Push It

Susan,
Just curious, did you ever take dance classes? I never did and am coreography-challenged; that is why I like the easy coreography such as in Intensity; yes, coreography for Athletic training is very simple. I haven't even attempted Imax3 in quite a while.

Natty, I'm joining the "love High Reps" club:) I have done that workout quite a handful of times; definitely one of my favs!
So glad you're feeling better. Travel Fit? I have not tried that one but I heard it was hard - what did you think?
I completely understand where you're coming from regarding having Faith and trying to make a difference even if "others" say it's a scam. Great way for you to help children! I contribute monthly to Save the Children; I also sponsor the Special Olympics. My niece has Down Syndrome so that one hits home with me. So sorry to hear about your 4-year old cousin with leukemia:(

Stacie, so glad to hear about doing the high impact moves and that your knees don't hurt! Double Woot! Sorry to hear about the creepy guy; yuck.

Kara, you're funny - Mr. Shower:) I haven't tried Imax3 in a long time because i get lost; do you like the coreography? If so, did you ever take dance classes? I'm just curious. Cathe has a dance background (I think??) so I'm glad she caters to simpletons like me:)
We are also having a cold snap of sorts; I was so glad that Easter weekend was so nice, and the weeks before, so it's hard to be bummed out about the cold snap... but I am looking forward the warm weather returning! My hydrangeas are looking good and I'm ready for them to bloom!

heartymax, I am sorry to hear about your shoulder. I can relate to that, too. I wonder if I need to stop the over-head presses or the triceps dips because it seems that when I do those too often (2x weekly) my shoulder starts to act up, and yes - I can't do my proper pushups.
The "forward rounded shoulder" issue is something I work hard at, but 20 years at a desk/computer job has really taken a toll... sometimes I wonder if trying to keep them back is actually my shoulders crying out!

It's been great catching up with you all. Have a good evening :)

Dana, good for you - out for some fun and back to your workouts:)
 
Stacie
I didn't see your update on your son when I posted earlier. I am glad the rules are helping. Several months ago, I was having issues with my girls just being mean and making bad choices so I resorted to yet another behavior chart. But this time I hit them where it hurts- TV. They were so over the prize box for good behavior so I created a chart for good behavior and bad behavior. When they are good they earn tickets for TV, when they are bad they have to turn in some of their TV tickets, and if they are really bad, they turn in some TV and there is absolutely no TV that night. It worked wonders. It's all about figuring out what is the best motivator for them.

Kara I can totally relate to that feeling you have about Lowmax. I have that with Cardio and Weights. I do like the work out, but whenever I do it, I always have the feeling "Didn't I just do this workout?" even when it has been several months. The step segments are also in one of the Terminator workouts (Viper I think) and I did that one a lot after a leg day (just skipping the few leg segments... it's a great UB/cardio WO IMO. I might be able to do C&W step without even turning on the TV. That might be a bit of an exaggeration but not too far off.

And yes it's COLD here in Chicago BRRRRR. Not sure if it ever moved out of the 30s today but warm weather will return. I was just thrilled to have a mild March. It was GREAT grilling out so early in the season.

Jennifer No, I actually have never taken dance and have no rhythmm. DH makes fun of me because sometimes I can't even clap to the beat of a song..... I lose the beat as I go :) I think that's why I love Cathe's more complex stuff, because I feel so accomplished. Not quite sure I am doing ponies the right way, but my mambos and cha-chas are good. Now Amy Bento's stuff is another story. I agree Intensity choreography is simple, which is not why I dread that workout... That simple choreography is just plain brutal! So hard cardiovascularly IMO. Is Athletic Step that intense?

Heartymax Sorry about your shoulder :( Try to baby it as best you can as those shoulder injuries are hard to bounce back from and you don't want to injure it again and have a set back!

Have a goodnight everyone!
 
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Susan - Nothing to fear w/ Athletic Step! I don't think it's as intense as Intensity. I really love both of those workouts! Athletic Step is much shorter, but toward the end there are a lot of lunges (high & low) & then a very brief little "leg blast" (I'd call it) & it never fails to get me good & winded. Fun fun fun!

Stacie - I bet you are a great mom & I hope things get better with your son. My closest girlfriend is going through a rough situation w/ her 6y/o son. Although he sees his father regularly, he's decided that he doesn't have to listen to or mind anyone but his father now that Dad lives in a different house. Of course, this mostly means defying his teachers & acting out at school. As a non-parent, I have no words of wisdom & can't possibly know what you're going through. I can only offer words of encouragement. Hang in there!

Jennifer - the slumped shoulder curse of the office worker!!! I hate that!


Work has been quite overwhelming & very stressful lately. At least HR is looking to hire another analyst now so maybe I will have some time to breathe soon. My dogs are mad at me! (That sounds silly, but they really are! They ignore me when I haven't been spending as much time with them as they would like. But they eventually get over it. Ha.)

Well. Athletic Step last night & Athletic Training tonight. I guess I'm feeling pretty (c)athletic! Ok, I'll stop with the nerdy word puns & go to bed. Another long day tomorrow.

Good night everyone!
Dana
 
Good morning ladies :)

Yesterday I had a nice bout of DOMS :). I'm lovin' me some (lots) of that. I also got my Turbo Tower in the mail :eek:. I can't wait to try that sucker out. It's still in the box and DH is going to put it together today. I was trying to show him how versatile it is, but he was less than enthusiastic :confused:.

My workout yesterday was Step Blast. Love, love, love it!! I wish Cathe would bring back some of the moves like 360, power ups, ect. I know most people seem to be requesting more athletic style choreo, but I actually enjoy the dancey moves (which to me are not so dancey, just harder to figure out).

Today is either Intensity (yes Susan I'm looking forward to it :D) or STS TB depending on what time my Tower gets put together.

Kara
Way to go with Imax3 and keeping up with Cathe! That's no small feat, congrats!
Muscle Endurance was actually my first Cathe weight training workout. I love how it works every muscle to fatigue. Great workout no doubt. Don't you feel like a bad a** doing bicep curls with the bar? I do :D.
Heartymax
I'm sorry to hear about your shoulder. I hope you have a quick recovery.
So many great STS rotations. I saw one with STS Meso 3 and Gym Styles :eek:.
Dana
I'm sorry to hear about the stresses going on at work. Pets can definitely sense when you are ignoring them. Animals are all emotion. I truly believe they have a sixth sense.
Glad to hear LIS gave you results you were looking for. You worked hard and your dedication payed off :).
How long are you going to be in Ecuador? Do you have family/friends there? That is so cool of you to be going there.
Susan
Way to go with the Intensity push-ups!!! It takes courage to tackle obstacles you hate, and I know how much you love Intensity.
You are gonna do awesome on that RT. I hear RT are life changing.
Athletic Step is no way near as tough as Intensity. It's super fun too. I have a feeling you will like that one.
Stacie
I dread all the hiit's. I don't blame you for lack of motivation with completing it. I have to literally psych myself up to press play and I even swear while putting on my running shoes. But 30min and you've blasted approx. 400cal. That's what makes me do them.
Hardcore Interval Blasts is tough, tough stuff. Tell me how you love (hate) it.
Jennifer
Travel Fit is not that hard. The cardio blasts are low impact super easy. It's the band that can make it very challenging. The push-ups at the end kill me.
It's so wonderful of you to also contribute to all those charities. I'm sorry to hear about your niece. People with DS are so kind and loving and full of emotion, but everyday life can be challenging (I dislike they way people look/treat them). My ex neighbor where I lived for 16 years, had a daughter with DS and she was so sweet and affectionate. Very smart too, which most people never realize.
I am lovin' this rotation BTW. It's a hidden gem within the rotations.

Wowee have I missed anyone?


Hope you all have a wonderful day :)
 
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dmauden said:
Natty - which rotation are you doing? Sorry, I know you mentioned it before but I can't seem to find it.
Click to expand...

http://cathe.com/forum/f100/dec-10-rotation-279800/

It's fun! You can always sub w/low impact too.

BTW, if you don't have a treadmill, you can sub steady state run w/any steady state cardio like Step Moves, Rhythmic Step, Kickboxing ect. If a rotation calls for Interval Run you can sub w/any Imax, CCC, hiit, even Afterburn.
 
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Good morning everyone. I swapped workouts and did LowMax instead of Hardcore Extreme. I needed a pick me up. The boy came home with another note from school -- this time he was sent to the principal's office. He has been in more trouble just this week (and it's Wednesday!) then I was my entire school career. They say he isn't smart but he is really quite clever. This morning, he figured out that even though the cable is password protected, the DVD player works just fine. Now I need to figure out if the actual television set can be password protected or I will need to disconnect the DVD player after I work out at night. I was mad about it but there is also a bit of pride because he thinks outside the box. If he wants something bad enough, he will figure out a way to get it. If I can teach him to want the good things in life, he will be unstoppable and accomplish amazing things. The downside of course is that if he happens to start wanting bad things (drugs, etc), it will be extremely hard to turn him back around. Thanks for the kind words about him -- hopefully this phase will end soon.

Heartmax
I am sorry -- I missed the part about your shoulder. I often do my updates at work and when someone comes over I hide the window and then loose track of where I was at in my responses! Anyway, I hope you feel better soon.

Natty
I know you are excited about the Turbo Tower. It is extremely easy to set up -- you really don't need to wait for your husband at all unless you really want to. I think it took me ten minutes or less to do it. All the pieces just snap into place. If I remember correctly, I don't even think you need any tools!

Susan
Kumon is a lot of work! There is homework every single night plus he goes to the center two days a week. I have to admit it is helping. Since I started him in it 2 months ago, his reading has improved by half a grade level. According to his teacher, he is still behind by another half grade level. It was kind of interesting starting Kumon because I kept running into people I knew there. They were also the ones who had told me that their children were really advanced in school. In turns out that they had all been sending their kids to Kumon since they were 3 or 4.

Have fun on the road trip! We will be looking for you in all the pictures!

Kara
It has gotten a lot cold here as well. Colorado has very bipolar weather though. We can drop 30-40 degrees in the same day! About 7 years ago it was a beautiful Spring day and everyone was out and about in shorts. People went to stores like Home Depot and Wal-mart (we were actually at Walmart) and by the time they left, it was a blizzard outside!

Jennifer
I didn't realize Cathe had dance experience. It makes sense then why she is so graceful in her movements. Thanks for the info!

Dana
Stick with the dogs -- they are much easier than kids! I often notice that the dog listens way better than my son does! ;) My last dog used to snub me too for a day or two after she was kennelled. It's funny how dogs and cats really do have a personality!

Bye for now everyone.
 
Good Morning everyone! Yesterday was Imax 3 which is a work out I have done in at least year and I actually did the entire workout-----now that's an accomplishment for me. I normally opt for the premix. My left shoulder feels better but not 100%. I decided to give push ups a try. I wanted to start back with my 5 sets again, so I started back at week 2 of the 100 pushups. Last time I started at week 3 based on my initial number of push ups. My shoulder is not ready to start back at week 3 so I dropped to week 2 so I can at least attempt some push ups. Well, anyway my push ups today were 14, 14, 10,10, and 16. It felt good to be able to do them. Today was Lower Body Blast. It has been a long time since I have done this workout. Not as fun as high reps but I really like the cardio bursts in between.

Fargomom---I find the the step routine in Imax 3 to be a bit complex... Maybe I will use the burst premix one day as an add on. I like that part for sure.

Natty---You have definitely been doing a lot of Cathe shopping.:D

Susan----I totally agree with Dana Athletic Step is where near as intense as Intensity. I just started to like Athletic Step and find it to be a workout that I reach for when I just can't handle something that is too high impact or dreading for the day. When I first got Athletic Step, I hated it and then one day I popped it in and realized it was just a perfect workout for low key days...not that it is not a good workout---you know----when you want to step but not in the mood for Cardio Fusion or Imax 3.

Jennifer----enjoy your new love for High Reps. It is definitely worth it. I may do that one this weekend since I won't start my rotation until next week. Whatever that will be.

it has been chilly in Maryland this week too, however we are expecting the temps to be back up just in time for the weekend.

Gotta run ladies!
 
Good morning ladies :)

Yesterday I test drove my Turbo Tower with STS TB :D. As soon as it was put together, I was curious as to how many full pull-ups I could do with my feet up. Keep in mind I have never done or attempted to do one in my life. So I did 2, yes 2 full pull-ups :eek:. I also did a few like Cathe with my feet extended like in STS TB (Back-shoulders compound). With my tower I was able to up my weight for chest presses w/my barbell. Something about doing that exercise makes you feel so powerful and strong. I feel very fortunate to have gotten that piece of equipment for STS in May.

BTW, there is a woman in my other check-in (Colleen) she says the Turbo Towers are out of stock in the USA. She's checked the usual Amazon, Wal-Mart and Cathe's site. If you know of anywhere she can get one, please let me know so I can pass along the info. Thx.

Stacie
The new Avatar of your son is super cute!
I wish I could give you effective discipline strategies/advice that may help you and your little boy. I'm fairly new to that department so my experience is lacking. Susan seems to have some very helpful suggestions. My DH always raves how is mother used to keep him and his 3 sisters in line. If you broke the rules, you were grounded or a privilege was taken away (video games, tv, bike, ect). He said this worked like a charm. He even suggested one time his mother "spank him" as opposed to taking away his bike for 1 week. Funny stuff.
Heartymax
I'm glad to hear your shoulder is getting better. Your push-up count ain't to shabby either ;).
Congrats on Imax3 and doing the complete workout! So many people hate/dread it, but you feel so accomplished and proud when you've done it.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day :)
 
Good morning! Last night was CCC -- the express premix. I originally had Atheletic Training planned but decided to move it due to the weight use. I made that mistake on a couple of the workouts for this week. I also did pushups. 8 in CCC, 9, 5, 4, 5.

I had an expected but very welcome event happen yesterday. The power went off in the building and we were able to go home 3 hours early! It was really nice to be able to use that time to run some errands and get things done. I was even able to pick up 30 Day SS from the library. Surprisingly, NMTZ was there as well. It says it's a circuit workout so I will have to wait until next week to try that one out. I can't weight to lift weights again!

HeartyMax
Glad to hear your shoulder is feeling a little bit better. Great job knocking out Imax 3 and some pushups.

Natty
Hooray on the pull ups! That's awesome. I can do a couple from the supine position. Cathe is amazing the way she does them with her legs crossed.

I found the Turbo Tower at a couple of sites but they are expensive.

Altus® Exercise Turbo Tower

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

The Sears price is super outrageous. Back in December they had it for $80 like at Walmart. I only chose Walmart because of the free to store shipping and the fact that there are not any Sears stores nearby me.

BTW, are you pyramiding down for STS? I was thinking about doing it immediately rather than starting another rotation in Aug. / Sept. I know know....I am very indecisive and constantly changing my mind in regards to workout planning!

Thanks for the compliment on my little boy. He is super cute -- equally onery though. Today is a new day...hopefully it will be a good one for him. I do have one positive. Last night he whizzed through a book that 6 months ago he really struggled with. It was great to see the difference.

TTYL everyone.
 
Hi everyone!
Yesterday was my off day and today was Muscle Max. This is only the 2nd time I have done it. The first time I thought “ehhhh it’s ok” but I liked it better this time. I think it’s better than STS TB. I did pushups in the workout, 2 sets of 12, tons of chest flies, then she does a 4 count down, 2 count up, 2 count down, 4 count up, etc…. I did 4 sets of those on my toes and dropped to my knees. Tough stuff. It is really starting to irritate me that I still need to drop to my knees.

As expected this rotation I am doing is very hard, today after MM I was supposed to do a 30 minute steady state run. I am going to do a step workout at lunch… which means another shower , bummer. I think I will do Rhythmic step, it just sounds so fun to me right now.

Natty- Congrats on the tower! How exciting. What pull-ups are you referring to in STS TB? You mention a premix, are they in the premix but not the regular workout? So did you skip Intensity for STS TB yesterday? BTW, I love Step Blast too, super fun.

Heartymax – glad your shoulder is getting better. Way to go on those pushups! Maybe I will switch over to your program. You are really rocking those pushups!

Stacie – What a nice treat leaving early for the day. I wish we could have an extra couple hours in every day, I just might get ahead. I agree with Natty, your son is super cute!!! It’s hard to believe they can cause any trouble when they are so stinkin’ adorable… but they sure do!

Dana – sorry to hear work is so stressful. I know how rough that can be, hope it eases up soon.

Well, tomorrow I am leaving for the road trip. Not sure how much I will be able to check in because I don’t like typing on my phone, it takes so long it’s painful!
 
Just a quick response...

Susan
Have an awesome time at the RT!!! You are gonna do great!!! I'm so jealous you are able to go.
The pull-ups on STS TB is part of a separate back/shoulders compound section on my downloads, not part of the regular 66min workout. It's about 15min. I guess it's a premix, not sure.

Stacie
Love NMTZ! My abs kill for days after that one. Since you are an STS veteran now, try using heavier weights during it. The girls use 3lbs, but I would suggest you use a challenging weight :rolleyes:.
I'm not sure if I am going to pyramid down afterwards. It seems like a wonderful concept, but I may want to take a break from STS after 3 months. I'm the type of girl who gets bored of stuff quick. I don't like the same things day in/day out. I do however see some wonderful STS rotations that involve Gym Style and mixing up the Meso's. We'll see...
Great job on the push-ups too during CCC. That one just wipes me out totally.


BTW, today's workout was Afterburn premix instead of Intensity, as my knee's were feeling a bit achy. I have come to the conclusion that using weights during cardio is not my most preferred method to get my HR up. I would much rather do plyo or traditional high knee's, jumping jacks, ect. I don't mind the plank stuff. It does pose a certain dread factor though, I agree.

Gotta go to the park! Have a great day ladies :)
 
A quick response for me as well ....

Yesterday's workout for me was Bootcamp. I don't do that workout very much. Honestly, it's not one of my faves. But I needed a circuit workout so I pulled that one off the shelf. On the positive side, I do like that she incorporates the medicine ball. So I'm always happy to pull mine out ... wiping all the dust off, of course. ;)

Today I wanted a hiit workout so I did my own little thing using the Intensity DVD. I did 5 min warmup on the step. Then I did the hiit high for 10 mins, the hiit low for 10 mins, the hiit high again for just the first half of 5 mins and then a 2 minute cooldown of my own design (basically just stepping side to side). All told it was 32 mins in length. I really wish she had a premix on Intensity that was just a warmup and the hiit sections, but I don't think she does. Maybe someone can correct me on that. So while I haven't done the entire Intensity DVD, I've done most of it. I did the step portion, what was it, last week? And then today I tackled the hiit portions. They were fun I thought (fun as far as hiit training can go anyway).

Keeping this short & will respond more later on. I am taking my kids to the library later this afternoon where they can decorate their own book bag and later this evening I'm meeting a girlfriend for dinner. Adult conversation ... I can hardly wait! ;):p

Have a great day everyone!

PS - I haven't done pushups since last week when I did 20 with my jeans on. Clearly I need to try some consecutive pushups again. We'll see. Maybe I'll do some later today.
 
heartymax said:
I have decided on my rotation. I am going to do Upper Body Bliss. Will still make sure that I get in a leg workout each week. Will start this on Monday.

http://cathe.com/forum/f100/october-rotation-upper-body-bliss-236101/
Click to expand...

Looks like a goodie! My UB always tones up first - are you the same way? OR is this a way to shock your upper body? Either way, it looks like a great rotation! I could do the GS workouts in the rotation, as I have those, but not Slow & Heavy. I'm assuming you must have those though. You'll have to let us know what results you're seeing!
 
Hi ladies!
Today was 4-day-split Kickbox. I didn't preview it before doing it (it's a newer purchase for me) so next time I will wear the wrist weights. After the kickbox (I skipped the legs/weights this morning) I popped in KPC and picked it up after the warmup. Over all it was a decent cardio workout. Tomorrow morning is Bootcamp "4-day-split" but according to the website video it had some things in there that didn't interest me for various reasons (running to get a weight, pick it up, run back and put it down, etc) so I will do the Bootcamp on the Muscle Endurance DVD which I LOVE. Maybe I'll watch more of the 4-d-s BC over the weekend and see if there is anything else I don't like about it; if not I will throw it into the rotation.
No update on my pushup count but I'm sure that will change soon - positive thinking:)

Susan, that is SO funny about losing the beat when you clap. And you're right, accomplishing complicated choreography (thank you for your spelling:)) is a good feeling... I've yet to master it but I have nailed a few segments on other DVDs that used to confuse me :) Definitely not Amy Bento, though! I agree with Dana about Athletic Training... tough but not complex.
I can relate - I don't like having to drop to my knees on the pushups; you're doing so well, though, and still should be proud at your numbers!
HAVE A GREAT TIME ON THE RT!

Dana, quite the (c)athlete - very cute. I know how you feel regarding working longer and the dogs being mad. I'm sure you'll make it up to them soon! Hopefully HR will find another analyst quickly. Oh no, don't tell me you don't have the same rounded-shoulder curse I do -- it sounds like you know exactly what I mean! I do stretches during the day (I'm sure you do, too) and that helps... always feels so good to stretch the chest.

Natty, woo hoo! glad the Turbo Tower came in! Congrats on the pull-ups; 2 is really good! I have my legs on the step when I do them but I strive to do them like Cathe.
I'm with ya' on the DOMS... love it. So far I don't have as much as it this month as I did last month, just a few more aches in my lower back and shoulder:( I think the squats with the barbell are the culprit and I probably should just stick with dumbbells instead of heavier weight on the bar.
BTW, thank you for the Travel Fit info! One of these days I will actually do it. Isn't it funny how we have to work in a new workout?!
You're right, DS is a spectrum challenge and some people can get along just fine. It's too soon to tell where Keira will be on the spectrum, she's almost 6 and the sweetest and most adorable girl in the world :) Unfortunately she lives way too far away for me to see regularly; I have to fly to Idaho from Missouri. Another disheartening thing about people's reactions to disabilities is their plain 'ol ignorance. I wish schools would teach kids at a very young age all about DS and Cerebral Palsy so kids wouldn't be afraid of it. No one likes to be ignored yet they are simply because they don't look the same way the other kids do, and the other kids just don't know what the deal is. Sigh... thank God there are compassionate people in the world:)

Stacie, your son sounds super clever! I've no doubt that you will teach him right from wrong and be there for him when he needs guidance. You're right, dogs are much easier than kids so I'm of no help... but I know you love him and that matters the most:) How cool that he did so well on the book this time around!
Bipolar weather?! That's hilarious! I can imagine it was quite a shock to end the day with a blizzard!
How FUN on the power outage - it's a rare gem when that happens:)

Heartymax, Congrats on the pushups and the shoulder feeling better! Listening to the body's signals is always best; some said "stop when you need to for the day so you can do it another day" and isn't that the truth!
I feel the same way about Athletic Step; by the end of the workout my heart is pumping and I'm sweaty, but it seems like it creeps up rather than a blast from the start.
I'm liking the Upper Body Bliss rotation; I've been looking at the Gym Style series but haven't made the purchase - yet. Humm...

Kara, as for the Intensity HiiTs, I don't recall for sure about the premixes but your personalized w/o sounds good!
The book bags sound like a nice, crafty project for the kids; I bet it was fun for all.
Hope dinner and adult conversation was good:)

Okay, I best get. Take care and chat soon!
 
Today was the premix of AfterBurn which you do each interval once. Then I did the Down Only from Pyramid Upper Body and the stability ball ab secton. PUB was my first Cathe many years ago and I truly love how it has the muscles burning.

Fargomom---yes, I have Slow and Heavy and GS series. I owned GS first and purchased S&H about 2 or 3 years ago. S&H requires a lot of concentration due to the slow pace of the movement so it is hard to do do this series for more than 4 weeks. As long as I work my upper body consistently, I do see results. It is almost tank top season and I love having my shoulders out. I just figured this would change up my routine a bit. I am going to tweak it a little bit to make sure that I am getting in a good leg workout each week too as I have been working hard to tone that area even more. I can see my quad shaping up so I want to stay focused. I love wearing shorts also. Just having summer around the corner will keep me focused:D

Jennifer---I have been doing Cathe for about 10 years so I have many of her workouts---not all of them. I purchased CTX two years ago and practically collects dust. For some reason, I thought I just had to have it and when it was on sale, I purchased it for a great price. I just don't do circuits alot.
 
Good morning ladies :)

Wow, my butt is seriously DOMS'ing from Afterburn......and it was only the premix!!!! I think it MUST be the dixie cup forward lean lunges. No other workout makes my tushy feel this way :eek:
Today's workout is 4DS kickbox w/leg toning.

Jennifer
Now that you mention it, my lower back has been really achy doing STS TB. For me, it not the squats but the deadlifts I can't do (she includes a million deadlifts in that w/o!!!). I have correct form, but I can feel the strain (not in a good way). I have decided to either do them without weights or sub w/superman's or hamstring roll-outs on my ball. I'm sorry to hear your back & shoulder's have been hurting :(. Barbbell squats are very taxing on the back w/heavy weights, your right. I might have to in the future, invest in a weighted vest if I want to up my squat weight. Do you have one?
I really enjoy 4DS bootcamp! I have to get the one in the Intensity series and Drill Max!! They look awesome! Which one is better?
Heartymax
I'm lovin' the rotation you picked! Are you going to add your own leg workouts each week? I love GSL!!! That one just burn baby burns!!
Kara
I'm jealous you can obtain muscles easily in your UB being a pear shape. I can't :(. My shoulder's & back get defined first, but the rest of my arms really need serious training to get results. It wasn't until I started adding heavy weights that I actually got my biceps and triceps semi-toned. I'm workin' on it though. Don't you just love how the muscles in your UB can make your LB appear smaller? Do you prefer lower weights/higher reps, heavier weights, or both?
I love your version of the Intensity hiit's! Great idea.
I hope you had a nice dinner with your friend :)

Have a great day ladies :)
 
I decided to change the rotation a bit so instead of Bootcamp this morning I did Low Impact Challenge - it's one of the newer ones, all step but I believe there are weights/extras in the menu which I haven't looked at yet. The choreograpy on the 3rd combo still confuses me a little so I did some jacks and basics to keep my heart rate up; maybe next time I'll get it.
I haven't decided which Strength workout to do tomorrow but I'm determined to increase my muscle mass.

As for strength, I still have SUCH a hard time with the band - sitting on the floor doing the Ys and the Ts are still impossible for me but I don't give up. How do you all do with those exercises?

Natty, I like Drill Max better than Intensity Bootcamp but Susan has a good idea about doing the bootcamp twice separated by the HiiTs.
Deadlifts are hard on the lower back because of the flexion then pulling up with the weight; maybe that is what made my lower back act up, although I really don't lower down far at all because of the flexion issue (herniated disc) so I didn't think that was it - but you're right, Cathe does a TON of them and maybe it was just too many even when doing them with a reduced range of motion. That, plus the combination of a heavy barbell for DL and squats; I don't have a vest but maybe that would help. humm...
Supermans (especially on a stability ball with the feet stabilized) definitely would be a good substitution - good idea! My back is feeling 100% again so I will be ready to dive back in:)
That's funny - "your tushy" - LOL! But I think you're right - I always feel it big time right there after Afterburn, and I also feel it after KPC - I think it's the end of the straight cardio portion, before the combinations, when we do the karate arm swing and the forward low lunge; those two moves are similar.

Heartymax, I don't have the GS or S&H but I do want to focus on my upper body. What do you think about Pyramid Upper body? Do you have any recommendations as to which series I should start out with? I figure I have a lot of Cathe's strength workouts, especially with the premixes, but I think I really need to focus on stronger chest and shoulders... of course, pushups would help those. I'm just not sure where to go from here so any advice would greatly be appreciated.

I'm at work so I best get; have a great day!
 
Jennifer - I thought 4ds was great for upper body. I made great improvements doing that for about 3 weeks. I love that series. I think you should stick with that for a few weeks and then move onto gym styles (I have only done the lower body DVD so far)

I did LIC today too, I like that one. I do the premix with the added step segment that uses weights. It uses weights for cardio purposes but there are a lot of side lateral raises with 5lb dumbbells that fatigue my shoulder. I find the step combos a bit complicated, so I think you are selling yourself short if you can do them. I always mess up combo 4 when you walk to the side of the step, stradle, kick, walk back, ball change and walk to the step. I am always on the wrong foot when I exit. I don't really know what a ball change is either, I just do some tappy dance move.

BTW Natty mentioned boot camp from the intensity series, not Intensity's boot camp (very confusing I know). I just want to make sure everyone knows I wasn't advocating doing the intensity series BC twice. Yikes!!!! :)

Natty- I did find the pull ups on STS TB. It was hidden in a premix. I didn't see any mention of the extra footage anywhere so that was a nice surprise. I never would have found it if it wasn't for you. Thanks!
 
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