Push It

Today's w/o was STS TB (day 1 of my Dec '10 rotation). I have decided to start writing #'s down in preparation for my upcoming STS rotation in May. I figure this will be a good habit to get into, as I'm not the type of gal who likes paperwork.

Question for you guys:
When I go into the w/o manager and enter my #'s and it gives my 1RM, where does it calculate my %? Today I was supposed to work at 65% of my 1RM. I looked at the STS forum info and SNM said the w/o manager would do the calculating. I could not see it :confused:

Jennifer
I also felt I also needed to up my weight for chest presses. I don't have a tower though and it found kinda awkward to place 40 lbs+ bar on me while I got up (not to mention dangerous). Do you have a tower? I can lift heavier, I'm just scared.
I don't suggest you do a hiit after LBB. Your legs will be super fatigued and you might find all the plyo from the hiit just too much to handle. I tried doing Imax 2 (step portion pre-mix) after 40/20 once and my legs just gave up after 10min. But of course only you know what your limitations are.
Stacie
I keep wanting to talk about your dog, but I always forget :eek:. I am so sorry about what happened. Pets are a part of your family and losing them is hard.
I have been getting migraines since grade 5 (I think). When they turn into full-blown ones, I just want to die. I get nauseous, the lights bother me, I feel like my head is about to explode. I'm certainly out of commission until I throw up. I find treating them before they get to that point is the best solution. My body does not respond to Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, no matter what strength. The only thing that helps me is Excedrin (Acetaminophen w/caffeine). Acupuncture is very helpful and also acupressure (you can do this yourself). Also, do you drink a lot of water? Dehydration can also trigger a migraine (I never drink enough :(). I used to get migraines 2-3X/week and now I'm down to 1/month if that. I hope you feel better soon.
I was looking at the Saucony shoes. I'm not familiar with that brand. Are they good?

Going to watch Game Of Thrones. Awesome HBO series!
 
Stacie and Natty,
Just in case you have not tried this...
I learned from someone else is keep a tube of Ben Gay very handy so at that ONE INSTANT when the sickness from the migraine starts and that barf-like feeling hits grab the BG, slather it along the top of the forehead just under the hair line (or even into the hairline) from temple to temple. Instantaneous relief from the nausea. But unfortunately it's relief only from the nausea, but again it is relief from the nausea.
I really hope it helps you; I know that my friend swears by it and when she saw the look on my face one time she put some on my forehead and it helped me, too.

Natty,
I am really glad to hear your back is better and that you're in full swing - cool deal on the STS and MMA!
Wow, wanting to up it from 40lbs? Impressive! Do you have 2 chairs that you can somehow place around your bench/step? You probably already thought of that but that's all I could come up with.
I do have a turbo tower and 40lbs is what I'm going to attempt next time - I'm just not sure I'll be able to complete all the reps.
I think you're 100% right on not doing a HiiT after LBB... maybe I should just stop at LBB:)

Stacie, I went back some threads and saw your thought about pushups and overuse. While I do agree that can be the case, I don't believe it is the case with me... I think I got lax on the muscle endurance or the focusing on the upper body strength and instead was into the circuit workouts. Then I had a back injury for a while which caused some down time. It's just disappointing to decrease when I thought I was actually getting into better shape. BUT - now that we're all practicing the pushups I do notice I'm getting stronger again :)
BTW, I can totally relate to those friends who have a different meaning of friendship. With some of mine I finally - after many, many years - let the previous life's friends phone calls go to voice mail:) But that's just best for my situation.

Susan,
Thanks! I didn't think Cardio Kicks was too hard so afterwards I had more time and decided to work the buns a bit more. I think another factor was that I had recently had a rest day. I originally thought it was the previous day but I had done Cycle Max and pushups... so the rest day was the day before that. I'm thinking that I probably wouldn't have had the energy to do both if it'd been in the middle of the workout routine:eek:

Dana and Stacie, O _ M _ G - too funny about Ebay and the DVDs; it is a small world!

Have a great night!
 
Will post more later this AM after I get some sleep but I wanted to let Natty know how to see the 1RM %. The first way is to view or print the workout card for the STS disc you are doing. To do this, go to the workout manager and then click on the STS button. From there, select the disc you are doing and click the "View/Print" button. It should then pop up a window with all the weight values you need for each exercise. The way I do it is different (and personally I like it better). To use my way, go to the Calendar and click on the workout (assuming you are using a rotation which I am pretty sure you are! Otherwise you can do this same thing by adding the workout). The click on "Show Details" on the right hand side of the screen. Next click on "Edit Workout". This will then display grid with all the weight values you need. I like this method better because for each exercise, I enter in the weight values I used and reps for each exercise. Then, the system stores it for me so I can reference what I did for that workout later. I don't like to print things so I just have this screen up on my netbook and enter in the values as I go. HTH!
 
Good Morning Everyone,

Again I have some catching up to do. Saturday was a fun family day in the city. Sunday I did STS Total Body. My triceps were hurting for some reason before I even started. I think it was because of the ab workout on Saturday. When Cathe always does those hip thrusts, she always says the endurance will build up in your triceps. I have never felt it during the workout, but I guess Saturday was so much that I felt it the day after. As for STS Total Body, I am not sure how much I like this workout. She does a lot of squats with dumbbells which I find hard to do. I think when I do it again, I will sub the barbell. Overall, I was having a weak day. I have always heard you can bench press more with a barbell than dumbbells. In 4DS I benched using 25 lb dumbbells, so I figured I could go higher. I added some more weight to the barbell (58.8 lbs total. Wacky number I know. I only have 50 lb plates in the U.S. system, my husband has a set of plates in the metric system, hence the odd weight LOL). Anyway, I could barely lift the last one. (Natty – I have the tower, and I think you definitely need something if you want to use weights that are challenging enough. Otherwise I think it’s not safe, especially rolling back with the heavy barbell. At least for me, there is no way my back could take it.). Overall STS is lacking in the tricep department, which was fine for me considering the state of my triceps. I failed miserably in the pushups that day. I did the 8 triceps on my knees. The regular ones I did 8 on my toes, and the rest (I think 8 more) on my knees. Overall I was very fatigued. There was a lot of working out last week, so I think I was just wiped out.

On Sunday I was also supposed to also do a 30 minute brisk walk which didn’t happen. Instead I had a VERY leisurely 40 minute family bike ride. Yesterday was a rest day, thank goodness. My hamstrings are still sore, 2 days after STS Total Body. Must have been all of those dead lifts. I did it with 45 lbs, and was thinking maybe I should try 50. I am very cautious because of my low back issues. But my body is telling me 45 was PLENTY!

Today was supposed to be a 40 minute run, but I don’t run. To substitute the run and make up for the walk, I did MIC for the first time. The first half of Hi-Lo I was doing great, I felt on top of the world. Well, then… the rest of the workout happened. Another butt kicker for sure. I had to take 3 breaks for about 1 minute each. In the end, the workout was as long as Intensity (when I add bootcamp) and according to the heart rate monitor I burned the same number of calories (I am anal and keep track of all of this stuff: calories, length of workout, weights used, breaks taken and for how long.) It felt tough, because it was tough. It’s funny though, because to think of doing it again, I don’t dread it, but there are really no easy parts (except the 2 brief recovery periods at the end). But Intensity I dread, even though I find the hi impact Hiit moderate intensity, and low impact Hiit pretty easy. That step in Intensity is just plain hard, and I guess a bit lacking in the fun department. Unfortunately that’s my workout for Thursday. Tomorrow is another rest day, I am thankful as I think I really need it. My front shoulders are sore too, so no pushups for me today, they will wait until Thursday. Now on to everyone else….

Stacie – I don’t find people to be any more rude in Costco than they are anywhere else. People tend to be rude in general around here. The only thing that drives me nuts is all of those samples. I think people go there for a daily meal, eating all the samples. Of course my girls love it and that’s fine, they’re kids but grown adults just eating sample after sample? No matter what it is? I find that odd and I can’t relate.
You mentioned Jari Love being very thin, I agree she is very lean. I don’t know how she can have such low body fat. But I do enjoy her workouts.

Natty – I agree, Jari’s weights seem low compared to her crew sometimes. I have come to realize everyone can’t be super-human like Cathe using tough weights while leading a class. Cathe really is amazing! But like you, I am a Jari fan. I also like Kelly Coffey-Meyer. Although I have seen results over the last couple of years with a blend of instructors (those 2, plus Jillian, Bob Harper, Kimberly Spreen, some Firm, etc), I have never seen such a rapid change in my body as I have in the past 2 months doing 2 consecutive Cathe rotations. As a result, I am now leery of subbing anybody else’s stuff now. That’s not good, because I get bored easily and although Cathe has a lot of DVDs, it’s not enough to sustain me for too long.

So what did you think of STS total body?

As for breaking up the workouts to do later in the day, it’s really not possible. During the week when I work, I am going non stop from 5am to 8pm (with work, kids homework, activities such as dance, gymnastics and soccer. Oh and dinner). Some nights I am freed up about 7:30, and usually I will watch a little TV with the girls. Then they go to bed, and I am left with 1 hour (8-9) with the hubby, which we usually watch TV. Then we get ready for bed, usually in bed no later than 9:30. Up at 5am and do it all over. I am considering squeezing in a shorter workout (30-40 minutes ) on my lunch hour when I work from home, but I am not loving the idea of having to take another shower. We’ll see. I am going to do this Jan 2011 rotation as best I can, but I will cut myself some slack. So when are you starting STS? I can’t decide if I will start in May after this rotation or do one more Feb 2012 rotation first. Are you planning to start another check-in group for it?

Heartymax- I didn’t even get to wish you a good trip. Hope you are enjoying the family time!

Kara – Great job on the run, how awesome is that? 5 miles is fantastic. I am not a runner, but wish I was. I did buy a pair of running shoes and am going to give it a try this year. I will be happy if I can run 1 mile straight, which I consider pretty good for a non runner. Or I’ll just use the running shoes for DVDs if I back out. Ha Ha

Dana – That’s pretty funny that you got those DVDs Stacie mentioned. How very nice of you to offer to give it to her! I love the step in 4DS too, but I also like LIC a lot. What rotation are you doing?

Jennifer – Hiit after LBB? You are brave, that’s a long workout! And you do this before work? What time did you say you get up? I can only do a max of 1 hour 15 minutes before work, and that’s only when I work from home.

Wow ladies, that was a lot of typing, but most of you said you like to read, so there you go. I at least feel pretty caught up now. If I missed commenting on anything, I apologize.

Have a great day.
 
Good morning everyone! Last night I only did STS...I never say which disc because honestly I can never remember and I am too lazy to go back to the Workout Manager and find out! I do know I only have 2 discs left of STS. The only bummer was that I screwed up on the weights AGAIN. This time with the bench presses. On a lot of them I did 5lbs less than I was supposed to do. I really do dislike that Cathe put the barbell exercises one right after another. It takes almost the entire break to switch out the weights and in my rush I have made mistakes on the weights for two workouts now.

I had a crazy dream last night that Robert read my post that said he was cuter than Greg and that he "liked" it. Isn't that funny? The like name was something like rdalfino and in the dream when I clicked on it to see who that was it showed a picture of Robert!!!!

Jennifer & Natty
Migraines are the worst thing ever aren't they? I am like Natty where a full blown one will usually make me vomit for hours and my head feels like it is going to explode from the pressure. I started getting them when I was really little. I used to call them "TV" headaches because I didn't know any better. Sometimes I would just be watching TV and then this blinding pain would hit. My parents taught me to ask them for aspirin as soon as I felt any bit of pain. As I have gotten older, the frequency of them has gone down but the severity has increased. I now have vision problems sometimes when a really bad one is about to hit. It's really weird...the first time it happened the lights were strobing and everyone was just these dark shapes. I didn't feel bad so I decided to stay at work. About half and hour later the worst pain I have ever felt hit. I barely made it home in time. It has happened three other times since then. I know now to take something immediately because otherwise it's going to be a BAD one. The sad part is I am pretty sure my son suffers from them too. He got a bad deal that little boy. Migraines from me and asthma from his dad's side...

Somewhat funny story about migraines....when I was second grade I got one during music time. I did as my parents had taught me went to the teacher and said I needed to go the office because I didn't feel good. She was also the piano player so she said to wait until music time was over and made me stand next to the piano. It took at most 2 minutes for me to pass out from the pain of being next to the piano with a migraine. The next thing I knew, I was being half carried, half pulled down to the office. My classmates remembered that all the way through high school!

A good trick for them is to put a cool wash cloth on the back of your neck (which I forgot to do last weekend!). I haven't tried Jennifer's trick but I might next time.

Susan
Holy cow! 58.8lbs benched! Wow! That's a lot! I liked hearing your review of MIC. I haven't done that one yet although I have had it for awhile. I do agree with you the Intensity step is hard. I haven't tried the Hiits on it yet but Cathe gives you no recovery at all for the step portion.

The samples at Costco only bother me because it congests the areas where they are and the store is crowded enough as it is. I think this area is exceptionally rude too...I have heard it from workers at a bunch of the stores as well. I live in an area where most people have extremely high incomes. In fact, I believe I read that this county has the highest income bracket in all of Colorado! For some reason, people here think that gives them a reason to treat others badly. It drives me a up a wall. One day someone will catch me on a bad day and they are going to get an earful!

Kara
I forgot to mention too great job on the run! 5 miles is a lot! You will have to let us know how you do on the 10k.

Cya later everyone!
 
I did Drill Max today. I did it last week, too, but it was a "dud" of a workout. Just wasn't feeling it. Today I wanted to stop after drill #4. I was having fun, just running out of energy. But I sucked it up and finished the whole thing. 70 mins - yippee skippee. I really like drill #1 where she uses the 5 pound weight and thrusts it side to side. My forward bounding on drill #5 is horrendous. :D No where near as pretty looking as Cathe when she does it!

Susan/Natty - I definitely think you both should give running a try! I've been where you have been and even now I still consider myself a non-runner, even though I know I can do it. When I started running again a few years ago, I just started out walking and then I would run until I would pass out. ;) And do it again the next time. I read once, the only thing that is going to make you a better runner or make running easier, is to do more running. So I kind of took that to heart. If you only run once a year, it's not going to be pretty. But if you do it even twice a week you'll begin to notice improvement. I think I've said this before, but the only person I run against is myself. So I'm slow. But I do notice improvement. For the 10k, my only goal is to run the whole thing. Later on this summer I want to work on my 5K PR. And maybe next summer do the Warrior Dash. Running is a great LB workout, too.

That's my .02 for now .... I really need to shower before I go pick up my daughter from school. That DM did me in and it's showing! :p I'll type more later. Have a great day everyone!

KARA
 
Hi everyone, I hope you all are doing well and not getting headaches!

Susan, sounds like you had some great workouts and activities with your family:) Enjoy your rest day!
I THOUGHT that I would do a quick cardio after LBB and thought that HiiT would have worked because it's short (although hard). However Natty reminded me that my legs probably would be too fried to do it well so I thought I'd find something different to do... In the end I DEFINITELY did NOT need an additional cardio workout!:eek: I've only done LBB once before and although I remember thinking that B&G was more challenging I can say that I was fried after LBB (so I don't know why I thought that -- maybe the DOMS afterwards??) and it did have cardio mixed into it. What a tough workout! I had done Intensity the day before and my buns were a bit sore; it was the first time in quite a while that I've done that one; I missed it.
BTW, I have a flexible schedule at work but I definitely don't like to spend too much time in the morning (around an hour/1.15 like you is the most). Sometimes after work I'll do weights but that's if I woke up too late to do it in the morning:)

Stacie, that is SO FUNNY! What a fun dream! And, oh my gosh, so sorry to hear about your migraines and history of them! Maybe that teacher won't make another student wait every again! I'm very lucky, I only had them for a handful of years on/off from late 20s to late 30s; then I didn't have any for YEARS until last year they strated again - but I've only had a few. I don't have a prescription because I hardly get them but as you know they are debilitating. My survival packet is an ice pack on top of my head, lots of aspirin and acetaminophen, BenGay, quiet, and a dark room... sigh. I don't remember ever actually vomitting - I don't even want to imagine how painful that is.

Kara,
That's funny - your rebounding isn't pretty. I haven't done Drill Max in a long time; I did really like it, though, just pretty heavy on the biceps and as you said it is long. Thank you for inspiring me - I just may break it out soon; I started the Muscle Confusion rotation with Natty ( don't recall exactly which one - Dec '10?) but maybe I'll throw that one in just for fun. Or punishment.
Good job on the running:)
 
Good morning ladies :)

Yesterday's w/o was Athletic Step. I have to shuffle around my rotation a bit, and so I chose steady state cardio........although after completion, I think that was definitely not steady state :confused:. I love it though! So much fun :)

So I have some pretty exciting news.......well for me anyway. I went to check my Air Miles balance (a points reward here in Canada) and I have enough for a $135.00 gift card to a sports store that sells ATLUS TURBO TOWERS! I'm doing the happy dance :D. I really needed one (perhaps want is the better word ;) ).

Stacie
Thank you for taking the time to explain the 1RM. I really appreciate it. I actually had no problems once I followed your instructions, and you were right about the program being better in the calendars/workouts section. I like that one too.
OMG your dream was too funny!!! Hey, I like Robert. I like all men in different shapes & sizes ;). He is very good looking, you're spot on about that. Do you think Cathe's crew reads the forums?
Which rotation are you doing after STS again?
Jennifer
I love LBB too! I was enabled from so many ladies on the forum to get it and just broke down. I was happy I did because I love the cardio blasts w/the leg work. I get nice DOMS from it :D.
Funny you mentioned the 40lbs. I thought that was ok, and then I saw Susan's 58.8lbs and it blew me away!
Susan
See above post. Holy girl! You rock those chest presses!
Saturday & Sunday sounded lovely w/your family. Bike riding and walking are exercises I can whole heartily say that I really enjoy.
Regarding STS TB, I agree with you 100% about the triceps lacking. I was thinking next time to do some weighted kickbacks instead of the last set of dips. I also can't do that many dead lifts as they tend to aggravate my lower back. I subbed some with squats and supermans. All in all, I have to say IMO, Muscle Max works me harder. But I did like practicing the 1RM.
MIC is awesome! I downloaded that one about 6 months ago looking for a great cardio without the step. Don't you love Cathe's old school clothes?? But I think the gals should have invested in better bra's :D.
Kara
I don't own Drill Max but it sounds like a fun, kick a$$ workout! I always wonder how silly I look when I do jumping moves like tuck jumps or air jacks. My lower belly pooch is always flopping around :eek:
I would start running, but I'm afraid to get injured. I just don't think my body is made for that type of activity. I would most likely do too much too soon and then have to take weeks off to recover. Also, I would need really good quality shoes right? Also, the horror stories of shin splints and cramps scare the heck out of me.
I came back to edit this because I wanted to share this with you:
http://www.healthhappinessandskinnyjeans.com/?p=730
This a blog from a friend of mine. Her marathon story truly touched me and made me cry.


Great day to everyone :)
 
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Good Morning! Today was Cardio Supersets. It has been a long time since I did that one. The walking pushups are not nearly as bad as the sliding plank pushups in Afterburn. I don't plan to do pushups this week. I will pick up next week. I am do glad I brought my workouts.
 
Good morning.

Thanks everyone for the kudos on my chest press. I really needed that as I was complaining that it was so hard and I was disappointed. Now what I don't understand is why pushups aren't easier for me. I am anxious to do my count tomorrow. My shoulders are almost back to normal today and with today being a rest day, I should be in good shape tomorrow, but not looking forward to Intensity. I may flip flop Thursday and Friday as Friday is KPC which sounds easier to me.

Jennifer - what do you think of Intensity? You just said you did it a couple of days ago. When I do it, I have to go on and on about how hard it is, you just say it so matter-of-fact and then you add that you missed it?!?!?!? :)

Natty - I agree about too many deadlifts. Thankfully I didn't have a back flare up, but I really killed my hamstrings. They still hurt today. STS TB is back on schedule on Saturday so I hope I feel better soon. You are so funny about MIC, I literally laughed out loud. Maybe supportive clothing was harder to find then. And congrats on the Turbo Bar. It seems everything you wish for you are getting lately. Time to set your sights on some bigger things perhaps? Who knows what will happen!

Heartymax - Good for you working out on vacation!!! You are so dedicated!

Kara - After Natty's post I am thinking I shouldn't run :) I too am likely to injure myself. I will do too much, cuz that's just how I am. But never say never, right? Maybe if I don't think of it as a workout, I would be more likely to go slow. I wish I could start training with someone. One of my friends runs, but she's a runner, she's not going to want to go at my pace. Excuses Excuses. Just like all of my excuses for delaying the start of STS.

Stacie - Congrats on nearly wrapping up STS. How exciting! Does it leave you feeling a bit lost? That's how I feel when I am close to finishing a rotation... a bit like finishing a good book, sad to see it go, and unsure of what to do next. As for income and attitude, I agree. Sometimes people think money gives them license to be rude. I also think it may because they value money/stuff versus values. So sad. Forgot to mention your migraines. They are awful. I have had a handful or 2 in my life and they are completely debilitating. Interesting about the Bengay (I think Jennifer mentioned that). Hopefully I will remember that if one comes on.

Have a great day everyone.
 
Good morning everyone! Last night I did a short premix of Slide N Glide since I stated pretty late. I still need to master those discs though. Sometimes it feels like I am sliding slightly out of control and other times not enough. I realized last night that part of the problem is that I somehow shift my feet on the discs when I am using them which throws things off. Hopefully, the more I use them the better I will get with them! Tonight is the final squat rack disc of STS.

I am kinda stressing out that something went wrong with my Cathe order. Usually they ship the discs out super quick and I haven't received a shipping confirmation yet. I think I will give it one or two more days before I contact customer support to make sure the order is in the system.

Kara
I never feel as coordinated as Cathe either. She makes everything look so easy!

Jennifer
The teacher did feel really bad about it and apologized a couple of days later. I think my parents might have complained to the school too because after that they would let me go to the office immediately. There is a weird side effect to it though. Due to the severe migraine pain, I have a really high pain tolerance. Trips to the dentist and even the pains of labor were a walk in the park compared to a full blown migraine. Every dark cloud has a small silver lining I guess! I hope that your migraines stay gone because they are definitely no fun!

Natty
Hooray for getting the Turbo Tower! I love mine! It is so handy and really easy to move around. My son totally abuses it though. He is constantly climbing on top of it. One day I will take a picture of him on it so everyone can see the nutty things he does on it.

I had to smile at your comment about liking men because I do too! There are days when I think even the mailman that goes to work is looking pretty good! ;)

I added 7 weeks of workouts to the Workout Manager. Since this week is the final STS week next week will have to be a rest week. After that I will do one week from one of the rotations (can't remember which one I pulled it from) and then the final week of your rotation. On May 6th I start the March 2011 rotation. After that I will probably join your group for STS Meso #2 and Meso #3. Do you know your exact start date yet? I was wondering when the start date for Meso #2 will be on your calendar. If I do join you, I will probably be a day off because I like to do STS with a Sunday start in case something happens and the workouts have to be moved around. That one day buffer has come in handy many times.

I am glad I was able to help you with the 1RM numbers! I am actually surprised that more people don't use the form that is available through the workout calendar. I think a lot of people print out the workout cards instead.

HeartyMax
Great job on getting CSS in even though you are on vacation! I hope you are enjoying your visit!

Susan
I did feel really lost that STS was ending. Even finishing a meso cycle and moving into a rest week gives you that feeling. I feel better now that I have a game plan of what I will do next. I did want to do P90x but it was mostly so I could compare it to STS. However, I just couldn't bring myself to give up Cathe for 12 weeks. At least not now anyway!!!! I did talk to my friend and she said I could borrow it again any time. That's the nice thing about the Chalean Extreme program. The workouts are short (only about 30 minutes from what I read) so it would be easy to slip in a Cathe workout to get my Cathe fix. P90x workouts are a lot longer.

I think you are right about some people putting a higher value on money and material items than they should. I think it's sad too!

Have a great day everyone!
 
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I haven't done pushups the last couple days; I will dive back in tomorrow. The treadmill run is on the list for tomorrow or Friday ( I started the rotation early ) but instead I will do Cycle Max.

I actually don't use the Workout Manager but it sounds cool. For me it's just easier to mark my workouts on my Cathe calender which I hang next to the DVD shelf. The only problem with that is that I only have 4 weeks to see at a time so I have to flip it to see when I did what, and there's not enough space to log my weights (although I wrote it on the rotation schedule so no biggie). But now that I'm doing an official rotation schedule I guess I don't need to worry about that. I think it might be a better idea to try using the Workout Manager... Humm...

Natty, awesome about the Turbo Tower! Now we can have a Pull-up challenge - just kidding. Actually I do continue to try. Seriously, I'm really happy for you because now you can really focus on lifting heavier weights safely:) BTW, I love Athletic Step and if I hadn't recently done Intensity I would do that one instead of Cycle Max.

Susan, I LOVE Intensity; I skip the high impact HiiT and just do the Step and Low Impact Hiit. It absolutely is my go-to workout when I need a lift; I just love it; maybe it will grow on you:) I did the bonus bootcamp once (it's on that one, right?) but it didn't do much for me since it's such a tiny little segment; I prefer to stick to the cardio on that one. By the way, almost 60#s?! You go, girl!

Stacy, I am STILL waiting for my InvisiLine trays to come in - is that what you have?
As for S&G, I have the same problem with the discs; I figure with practice I'll get better, but in the meantime I wish I had velcro:) By the way, whoever suggested Pledge on them is a genius. I thought mine slid "well enough" but I tried it and oh man - what a difference. Actually I used Endust, just an FYI.
I hope your STS squat rack tonight was your best one!

Have a great night - time to prep dinner.
 
Whoo-hoo! A mid-week post from me! I think I'm about to fall off my chair, this is a novelty! (I know the rest of you are falling off your chairs, too!) :p;)

Today's w/o was Intensity. So now I'm in the club. Ha! I've owned it since it was released and did it today for the first time. I previewed it beforehand. Wow. It's one thing to preview it and quite another to actually do it. Like many of you said, it is intense & definitely lives up to it's name. I didn't do the entire workout, only the step portion for 30 mins. I really like it. The music in the warm-up wasn't that great, but otherwise I liked it. Very motivating! Anyone else catch how Cedie's shirt was riding up and then eventually it wasn't?! Very clever editing (but apparently not clever enough for the likes of me!). :D The workout was hard cardiovascularly (man that's a long word to type ...), but the moves were doable, which I appreciated. I felt like an awesome stepper when she did the same move I did in Drill Max yesterday. The L-step off the side, two jacks, plyo jack and then same thing on the other side. There were also other moves she pulled from other DVDs. I recognized some from imax 2, etc. I give the workout two, very winded, thumbs up!!!

For the last two days I've been in that wonderful grey area, where it seems like I'm going to get sick, but I'm not quite there yet. My husbands been sick and one of my kids, so I won't be too surprised if I do. I'm saying a prayer I don't, though. Ugh. It's the last thing I need right now. I'm keeping up with my workouts and hoping, in doing so, that they help keep me well.

Tonight I did my pushups. Was too lazy to put workout clothes back on, so I did them in my jeans and a tank - how's that for a visual? I'm clearly motivated to do them, .... or clearly nuts. Pick one. :p I did 20 tonight. I was really hoping the jeans would add a little something special and help me eek out a couple more .... *sigh* ... but they didn't perform as hoped. So 20 it is, yet again. Holding steady at that number.

Enough about me .......

Jennifer -- I've never owned a Cathe calendar. Clearly, I definitely *need* one, if only cuz I'm such a huge fan. But I know I would never "use" it as a calendar or a place to log my workouts. Maybe for 2013 I will cave and get one, if only to see a different Cathe each month!!! Haha. I love how excited you are about Intensity. I agree wholeheartedly. It definitely is hard ... I mean fun. Fun & Hard. Good job on prepping dinner! I've fallen off the meal-making wagon as of late, but yesterday I got back on and made sloppy joes for me and the fam. I really need to get better at planning my meals out and sticking with it. I definitely go in spurts.

Natty -- Yay to you for finding out the good news about your miles AND more importantly for getting the turbo tower. Hello - I'm jealous!!!! :p I don't have the space for one now ... but someday, someday. Thanks for sharing the link - I feel the same way, even with my 5K medals!! hahaha. The shoes I have for running are asics ones I bought from Kohls. So nothing too fancy. I do wish I had a more quality pair, if only because I know these are on the lower end of the totem pole. But they've held up fine, but I definitely think I will be needing a new pair in the near future, maybe come fall. When I run I don't do it more than 3 times a week. MAX. And that's b/c my knees can be an issue. I love my Cathe w/o's too much to disregard them totally. So I crosstrain with running I guess.

Stacie -- Yup, I think Robert is following your forum posts now. :p I think you have a secret stalker. j/k. I also like dark haired men. All the men I dated, pre-husband, were brpwn haired or brunette and lo and behold, my husband is brunette. I'm crazy like that. When I'm out and about in the world and spy an attractive man, he usually looks similar to the hubs - brunette and facial hair. Ahhhh! Yup. I definitely have a type. I liked your tips on the workout manager as well. I use the calendar to add my completed workouts, but the rest of it is kind of still new to me. You educated me! Yay!

Susan -- Great job on the chest presses! I don't think you should set aside your goal of running just because you are afraid of injury. I understand your concerns, but I wouldn't let them scare you to the point that you don't try. Your body is going to talk to you the first time or two you go out, so you'll know when you've pushed too far. I would just tell yourself you're going to do intervals. Something like 3 mins of running, 1 minute of walking. Maybe that'll help you from overdoing it. I totally get what you're feeling though. I'm no runner either! But I still consider myself a runner ... I know, sounds weird. My friend, doing the 10K with me, is more hardcore than me. We'll be lining up on the starting line together and then I'll be eating her dust, but hey, at least we'll both be there. So do it! I'm excited for you and curious to see what you think of it.

Heartymax -- Glad to see you checking in! Good job on your workout! I'm going to bring CSS along with me later this month while I'm travling. Usually vacations & workout out do not mix with me, but I'm hoping I can stay on the exercise wagon this time around. Don't feel bad about laying off the pushups. You'll jump right back in once you're back to your normal life and normal routine. Maybe you should try my trick with wearing blue jeans when you do pushups .... hey, it didn't work for me ....but maybe it will for you!!! :p

Ok. I'm going to get off of here and go read some more of my book & then call it a night. I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow! It's so fun checking in with all of you and reading your little updates. Take care!

KARA
 
Good morning everyone :)

Yesterday's w/o was LBB standing leg work only + leg conditioning drills. Failed attempt. My legs could not handle all that Barre work after weight work. I did half of the Barre and in a pool of my own sweat and tears, I called it a day. Mental note for next time. BTW, can anyone tell me what Cathe uses on her barbell for it? I'm not familiar with the size of weight plates. I think she used 2x10lbs.

Today's w/o will be Intensity :D. I am in the league of people who really enjoy this one. Perhaps cuz' it was my very first Cathe step, so it has a special place in my heart. I also LOVE the hiit portion of it. More so than the other 3 hiit's from shock cardio. I was kinda disappointed when the LIS came out and it did not have the low impact hiit (w/timer) like on Intensity :(

Kara
Congrats for doing Intensity!! The hiit portion is the best (funnest) part IMO. You are gonna love it!
Yay on the push-ups too. 20 is still really good. Have you considered putting one of your children on your back while doing it? ;).
I hope you are not getting sick. DH just got sick and when one person in the house gets it, we all get it at some point too :(. Keeping fingers crossed for ya!
Stacie
LOL you are TOO funny! The mailman thing cracked me up! It's funny cuz' I can relate. I'm the same way when it comes to "checking-out" others ;).
The S&G discs are hard to navigate that's for sure. It's true, the more you use them the better you get. Although I don't I'll ever look as fluid as Cathe and her crew.
My STS start date will be April 30th. Each week I will be for certain doing the 3 STS discs. I also want to get in 2-3 days of cardio. Ok, let me see here:
Meso 1 should end May 27th. Recovery week May 28th-June 3rd. June 4th Meso 2 start.
Jennifer
Cycle Max looks awesome! I think spinning would be right up my alley. One day, one day :(
I rarely use the w/o manager. I hate plugging in numbers and info, that's just not me. I'm going to do it for STS though as I feel keeping track of those workouts would be beneficial.
Hope you had a nice dinner :).
Susan
It's funny you mentioned how everything is going well for me. Last year I had the complete opposite happen in my life. It was tough and awful to say the least. But you know what, as long as everyone is happy and healthy, that's all that matters. Perhaps it's good karma from all the charities I donate to (I like to think of it that way). I don't have much to give, but I give what I can.


Have a wonderful day ladies :)
 
Good morning,

My newest Cathe DVDs arrived yesterday! Woohoo!!! So I promptly ripped open the box & did Low Max last night in place of Low Impact Challenge. So much for previewing! Not sure if I was just having one of those days or if Low Max was harder than I was expecting it to be, but I couldn't finish the whole thing. I had to leave off the last step combo/blast. Which I rationalized was ok to do since it's a longer w/o than LIC. ;) But I definitely like the w/o. I felt that it worked every part of my legs! (And heart.) I'm sure I'll do better the next time I do it.

Kara - kudos to you on your running! You're right to consider yourself a runner. Doesn't matter how fast or slow or how many miles you do it - you're still doing it! I know you will do fabulously on your race. There's nothing quite like the feeling you get after a good run. I really miss that. Half-way into training for a marathon I had plantar fasciitis so bad that I stopped. Boo. (I'm still a little angry about that....)

Natty - thanks for sharing the link to the Lara Bar recipe! I think I'll give them a shot this weekend. Yummy!

Jennifer & Natty - ha, a pull-up challenge! Too funny. I think you really should do it! ;) Makes me think of the time in school when we would compete for the "presidential physical fitness award" or something like that. You had to do all kinds of different exercises, including so many pull-ups, to win it. Unless you were a girl. Then, instead of doing the pull-ups, you could just hang there (in the pulled-up position) for so many seconds. So that's the only way I could earn the award! STILL can't do a pull-up to save my life. (Yes. I'm blaming my lack of upper body strength on my elementary school.) haha

Susan - I'm doing the Nov LIS rotation. In the middle of week 3. I've really enjoyed it so far, although I admit that I'm growing a wee bit tired of TBTS every week, twice a week - once for UB & once for LB. Sigh. I'm anxious to begin a rotation with some more variety. :)

Stacie - when did you order your DVDs? I thought something was wrong with my order too - never received any shipping info! But I ordered them last Wed & they got here yesterday (Wed). So maybe yours are on their way. I know how hard it is to wait on Cathe DVDs! I'm like a little kid at Christmas. I want them NOW!


I'm trying to decide which rotation I want to do next. Nov '10 & Feb '12 are looking good to me & I have most of those DVDs. Decisions, decisions. What is everybody else doing?

My push-up count is still 5. But I can tell that I'm getting stronger. I decided my goal will be 10. Baby steps.

Have a good day everyone!
Dana
 
Dana- it is not your imagination. Low Max is tough. The word Low can be deceiving. It works the lower body unlike other step workouts. DOMS sneak up on you.

Natty- I popped in Intensity this morning with the thought of doing the Hiits and Bootcamp. I started thinking of how much I hated the hi Hiit portion and quickly changed to Slide and Glide for my cardio this morning.

After the cardio section of S&G I started the floor work and then decided to do Upper Body Trisets. I was able to make all modifications needed for my travel workout. Amazing how I can get a great workout with 3 sets of dumbells. This workout had a lot of pushups. I always did regular pushups on my toes. Forget crossing leg over and soldier pushups and whatever you call the other set. Maybe one day.
 
Good Morning!

Today was Intensity with the added bootcamp. I still don't love it, but I sure do love when it's over :D It's the step portion I find too hard and not so fun. Luckily the music is good so that becomes a good motivator. In Bootcamp there are pushups and unfortunately I didn't do as well as last time. In the DVD she does 24 and then 12. I did 16 toes/8 knees, then 4 toes/8 knees. I was disappointed (last time I did 26 on my toes in the first set). I added on extra sets on my toes with 30 second rests: 8-8-8-8-6-6. I hope the extra add-ons is building up my strength.

Yesterday on the way home from work I listened to Jillian Michael's Podcast from early this year about Body Revolution (I know there is another post on the forum about it, I am going to revisit it later). I like her idea of working related muscles on the same day (Chest, shoulders, tris for example) and doing it twice per week. I believe she adds legs in there too. I am not sure how effective it would be though since it's only a 30 minute workout (how can you work chest, tris, shoulders and legs in 30 minutes effectively?) I also don't know how much it costs, but I know you can get results with her. (I do like 6 week 6 pack) I was a huge JM fan in the past. I had a "girl crush" on her as my husband liked to say. I was truly fascinated and in awe of her. Everything she said was like the gospel to me. Well, as I have become a bigger follower of Cathe, I find JM so much less appealing. Her vulgur dialogue is becoming offensive, and she thinks she is so awesome. She even said something along the lines of being a fitness God. That bugged me.

Anyway... in this podcast she mentioned what went into filming. They did 2 takes of 3 workouts in a day, so 3 hours of workouts, plus retakes. Can you imagine?!?!??!?!? Those people really are in tip top shape. I would imagine it would be the same for Cathe and crew. No wonder they look so composed and I look like a beat up sweaty mess when I am done.

I will check back in later to respond to everyone! Gotta get to work!
 
Good morning everyone! Last night was disc #40 of STS and the final Squat rack sequence. I was having a weak night I think because it seemed really hard! However, I did get everyone rep done but it was a toughie. Only one disc left!

Yesterday I spent a lot of time building workouts in order to do my 1RM tests again. I broke them into sets of around 15 exercises per workout. It will take 6 workouts to do all the tests. I took the time to alternate between the body parts so that no muscle would be fatigued when I did the test. One thing I didn't realize is how many leg exercises there are in STS!

Kara
Robert can stalk me any day! ;) Thanks for the thanks on the workout manager tips :eek:. I am glad they were helpful!

20 is still an awesome amount of pushups. You should feel proud of that number! I hope you don't get sick. I always drink a ton of peppermint tea when I am sick and I ususally shake off everything pretty quickly. I actually learned about it from the Oregon Trail game...lol. Anyway, it works for me.

Natty
Don't worry about having problems with LBB. Sometimes we all have off days and/or days we are stronger than others. I am sure you will totally rock it the next time you do it! I know what you felt though...I have felt that way too when I have trouble with a workout.

Thanks for the info about your STS dates. I will sync up my calendar for Meso #2 and #3 with those! Yay!

I am sorry to hear that last year wasn't good for you. I hope this one is going much better. It's nice that you have such a positive outlook and so sweet that you donate to charities.

Dana
I love LowMax!!!! In fact some of the songs have been stuck in my head since I did Hardcore Extreme the other day. I was actually thinking yesterday that I needed to do it. Something about adding in those kickboxing moves really makes it fun for me! I know it's listed as an intermediate workout but I think it's challenging too!

Awesome job on the pushups! Your number has been increasing everytime you post. Great job!

I ordered my DVDs on Saturday night. Usually, I get a shipping confirmation the 1-2 business days later. Maybe they did ship already...I might email support today and see if they have a tracking number. Maybe they have a new person in shipping that doesn't know they are supposed to do that. It is exciting to get them isn't it? Her deals are killing me though because I keep seeing the prices for cheaper than what I paid! It's gotten to the point where I don't even want to look!

HeartyMax
I think it's so wonderful that you are keeping up with your workouts even while traveling! Such an inspiration! I have TBT too but haven't tried it out yet. Hopefully I will squeeze it in soon now that STS is ending for a short time. I hear great things about it.

Susan
Last night I was at Target and I saw the JM DVDs in the fitness section. Of course I thought of you and Natty! They aren't too expensive...it was very tempting to grab a couple that you guys have talked about.

I think JM is lucky in a way. I say that because I don't think people really knew about her until she got cast as the trainer for the Biggest Loser. I often think that Cathe isn't more popular because she doesn't do all the marketing hype. I like her the way that she is though! Fame changes people and maybe that's where the JM attitude came from.

See ya later everyone!
 
Hi everyone!

Back to check in as promised. My low back was feeling achy so I did my Yogini workout at lunch and I swear it is like magic for my back. Amazing. I also did Ab Circuits Weights and Plates again. LOVE IT!

I am envious of all of you that love Intensity, it looks like I am the clear minority.

Jennifer I have only done Intensity 3 times, but always with Boot Camp. I love it. I wonder how it would be to do BC, followed by both Hiits and then end with BC. I would totally love that. I think the Step is too simple so my mind doesn't get distracted by complicated choreography and is therefore very aware how hard I am working :) To each their own I guess, I will keep doing it cuz I find the step super hard and want it to stop kicking my butt. I am pleased I can complete entire step segment without taking a break or skipping anything. However I do need an extra minute when it's over before moving to Hiit.

Natty - I will be starting STS on May 1st, so it looks like we will be in sync. I plan on doing STS on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. I think I will always do legs on Sundays since Monday is always a rest day. As for LBB, I have no idea what she uses for her barbell. I use a 40lb barbell for that workout which is what I use in B&G so I figured it was similar enough. Also, 40 lbs is the max I will squat because of my back. That's one of my concerns with STS. I know I can do at least 20 squats with 40 lbs, which makes my 1RM over 100. So there is no way I can work at 60% of max :( I might try to go up to 45, but 50 would be the absolute most I would be willing to take on. Lastly, sorry last year was not the best for you. You deserve everything you are getting this year... and them some! I agree, good karma time for you!

Stacie Glad you will be in on Meso 2... very exciting. When you did the Chalean program, what Cathe workouts did you typically add on? I also would like to try P90x. You'll have to tell me what you think.

I think JM is lucky too, but in a very selfish way, I am glad Cathe hasn't progressed to that level. If she did, I wouldn't feel the personal connection that comes from her responding to us on these forums. But in another way, I wish she could enjoy that level of success.

Kara - Great job on the pushups! I think the jeans added extra weight, so I think it's super you didn't suffer in the number of reps. Thanks for the encouragement on running. Now if you only lived near me to drag me out there :D

Dana - Congrats on Lowmax. I think that might be my favorite step DVD. Step segment 7 is actually my favorite, sometimes I even repeat it. But it is something you need to work up to for sure! I added on the blasts to TBTS LB and it was perfect (since TBTS LB is short). I did the Nov 2011 rotation too, and followed it up with the Feb 2012, so I vote for that one. I saw the biggest change in my body in those 2 months than I ever have in the past, but I didn't lose any wait. I wasn't trying to so that was more than fine. I grew tired of TBTS too, but now I miss it :)

Heartymax - I hear ya on those pushups from TBT. My goal would be able to do them all exactly like Cathe. Maybe some day..... But awesome job doing them all on your toes. There are A LOT of pushups in that workout!

Have a great rest of the day. I am not sure how much checking in I will be able to do until next week as tomorrow is family fun day (going back to Chicago), Saturday we have 2 soccer games, and on Sunday we will be celebrating Easter. And on Monday it's in the office :(

I'll be back no later than Tuesday. Have a great weekend too!
 
Hi everyone,

I woke up feeling ok and as the morning progressed I realized I may be getting sick. My w/o was Intensity and I went ahead with it. As soon as I started the warm-up, I knew my body was not right. I had practically no energy to do the plyo, I was extremely fatigued even though I had eaten a very healthy lunch of salmon w/spinach and Ryvita snack bread (if you've never tried these, they're awesome!). I even did low impact to try and complete it, but felt like I was cheating myself (I know, I know, dumb me). I had to stop . Oh and my sleep has been less than stellar these past couple of days. I think sleep deprivation sucks the life out of me more than illness.

Susan
I can see why people don't "love" Intensity. It's not as fun as Cathe's older step. You may never like it, and that's ok too. I'm the first one to admit when a workout does not jive with me. I never liked MMA kickbox and I don't think I ever will. Differences is what makes the world go round.
I know what you mean about the squatting and the barbell. I guess that's why meso 3 has a squat rack/weighted vest. It's good we'll be starting at the same time. Are you going to start a new check-in for it? I'm already doing 2 and I don't think I will have enough time to respond to a new addition of people. I like all you guys so much and I want to keep on "talking" with you :)
Have a wonderful weekend too. We have a busy one with Good Friday tomorrow and then Easter on Sunday.
BTW, interesting info on JM. I would love to listen to her pod casts but I don't have an Ipod or Ipad.
Stacie
You are right about JM, she is lucky. She knows how to market herself well. You are also right about Cathe too. She would be way more popular and known if she sold her workouts at retailers like Wal-Mart and had a tv show. She seems more low key and private. I love that about her. What irritates me is that she is probably the best of the best, and does not get recognition for it. I mean to have Oxygen put Core Max on their "list" so long after it was released :confused:.
Dana
I loved the Feb '12 rotation! You can't go wrong with it if you want to really shape your buns/thighs. It burns mega calories too. Win/win!!!
BTW Low Max is hard!!! And plus it's 70min!!! You burned way more calories and got a better lower body workout subbing that for LIC.
Heartymax
You are awesome to be doing workouts on your holiday! I love that! Those soldier plank push-ups are insane. Cathe is nutso :eek:

Have a great evening ladies :)
 
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