Shrinking Violets Check-in
There are days to march forth in victory, and there are days to stand firm and celebrate not losing ground. This was one of the latter. I did not sleep well last night as a result of an annoying tickle in my throat. I was tired this morning, but I persevered.
After my quiet time, I decided to give Power Max another whirl. It is my goal to add more variety to my rotation this year instead of sticking with my favorite workouts all the time. I did Step Fit last week. It has always been my favorite workout on the Cardio Hits DVD. I did not have the mental focus or physical energy to tackle Step Works, so Power Max won by default. It is an intense workout. It is a good workout too. It simply does not rock my world. I am visually inspired. The CIA set with a fireplace in the corner of a small room is my least favorite of Cathe’s sets. I feel confined when I do this workout for some reason. I prefer bright and open sets and love dance studio sets with big windows. I love Cathe’s new set. I like the Step Fit set. It is more visually appealing than the other sets on this DVD. Cathe is cute in Power Max. The thong leotard she is wearing does not bother me at all. I can deal with thongs leotards and leg warmers too if the set is pretty and the music is good!
I have a short attention span, and Cathe lost my interest during the warm-up. This has to be my least favorite Cathe warm-up of all time. She includes a lot of fun moves in the step combinations like ponies with party arms, but the choreography overall is very basic. Cathe spends more time breaking down the choreography, and it is not as dancy or complex as my beloved Rhythmic Step. This is one of Cathe’s more popular step workouts, but I do not feel the love. The music is not my favorite either. I can imagine loving this workout with IMAX2 music! I also prefer Cathe’s fun personality and relaxed camera presence in her newer workouts (from the Slow and Heavy Series forward). Power Max is a great workout without a doubt, but Cathe has definitely improved as an instructor (and grown more beautiful!) through the years.
Power Max is not a total loss because I do love parts of it. The first combination after the warm-up is fun. Cathe cools down with a dancy Latin combination and includes the mambos and pivots I adore. It is a lot of fun to do too. The cool-down is actually my favorite part of the whole workout! After I experience Step Works again, I may create my own workout by combining my favorite parts of Power Max, Step Fit, and Step Works. Another warm-up with the first combination and the cool-down would be a fun timesaver workout. As much as I love Cathe, this workout as produced is not my cup of tea. I love Boot Camp and her new series with more athletic choreography, so it is not that I only like dancy choreography. I likewise love Low Impact Step with more basic choreography. It does not have Cathe’s best music either, but it makes me happy. I have not bonded with Power Max for reasons I cannot define. I am not one who can read a description of a workout and know that I will love it. I have to experience it. How a workout makes me feel is far more important to me than how effective it is. I want to dance and delight and experience joy. Working out should be about pleasure and fun, not just results. Exercise for me is more about worship than weight management. I am a Christian hedonist!
I received a package from Cathe today with my replacement DVDs. I need to preview them before I return the originals. I am extremely tired and ready to call it a day. I feel like I am coming down with something. Please pray for healing.
Goodnight, Violets!
Blessings,
Heather B.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
