One more week to go of STS!

mrsctoo

mrsctoo

Cathlete
I have one week left and I will have finished STS for the first time. I am excited and sad all at once. I love the structure it gave to my workout week. Glad there is ICE to look forward to. Anyone have any suggestions for a good rotation to start next?
 
Congratulation on your STS round completion... Would you mind describing your gains to us?
I have noticed nice definition on your arm from picture above already!

Here is my suggestion. After a week recovery:

  • Week one: circuit and low intensity cardio such as Athletic training, supercut, afterburn, low impact challenge, low max....
  • Week two: Total high rep twice per week and cardio. Power hour and High reps.
  • Week three: Total high rep twice per week and cardio. Muscle Max twice per week. or Burnset X-Train.
  • Week four: Week 4 from STS Program.
This IMO should meet the goal of maintaining, keeping those definition gained.
 
mrsctoo,

One more week of STS and you will be traveling the Celebration Train! WTG mrsctoo!
Are you taking a recovery week after this? The Hardcore Series/GymStyle is a good one to maintain gains too.

nckfitheart2009 said:
Would you mind describing your gains to us?
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What were your challenges & what did you end up doing for cardio?

mrsctoo said:
I am excited and sad all at once.
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So true about STS! You want it to end but then again you don't.
 
@nckfitheart2009
Nathalie, I will post my gains/results as soon as I finish and figure them out. I faithfully used the workout manager to track my weights and reps, so I hope it won't be too difficult. Thanks for the compliment regarding my arms in my profile pic. I owe it all to XTrain Burn Sets which I was using regularly, I really, really love those workouts.

@FireLight
Thank you! I found I had the most challenges during this last meso cycle. I just didn't have the right equipment to get the job done - I often didn't feel pushed to my limit during the last few reps. I used a barbell, next time I will use dumbbells and will invest in a weighted vest for some of the lower body work. I would love to try the squat rack option. I also found my forearms would fatigue when holding very heavy dumbbells.

As for cardio, I did STS Cardio Hiit 40/20 and Pyramid, RWH Plyo Hiit 1 & 2, CycleMax, Pedal Power, XTrain Ride and CycleFit Live. I also supplemented with RWH Circuit Lower Body, Circuit Upper Body and Lift it Hiit it Legs (I totally love the RWH series), and XTrain Cardio Leg Blast.

Thank you both for your suggestions about what to move onto. I have all of Cathe's DVDs, just have never taken a shine to anything with a lot of complicated step choreography.

- Valerie
 
@mrsctoo --- Your cardio line up make sense to me:):). It does not interfere with sculpting/building muscles.
You do not necessarily need complicated step to compliment and support the purpose.:cool::cool:
Awesome:)
 
mrsctoo said:
I also found my forearms would fatigue when holding very heavy dumbbells.
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Yes, I remember that being the case for me too. The last rotation and the current rotation that I am on right now, I felt the forearms talking to me - not a bad sensation at all though.

I will be using the weighted vest and barbell for the last mesocycle, with no spotter. So, I maybe in the same situation as you. I do like the slower pace, heavier weights part of the last mesocycle too. I have done STS 4 times in different types of rotations. 2 times the standard linear rotations and then undulating rotations with LIS. Can't wait to get started, you added more motivation to begin STS. And also, looking forward to sprinkling some ICE into the cardio segments of STS.
 
FireLight said:
Yes, I remember that being the case for me too. The last rotation and the current rotation that I am on right now, I felt the forearms talking to me - not a bad sensation at all though.

I will be using the weighted vest and barbell for the last mesocycle, with no spotter. So, I maybe in the same situation as you. I do like the slower pace, heavier weights part of the last mesocycle too. I have done STS 4 times in different types of rotations. 2 times the standard linear rotations and then undulating rotations with LIS. Can't wait to get started, you added more motivation to begin STS. And also, looking forward to sprinkling some ICE into the cardio segments of STS.
Click to expand...
YES YES YES I LOVED using my weighted vest for the squat rack portion of STS!!! I also did the Plyo Leg workouts (counted it as my cardio option) the same week. I've been thinking about doing STS again but it is a big time commitment.....maybe after I "ICE" some of my injuries for a while ;)???
 
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mrsctoo said:
I have one week left and I will have finished STS for the first time. I am excited and sad all at once. I love the structure it gave to my workout week. Glad there is ICE to look forward to. Anyone have any suggestions for a good rotation to start next?
Click to expand...
Congratulations! Just started the 2nd week of Meso 3 yesterday, myself! LOVE the squat rack option, wish I could do plyo, but I have a meniscus tear and all the impact is not good for it!
 
mrsctoo said:
Ouch! Good luck @ironlady . I hope to do the squat rack option next time through.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Thanks! Hope to get the MRI results back in the next few days and find out where to go from here! Frustrating being so close and having to give up the leg workouts! :( Oh well, the elliptical works! I really like lifting heavy!
 
@FireLight I'm gonna "bite the bullet, put on my big-girl pants" and I'm starting in January too! I've recently been reading that a lot of people lift either barefoot or with lifting shoes. Well, I tried doing my workouts barefoot and I am SO off balance!!! So between now and the beginning of the new year, I'm working on my squats & lunges using only my body weight and doing those barefoot!!!

@ironlady best of luck to you!! I hope you heal quickly and can get right back at it!!

Also, I'm looking at getting some squat stands for Christmas! They are smaller than a rack in that you can put them in a corner if you need to. Also, I am short (5'2) and I can put the bar at the highest notch and I can work on my pull-ups (never done one, but I WILL before the end of 2016!) That also allows me to use them with STS because right now my weight bench (old one) is on my screened in porch and there is no TV out there so I can use it to work out with Cathe.

I'm so glad I found this forum!!! I'm learning so much...thanks y'all!!!
 
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