STS STS 3.5 Mo.-Is Anyone Else Doing This?

Hi everyone! - very sorry to butt in on your thread, but I was looking for STS experience, and read some of your posts - perhaps you can help? Jengollf, in particular, seems to have gone through what I'm currently going through:
I finished Xtrain 90 days and LOVED it and the results. I then did Rock Bottoms - again, great results, so, I started STS. Decided to do 6.5months - my first time with STS.
I'm about to start week 6 (ie 2nd time through discs 7,8,9 meso 1) and I have PUT ON 6lb!!!!! I'm the heaviest I've ever been (except for pregnancy ;)). Although I wasn't really looking to lose, I certainly don't want to gain. I eat clean, and have done for a long time. My weight has been stable (and 'appropriate') all my life. Why now? I could have understood at the start of Xtrain. Surely only 1lb can be added muscle, and 2-3lb water.
HELP. PLEASE. I'm on the brink of giving up, and need to hear words of support and encouragement.
Thanks in anticipation....
Justine
 
Justinef said:
Hi everyone! - very sorry to butt in on your thread, but I was looking for STS experience, and read some of your posts - perhaps you can help? Jengollf, in particular, seems to have gone through what I'm currently going through:
I finished Xtrain 90 days and LOVED it and the results. I then did Rock Bottoms - again, great results, so, I started STS. Decided to do 6.5months - my first time with STS.
I'm about to start week 6 (ie 2nd time through discs 7,8,9 meso 1) and I have PUT ON 6lb!!!!! I'm the heaviest I've ever been (except for pregnancy ;)). Although I wasn't really looking to lose, I certainly don't want to gain. I eat clean, and have done for a long time. My weight has been stable (and 'appropriate') all my life. Why now? I could have understood at the start of Xtrain. Surely only 1lb can be added muscle, and 2-3lb water.
HELP. PLEASE. I'm on the brink of giving up, and need to hear words of support and encouragement.
Thanks in anticipation....
Justine
Click to expand...

Well now I a little scare to start STS, I don't want to lose weigth but no gain too, I want to have definition.
 
Hi Justinef--yes, I had that problem! I feel it was the 1RM for lower body. I have never done that prior to STS. I always felt I challenged myself and lifted heavy, but nothing like I lift now in STS. I initially (throughout all of Meso 1) did 1RM for everything--upper and lower body. But I gained weight and my thighs exploded during Meso 1! I was also squatting two 45 pound dumbbells, which is a lot for me. The fix? My recovery week between Meso 1 and 2 I did lots of MWT--Crossfire, TTM; then when I started Meso 2, I canned 1RM for lower body (though I have not stopped using it for upper body). For my cardio I did kickboxing, HIITs and kept MWT on the weekends for my 3rd cardio workout. I also did doubles--a second workout in the afternoon--generally another HIIT type workout. I lost the weight and my lower body slimmed down.

I do find it depressing because my husband got me a squat rack for Xmas and I bought the STS squat rack routines, but I am now afraid to use them. :( BTW--I have gained a lot of muscle in my upper body, but I am really ok with that. It's the lower body I do not want bulking up! BTW--Meso 3 plyo legs I just know is going to slim my legs like Xtrain's Cardio Leg Blast. Awesome workouts!

Any other questions I'd be happy to answer. Don't know how much help I can be other than to share my experience.
 
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply - and what you say makes perfect sense. It IS mainly in my legs that I have bulked up - although I've lost some of the 'cut' look in my UB too. Perhaps my body is just holding on to everything with the shock of all those heavy weights for legs!
My 3 days of cardio each week are:
HiiT+Legs (eg Hiit 40/20 + standing part of Xtrain legs)
Kickboxing or Kettlebells
MWT
I also walk the dogs daily (about 4.5 miles) and do 1 hour yoga daily (otherwise I'd seize up!), so I don't want to have to do any more. Listening to your experience, I think I'll continue Meso 1, then have a cardio-loaded recovery week, and only weigh myself when I've done that ;)
Have you started Meso 3 yet? I had been planning 1 week plyo and then the next squat rack - but I may hold off purchasing a rack.....
You've managed to shake me out of my silly panic with sensible advice! Many thanks -
Justine
 
Justine--your rotation looks good to me--looks like what I did to counteract the leg bulk. I was so upset tho! I guess everyone's body reacts differently. I can't tell you how many times I have read that no one (especially women) can gain muscle that quickly to have a big jump on the scale. And yet, I am a Biggest Loser fan and last season, the winner (Danni I think is her name), gained 19 pounds of muscle in 3 months. So it *is* possible to gain muscle in a short amount of time. With that said, I'm not saying that the 5 pounds I gained was solid muscle, but it happened over an 8 week period, when I was lifting heavier than I have every lifted, and hadn't changed my diet in anyway (except to drink a protein shake on strength days, but I worked it into my calories, so I wasn't eating more) and I was able to slim my thighs down by changing the way I worked my legs. So something was going on!

Anyway--yes, I am in Meso 3, in fact I just finished my first week of it. I am doing the 5.5 month rotation, so I was in Mesos 1 & 2 eight weeks, but I will only be in Meso 3 four weeks. I LOVE Meso 3. Plyo Legs scorches my lower body. Every muscle was (and still is) so sore!

fej327--How are you doing? Are you off the meds? I am starting doubles up again next week. I am loving Meso 3 too. I actually think the longer rest periods are necessary. I am lifting my 1RM on upper body and I need the rest. And on Chest & Back, I am having the change equipment around between every single exercise, so I need the time! I need more plates for the barbell rows than I do for the chest press, plus I have to move the barbell from the rack to the floor. Then on other exercises, I use a heavier dumbbell for bent rows than I do for chest flies, so I have to change one of Select Techs between each exercise. Anyway! I need a bit of extra time!

Plus, each set is challenging, but because it is only 8 reps and I get the rest, I can come back strong every time and do all 8 reps. I'll be honest, at the end of Meso 2 when some of our sets were done at 80% 1RM--but more than 8 reps--I was hitting failure frequently! I am getting very sore tho in Meso 3! So it is deceptive!
 
Hi ladies!

I have been on vacation this past week. Back to reality tomorrow. I tried to eat the best I could, however, it was hard to be good everyday! I did alright and it could have been worse. I am in recovery week of p90x but still on the last week of Alpha T25. I did bring these with me so I could stay on track and managed to get my workouts in except for the friday doubles day. Plan on doing that tomorrow. I also brought Travel Fit with me and did this twice. Plus went for a good walk a few of the days.

Jengollf...I did buy the gamma phase too. I am excited to be starting the beta phase on Monday. Still really liking this rotation. Let me know your thoughts on p90x2. A friend of mine loaned it to me but after reviewing it did not interest me. It certainly looks like a fantastic program just was not for me at the time.

Really missing STS though and plan to start up in the fall and do the 6 month rotation.

How are you ladies feeling?

I wish you the best Justine. I think you will really like STS. Your rotation looks great too. Have fun with it!
 
I have definitely 'bulked'. It looks like muscle - it's everywhere, but I guess I like it least on my legs. I'm glad someone else thinks it's possible to add muscle faster than they say. Jengollf - is there a reason you're doing Meso 3 for one month, yet the others for 2?
Labnick, presumably you got great STS results, given you're wanting to go back?
With the discussion about metabolic weight training on another thread, it's inspired me to do a MWT-based rotation when I finish STS.....
Thanks to all,
Justine
 
Justinef said:
I have definitely 'bulked'. It looks like muscle - it's everywhere, but I guess I like it least on my legs. I'm glad someone else thinks it's possible to add muscle faster than they say. Jengollf - is there a reason you're doing Meso 3 for one month, yet the others for 2?
Labnick, presumably you got great STS results, given you're wanting to go back?
With the discussion about metabolic weight training on another thread, it's inspired me to do a MWT-based rotation when I finish STS.....
Thanks to all,
Justine
Click to expand...

Actually, yes--there is a reason I am doing the 5.5 month rotation. I found this post by Cathe on the forum: http://cathe.com/forum/f95/sts-3-months-versus-6-months-256509/index2.html about STS and rotation lengths. Cathe's response is at the bottom. In summary, she writes that STS was initially designed to be a 6 month program but because she didn't think people would want to commit that much time she reduced it to 3 months. However, it can still be done how she initially intended it--as a 6 month program and she gives the rotation for that. Also, when breaking it down, she states she feels that Meso 3, because of how straight forward it is, could only be done 1 month, whereas the other 2 mesocycles should be done for 2 months.

I decided to go with the 5.5 month rotation because of the length of Meso 3 workouts. They are longer than the workouts in Mesos 1 and 2. I really only have an hour in the morning for my workouts, so some of the workouts are cutting my time to get ready for work short! But I did adjust my schedule so that I now do Chest & Back on Saturdays--so now, Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps (which isn't as long as the Chest & Back workouts) is done on Tuesdays. Plyo Legs aren't super long, but I also do Extended Stretch on leg days, that always puts me over an hour, too.

Now that I am actually in Meso 3, I'm really liking it. I think I will come back to STS in different ways in the future. Doing the whole thing again in the 3 month rotation and also using Cathe's body building rotation: http://cathe.com/forum/f95/rotation-body-building-287493/
 
Hi all feeling meh - no the scale hasn't budged except to go up 2 more pounds. I'm off the steroids and hormones but I must still be out of whack. He's having thyroid check so we'll see, but I just feel so discouraged. I'm still on Meso 3 but I'm struggling with motivation. My mind says its just a number and chill out and be patient. I'm trying I hate feeling sorry for myself! Lots of people would love to have good enough health to do doubles and lift like I do and I need to remember that. Sorry for venting !

Jen I'm glad your neck is better - you're being really smart about t. I'm right with you about loving Meso 3 - I got some heavier weights and I'm really enjoying it. You totally spot on though - with the heavier weights I need the longer breaks lol

Labnick if my weight is still unmoved I'm ordering the t25 and see of mixing things up helps. Maybe I just need a change

Justin welcome! And here's hoping we both drop the 5/6 pounds quickly!

Stay strong ladies - I will stay consistent and I'm keeping my carbs around 100. Hoping I have better news to report soon :))
 
Yay fej327--so glad to hear the scale is coming down! That is always a relief. So frustrating when you work so hard and seem to be getting the opposite results you are looking for. Speaking from experience here!

I am really loving Meso 3 and will be sad when I finish STS. But I am definitely returning to do it again! Today was Plyo Legs Disk 29--that workout is brutal! The good brutal! I love it!
 
Hello all !! The scale has returned all the way to my start weight before meds I am sooo happy no more bloat :).

Jen I am loving Meso 3 and today will be my first plyo legs - I'm excited!! Sts has given me such great definition I agree with you -- I will be doing this program again.

Labnick I'm getting the t25 workouts for when I'm done with sts. I can see now why it took you a minute to find a rotation after sts -this program is so thorough and good I haven't had to really think about what I was doing - just pulled a DVD and pressed play.

I was checking my arms and legs yesterday and I have real biceps now :). Plus both of my legs have that nice line on the outside. I never thought id have that. Plus I've always hated my arms, I always thought they were too big. Last night I was looking for a tank top to show them off. How things change!!

Are you ladies excited for the new workouts?? I am dying to see the legs and abs - my next goal is to really work my core.

Have a great Sunday ladies!!
 
Yay! So glad the weight came off! That's a relief. For some reason, fej327, I thought you were further along in STS than me--but if you're just doing Plyo Legs for the first time, does that mean you just started Meso 3? What did you think? I love Plyo Legs! I have done the first two now, and I personally think disk 26 was more difficult than disk 29. Thursday I do Disk 32, so we'll see if it gets easier or harder. I do love Plyo Legs tho!

Only 2 more weeks to go and I will be done with STS. I feel kind of sad but from the updates, it looks like around when I finish the new workouts they will start shipping. I am wanting to put together a rotation calendar for what to do after STS, but it seems pointless when the new workouts may show up and mess the whole rotation up! Because obviously I will do those immediately. So I am giving myself a recovery week afterward and then we'll see whether or not they have arrived by then.

Doing Meso 3 for 4 weeks rather than 8 makes sense now that I am in the midst of it. The workouts are all basically the same, other than lifting heavier. I think if I had done it for 8 weeks I would start getting bored.
 
Reverse rotation

This was posted on another board: http://cathe.com/forum/f104/sts-reverse-283031/#post2090671

I am intrigued! It seems like a great idea and I suddenly want to do it! The only thing holding me back is I have a lot of workout DVDs I haven't done yet, plus I have Cathe's new ones coming soon and I have been missing Xtrain and 4DS and some of her other strength workouts I really like. Why can't I do them all when I want to do them all! :confused: Maybe the next time I do STS I will try this reverse rotation.
 
Hi ladies!

You girls are almost done!! Jengollf...I felt the same way when I was nearing the end. Very sad. I am looking forward to Cathe's new workouts but can't wait to commit to STS again. I like the reverse rotation you shared a lot.

I am into my second week of the Beta Phase of T25 and it is going well. Surprisingly though I do not find these to be as intense as the Alpha Phase. A couple of these workouts include light weights and I do not find it to be challenging me. The next time the workout calls for weights I am upping them. Hoping this will do the trick. Other than this I still enjoy these workouts.

I loved all the Meso's but now looking back thinking 3 is my favorite. Felt so strong doing this. I loved loved loved Plyo legs.

I am in the same boat Jengollf...I have so many DVD's that I love and have not done in a while. I may do xtrain 30 day right before I commit to STS. but once I have her new dvd's this may change!!! :D

Enjoy the rest of STS!!!!!
 
So the Beta Phase of T25 isn't as intense? Did upping your weights change anything? I am still on the fence about it. On the one hand, I really want it, on the other I still haven't done P90X2 and Asylum--I have both programs over a year and they are collecting dust. Which is weird because I love P90X and Insanity. I can only blame it on Cathe. I discovered her and everything else has fallen to the wayside. I keep creating these rotation calendars in which I do new workouts that I purchased and have yet to do, or I return to old favorites. Then when the time rolls around for me to do the rotation.... I either change my mind and create a new Cathe rotation, or I do it for a week or two and return to Cathe anyway. What is up with that? I honestly cannot even understand it myself. Obviously Cathe's workouts are awesome, but so are the workouts by other trainers! I LOVE Insanity! And Peak 10 and Bob Harper workouts--but I don't have the same drive to do them consistently that I have to do Cathe workouts. It's almost like a comfort thing.

Anyway! I only have one more week of STS and I just finished Disk 31 Chest & Back at 90% 1RM. Earlier this week was Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps. All I can say is WOW. Wow, wow, wow, wow. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I impressed myself. I never thought I could lift that heavy. But I did. I struggled to push some out, but I pushed out every rep. The one that impressed me the most was the chest flies. I used 40 pound dumbbells! I don't know what anyone else is lifting, but I never thought I'd be doing chest flies with 40 pound dumbbells. Never! And that moment when you lay back and have to get your arms above your body and into position. Every single time I wasn't sure I was going to make it, that I might have to lower my weight for the remaining sets--and every time I powered it up there into position. Once it's in position it is easier--not easy! But not such a struggle.

Anyway, I LOVE MEso 3 and STS! How often do you ladies plan to do STS? I'm wondering if this question has already been asked of Cathe somewhere. I wonder how frequently she recommends doing a program like that. I am definitely doing it again, but I can't decide when. I am taking at least a month break to do some new workouts + Cathe's new workouts when they arrive. Then I'd like to do some Xtrain, Gym Styles, Pyramid, 4DS rotations. Then maybe do STS pyramid style. And I also want to try and fit in finally doing P90X2 and Asylum.

How are you doing fej327?
 
Happy labor day weekend everyone! This week I've been swamped. Even had to skip cardio on Thursday.

Jen - I am on the last week of Meso 3. I did plyo legs because I've been doing the squat rack disc but my back was a little sore, and I wanted to give it a break from heavy lifting. I love plyo legs also!! But this week I'll be back to the squat routine. But I'm super glad I did plyo - that is an awesome workout!! I'm curious about the reverse rotation too. But I am stoked about the new workouts!!

Labnick - glad to hear ur enjoying your t25. I'm not surprised you might need to up the weights. Cathe keeps us in such good shape I'm sure your cardio fitness level is above average.

I'm with Jen. I want the t25 but I have DVDs I haven't even opened. I keep returning to my faves too. I try and do tabatacize once a week and I miss it when its not rotated in.

I also have really increased my weights. I remember struggling with 20 pounds for chest flys and now I'm at 30-35. I feel so strong and my arms have really changed. I thought I was too old to have the arms I have. Very happy and will be doing sts again for sure.

Now, what am I going to do after this week while I wait for the new workouts???? Ugh decisions!!
 
Good morning!

Great job ladies with STS. Right now as you are nearing the end I feel for you! I was really kind of sad when it ended.

Some take a couple of weeks off then start all over again. I am waiting on the new workouts and plan to do them for a bit then the plan is 30 day xtrain rotation then two weeks off then start up with STS again. Going to do the pyramid rotation you mentioned earlier..meso 1,2,3,2,1 thinking I will enjoy this.

I would hold off on T25 if you have several other programs you have not done yet. I do find beta is not as intense. I actually started working with Bands instead of weights and I find this adds a good twist for me. There are only 2 workouts of this phase I do not care for so I sub in a couple of cathe's HIIT workouts and this works for me. If you remember I am also doing P90x weight workouts along with these and this certainly could be why I do not think the Beta phase is not intense and being a STS grad on top of this!!! :D

Have a great Labor day!!!!
 
Hello and woo hoo!! I am an sts graduate :)) I am super pumped and I cant believe im done!! I have went up beyond what I thought was possible in weights - I am stronger than I ever imagined - my upper body - always tough to get in shape - is so much better than I even dreamed!! I went to the gym on labor day and someone there said how strong I was - and I thought cause I'm a cathlete!!

I am excited to see how much more I can improve - I want to see how heavy I can go :)

Jen are you done?? What kind of results did you get?

I think until her new workouts come out I'm going to mix gym styles with p90x and sts cardio. I still have to work it out. I am very impressed with my sts results - I added almost an inch to my biceps and my shoulders have definition - very happy!!

Did you measure before Jen??

I'm going to do some insanity cardio Saturday- I know it's recovery time but I'm itching to keep lifting !!
 
Me too! this morning was my final STS workout. I am happy to have finished it because it was challenging and amazing and I loved it, but I am also sad because... well, it was challenging, amazing and I loved it! But I am definitely not done with STS--I posted a question about it on the Cathe board that she answered that has given me some guidance on how I will structure my future rotations. Plus--next time I am doing the squat rack routines!

No, I did not do any measurements beforehand. I have always been bad about that. I've done a ton of Beachbody program rotations and never did any measurements then either. I didn't lose any weight tho! However, that wasn't my objective (though it is always nice!). Like you, I am definitely so much stronger in my upper body and even without measurements it is obvious I have gained muscle in my arms and shoulders and back--so visible results. What about you? Did you do any measurements?

So we have all done it now! It's been a great ride and I am so glad I had you ladies here to join me on it!

Next up? I am doing a recovery week consisting of MWT (TTM, CF and AB) and her MMA workouts. I plan to do yoga doubles. Then I have a bunch of other new workouts I have purchased over the past few months that I haven't done yet that I am going to try and work through. Although, if they don't end up being intense enough or give me the strength work I am looking for, I am not sure what I will do. Change it up I guess! I am also going to incorporate some suspension training back into my rotation during September. I've really missed that. All of this is just to fill time until Cathe's new workouts arrive! Then I will do whatever rotation she posts with them!
 
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