STS suggestion

K

krassymira

Cathlete
Cathe, it would be so awesome if you could display the current weight you are using in each and every exercise you do on STS on the screen, for example right under the %1 RM. I understand the importance of doing the 1RM test and all that, but lets be realistic: probably all of us are aspiring to come to your level, so it would give us a nice pointer of where should we aim.
Just a thought.
 
I disagree, respectfully.

Cathe has always been adamant that we all find the weight that works for us. If we aspire to lift the same weights as Cathe, before we are ready to do so, it could result in a nasty injury.

Bear in mind also, that the weights Cathe uses might not be at all what we should aim for. We all have different body types. I am a tall, hard-gaining ectomorph and will never match the mesomorph Cathe for her heaviest weights in chest and triceps. It just 'aint gonna happen. So, posting up the weights she uses would not at all be what I should aim for, rather it could have a negative effect for people like me. It might insinuate something like "look at the weights you can never aspire to". So much of athletic success stems from the psychological angle, so receiving a positive message ("use the weights that work for you"), rather than a potentially negative one ("Cathe is using mega amounts for triceps!") is key.

Just my opinion.

Clare
 
krassymira said:
Cathe, it would be so awesome if you could display the current weight you are using in each and every exercise you do on STS on the screen, for example right under the %1 RM. I understand the importance of doing the 1RM test and all that, but lets be realistic: probably all of us are aspiring to come to your level, so it would give us a nice pointer of where should we aim.
Just a thought.
Click to expand...

We purposely don't show or tell the weight that Cathe is using in STS because of several reasons. First, as you probably have already heard us say before , we want you to use a weight that is appropriate for your fitness level. This is why we want everyone to take a 1RM test. If there was such a thing as the world’s greatest and hardest workout, different people would have different opinions of the same exercise routine because of the weights they chose to do the workout. Even the world’s hardest routine might be a walk in the park if you were to use a weight that is too light or too heavy. This is why sometimes you will see threads on our forum with totally opposite opinions describing the intensity of the same workout. Second, you have to remember what you see on TV is not reality. Cathe always tries to use weights that challenge her, but she has to leave room in her selections to take into account she may have to do the same exercise many times in row until we get the shots we need. This often means Cathe is on the set at least 10 hours and sometimes up to 20 hours each day. We also quite often film on consecutive days, so the 48 rest rule between exercises of the same muscle group is thrown out the window. This means that for many exercises Cathe has to use a weight that is usually lighter than what she would normally use.
 
Last edited:
I dont want to be devil's advocate here, but negative messages are not all that bad. Look what they did for Michael Phelps for example. And if the exact weight is not displayed, how about a range of weights that this exercise should be performed in? After all, Cathe does that in ALL her other videos. Like I said, I dont undermine the importance of 1RM and think its a great tool we all must use. But having additional pointers would also help. Sometimes heavy weights are intimidating. When Cathe replied to me earlier with that 50 lbs dumbbell she has used for back, it scared me. But just knowing that she did it, gives me the courage to at least try. Of course everyone must know their limits. Of course safety comes first. But knowing that there is a higher summit to conquer, a bigger obstacle to overcome, can be a great inspiration. And the greatest inspiration and satisfaction, at least for me, is when I know I surpassed myself. Having Cathe to lead me is something absolutely fantastic. I can only speak for myself, but knowing what she does and trying to accomplish it, is a great motivator for me. I would definately want to know in what range the weights for a specific exercise should be.
But then again, I didnt really expect a positive responce for this. Negativity is a basic trait for many people. I hope STS will be a positive experience for all of us, and I trust the creators will do their best.
 
Not trying to be negative, just saying why we have designed STS the way we have. STS is based on the latest science, research and Cathe’s 27 years experience as an instructor. A tremendous amount of time was spent researching, developing and testing the STS program and we hope many of you will take the time to learn why STS uses 1RM tests and why it is so important to accurately measure rest breaks between exercises based on the weight used.

There is really only one way we know of to tell an exerciser what weight they should use and that is a 1RM test. This is what nearly every licensed professional trainer we know would do and what our research and experience have also determined. Giving a weight range for an exercise simply wouldn’t make a lot of sense in program like STS. For example, let’s take a One Arm Row. In our Health club there are people that can only handle a 10lb Dumbbell while others could easily handle well over 100 lbs. To give a rep range of 10 lb’s to 120lb’s would be meaningless, but a 1RM test works for any fitness level.

We have designed STS to be the closest workout you can have at home that would match a workout you could get with an experienced personal trainer at a quality health club or University athletic facility. This means we have to do two things:

First, we need you to use the correct weight for each exercise for your fitness level. STS uses what is known as a One Rep Max (1RM) test to make sure that everyone using the STS program uses a weight that is just right for their fitness level. A 1RM test is simply a test where you find the maximum weight you can lift ten times for most exercise. This means that for most exercises in STS we will tell you exactly what percentage of your 1RM you should use making sure you always use the correct weight for every exercise. This will help you to not only train safely, but also to maximize your results. Though you don’t have to take a 1RM test to do the STS program, you will never get as good of results as someone who does.

The second thing that makes the STS program different from any other exercise program is rest. That’s right – “Rest”. Without getting too technical, when you lift weights you need a certain amount of recovery time between exercises using the same muscle groups so that the energy sources that power your muscles have time to replenish and recover. The amount of rest time needed depends on the intensity of your workout and that is why it is so important that you use the correct weight.

STS is composed of three four week mesocycles that progressively get more intense. Since mesocycle #1 (60% to 70% of your 1RM) is the least intense of the three mesocycle you will only need a minimum rest period of about 30 seconds between exercises. In mesocycle #2 (70% to 80% of your 1RM) you will increase your weights and thus will need a longer rest period between sets of at least 60 seconds. Finally, mesocycle #3 (80% to 90% of your 1RM) is most intensive phase of the STS program and you will need a bare minimum of 2 ½ minutes rest between sets using the same muscle groups.
If you don't use the correct weight the rest periods will either be too long or too short and thus your results and opinion of the workout might suffer.

In the STS program we have accurately measured the rest periods for you between each and every exercise and set so all you have to do is watch the DVD and follow along. STS is just like have your own personal trainer who tells you how much weight you should lift and how long to rest between every set. You can certainly do STS without taking any 1RM tests, but at least test for the major exercises in the program if you can.
 
This explanation sounds really great and I thank you (!!) for taking the time to enlighten us (as I think not only me but many people will read this).
In this case it really is meaningless to display any numbers but the % 1RM. But then there should be another option, something like a printout for each workout consisting of all individual exercises and which weights should be used based on our INDIVIDUAL 1RM-s. If we have this tool that would be great! I cant imagine having to use a calculator between sets to see what I must use in the next exercise :D...
I'm sorry if I sound stubborn or obnoxious. I dont mean to undermine your efforts, I think all of you guys a great and if I didnt believe in you I wouldnt be here at all :). I've been doing Cathe's workouts since 2005 and I am hooked. I cant imagine doing anything else.
In writing all this I simply wanted to clarify things a little bit, but I guess December is just around the corner and all confusion will be cleared out very soon.
Be well and Thank You once more! :)
 
Hi Krassymira,

I'm not sure if you've seen the individual workout sheets for STS that have been posted in the workout manager section since the new website launched. These sheets list the different exercises and what % each exercise ought to be relative to your 1 rep max. This exists for all 40 disks in STS and they are intended to be used as workout cards. They are readily printable right now.

I'm just trying to clarify, are you looking for something more than this?
 
I cant find those "individual workout sheets for STS" :( Is that in the 1RM calculator section? I didnt see anything that is printable. Can you please link me? I'd really appreciate!
Goodness, I feel stupid now, for posting all these things above.... :(
 
Count me as one of the negative 1RM people too!

Hi,

I have read all threads on the 1RM, have downloaded spreadsheets, etc and still cannot understand the tool or how to figure out my 1RM...it is to the point where I am either just going to give up on using the 1RM concept with STS, or cancel my order. I e-mailed and got so-so responses. I can't get the drop downs to work correctly, etc. It is really frustrating to me. I put the whole thing out of my mind, hoping that the tutorial would help if they do one.
 
The worksheets I'm referring to can be accessed via the calendar function.

Once you are logged into the workout manager section, click calendar, then click on any date (today or future). You should get a list of workout options including STS. Click on "add new" for STS and you'll get a another dropdown menu asking which STS disc you want. Pick a disc (1-40) and you'll see the list of exercises that are included in that workout and what % it should be of your 1 rep max. This % will be based on whether the disc chosen is from the first meso (#1-12), second meso (#13-24) or third meso (#25-40). Each one can be printed separately.

I hope SNM creates an easier link to these workouts sheets. A single print button for all workouts in each meso cycle would be great too!
It's rather roundabout right now. HTH!
 
WM

fox2star said:
Hi,

I have read all threads on the 1RM, have downloaded spreadsheets, etc and still cannot understand the tool or how to figure out my 1RM...it is to the point where I am either just going to give up on using the 1RM concept with STS, or cancel my order. I e-mailed and got so-so responses. I can't get the drop downs to work correctly, etc. It is really frustrating to me. I put the whole thing out of my mind, hoping that the tutorial would help if they do one.
Click to expand...

The 1RM and the WM are far from a finished product. You're only currently seeing the very basic frame work of the program. Over the next 45 days we will start the finishing touches to the WM which will make it much friendlier to use. Currently, the WM is barely useable and I’m sure frustrating for a lot of people. This is a necessary phase we have to go through in developing the software as releasing in early beta saves us time in the long run because we can see what is working and what is confusing people now instead of later. In the final form the WM will be simpler and easy to understand how to use. You will simply click a few buttons and your calendar will automatically load with the entire 3 month STS program. We will even offer rotations for STS that will have recommended Cathe cardio workouts. Just right click on any STS icon and your program card for that day’s workout will automatically load.

The 1RM test is actually very simple to do. The final version of the 1RM calculator will have videos showing you how to do every exercise. In the meantime taking a 1RM test is simple. Just find the maximum weight you can lift ten times for an exercise and record it in the WM. If you’re having trouble with the WM just write down your results in a journal and then transfer the results once the final version of the WM is launched. We will have tutorials that will walk you through ever phase, so don’t worry.
 
Last edited:
Thank you

Jonahanah:

Thanks so much for the tip on how to get the list of excercises..this will help when it is closer to the time the workout is released. I copied your response to a Word document that I have been keeping all the STS tips I have found!

SNM:
Thank you for the response. I am glad to hear that there will be more help with the 1RM and the WM will be enhanced in the near future.
 
I would like to thank everybody who posted a reply, especially Jonahnah (great help! :) ) and most of all, SNM for all the clarification and for infusing fresh air on our hopes! :)
Best wishes and good luck to all: Krasy
 
I have to thank you Krassymira for asking about the 1rm. I know the information has been said before but sometimes it takes me seeing or hearing information a few times before I get it. Seeing the answer to your question helped ease some of my STS anxiety. I preordered STS and I trust Cathe to take me to the next level of my fitness journey but I have been a bit anxious and I felt lost when I saw other exercisers going ahead with Excel spread sheets etc. They seem so on top of it and I feel so overwhelmed instead. It sounds like STS will be user friendly for gals like me. Right now I rely on Cathe's monthly workout rotations. If I have a plan to follow I stick to my workouts. When I lose structure I get lost in all the choices. (can you guess I have ADHD?) I have other gifts but planning is not one of them. :) I'm going to wait until the final version of the WM to do my 1tests. I guess I'm one the gals that the Beta Testing is for. They can see what isn't working. (said in a kindly way.:))
Colleen
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top