New to Cathe - hell from sunny London !!

F

Fitnik

Cathlete
Hi everyone,

I'm UK based and just got a VCR which also plays NTSC as well as PAL tapes - this has opened up a whole new world in work-out videos !

I've recently started with the FIRM tapes, which are all excellent and extremely effective but have, following recommendations, also bought Cathe's Pure Strength series as well as pre-ordered her new tapes (5 pack including Slow and Easy). I am not a step fan at all and prefer strength work anyway - prefer doing my Cardio on the elliptical trainer (whilst watching TV!!) I have at home.

Anyway, just wanted to ask - what should I expect from Pure Strength? The reviews on Videofitness.com for the series were outstanding. I am an advanced exerciser and do not need to lose any weight at all - just want to tone up my lower half much more. Any feed-back from anyone? Has anyone else pre-ordered the Slow and Easy tapes?

Hope to hear from someone soon,

Fitnikxx
 
Hello...

and welcome! You might just love Cathe so much that you will have to get her step tapes, too!
The Pure Strength series IS outstanding--hence the outstanding reviews! :) You should see definition from doing these workouts, you will be very challenged, and you will be a stronger woman :)

I pre-ordered the Slow and Heavy series. Although the Pure Strength tapes are heavy weight workouts for the most part, I think the Slow and Heavy will be slower and heavier (duh). For instance, the shoulder work in PS really uses a lot of light weights--S&H will probably not. It will be interesting to see...
Welcome again, and congratulations on you new VCR!!
Wendy
 
RE: Hello...

Thanks so much for getting back quickly - and sorry I called the tapes by the wrong name - "Slow and Easy" indeed - I wish !

I'm really looking forward to getting the Pure Strength tapes ! Will let you know how I get on.

Wonder if there are any other UK-based CF fans? All I can say is thank goodness for the internet otherwise I'd feel very isolated here in London ! No-one's ever heard of the FIRM here, talk less Cathe, and I'm so passionate about keeping fit etc.. My DH, bless him, must be bored of me going into every single detail about my workouts - though he very much appreciates the improvements - ha ha !!
 
Hi Fitnik!

Just wanted to say WELCOME! Glad to have you join us. I am not from the UK, just good ole Ohio!!!:7 Cathe has fans from all over so don't be surprised if a neighbor of yours pops on to say Hi! You will love the PS Series. They are wonderful for toning and definition. I have a feeling after we get our new Slow & Heavy tapes, we'll be wishing they were Slow & EASY!! LOL! Look forward to "seeing" you around. We love to discuss EVERY detail of our workouts.;-)

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH :)
"If You Get The Chance To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!"
 
fitnik

I can hear your accent in you post! My mom is from Scotland, and it warms the cockles (spelling???!!) of my heart to "hear" a British accent!
Wendy
 
Hey Wendy!

I just posted to you on another thread! I went back thru my notes from when we were doing the thread about where everyone lived and we did have a gal named Lynne from Scotland! Maybe, she'll jump in to say Hi again. We should start that thread up again as I bet we have a bunch of new Cathe fans since then. We ended up having fans from all but 15 states. There were also 8 people that posted from other countries. That was fun seeing where we all lived but knowing we all have the same goal of fitness in common! Just thought I'd share that with you and you too, FitNik!

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH :)
"If You Get The Chance To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!"
 
Hi Fitnik

Up until a year ago I lived in Hertfordshire, and I know exactly what you mean about the choice of fitness videos being very limited. (Are Rosemary Conley and Mr Motivator still doing their videos?!)

Aren't VF.com and this site the best thing since sliced bread?

Sandra
 
Hi Fitnik,
Just wanted to say hi & welcome! You live where I have always longed to go, so I will certainly enjoy communicating with you. Before I got a computer I always thought there would be lots of people from other countries - I rarely find any. I must be looking in the wrong places?? And yes, heaven knows we like to analyze every single movement we make! Congrats on your new video equipment, enjoy it-
Ruth :)
 
Hi Fitnikxx! I just wanted to say hi and welcome to the forum. I think you will be very happy with your weight training tape selections. Good luck and please keep us posted:)!
 
RE: New to Cathe - hello from sunny London !!

Thanks so much to everyone who's responded to my humble post - it's so good having fellow fitness enthusiasts to talk to ! And believe me I also discuss workouts in some detail so be prepared !!

And thanks Cathe for the welcome message - I feel so much less isolated now !

In response to one of your queries, yes, Rosemary Conley and Mr Motivator are still doing tapes but I've noticed with Conley especially that the exercises are extremely repetitive and not nearly challenging enough, even with weights. I am training for a series of marathons this year, hopefully ending with the London marathon next year and really want my legs especially to be very strong and to build up CV endurance. I am convinced that Cathe's tapes will more than do the trick on the strength side but am now tempted to try her pure cardio tapes (so far have only really ordered strength tapes). What would you guys recommend for someone who does, ironically, have a Reebok step with risers but has hardly stepped before? I've heard that Cathe's tapes assume a lot of complex moves - which of her step videos do you recommend I start with then build up on? I really want to be pushed to the limit and build up more endurance.

Sorry for such a long post but hope to hear from someone soon.

Yours in fitness,

Fitnikxx
 
RE: Hey Wendy!

hello, hello,

Lynne here! Yip I am from good old Scotland but based in Saudi with my DH. I found cathe about a year ago, isn't she just great? I hope you'll find everybody as friendly as I do, i have a lot of new friends just by visiting this site.

Bye the way DebbieH, how is that elbow?

well, got to go as it is bedtime now, hope to see you here at Cathe's place soon

Cheerio

Lynne
 
RE: New to Cathe - hello from sunny London !!

Hi, Fitnikxx-
I'm sure you'll get more educated responses than mine, but in my opinion the complexity of Cathe's step routines is vastly over-stated. I am and always will be a klutz! I have a very difficult time doing anything along these lines, & yet I have learned every Cathe step routine I have tried with very little problem. I start by reviewing the tape once or twice before trying it, then I try it with a step & no risers, re-running where necessary to get a "tricky" move down, & then with 1 set of risers. I don't usually go any higher than 1 set but I gather everyone else does with no real problem. My point is, Cathe's step is innovative, interesting, & fun, but certainly learnable. (is that a word??)
My humble recommendations for starting out without any real step experience would be the Wedding Tape, Step Max, Step Heat, & Step Mega Blast. However, the one I really think you would like considering your goals (you go girl!) is Interval Max. It is a tough cardio workout, but the step part is pretty basic & easy to get. The whole point of it is the interval building of cardio endurance. I also think you would like Cardio Kicks, a kickboxing routine that kicks butt! :)
There are also some Circuit Training tapes such as Body Max & the CTX series which I am only just trying but I gather they would suit your goals.
If you think your post was long...anyway, check with the truly educated ladies here, they will be able to recommend complete rotations if you want them to! Enjoy!
Ruth
 
RE: New to Cathe - hello from sunny London !!

Hello fitnik in London. I am also a uk based "new" Cathe fan. I live in Newcastle Upon Tyne (up in the frozen North East)I have been using Cathe tapes since the begining of this year and agree with the other posts that once you start stepping with Cathe you will quickly become addicted. Stepping and swimming are the only cardio I like. I too have a Reebok step and use it at the lowest level for stepping (6inches) and at the highest level as a weight bench (10inches)The Cathe tapes that I currently have are Wedding Tape, Bodymax, Interval Max, Step Heat and Maximum Intensity Cardio. I love them all! (though I do have to modify with all but Step head and the Wedding tape)so I couldn't recomend which specific tapes you should get because I want them all! I haven't pre-ordered the new tapes as I am hoping to get a DVD player sometime this year and want all of Cathe's workouts on DVD.It's great to "meet" someone else from the UK, I too bore my DH with details of my workouts and new workout plans, perhaps I should post more.
 
RE: New to Cathe - hello from sunny London !!

I think the fact that I post here often has saved my boyfriend from many hours of boring (to him only!!) conversations! Yes, you should post more often ! :)
Wendy
 
I was at Newcastle University !!!

Wow - can't believe you live in Newcastle - I was there for three years at University and they were the best 3 years of my life. I lived in all the student areas (Jesmond, Fenham, Heaton) - wow again !! I still miss the Quayside (especially cocktails at Offshore and the revolving dance floor at The Boat). London, in many ways, just doesn't compare, and the Newcie Brown tasted much better up there, I'm sure !

Take care and stay fit "pet" (tee hee!),

Fitnik x
 
RE: I was at Newcastle University !!!

No way! We live in Heaton on the No.1 bus route. Any Newcastle University Student will remember the No.1 bus route - you probably used to travel past our house! As a Uk fitness fan I'd like to ask you where you buy your fitness equiptment - I'm having trouble finding heavy hand weights and stores have quite limited stocks - usually only up to 8lb. I have a barbell and dumbell set but it's annoying to have to change weights in the middle of a workout! I had the same problem when I was looking to buy a step, no-one stocked them and maill order firms were only interested in supplying clubs or proffessionals. Also workout shoes. Which ones do you use? I have a pair of Reebok DMX but they don't do the job as well as I hoped but finding anything other than what's in fashion is impossible. Good luck training for the marathon - we might see you on the telly! It would be nice to see a surrogate geordie do well (tee hee)BTW I agree with an earlier post that IntervalMax will help raise your fitness level, plus it's a fun workout!
 
RE: I was at Newcastle University !!!

Hey there, you might want to buy the Health and Fitness mag, at the back are advertisments for comapnies that sell weights,s tep etc, one that comes to mind is "proactive health", i have purchase pieces from them and I am not a club as I no longer live in the UK.

They are very good, check that mag out and I am sure there are more.

Lynne
 
Hi Lynne!!!!

How are you? I never put two & two together to figure out that you were the same Lynne!! I think of you as "Saudi" Lynne!;-) How is your studying going? Nice 2 C U posting. BTW, my elbow is GREAT!!! Thanks again for all your great advice!!

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH :)
"If You Get The Chance To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!"
 
RE: Thank-you Lynne

I think I have some old copies of Health and fitness I will dig out and look up the adverts you suggest. (I tend to buy US fitness mags now.) BTW I spent a few years in Saudi when I was young as my dad worked there. Ironically, as we lived on a camp with quite a lot of American families, when we returned to England I had a noticable American accent.
 
Hello,

I live in London and was introduced to Cathe at the beginning of this year. I bought her PS, Rhythmic Step, PH, Cardio Hits DVD and I have to say I love working out with her. I haven't come across anything like this before and used to go to the gym. Now I don't bother because I figure it cost so much more to pay monthly as opposed to one fixed investment.

I did find it v. expensive to buy them from the web site and delievered here, so I got a friend who went to America to bring them back for me. I would like to ask how you purchased yours?

I would like to give you a tip if you haven't got a set of weights yet. Buy them from Argos, they have an excellent set of 50kg barbell and dumbell set for £49.99 and 20kg dumbell for £25 and EZ curl bars and tricep bar for £12-£13. I bought the weight set and now thinking of buying the EZ bar.

I would love to hear from anyone else out there in the UK.

I bought a STEP company step from www.proactive-health.co.uk for £69.99 (+ you get 2 free Reebok Step videos).

I am pleased to find that there are non-US fitness enthusiastes out there, now I dont feel so alone.
 
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