Is anyone or has anyone done the workouts with lighter weights increasing the reps/tempo working the allotted time that Cathe is performing the exercise? I don’t care for heavy weights due to joint issues so I’m trying to modify to make the workouts work for me but still want a decent workout.
STS 2.0 with lighter weights
- Thread starter KarieH34
- Start date
I always do Cathe workouts or other workouts with lighter weights...I don't want to and really
can't lift the heavier weights and for me, I feel that I get a great workout..for my body &
limitations.....I know what I can do....sometimes I might do more reps, or just follow along with them. I always feel I get a decent workout.....like Cathe says, make the workout work for you! This subject always reminds me of another instructor & workout when they say
"Don't tell me you're using 5lbs" I always laugh and say, Yeah, I am, what you gonna do
about it.....come thru the tv screen?
My advice is do what you can do and enjoy.
can't lift the heavier weights and for me, I feel that I get a great workout..for my body &
limitations.....I know what I can do....sometimes I might do more reps, or just follow along with them. I always feel I get a decent workout.....like Cathe says, make the workout work for you! This subject always reminds me of another instructor & workout when they say
"Don't tell me you're using 5lbs" I always laugh and say, Yeah, I am, what you gonna do
about it.....come thru the tv screen?
My advice is do what you can do and enjoy.
nickisteen
Cathlete
You do whatever you want with those workouts!
ashaw
Cathlete
That reminds me of Xtrain Chest, Back and Shoulders where you do the one arm rows and Cathe calls out 25 pounds and then says “we’re not messing around here, we’re not using 12’s unless 12’s are what challenges you!”I always do Cathe workouts or other workouts with lighter weights...I don't want to and really
can't lift the heavier weights and for me, I feel that I get a great workout..for my body &
limitations.....I know what I can do....sometimes I might do more reps, or just follow along with them. I always feel I get a decent workout.....like Cathe says, make the workout work for you! This subject always reminds me of another instructor & workout when they say
"Don't tell me you're using 5lbs" I always laugh and say, Yeah, I am, what you gonna do
about it.....come thru the tv screen?
I know that I’ve had past neck and shoulder issues so no matter what, I’d never go any heavier than 15’s on overhead presses. I’d rather not risk injury and being sidelined.
I use lighter weights than Cathe and sometimes find I'm ahead of her in rep count so I will add on an extra 1 or 2 reps. I live alone, so I am careful not to go too heavy and risk injuring myself. I make sure I select weights that I know I can manage. As others have said, you do what works for you.
firemedic
Cathlete
As I've gotten older, I know I cannot go as heavy as Cathe on a lot of moves, mostly when it comes to shoulders. I've had surgery on both my shoulders and am very careful when it comes to that. I also will add bonus band work at the end because I have found that my shoulders respond more and feel better when I add in band work as well. I do find that I second guess myself at times thinking I should be going heavier but I really have to make sure I don't hurt myself. I have some OCD issues at times and if I see I have been using lighter weight than before, I feel bad about it. I really have been working on that and telling myself to not feel bad about anything, as long as I am trying to do something, it's better than not doing anything at all. I do a lot more yoga and mediation nowadays and that has helped a lot with my OCD. I haven't been able to try any of the weight workouts yet for this series but cannot wait to try them.
You are absolutely right !
nickisteen
Cathlete
Do what feels right for your body!
I haven't had a chance to do any more than a a couple of the recovery workouts from STS 2. Before the chaos of getting ready to move, however, I'd been doing strength training with Cathe (her many other workouts) and I lift light. I'm interested in lifting heavier, and recently someone on this forum mentioned a special kind of glove with a hook on it that may make this possible for me (after things settle down). If it doesn't work for me, though, I'll go back to lifting light. My body feels great and I'm quite happy with the way it looks when I'm lifting light. If I'm doing Giant Sets, I lift light. I use the heavier lifting workouts to add variety, but I still use light weights when doing them, just as I do with the lighter weights/high rep workouts. It was definitely doing a lot for my body, because now that I haven't had the time for strength training (or cardio or hardly anything that I want to do), I'm not happy with my body. I don't feel as healthy, I wear out faster, I never get a "2nd wind", I've lost strength, and my muscle tone is not as defined. Lifting light does a lot. I'd always wondered if it was enough, and now that I'm not doing it, I know that it was enough for me. I'm still curious and hoping that I'll eventually be able to lift heavier, but if not, I'll be perfectly happy with my lighter weights. Do what your body tells you that you need. It will thank you for it.
vivbc
Cathlete
Listen to your body, for sure. That's the best guide. If you are lifting lighter than Cathe, and that's heavy for you, then that's heavy for you. It's not light for you. If you are lifting lighter and it is lighter, adding a few reps and/or taking shorter rests might be doable. Cathe mentions lifting lighter during the Upper Body 1 workout. But it's your body, and only you know what is right for you.
Nicely worded!
Echoing those before me, do what is right for you. Heed Cathe's advice though: "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you" I believe is what she has said. Since I've been working out with Cathe (15 years now) I've found I crave for new workouts not only mentally but physically.
Lannette
Cathlete
I used the STS 2.0 DVD Premixes along with the restorative workouts as part of a 4 week hybrid rotation. I used lighter weights, sometimes lighter than I should have used.
Because my weights were lighter I didn’t always need the long recovery periods. I just inserted a second set into the first minute of the rest and recovered during the second minute.
My rotation was actually 5 weeks because I used the first week as a recovery/restorative week as I worked my way through discs 11-15 as a kind of a palate cleanser to get my body ready.
The results were wonderful. I didn’t realize how wonderful until I did a few non-Cathe workouts and they felt easier. A few days ago I popped up onto my toes for pushups and did 21 of them.
I think we have a tendency to push as hard as we can when actually recovery can be the key to better strength gains - at least for us old birds.
FlemingCol56
Cathlete
I don’t even own weights as heavy as Cathe-15 ‘s are my heaviest and will sometimes use my 20 or 25 pound kettlebell-after a herniated disc in neck which never fully resolved,I can’t use heavy weights anywayI always do Cathe workouts or other workouts with lighter weights...I don't want to and really
can't lift the heavier weights and for me, I feel that I get a great workout..for my body &
limitations.....I know what I can do....sometimes I might do more reps, or just follow along with them. I always feel I get a decent workout.....like Cathe says, make the workout work for you! This subject always reminds me of another instructor & workout when they say
"Don't tell me you're using 5lbs" I always laugh and say, Yeah, I am, what you gonna do
about it.....come thru the tv screen?
Kellyro77
Cathlete
You do what you feel is possible. That said, I echo what snowlover quoted from Cathe. "If it doesn't challenge you it won't change you". I think that's the primary purpose of this set is push to use heavier weights than what you typically stick with.
That said, I'm sure following along with her with lighter weights and more/faster reps will also still yield a great workout. I'm unclear if you'll achieve hypertrophy that way, though. Maybe someone can share some science that would support it, though.
So, I think you'll get a great workout with light or heavy weights, but I'm unclear if you'll get significant strength gains if you stay on the light side. I've always understood light weights and high reps to be more a muscle endurance workout than a hypertrophy workout.
If your joints won't tolerate heavy though, then I say at least you're doing SOMETHING! So much better than sitting down and doing nothing!
That said, I'm sure following along with her with lighter weights and more/faster reps will also still yield a great workout. I'm unclear if you'll achieve hypertrophy that way, though. Maybe someone can share some science that would support it, though.
So, I think you'll get a great workout with light or heavy weights, but I'm unclear if you'll get significant strength gains if you stay on the light side. I've always understood light weights and high reps to be more a muscle endurance workout than a hypertrophy workout.
If your joints won't tolerate heavy though, then I say at least you're doing SOMETHING! So much better than sitting down and doing nothing!
I do Cathe's workouts and have been with her since late 90's/early 2000...or close. I do her workouts because I enjoy her personality, creative choices of exercises, variety. I use weights that I want to use and that's it in the nutshell! Nobody (or at least I hope not) is going to come out of that tv screen and get me.......and if I ever feel that I don't deserve to use Cathe's workouts because I don't use heavier weights, well.........I'll move on......If I don't achieve hypertrophy or whatever, that's ok by me, I just want to try and be able to keep moving, and stay in shape for my age. I am using the workouts as more muscle endurance than hypertrophy and the good thing is that the dvd keeps playing
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Lannette
Cathlete
This post makes me smile. I actually have that Cathe quote in our home gym bathroom.
Yes my 4 week “ light” rotation with light for me dumbbells was better than nothing. I ended up losing a pant size and moving from push ups on my knees to full body push ups.
What is light for me? No Dumbbell bigger than 20 pounds, a 30 pound KB for single weight moves, but only a 30 pound barbell out of laziness with making changes. Definitely not Cathe’s weights!
Make assumptions with care. Something can definitely be better than nothing.
Debinmi
Cathlete
So well said!... I do her workouts because I enjoy her personality, creative choices of exercises, variety. I use weights that I want to use and that's it in the nutshell! ... ...I just want to try and be able to keep moving, and stay in shape for my age.
I'd also add that I use Cathe because she seems to stay updated on techniques to keep things safer... so I trust her choices more than some others'.