simpler choreography. Once you master her cues and terminology in Mega Step Blast and the wedding video and Step Heat, you will want more, more, more!!!! Believe me, I don't do drugs...I do Cathe!!!LOL
Enjoy, and hope to see you often here on the board...
Hugs,
Lynn Finn