new to working out

[aseay]

a friend of mine at work is interested in what i do but i am not sure what dvds that have she should start working out with. i know when i first started out it was Step Heat,wich is no longer around anymore,then powermax and bodymax and so on. i also do p90x. what dvds should she start out with? is p90x too hard? i think cathe's new series is the easiest and it helps to have premixes.

laura

 

[kathryn]

I think P90X is inappropriate for someone new to exercise, as are most of Cathe's workouts (some of the beginner/intermediate workouts are the exceptions). Unless your friend is already active and/or athletic, you might want to steer her in the direction of workouts like Kathy Smith or some other beginner/intermediate workouts that you can find at www.collagevideo.com . The "Classics" DVD might be alright as well, if she has some step experience.

 

[angie_nrs]

Just wondering how fit your friend is. If she is fairly fit, I think it would be OK to start with Cathe. Step Heat is a good start and she can still find it on ebay. I would also suggest Cathe's get in shape for your wedding workout. This is a great one for beginners because it is two workouts in one, it introduces Cathe's basic moves, incorporates weights, and is not too long. Other good beginner tapes would be Power Max and Step Fit.

I would not recommend Cathe's new workouts at first because I think she will get frustrated with the choreography. I first started with All Step and almost quit doing Cathe because it made me so mad!}( Now it is one of my favorites I truly think easy choreography is key to a beginner. That way she can concentrate more on her body and less on her feet After she gets the core stuff down and gets used to Cathe, then she can always move up to something more challenging. Lots and lots of choices there!!!

Personally, I started with Kathy Smith, moved on the Gin Miller and then found Cathe.....happy day! I wish I had known about Cathe from day one. Oh well, live and learn.

Hope this helps.

Angie

 

[charlotteyochem]

I think I would vote for Tae Bo, if she is new to the whole idea of working out. Or maybe Turbo Jam. Because they both are so darn much fun and if you botch the moves, it doesn't matter because you still are jumping around and working up a sweat! I agree that Cathe's choreography would possibly put her off and frustrate her. Now, Gin Miller's Intense Moves might be a good one - it's tough but the moves are not difficult. And she has excellent cueing. It's one of my personal faves.

 

[Agzo]

How about strength training? The gym styles have premixes and so do PU and PL. I think it's good at almost any level because you can drop your weight down, even during a set if you need to and I think the premixes are only about half an hour. Also you can stop earlier by leaving off reps if you need to. I didn't think P90x would be that bad since you do as much as you can but due to the amount of pull-up versions and pushup versions it can be quite intimidating for a newer exerciser, I’ve scared people off with these. As far as cardio, Cathe is pretty tough and if your friend is not very fit, it maybe something she needs to work up to. The cathe beginner series that was at target a while back was very doable, I bought it for my mother who was not active and had not worked out in years.
Good luck and I hope that helps.
~Angel