I was active and athletic for years (since childhood) and never got the results I wanted. In my mid twenties I developed some serious health problems based on the poor form and technique I had been using all my life without knowing it. I went through a legnthy rehab program which fixed my muscular length/tension imbalances and helped me to use my body correctly. I also went back to school and got my Exercise Science degree and a couple of training certifications so that I could finally understand for myself what my body needed and how it worked. I then had to begin the very frustrating process of trying to get back into shape after losing all the muscle tone I had and gaining nearly 40 lbs. For a couple of years I used other home workout stuff and was on the slow and steady path to my pre-injury self. The problem was, my pre-injury self, though fit, was never exactly what I wanted it to be. I couldn't get my muscles to "pop" visually the way I wanted them to. I also didn't look as lean as I wanted, and I always had that lower poooch to deal with/hide. All of that was the same with the workouts I was using, and the workouts I was designing for myself.
When I saw the Cathe workouts for the first time, my education in E.S. made me take a closer look. She was doing cardio better than anyone else, hands down. She was doing weight training at a more sophisticated level than others as well. But I now believe she also includes function into her workouts in a way that even those who stress that they are "functional" don't do. And her use of plyos, the way she integrates high and low impact. She is an innovator and leader in the fitness industry and has been for years.
I began by mixing her workouts in with some by others I will not mention. I immediately felt they were more enjoyable, and it did not take long to see they were more effective as well. I then started to do them exclusively and finally after a lifetime of working out and playing sport have achieved much of what I was beginning to fear was unachievable, and am well on my way to any other goals I have for my body, mind, and spirit. I not only feel stronger physically, I feel stronger in every way since beginning Cathe workouts. I have learned to think of challenge and pain in a new way. Challenging myself with Cathe workouts, I have learned to think of myself in a new way.
The workouts are fantastic and the rotations Cathe and others here design are a great way to intensify your workout experience to get results. Also, working with a trainer can help deal with any form issues a person may have.
There is no "just" about Cathe's workouts if you are really challenging yourself with the weight, with the moves, and if you are careful about following all of her cuing and form pointers to the "T". Whatever a persons goals, used correctly, I truly believe these workouts will get you there.
Form is a big issue not to be overlooked, however. After years of sport and fitness, I didn't know my form was off, and no one had ever mentioned to me that it was (though in the 80's and into the 90' folks didn't pay quite as much attention to those things as they do now.) It's worth having a trainer check you out(a good one, NSCA or NASM certified) knowledgeble about legnth/tension relationships and synergistic dominance and how those things affect the quality of movement. If your trainer can't define synergistic dominance or speak intelligently about legnth/tension relationships, and is reluctant to find out about these things for you, find another trainer.
I hope some of this helps, you sound frustrated and it is a frustration I remember well...It's awful to feel like you are working hard and not achieveing the results you want.
Good luck
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