Slow and Heavy Series

K

kimroberts

Cathlete
I've been a Cathe step fan, kinda like that song, "I was country when country wasn't cool." I've got virtually all of the step tapes, but nothing else of her's.

I'm considering buying the slow and heavy series, but I wanted some opinions first. I am a trainer, former bodybuilder, and I want tough tapes, equally as tough as Cathe's step tapes. Is the slow and heavy series really tough??? How long is each tape?

Also, what brand of barbell should I get. I saw that for one of them you must have an adjustable barbell.

Thanks
Kim
 
Hi Kim,
I think the S&H series is great. I very rarely get sore, but these upper body workouts just wipe me out - especially chest/back. I can't seem to make the legs workout work for me - I can't lift enough weight over my head to make it challenging for my legs.
I definitely think these videos will challenge you!!
Oh - each tape is about an hour long.
Erica
 
So far I've only done the Biceps and Triceps workout. As the above post, I did not get sore. I'm not sure this workout is going to work for me. I think I could have probably went a little heavier on the biceps, but the triceps, no way. I lifted as heavy as I could with good form and was trembling terribly, but never felt sore afterwards. I have not tried the other two yet, so I cannot comment on those.
 
Hi, my .02. I think the S&H series is very challenging. The process I'm going through now is finding what weight I need for each excercise in each segment. Once I get them all written down, I think I can progress from there.

I find them very challenging because it's so different from anything I've done before. I'm loving the learning process.

DM
 
Hi Kim

I have done the legs & shoulders and the chest and back workouts so far in the Slow and Heavy. I think these workouts are an excellent addition to one's rotations. I am very muscular though and am a little concerned that I will get even bigger (which my boyfriend wants to do at this time) but I am going to give this rotation a go for at least 3 weeks and see what happens. I can always even it out later with MIS or Powerhour for endurance.

The Slow and Heavy really concentrates on focus, form and concentration. Having been a previous bodybuilder, I think you will quite like these tapes.

As well, though I can feel that I used my muscles, I am not that sore but as you probably know, soreness is not that much of an indicator of whether a workout is working or not. Not that much makes me that sore anymore (except doing 103 pushups really gets my abs and lats) so I cannot really go on the soreness factor.

Hope this helps.

Kim
 
I really like reading these posts about people who know what they're talking about, since I am definitely not an expert. I mentioned that I was not sore which you all say is no big deal. What if I also don't feel the burn or, I guess you could say, the muscle feeling pumped and tight? I feel this in Power Hour big time. My biceps are so pumped that I can barely lift. I am not fatigued at all in Power Hour and go heavier than the slow and heavy series and can really feel that pump in them. In the slow and heavy series I have to lighten my weight and I still get fatigued without feeling the pump in them. Does this also not matter?
 
Sometimes that happens with my biceps. I don't feel the burn but am usually sore the next day. Soreness is not necessarily the guage for whether or not a workout is effective. Once you have laid down enough muscle and reached a certain training level, you might find it necessary to shock the muscles by doing something very different or increasing your weight, assuming you haven't reached your limit. Or haven't found a way to exceed it!



If any strength workouts are going to challenge you, Cathe's will! They are really excellent!
 
I am loving the slow & heavy series! I find them challenging yet doable. I like to go heavy in my training, and this series really forces me to focus on form. I love when my muscles shake when driving that weight! My delts get sore sometimes, and my abductors are usually sore after those slow plie squats. My biceps get sore too. But I always push myself to fatigue, which sometimes means certain muscles get sore. But I try not to let that be a guage of how hard I worked. Kim, you may really enjoy these tapes if you used to be a body builder. They are definitely mass-building challenging workouts. I love 'em!
 
Ya'll were so convincing that I ordered them.

Can anyone recommend an adjustable barbell that the instructions say you need? Or could you get by with a variety of dumbbells?
 
RE: adjustable barbell

Hi Kim! Check out the Troy Barbell & Fitness Co. at http://www.troybarbell.com I think they use Troy's in CTX and some of the other videos. Also check out Ivanko, they are very well known for high quality products (I have an Ivanko barbell w/plates & clips) http://www.Ivanko.com York barbell is also very well known, check out http://www.yorkbarbell.com

I use a combination of a barbell and various dumbells. I think you could get away with using only dumbells, if you've got really heavy ones you can handle on your shoulders for squats, lunges, plies... I prefer my barbell for leg work because it's easier to balance on my back/shoulders... but you were a bodybuilder so you probably don't need me telling you this!!!

marnie
 
RE: adjustable barbell

Marnie,

If squats are all Cathe does with a barbell, I'd prefer dumbbells. Something about the way a barbell rests across the back of my shoulders makes my back ache. I've got 1 25-lb dumbbell, and a pair of 20's. Maybe I can find a mate for the 25-pounder. I've got plenty of smaller ones.

Kim
 
RE: UPS works miracles

I ordered my tapes monday and got a UPS tracking number. With the recent disasters, I truly forgot about tapes. But this morning, I decided I would check the UPS tracking number, and guess what?? My tapes were at a UPS center about 15 miles from my house!! How can UPS do that without airplanes?
 
Hi Kim,
I am interested in knowing how you feel about working body parts only once a week. Since you are a previous body builder I was wondering if you felt that this is enough and if so will this only keep the muscle that you have or will it build more? Do you have to keep trying to increase the weight you lift? I feel I am at a stand still. I have been lifting weights for years and I feel that I am a my max that I can lift. I use the same weights that Cathe uses in her videos but just can't seem to go heavier without just being plain tried. I don't get sore anymore neither unless I skip working out for a week. I have all of Cathe's weight tapes including Slow & Heavy series. I like them and was just wondering if once a week was going to be sufficient since each segment is long it would be hard to do it more than that.
Thanks for your time. It is nice to hear other peoples input and ideas.

Deb
 
Deb,
I liked Cathe's tapes and I'll probably use them a couple of times a month each to supplment my gym workout.

When I work one bodypart a week when I'm in a building phase, I do tons more work for each bodypart than is on these videos. I do around 20-25 sets per bodypart and they are all in the heavy range for me, about 6-8 repetitions. I use as many different grips as I can to vary it, and I never do the same workout one week as I did the previous week. Whatever bodypart is worked that day feels like jello for the next several hours. No kidding, I have trouble lifting my arms to change my clothes or trouble making my legs walk me to the car.

If that doesn't answer your question, holler back at me.

Kim
 
RE: UPS works miracles

I heard on the news that UPS and FedEx brought on additional trucks to get packages across country. It is pretty amazing how business prevails over a tragedy like this. I'm glad they are doing what it takes to show terrorists that they can't beat us down!
 
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