Pentagenarians & Beyond: W/B 12-27

fox2star

Cathlete
Good morning,

I am headed to the basement to try out Travel Fit....I will review later. I previewed it yesterday, and it seemed ok, but long...

DH is still sick, he had a relapse on Christmas day while at my cousins. He has been coughing like crazy. Of course, try to get him to a DR..not happening.

Garance, which film did you see? I would like to see Up in the Air, or whichever is the George Clooney one...maybe even Avatar and the Sherlock Holmes one looks good...

Joan, anything you do out of the ordinary during this time of year is considered a workout...just saying...:p

Have a good one....
 
Travel Fit was OK..I am reserving judgement until tomorrow to see if I have DOMS...I used the green band that is used in all the other workouts. I think someone said that the one that they sell for the workout is easier than the green one? if so, I will not be buying it because the green one was not that hard to use. YOu can always "choke it" up more to make it harder..
 
Hi Deb and any later posters--

This morning I did disk 22 from STS and felt immediately sore in the chest. (44 min.)

Deb, we went to see Sherlock Holmes and it was really, really fun. Robert Downey Jr. is absolutely dandy-riffic in this one and Jude Law's Watson is not the bumbling old fool he is in every other version (except the books). Instead, he's more like a normal friend to a very eccentric one. Sorry about your DH. Is it bronchitis?

Deb, I went over to videofitness.com, and Cathe is getting very mixed reviews on this series. People feel cheated because there are only a couple of premixes, or the workouts are too short, or they are too much like the plyometric stuff on STS (which I have not even opened!), or they are too full of impact, or they are not hard enough (!), or they are only a good bargain if compared to the price on Cathe workouts generally. There's a real gung-ho group, as usual, but a wide variety of complaints. Interesting! I will try the Athletic Step tomorrow and see if I can eliminate most of the impact. I really did like Step Moves because Cathe is so great at cueing complicated moves.

Hi to anyone else who shows up!
 
Hi Deb and Garance,

We took brother and sil to casino for buffet brunch. I didn't eat just went into play. We were done by 12:30 and went home and fed 8 people and just picked at the food. Dinner for 12 with an easy pasta dish and salad. I didn't eat that but had a piece of cake. :eek: I'm sure vacation will be bad unless I get enough steps in but I have to get a rotation of some kind together for January. I don't know how long I can do the shock cardio if I don't like the music.

Deb sorry about your dh.
 
Garance I just read your response in the open forum about high impact. I was surprised that there was no discussion about it. They just seemed to ignore it. I wonder how many of them have the kind of floor Cathe has that somewhat protects her? I guess they will just have to learn for themselves.
 
Monday

Good Morning all!

Today I did a 40 minute Cardio Coach on the treadmill. I am starting to like these more, this one is the best so far. He uses percieved exercion, or heart rate zones instead of actual numbers like I-Tread does. It takes some getting used to but since I have a HRM, and I figured out my "zones" it's pretty easy. The time goes by fast.

Garance, If I can't get DH to go to an actual movie, at least I can jot down the names of good ones to see and maybe talk him into renting when they come out on DVD. It's funny how people are different when it comes to reviewing the new workouts.....another friend of mine offered to give away the 2 step ones...she does not like them at all!

Joan, you don't like the music? I did not hear much about the music. The Travel Fit music is pretty much in the background, I didn't even think about it when I was doing the workout. Most of the clips I have seen are way too high impact...I would have to modify everything. I would like to see a clip of the MMA Kickbox one, read some good reviews about it....not the bonus with the bag, just the regular one. Even the bag one looks like a normal kickbox workout..just don;t use a bag. What type of rotation are you looking for? using STS? or something else?


Hi to Josie, Cathy & Valerie,
 
Hi Deb and Joan and Cathy, Valerie, and Josie if they show up--

This morning I did Athletic Step with modifications for low impact (48 min.). I did get a good workout with this one even without most of the jumping, and I liked the moves, some old and some new. The cueing on this one is not very good, so it's a good idea to be familiar with Cathe's step moves in advance. I rather liked the music.

Joan, I just thought I would throw in my opinion to let these younger people know that bodies do wear out. It happened to me pretty quickly, too. When I turned 58, I started having real problems with impact on my knees, and I had been doing all of the impact on the Intensity series and the Blast series. Had an MRI and discovered how bad the cartilage situation was and was told, bluntly, to lower the impact or give it up altogether. I no longer have the pain and feelings of instability which really disturbed me for awhile. Cortisone shots really helped, but I have not had any now for over 2 years, and I continue to hope I can preserve what cartilage I have left by being very careful. What kind of help do you want for a rotation? Are you looking for shorter workouts?

Deb, I am not a big fan of Cathe's Kickbox routines. Most of the time they don't get my heartrate up for very long. Easy, but boring. The reviews are all over the place on this series except for the gushing fans of everything Cathe does. So maybe these are for you like the step ones are for me.

ttfn
 
Well, I typed this 3 times today, and the power went out briefly, just enough to shut down the computer. I was so ticked! it went out a 4th time but by then I'd wised up and went grocery shopping instead.

DH and I did a hike snowshoe for one day, about 4 hours. DH also decided he likes STS and so we did disk 2&3 together along with some warm up cardio. He just grabs a weight a little heavier than I use and it worked fine.

Anyone else order a calendar? Mine came today. I flipped thru it. I don't see Jai in it. Brenda, Lorraine, Cedee, and Deazie. (hope I have the names close to right). I think it's shock Cardio but I'll never know ... not on my shopping list. I do limited high impact moves.

Floors and impact... we have a Precor treadmill. it has a shock absorbing deck and it's truly amazingly much easier to run on than concrete or asphalt. when I've used other treadmills, the difference is night and day. it was a main factor in why we bought the unit. I hope my knees last a long time, so far so good. I don't look for high impact things to test them out. I had ACL surgery a few years ago and at that time the cartilage in my knees looked good, but my ACL was toast. I think a good treadmill, good shoes, and consciously working to soften your "landing" goes a long way to preserving cartilage.
I have a niece who used to be a runner. just watching her for 5 minutes hurt. She sort of leaps up and forward and lands full force on the ball of her foot. you can hear her hit the surface every step of the way, from another floor in the house! she can't run anymore and is only 30. I suggested she have a PT person help her modify her stride but nothing came of it, so she does spinning now.

I've always liked KPC. that one gets my heart rate up and I wouldn't call it high impact. but I don't think treadmill is high impact either. I have Kickmax , but for some reason I never use it and don't remember anymore if there was something I didn't like. maybe it was the leg conditioning drills that killed me.
 
Hi ladies,

Garance I think I need anything that I will keep doing everyday and lose 20lbs in a month.:confused: I need an attitude adjustment right now. I don't feel like doing anything. I am hoping that with vacation and the new year I will get motivated.

I will be leaving tomorrow early and be back late on Jan 6.

Happy New Year!

Joan
 
Tuesday

Good Morning all,

I did Travel Fit again today. I did feel a lot of DOMS after doing it Sunday so it must be doing something, however when I am doing it, I don't think that it is. I really felt it in my legs and core. We got a lot of snow yesterday, it was a harried ride home last night from work.

Garance, I looked at the clip of the MA boxing and it does not do anything for me...I just bought KickMax about a month ago and have not even opened it yet, so I will try that one first before buying anything else. Regarding the bands, they said they will no longer sell the bands that we all got for the workouts before, only the new kind that they haven't gotten in yet.:rolleyes:..Mine are working fine, I think I have an extra green one that I have never used yet...for some reason I ended up with 2 green, a purple, a pink and a silver.

Valerie, how nice that your DH does STS with you! I got my calendar the other day. I believe there was a thread over on another forum about Jai being MIA for the shock Carddio series because she had other committments or something, I didn;t realize she wasn;'t in the calendar either.

Joan, safe travels and have fun, you deserve it!:D

Hi to Josie & Cathy..
 
I meant to mention bands yesterday.

I bought Thera-band in 'bulk". You can buy a roll of a single color and cut it to fit. I can look see how many feet are in the package if anyone is interested. I cut about a 7 ft section and a short one for firewalkers and it doesn't look like I even scratched the surface. the whole box was ( I think) about $15. you have to pick a single color. I got the dark blue ones which are pretty strong.
I had a couple bands from PT a couple years ago, and not long ago I was using one and it snapped in half. that would have smarted if it had hit me in the face.
 
Hi Deb, Joan, and Valerie--

This morning I did the full Physique 57 workout (57 min.).

I used KPC a lot, but haven't for awhile because I did get bored after doing it so many times. KM I just found boring. I couldn't do the section of impact moves and the combos were not very effective in getting my heartrate up. I really prefer KCM and Amy Bento for kickbox--lots of variety so I don't get bored.

Joan, my advice would be to begin with 30 minute workouts, alternating between cardio and weights, 6 days a week. Surely 30 min. can be fit in somewhere. You could even break it down to 15 min. in the morning and 15 min. in the afternoon. I have no advice on weight loss because I don't believe in deprivation or calorie counting anymore. I did have success with South Beach about 6 years ago. I had gained about 10 lbs. after my hysterectomy and problems with my knees and I wanted to shake them off, so I went on South Beach for about 4 months, and the weight really came off, especially during the first few weeks of virtually no carbs. It has stayed off, too.

Deb, I think I will try Travel Fit later this week--Friday. By the way, that Stainsolver worked miracles on my bathroom tile. DH is totally impressed.

Valerie, you sound like me on the effort to save knees from wear and tear. I just wish I had tried to do this earlier. I have a very good friend who has had both a hip replacement and both knees replaced. She was a very strong athlete in h.s. and college--basketball, lacrosse, and she used to do this crazy thing on ice, leaping over a snow bank, landing on her knees and sliding on them. She is also younger than I. Where did you find a roll of bands??

ttfn
 
I ordered thru amazon with some other stuff, so got free shipping.

Thera-bands. 6 yd package. the company was The Therapy Connection. they were $14.59 last october. I got the dark blue, extra heavy, but there was a heavier one and several lighter ones. the previous bands I had from PT were dark blue so I stayed with that level. the band that eventually tore I tied together and still use it for some things. the knot in the middle helps keep it in place.

It's so simple to cut them to fit the situation and you get a lot more yards for the same price or less.
 
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hey all,
hope all had a blessed Christmas. so, what do ya think of STS cardio? looks pretty impossible to me. i have done the 2 new cardio w/outs of tracie's and i love step forward. did it yesterday and today. gonna try the circuit sts cardio tomorrow.
they look really scary to me. i previewed the HIIT and circuit blast. HIIT looks killer.

i had my endoscopy today and apparantly i have gastro esophageal reflux disease. so, thank the LORD it is not serious. so, anyway, i have been a little busy. w/
Christmas, having the grandkids for several days and then the procedure today.

it has been really cold and rainy all day. yesterday was gorgeous. we were outside all day riding horses w/grandkids. had so much fun. my grandson turned 3 on the 27th and he got a bright red bike. he had so much fun riding it. he is adorable. he LOVES to talk and just talks all the time. if there is noone to talk to, he'll talk to himself. LOL! it is so cute. the other day, he said, "nana", and i said "what, owen" and he said " i say nuffin". i just cracked up. i said, owen , you said nana. my son is very quiet, so it is hysterical that he has a son that talks all the time. owen will say, "nana, i wuuvve you". it is precious. my son says that is what he says when he can't think of anything else to say. LOL! it is a riot. a real ham! we have so much fun w/them. well, sorry to rattle on. can you tell i'm a proud grandma?


cathy
 
garance, you're 58??? and, you still do cathe. i am impressed! i really wish now that i had canceled shock cardio. it is ALOT of hi-impact, and i turn 55 in jan. i can do quite a bit of it, but these look really difficult. ya know, i don't know how cathe can keep doing this year after year. i mean she is not old, but she is not 20 anymore either. how does she do it?
 
Wednesday

Good morning,

I had a little trouble falling asleep last night so I turned off my workout alarm and slept in a bit. Maybe I will do something when I get home from work if I am not exhausted. I have tomorrow off so thinking about that may give me some energy.

Valerie, very smart to buy those bands in bulk. Is the Thera Band like the old Cathe type bands ? or the new ones? I can't imagine what is so different about these new ones that they are discontinuing the old type.

Garance, I like the pre-mixes in KPC. I don't think I have ever done the whole thing as is. There is a good 37 minute one that is all kick boxing without impact. I give you credit for being able to get through those first 2 weeks on the South Beach diet...it was a killer. I think the rest is pretty good, if you can stick to it. Glad the Stain Solver worked for you too, did you put it on and leave it for 30 minutes or so? did you scrub with something afterward? I still had to use the Mr Clean Magic Erasers or it would not have come clean. I may have mentioned this, but I feel kind of wimpy doing Travel Fit, I miss weights.

Cathy, yes, a good Christmas if very low key. DH and I were sad because each has lost a parent this year, first Christmas without them. Good news on your results of the test. What do you have to do going forward with this? Is it controlled by diet or will you have to take meds? YOur grandson sounds so cute! I love them at that age. I think Garance is a little older than that but I will let her tell you! She is the "Beyond" in our group thread title and she is amazing!

Joan, I hope you win a lot!

Hi to Josie, hope you are having a great vacation.
 
Hi Deb, Cathy, and Valerie--

This morning I did Bootcamp Boogie (62 min.).

Cathy, I am 63. What I was explaining was the year when my knees really deteriorated. I was doing Cathe "full-tilt boogie" up until I was 58 with all of the impact. I had no trouble with either the Intensity series or the Blast series. Suddenly my knees really hurt and my left knee felt unstable--like it was going to go out on me. Had an MRI and the orthopedic surgeon said I had lost a lot of cartilage and to lower the impact or get rid of it altogether. I have said this before, but I will say it again: I am so glad I cancelled my presale order for the Shock Cardio. I could tell from the pictures that there was no way I was going to risk my precious knees on some of those crazy routines. They also looked rather boring to me because I like some choreography and I hate endless repetitions. I did get the step and travel fit cardios and I modify the Athletic Step to get rid of the impact. Your grandson sounds adorable and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a doting grandma--so enjoy! Aren't there some very good medications now for acid reflux?

Deb, we just flooded the bathroom floor over night, and the next day, mopped it all up. Worked great! My KPC is on video so I just do the whole routine every time I do it. So you don't feel the Travel Fit is intense enough? Is it more cardio or more resistance? I thought it was supposed to be both.

Valerie, I will check out the bands at Amazon. That just seems like a good idea--i.e., FRUGAL. I have to admit I am now thinking of buying the Brazil Butt Lift DVDs. They look very time-efficient, and I am wondering what I will do at the end of January when I finish STS. Maybe I will wait for awhile before indulging.
 
New Year's Eve!

Good morning, or almost afternoon,

I am off today and am so glad. Although with a Blackberry, phone etc, I am still in contact with the office....comes with the territory.

DH and I are going to do our usual steak and crab leg dinner at home, cozy up with good books and toast the new year around 9:00 or 10:00 and sleep! We have not seen midnight on New Year's eve for about 10 years now...old fuddy duddies I guess..:rolleyes:

Garance, glad that Stain Solver worked! I hate recommending something to someone and then have them not like it. You are lucky you could flood the floor and leave it overnight... I could not do that in the kitchen..:eek:
Travel Fit is OK...it is more resistance and the "cardio" is pathetic really, it would be good for travelling especially if you did not have any access to a gym, but not sure I would make a whole rotation around it. Somehow if I am not using weights I don;t feel like I have gotten a good workout. I think it's a mental thing with me. I worry about losing strengh etc.

Hi to Valerie, Cathy, Josie and Joan ( who I hope is winning big in Vegas!)

Have a safe wonderful holiday!
 
I've never bought special Cathe bands. I had some thera-bands left from PT from years ago that I used until they wimped out/tore. then I used the short pieces for firewalkers.

DH was doing PT with bands also, so it seemed less expensive and more flexible to buy a long roll and cut it myself. I remmeber seeing BIG rolls at the PT place so I knew they existed but I didn't want 600 yards either. 6 yds is plenty.

I might try Travel fit ... I've been disappointed in motel gyms. they never have weights, usually cardio equipment that doesn't work well. Re cardio on the DVD...I'd say running/ jumping in your room ( in the average hotel/ motel) would disturb people on the floor above and below and probably next door, not to mention moving the furniture for some space. I wouldn't do it. I traveled a lot for a previous job. it's hard enough to get decent rest even if your neighbors are relatively quiet. I'd guess that was taken into account when disk was put together.

DH and I did STS #6 together yesterday and then a mt bike ride. only for about an hour, it was muddy and messy but riding uphill in lose sandy dirt is challenging. this time we dressed better and didn't freeze but it was drizzling and we didn't feel motivated to make it a long outing.
 
Hi Deb, Cathy, and Valerie--

This morning I did disk 24 for back and bis (43 min.). This finishes meso 2, so I have next week off.

We are going to a party tonight, but I doubt we will stay until midnight.

Hmm, not sure I will do Travel Fit tomorrow if it has so little cardio. On the other hand, it might be a nice way to ease softly into the new year. I will wait to see how I feel.

Went to see Up in the Air yesterday. It's both funny and melancholy. The acting is excellent, especially Clooney and this young actress who plays a corporate go-getter who wants to fire people over the internet to save money on air fare. Not sure I quite believed part of the ending though. DH and I are watching Battlestar Galactica on DVD, starting with season 1. It is really very, very good and great on our new TV.

Happy New Year everyone!
 

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