Overall REVIEW of the Four Day Split....

RunDiggity

Cathlete
Positives: Refreshing, tons of premixes, loved the workout attire, nice set, good cueing, fun workouts, weight segments are fun

Negatives: Wished the cardio portions on the step part were a little more intense, but I am fixing that by adding risers and jump in the low impact one the next few times I do them....

Effectiveness: Time will tell - I am doing measurements before starting my rotation tonight and keeping track of HR and such..

Difficulty: I am going to say you could push yourself on these heavy weights and go with an overall 8.5 or 9....I deducted one point bc the cardio portions are shorter and the step doesn't seem as intense as some of her other ones, but it really works for the series because you can still maintain the focus to go HEAVIER on the weight portions. I don't want to feel totally drained by the time I need to lift a 30 pound dumbbell!!!!!


User Friendliness: Step Cardio portions are trickier, but with the four days split, its great because you can easily tack on an addl two days or three days of whatever you want to compliment this program. I think its a terrific program overall and with the premixes, its worth every penny!

Outstanding once again!}( }( :9 :9 :) :) :+ :+ :+
 
I totally agree.

I am loving getting everything done in 4 days and having two days for whatever else I want to do. Love the 4DS format!!!

The cardio is just right, to the point, gets the job done and then you move on to weights. There are also many sections and ways for you to modify or increase intensity. But of course the choreography is trickier in the HIS. But is totally doable and fun.

I love that after I've completed my workout I don't feel like the living dead. I actually have energy and feel refreshed and accomplished.

I have not even gotten to the pre-mixes but I love that I have that option for future workouts. And with Cathe you always get pre-mixes to play around with for many future workouts.
 
I am feeling the same way - more energized when I am done, even though the weight segments are TOTALLY frying my muscles - I don't feel like sitting on my couch the rest of the night, instead I have been getting more cleaning done lately than ever before!
 
This is my second week doing the tapes. I do not think the cardio portions are that tough. I am doing them on an 8 inch step and really jumping on everything. I have been doing the double cardio premix on both days (LIS & HIS).

Boot camp is challenging, but not long enough. I guess I am going to have to double up on that as well. Kick box is the only one I have found tough for me.

In comparing these tapes to the CTX series, I think CTX cardio is much tougher. Does anyone else agree?

I really LOVE the weight segments on these tapes. I think they are great. Alot of variety.

Although, I don't like the intensity on the step tapes, I think they are alot of fun to do. I like alot of the new moves. Alicia
 
I think Cathe's goal was to really ramp up the intensity of the weight sections and make the cardio sections doable, yet still effective. I am actually really enjoying all of it. I will add one more long cardio a week though. If my eating was better, I would not need to do that;-)

Susan
 
>I think Cathe's goal was to really ramp up the intensity of
>the weight sections and make the cardio sections doable, yet
>still effective. I am actually really enjoying all of it. I
>will add one more long cardio a week though. If my eating
>was better, I would not need to do that;-)
>
>Susan
I too, am enjoying the not so killer cardio so I have the energy and will power to lift quite heavy afterwards. I'm finding that I LOVE the set up of the 4 day split and like others have said, it is nice to have a couple of extra days to add in cardio, total body, circuit, or yoga/stretching or to take it "easy" and not have to workout more than 4 days to get it all in....very nice!

Angela:7
 
I am quite pleased with the workouts.

I think that Cathe's focus from such hard and long cardio to more emphasis on heavy weight training seems to be in line with what she has found works. There is not the need for such intense and long cardio to see good results. I saw better results then EVER when I did p90x, which was heavy weights and really much less cardio than I had been doing.

EATING CLEAN is a major component here and will determined the results that one will see.

I am already seeing results from this series from only doing it for less than 2 weeks.
 
I hate to be a naysayer...but I am not thrilled about the 4 Day Split DVD's.

This is the first Cathe DVD (and I have almost all), that I am really not pleased with at all. I was hoping when I heard it was "heavy weight" training, it was going to be more along the lines of Gym Style. I have done it two weeks and did not have one bit of DOMS. Just doesn't seem like enough of a hit to a muscle for an entire week.

But, I won't give up on it. I have not attempted the Premixes and therein may be my happiness with this DVD. I originally disliked Supersets and Push/Pull (too easy, I thought), but have you every attempted the Upper Body 3 Sets Premix?? Pure killer!
 
I would have to agree. I think this series is great for a beginner, but a bit easy for the advanced user. I went back to my Gym Style workouts.

Just so they won't go to waste, I have found some uses for them. I can use the LIC after Gym Style Legs or Butts and Guts. So that worked out well. Before I couldn't do any other Cathe Cardio workouts after those two leg workouts. I do the full hour of step on days when I am feeling sluggish and know I can't get through an IMAX 3 or something intense, so that works too. I am adding the Boot Camp onto the older Boot Camp (Cardio Only) for a super cardio workout. I do Kick Max's leg conditioning drills with the Lower body portion of 4DS.

Don't abandon Cathe though - this was not a good example of her usual intensity. If you are looking for a great cardio workout - go for the IMAX 2 or 3. They have an easy to follow step routine and super cardio intervals that will work you really hard. I also recommend any of the Gym Style Workouts - they are great. I always get a good workout from them! Butts and Guts really helped me bust through a plateau too!
 
I haven't been giving them much of a "chance" because I find the step cardio very complicated and I don't think I'm getting much of a workout just staring at the TV. I do love the kickboxing and follow up weight work, and I liked Bootcamp, but it is not user friendly for me, as I workout in my living room and I keep having to move the step and move weights around so much. So I find I can't really judge a workout until I've done it about 6 times to tell whether or not I like it. But, I think I'm more of an all cardio or all weight work person. Either I'm pulling out the weights or I'm not!
Paula
 
I am pleased with the Four Day Split set as well.

I am using heavier weights for these workouts than I have in quite a while which has renewed my interest in strength training.

The cardio portions of the workouts are interesting to me. I prefer trickier choreography with less breakdown.

I give these workouts an enthusiastic two thumbs up!
 
I reeally like all of them and they are short enough I can add 1/2 hour or 45 minutes of pilates, yoga or stretching, etc. and still be in my hour and 45 minutes workouts 3 times a week.

Darlene
 
I have only done the premixes with the new set and so far I like them. I'm not a stepper so I'm not even going to attempt that. I have done the full upper body workout which I love. I go as heavy as I can and I have felt some good DOMS. I love, love, love the shoulder portion. Last night I did the kickbox and boot camp premix and felt I got a great cardio workout. I was a bit concerned with how boot camp would work with my space but I had no problems. I felt really great afterwards. I using the upper body weight workout during the week and the Gym Styles on the weekends so I am expecting to see some great upper body definition.
 
All in all I am not thrilled with this series. The weight segments are not intense enough for me, and the cardio is too short. Finally I am enjoying Cathe choreography, but the segments are too short for my needs. Intermediate level exercisers would find this a good split, but I will only be using the premixes or the cardio segments alone. If I don't utilize them enough I will be trading it without shedding any tears.
 
Overall, I'm very happy with them. I like the shorter cardio. Boot Camp is the most intense of the cardio and my heartrate gets up just as high as if I was doing IMAX 3. I like the step workouts because of the fun choreography and little breakdown. I like Kickbox too but wish there were more kicking/punching combos but I find it an effective workout and really enjoyed the warmup. I was hoping for more heavy weight work. I wasn't expecting the pyramiding but there is some heavy work in there which I like. Chest & Back is probably my favorite of the strength work. I'm pleased with the core workouts. I thought the calf work in LIS was a little overkill and some of it was too fast to really get all the way up on my toes like Cathe says we should do. The music is good too. To make it more of a heavy weight workout, I might try doing these with heavier weight and less reps than Cathe. I also like that she doesn't go with the beat of the music.

Marcy
 
Well, yesterday I gave the kickbox cardio section my absolute all, really concentrating on form and effort, and am feeling wonderful DOMS in my back today. Then I went as heavy as I could on the bi's and tri's weight section, and found that very effective, too. I think with this series, it's really what you put into it. If you give it 100%, then I think you'll get good results. Plus, I like the double cardio premixes on days when you want a longer cardio workout, with or without adding on the weights. All in all, I'd have to give this series thumbs up.
 
I really don't care for these new workouts. First, in general, the cardio sections aren't choreographed well. The boot camp workout involves entirely too much moving around of equipment. It's distracting and unnecessary; certainly there was a way to choreograph the workout to minimize the equipment manipulation. Second, the cardio isn't challenging (except for the kickbox workout); in fact, the low intensity step workout is borderline lethargic. Third, I think there's too much of an emphasis on creating "new" moves as opposed to incorporating effective exercises, reqardless of whether they may have been done before. I have other quibbles as well, but I'll just state those three major points.

I have almost all of Cathe's workout tapes and dvds. And I think she does an excellent job almost all of the time, downright first-rate. It's with that experience in mind that I am critical of this latest effort. This morning I did Cathe's bootcamp workout from 2002, and that workout is far and away superior to anything on these four dvds. I also offer these comments as a fitness instructor, because I know that constuctive feedback is what makes you better. I look forward to the STS workouts. But I have to say - if the STS disappoints in the way these four new workouts did, I will think thice before pre-ordering again.
 
I love 4-Day Split.

I think the Boot Camp on 4-Day Split to be way more difficult than the original Boot Camp.

I am not a fitness instructor, but I am an advanced exerciser and I feel the 4 Days offer many options and gives a person a good, solid workout. I love IMAX 3, but not every day.

I often use a cardio from 4-Day Split and follow it with am upper Body Gym Style or Butts & Guts.

As for the STS series, I fear these will be out of my price range and I am disappointed in lack of new cardio.
 

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