STS DEAL OF THE DAY!!!!!

Hi STS ladies :)

OHHH NOOOO. I.CAN'T.WALK. Yesterday was my first disc of M2, D15 (legs). Holy cow, wowee :eek: :eek:. Enough said. Not complaining though :D. Lovin' me DOMS (yes, even the extreme kind. I'm a nut bag ;)).

Today will be D13 or 14, depending on if my weight set arrives or not. I really want to be accurate with my chest flies, and my new weight plates will give me 17 lbs exactly. Right now I have either 15 or 18, the former too light and the latter too heavy. Those micro increments really do make a difference. I want my pecs to burn :eek:.

Nancy
D18 sounds great. I have a hard time with anything bicep (it's my weakest muscle). I hope I can do those 5% increases.
I can't believe you did S&G after a leg disc!!! You're tireless!! I love it :D.
Dawn
Another dumbbell set would be very convenient for those pain-in-the-butt plate switching, you're right. And the price is right too. My dream would be to own the entire dumbbell hex set in increments, all lined up on a rack like Cathe does :(. Maybe if I come across an extra $2,000 HA!
No vest yet :(. I think I might have to order Cathe's as it seems to be the best one. If you have a squat rack, I don't think you'll need the vest. I'm super jealous you have a rack! What a wonderful piece of fitness equipment.
How was D6?
Gina
I've been watching CatheTV on YouTube for a few weeks now. Good stuff!
Ya, 1 arm rows are very tricky. I try to imagine my back working instead of my arms. A great tip from Cathe, but still difficult to do.
I've only done 1 disc of M2, and you're right. I've never felt this type of DOMS in my legs :eek:.
Is your b-day coming up? You mentioned your a Gemini :D.


Hope everyone has a wonderful day. Keep rockin' those STS discs!
 
Natasha, Yay for DOMS! How fun!

So, the fact you started with legs this week reminds me of a question I had. In M1, is it okay to do the legs disk on the day between the upper body disks?

Instead of:

Mon: chest/shoulders/biceps
Wed: back/triceps
Fri: legs

Could it be:

Mon: chest/shoulders/biceps
Wed: legs
Fri: backs/triceps

I'd like to spread out my upper body work a bit more. BUT, if Cathe thinks it's better to do it the recommended way - I'd rather not mess with a good thing.

I would love a matchy-matchy dumbbell set as well. :) I've accumulated all sorts of styles and colors along the way that probably cost-wise adds up to a full set! Maybe at some point I'll consider selling them all or trading them in.

I was actually very close to getting the Cathe vest as well but I realized I really wanted a rack/stands to do heavy bench pressing as well so the squat stands killed two birds with one stone. Can't wait to have to use them!

D6 was great! I was so happy because I was able to do a few more pushups on my toes than I had before! All of more soreness last week must have morphed into strength! Though - the Elmo push-ups - um, yeah…couldn't really do those! Ha ha.
 
daybreak said:
Natasha, Yay for DOMS! How fun!

So, the fact you started with legs this week reminds me of a question I had. In M1, is it okay to do the legs disk on the day between the upper body disks?

Instead of:

Mon: chest/shoulders/biceps
Wed: back/triceps
Fri: legs

Could it be:

Mon: chest/shoulders/biceps
Wed: legs
Fri: backs/triceps

I'd like to spread out my upper body work a bit more. BUT, if Cathe thinks it's better to do it the recommended way - I'd rather not mess with a good thing.

I would love a matchy-matchy dumbbell set as well. :) I've accumulated all sorts of styles and colors along the way that probably cost-wise adds up to a full set! Maybe at some point I'll consider selling them all or trading them in.

I was actually very close to getting the Cathe vest as well but I realized I really wanted a rack/stands to do heavy bench pressing as well so the squat stands killed two birds with one stone. Can't wait to have to use them!

D6 was great! I was so happy because I was able to do a few more pushups on my toes than I had before! All of more soreness last week must have morphed into strength! Though - the Elmo push-ups - um, yeah…couldn't really do those! Ha ha.
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Hi Dawn,

To my understanding, and after consulting with the gals from my other check-in's, you do not need to do the discs in order for each particular week (D1, 2, 3, ect). The only important factor here is that you complete all M1 W1 discs, in week 1. M1 W2 discs in week 2, ect. Personally, I can't do upper body workouts 2 days apart, I need more recovery time. I was never able to adhere to the discs in specific order, as my schedule needed to be more flexible. For instance this week, I will do D15, then 14, then 13, with cardio/rest in between. By Sat, I will have completed all of M2 W1 discs, and next week starts a new week. Your schedule written is totally acceptable (I actually prefer to put my leg workouts in between my upper body ones). Just like I mentioned, as long as you do not go from W1 to W3, then W2, skipping workouts altogether and mixing up the weeks, you should be go to go! I've even read of people doing STS 6 days/week!!!!! Can you imagine that???!!! :eek: :eek:

BBL! Have a good one!
 
Hi Dawn. I am no expert but I am doing StS for the 4th time and this time I am doing like you. Meso 1 Disc 1 , disc 3 , disc 2. I prefer to do upper , lower , upper. I hate doing legs so I like to get it over with. I am sure you will see great results if you lift your max weight and do STS 3 times a week.

Jean
 
Hi Girls!

I did Disc 17 Legs tonight and last night was Disc 16. I usually don’t do them back to back, but my schedule is a lil crazy this week. The DOMS are hitting me 24 hours later altho my upper body was shaking once again in the extended stretch last night making me wonder if I could hold myself up! This week my triceps are crying the loudest whereas last week it was my chest, but I have DOMS in ALL areas worked! I can feel my quads already tonight and that means my glutes will kick in tmrw. LOVE IT!

Ooh, I dream of owning all of the hex dumbbells in all the weight increments too!! My dumbbells are mismatched too. I just got a great deal on a set of used powerblock adjustable weights that go up to 50# (not that I can hold 50#!! Lol). My dumbbells only go up to 20# and I’m running out of room! I still prefer the individual dumbbells vs the powerblock but economically it was the way to go for me.

Natasha I knew you were just gonna love Meso 2!! Are you using dumbbells or barbell for the leg work? So, far I am using the barbell just for the deadlifts, but I may reconsider cuz I can’t seem to go heavy enough with the DBs. And if you use a BB, how are you adjusting the weight? Doubling up your DB amount? I gotta remember to pull out my curl barbell to load! That will help with her fast transitions during the tri-sets.
And, no, I cannot imagine doing STS 6 days a week! I need the break!! I am trying to do a second, easier leg w/o and that is enough to do me in ;)
And nice catch on my upcoming birthday, it is next wed. the 13th :-D

Nancy great job on your workout and gaining strength!! I’ve also had to drop my weight on the last exercise for both biceps and triceps, I’m just fried by then! Oh, and I decided to do Butts & Guts Abs since you mentioned, but not the smartest idea after my STS Legs w/o. I forgot you wore ankle weights!! Oh my, my legs were hollering, but I pushed through and did it. So, gee, thanks ;)

Dawn yep, I am going to continue with the one week of recovery in between every Meso when pyramiding back down. I’m excited you are interested!!
You can rearrange the discs for the week in any order as I know I’ve seen Cathe write that some where. I think it was just another way of adding muscle confusion b/c in each meso she changes the order and arrangement of muscles worked. For example, in Meso 1 legs are on the third day, but she switches it to the second day in Meso 2. But I think you will be fine how you want to do it b/c I know you will be working each disc hard ;)

Is it only me or does STS seem to be going fast?! I have never stayed with a rotation before d/t boredom, but I am loving this one! I can’t believe I am in the 7th week!! Oh wow, one more disc and I am halfway through the 3.5 month rotation! Yippee!!

Have a great night and catch you all soon!
 
Hello ladies :)

I hope everyone is doing well :).

My last STS disc was on Tues (D15-back & bi's). Sometimes I get confused with the disc #'s, my bad :eek:. I love the format of M2 as it seems to be much more cleaner and organized. Yay! No more hurricane central!! I LOVE how you do all of your exercises for the same body part until completion and then move on to the next body part. I found my back and bi's to be thoroughly worked until failure. Speaking of failure, who is lovin' the new TF ('til failure) rep section in M2?? :eek: :eek:
Can you believe I'm still DOMS'ing from the leg disc???!!! I've had to back away from cardio (except for walking with my daughter outside) cuz' I was just too darn sore! I've been wobbling around for 3 days now!!

BTW, pyramiding down might be in my future. The reality is that I might need to take a break from STS. I'm missing all my goodies like High Reps, Muscle Max, Lower Body Blast, 4DS. I really wanted to do a 4DS rotation, so we'll see. Oh and then there's all the great STS rotations that mix up the order of the discs and meso's :eek: :eek:

Gina
I'm using the dumbbell's for leg work, but I'm not liking them for squats and static lunges. As soon as I get my weighted vest, I'm using my barbell. Just a personal preference I suppose. I feel my range of motion is much better with the barbell and you can go heavier with a vest. I can only lift 40lbs of barbell safely over my head right now, but I can squat much more than that, so I'm kinda stuck :confused:.
Yup, STS is going super fast for me too! When you love something, time seems to go by faster. When you hate something, time just drags.
Regarding triceps, are you going up in 5% increases? For me, that was only 1/2 lbs during certain exercises.

Dawn & Nancy
I hope you are both doing well. How is the weather where you guys live? I'm near Toronto, Canada (I'm not sure if I mentioned it), and it's getting super nice and warm again. I'm outdoorsy and enjoying every single minute (until winter hits :mad:).

Have a wonderful day :)
 
Hi Everyone! Sorry I have done a disappearing act. Last week I traveled to my uncle's funeral. A couple other people in my immediate family are also very ill and I needed this week to just decompress. I have kept doing STS (#9 Saturday) and some of the new cardio DVDs I recently rec'd from Cathe. All of her stuff deserves the reputation it has!

I am looking to reading all the posts I have missed and hearing how everyone is doing!
 
Pam_90 said:
Hi Everyone! Sorry I have done a disappearing act. Last week I traveled to my uncle's funeral. A couple other people in my immediate family are also very ill and I needed this week to just decompress. I have kept doing STS (#9 Saturday) and some of the new cardio DVDs I recently rec'd from Cathe. All of her stuff deserves the reputation it has!

I am looking to reading all the posts I have missed and hearing how everyone is doing!
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My condolences Pam on your family's loss and unfortunate illnesses. Of course, you needed time!

Your perseverance and dedication is commendable during this time. It may have even helped with the stress associated with it for you. Life throws us unexpected challenges, but you stayed on track. Fantastic job.

Welcome back! We are all here to support you through STS and life :)
 
Happy Friday Ladies!

Thanks for all your advice on the order of the discs. I ended up doing legs (#9) on Wednesday and I'll do chest/back today (#8). It felt good to do it this way. I like that I won't have 4 full days in between upper body workouts.

Natasha, STS 6 days a week - do you mean that they essentially do two weeks in only one week's time? Mmm…maybe that something to try the 2nd or 3rd time around. :)

That's amazing you have 3 days of DOMS - can you imagine how strong your legs are doing to be when you recover from those!

Jean, thanks for popping in. You're on your 4th time - that's awesome. Did you leave time in between or do them back-to-back?

Gina, my husband has the adjustable weights - they really are economical that way - and quick to change. Pyramiding down seems like a great way to extend the program. And yes this is going SO fast!

Pam, so glad to hear from you! Sorry about your Uncle and those that are ill in your family. Hopefully STS is a good stress release for you. Your exercise routine is the one thing that can remain constant and that you have control over during these tough times - that's important.

Have a great day everybody!

p.s. Natasha, I am here in CT and the weather is gorgeous today! Spring is the best. :)
 
Hi Dawn. The 1st time I did STS was when it first came out. I did the 6 mos rotation. Then the next year I did the 3 mos rotation. Last Sept. I started the 6 mos rotation and now I am doing the 3 mos rotation but I am going to do the pyramid this time. I tried to do the LIS rotation this year but I got 2 injuries so I put that away. This time I was doing STS 6 days a week but I think with Meso 2 and 3 , I am going to do STS 3 days a week and 3 days of cardio. I am a little older than you young ladies so I need a break.

Jean
 
Hello My Fellow Seekers of DOMS!!!!!
I feel like I've been away for so long! BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!!
I have been really challenged by M2 W3! I LOVE how Cathe gives us something new each week like drop sets, back-off sets, and double wave load sets! This week I'll be sticking with my 75% (I hope! ;)) and really focusing on form! Disc 19 was a lesson in humility tricep wise. I could not do the cross body kickbacks at 75% of my 1RM :(. I had to back off by a pound (wish I had those micro load gloves for those 1/2 lb increments!)!
Gina, you are right, STS is flying by! I did 40/20 yesterday and couldn't believe it had come up in my rotation already because I only can fit it in once per mesocycle!
Pam, I'm sorry that you have to deal with such sorrow! Do you find yourself looking forward to STS even more (for some much deserved you time?)?
Dawn, I remember those Elmo push-ups that you talked about in one of your previous posts! I never did get past doing one and rolling off the ball! I swear Cathe and her crew are machines!!!!
Natasha, I am REALLY loving M2 too! Let us know what you think of the move up to 75% ;)! It's funny that you mention missing out on some of your favorite Cathe workouts, but imagine the sheer joy you will feel when you complete STS and do one of the others for the first time and use outrageously heavy weights! I'm thinking of doing Gym Styles again after STS with some High Reps sprinkled in! I also really enjoyed that 3 month transformation rotation....hmmmm, so many choices! BTW, I'm in North Carolina and we've been enjoying some unseasonal beautifully cool, non-humid days. It reminds me of Michigan summers (I lived in Michigan for 32 years before moving here to NC). But I know the sultry weather is just around the corner; then it will be like doing Bikram Cathe!:D
Jean, thanks for your input! It is reassuring to know that STS grows with you and it is a good investement! I enjoy the program more than anything I've ever done fitness wise!
I hope that everyone has a great weekend: tonight is Disc 20 Legs; Sat. will be Afterburn (I know, crazy!); Sun. will be Disc 21 Back & Bis; and Mon. will be Low Impact Challenge. I think I better get my game face on!
 
Jean, so what does your STS 6-day-a-week schedule look like?

I did disc 8 last night and my back is feeling great today! Don't you love waking up in the morning and your body feels stronger than the night before?

Today though - I'm not jumping right into a high impact DVD that I haven't done before (like I did the day after back/triceps during week 1 and week 2).:p I learned that lesson the hard way. I think I'll do MMA Kickbox and some ab work. And maybe I'll break out Basic Step and make some progress on that.

Nancy, what's Afterburn like? You use weights for that right? But I'm assuming not enough to constitute "strength training"?
 
Happy Sunday Everyone!
Dawn, Afterburn is FANTASTIC!!!! It really gets you huffing and puffing (and then some!)! The weights are used to boost your heart rate, but for my little dinky arms they can be challenging! I learned to modify depending on the weightlifting I did the day before. This morning I really feel it in my glutes since I did Afterburn the day after Disc 20 Legs. I think Afterburn is one of the most challenging cardio workouts I've ever done. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Today I'll be doing Disc 22 Back and Biceps and I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of strength gains I've acquired! For some reason I can really feel a difference in back and bis with this mesocycle.
I've got to work on my eating...I'm feeling puffy around the middle and the definition I thought I could almost see isn't there anymore :(. I know it's the after dinner nibbles...even though it's "healthy" and "clean", it's obviously too much. I have a small frame and weight shows up from waist to knees rapidly if I'm not careful! I thought maybe I'd try to fit more movement into my day and try to fit in an after dinner walk every day. We'll see ;).....
Hope everyone has a peaceful day and gets geared up for the week ahead! I'm planning on "training like a WARRIOR!!!":eek:
 
Hi Everyone! Hope your having a great weekend. I am in Ohio and we are having some hot days here hitting 90 and sunny. Lovin it tho!

I have a crazy week coming up. I am doing a garage sale on Thur/Fri with my Mom and sister so I need to rearrange the order of my discs and squeeze them in at the top of the week. I may just do one today to help spread it out even tho this was my scheduled rest day. Honestly, I feel like I can attack one today :) BUT doing STS 6 DAYS a week....oh my!! Probably too much for me so kuddos to Jean!

Natasha how was your first week of Meso 2?! Week 2 went better for me. Maybe cuz I was more prepared and knew the style. I was able to lift better for my biceps since I did the one arm rows properly! And I also stayed with just the pull-ups for the 3 sets and no chin-ups to cut down on my bicep involvement. So a much better bi w/o for me and I still fatigued them!
Oh, and you asked about my triceps, I haven't been able to make the 5% increase but I am lifting longer and stronger so I am looking for more improvement in the next few weeks. I have really been frying them too!
This week I am going to try the barbell for legs cuz like Natasha I don't like using DBs for squats or lunges too!

Dawn you're heading into your last week of Meso 1 if I'm correct? You've probably gotten used to the hectic pace, and feeling stronger especially with pushups, and have to be feeling excited as you are nearing completion of phase 1! It was an awesome feeling to finish Meso 1 :)

It sounds like everyone is doing great and staying on track...awesome job :) I am proud of everyone for giving it their best! Keep it up! You guys keep me motivated :)
 
Happy Sunday :)

DOMS hittin' hard today :eek:. Yesterday was D13 (chest, shoulder's, tri's). REALLY LOVE M2!!!! I'm a big fan of the barbell, so I was very happy when I saw Cathe introduced it for M2 chest presses. Something about chest presses w/the barbell makes me feel so strong and empowered. Initially, I thought I could have gone 1 or 2 lbs heavier, but when it came down to the final set, and final reps, I was barely able to hoist that bar up :eek:. I am happy to report that I'm really starting to see a lot more muscle definition in my UB. I was at the grocery store today, and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror while getting produce. I saw the famous V line in my arm!!!!! I walked away pushing my cart all proud inside :D.

Yesterday I also did 4DS High Intensity Step. The choreo is very tricky, but so fun once you master it :D.

Pam
My sincere condolences on the passing of your uncle :(.

Dawn
I know some people don't seem to like the MMA's, but I love em'! Sometimes I don't want to kill myself with high intensity cardio. They are PERFECT with STS.
Basic Step is where I started with step. Once that becomes too "easy", you can always up your height and graduate to Low Impact Step or Body Fusion. After that, the stars the limit! Trust me, I really sucked at step. The more you do it, the better you get.
Great job on your STS progress too. Feeling strong is one of the best feelings in the world :).

Nancy
Don't get discouraged about your ab definition. My friend, who is a personal trainer and certified spinning instructor, says abs are 90% diet and very hard (sometimes near damn impossible!) to acquire that famous flat, 4 or 6pk. She says even the fittest and youngest people have a difficult time, so don't be so hard on yourself.
You are so diligent with your workouts and seem very healthy and strong! You should be very proud :).

Gina
I hope your garage sale went well :).
You seem to be doing a fantastic job w/STS and progressing well. How are your legs shaping up during M2? From one pear-shaped gal to the next, I hope STS gives you those results! I'm excited for M3 squat rack because I really want to hit my legs hard :eek:. Are you doing that or plyo legs?

Jean
You STS veterans amaze me :eek:. You are awesome! Thanks for your helpful feedback.

Wow, post ran long :eek:. Just wanted to make sure to respond to everyone :). Have a wonderful day ladies!
 
Hi Dawn . This is an example of my 6 day STS:
MON-disc 1
TUE - disc 3-LEGS
WED - disc 2
Thur - rest
Fri - disc 4
Sat - disc 6 - legs
Sun - disc 5
Mon - rest

Starting tomorrow i will be doing sts , cardio , sts , cardio , sts , cardio. I start Meso 1 week 4. I will take a rest day when I need to run errands.

You ladies are moving right along. I hope you love it as much as I do. Good Luck Ladies. I can't wait to hear about your new muscle tone.

Jean
 
I love your grocery store story Natasha! Funny, but I have one too. Today I was pushing my buggy to the car up an ever so slight hill and boy did I notice it in the glutes! They are sore!

Another lover of the MMAs here!!

My legs are the last to show improvement, but they are stronger. I have been trying to add in a second, easier leg workout on Sat.; however, the Athletic Training Leg Cardio Express was NOT easy! Lol. Could be why my glutes were talking to me pushing that buggy today!! I do notice my shorts are fitting better in the legs. I’ll be taking measurements soon. And my plans are for the Squat Rack in Meso 3, maybe add pylo legs as a 2nd leg w/o for the week. Not sure, will have to see how hard the DOMS hit me!

Both my Mom and sister have noticed upper arm/shoulder definition going on!! STS is working!!

This round of STS is quite a learning experience. I know when I do STS again or even when I pyramid down I will have a better grasp on things for better results even. My 1RMs are off and I have to refigure what I am going to lift every week. I haven’t had the time to try and update the W/O Manager to help me. I must have been very strong the day I tested 1RMS or something, b/c I can’t lift what my card says for the majority of the moves. It’s a little frustrating.

Ladies, we are soon on our way to being STS Veterans ourselves :)
 
Gina, you must be reading my mind: I've been thinking of using Plyo Legs as a cardio workout as well! I think I'll use it at the end of the week so it would go:
Chest/Back;
Cardio & Abs;
Squat Rack Legs;
Cardio & Abs;
Bis/Tris/Shoulders;
Cardio (Plyo Legs) & Abs

Yestereday's Back/Biceps (Disc21) workout was like an epiphany for me. The back work was awesome and I felt very strong! The double wave load technique nearly took me out! I don't know if I have ever truly felt my muscles fail before! It was on the 5th set and I did 6 reps no problem, but on the 7th rep my left arm just wouldn't move...at all...it was like it wasn't my arm! :confused: CRAZY! So, the last set was supposed to be 8 reps, but I couldn't get past 5! I really struggled through the next exercise (incline curls on the stability ball), only doing 11 reps, then 7 reps, and then dropping the weight by a whole pound and doing 8 reps. My forearms (which are puny) and my biceps felt huge and engorged with blood! I LOVED IT!!!!! The reverse dumbell curls at the end had similar results. I don't know if I need to change my one rep max (lower it), but I'm going to stick with it for now and see what happens next week! :eek:
 
Hi!!

I just did Disc 20 Legs, last night was chest, shldr and tris, and tmrw will be back and bis. I have NO IDEA how Jean ever did 6 discs in one week. I am doing 3 in a row d/t I will be staying at my mom's for 3 days for the garage sale. But I cannot immagine only taking ONE day off and completing 3 more discs in a row! God bless those who can!! Wish me luck that I can even pick up the weights tmrw...lol.

What is challenging to me for STS is the mental challenge. I have to convince myself that yes, I can lift heavier and longer. With never doing any of Cathe's heavy weight workouts before, this has been what I need to focus on. This week I have to say I am better with my mental talk and it is making a difference in my lifting :)

I have to say I really enjoyed "just" doing the tri-sets for legs today compared to the double wave load yesterday. Natasha, Dawn...just you wait, that's all I can say, just you wait!! It is amazing how this program keeps changing and challenging you. You never get a chance to get comfortable and that's what our bodies need to transform!! Cathe is absolutely incredible!!

Oh, Nancy, you go ahead and try doing both leg workouts in Meso 3 and let me know how it goes first!! Lol, be my guinea pig :) It is daunting, but I am willing to give it a try. Oh, and great job on the muscle fatigue! Who cares if you have to drop your weight and you are still able to fry your muscles, I have had to do this as well!

My tracker is acting up, I have completed 20 discs!!
 
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