STS Users: Is STS repetitive?

bigbadbrandini

bigbadbrandini

Cathlete
My name is Brandie and I've been working out to Cathe since 2001. I have all of her recent DVD's up to STS. When STS came out, I wanted to wait to see how other people liked it because it is the price tag intimidated me. I did this with the Hardcore Series too. I waited for it to release, read the forums, then after I saw everyone's great comments on it, I ordered it. I have pre-ordered the STS Shock Cardio and can't wait for it. I'm ready to order STS, but one of my good fitness friends (she's the one who introduced me to Cathe's workouts) told me that her trainer said STS is not worth the price because it is really repetitive. Her trainer is a major Beachbody promoter, so I think it may be she's just telling my friend this about STS to get her to buy Beachbody products, and my friend actually did buy Chalean Extreme. My friend started it and seems to like it a lot.

I just want to know from people who have actually done the STS program if you agree that it is repetitive. In what ways is it repetitive? In what ways is it not? I borrowed my friends Chalean Extreme and I've watched some of the workouts, and I have to say, those look pretty repetitive to me and quite easy for my current fitness level. I've also heard good and bad things about P90X. I'm a devoted Cathe follower and don't have many other instructors in my collection. I've spent some time reading all the STS forums about injury, good results, weight gain, the positive and the negative, etc. So, I am looking for some feedback to hopefully boost my motivation to just BUY it. Look forward to hearing from you all.

Thanks,
Brandie
 
Brandie...I would have to say it is not repetitive IMHO. If anything, P90X was repetitive and boring. HTH
 
I am not familiar with beach body products, but if a personal trainer is saying that STS is expensive, that makes me laugh. Trainers are so expensive!!

I was just thinking this morning as I finished Disc 35 that STS was such a bargain!! All of these workouts and all of these results for this low, low price! I've been using STS for 12 weeks now, and the same amount of time spent with a trainer (3 workouts a week for $60 per workout, for 12 weeks) would be somewhere around $2000!

Personally, if you want to compare to a workout you've done, I would say STS most closely resembles the gym styles. Doing them week after week bores me, but I didn't find STS boring. I love improving and the workout cards make it more interesting because you can clearly see your progress and not have to think. I think the plyo legs are some of the best workouts ever, and made the whole series for me.

I just don't think you can go wrong with STS.
 
Any weight training can be repetitive. I think Meso 1 is in no way repetitive. Meso 2 you could classify it as repetitive but only in the fact that you are doing 12rep, 10rep, 8rep, & failure. I think it's the least repetitive workout DVD that I have purchased.
 
While you may repeat some exercises, each set is combined differently so it feels like a different workout each time. I don't think I could handle it if every workout was 100% completely different from the last. What's great about this series is it allows you to build on the previous workout. Just when you think you have something down, Cathe changes it or adds a bonus. I think it was well worth the price & I have gotten great results but that's my .02
 
I 100% agree that it is not repetative. I've done Gym Styles rotations in the past where I lost most of my enthusiasm by the end of the second week knowing I had two more weeks of coming back to the same weight workouts and needed to mix things up to keep my motivation up. In STS, Cathe takes care of that for you. In fact, I would say that when an exercise comes up for the second or third time over the month, I actually rejoice a little because I know what to expect and can psych myself up. It wasn't until the 4th week of Meso 1 that I started to be able to spot the sections I'd done before by what Cathe was saying. It honestly feels like a brand new workout each time you do it.
 
measuredoak said:
While you may repeat some exercises, each set is combined differently so it feels like a different workout each time. I don't think I could handle it if every workout was 100% completely different from the last. What's great about this series is it allows you to build on the previous workout. Just when you think you have something down, Cathe changes it or adds a bonus. I think it was well worth the price & I have gotten great results but that's my .02
Click to expand...

I agree completely. All weight workouts are repetitive to some degree-isn't that the point of weight training? It didn't FEEL repetitive to me and I was never bored (completely exhausted sometimes yes, but never bored).
And FYI, I lost nearly 14 lbs doing STS and now have muscle definition I've NEVER had before. I just started my second round of STS this week. Also, I've tried various Beach Body DVD's before....they all became too easy or boring after awhile and I no longer have any of them.
 
Meso 1 definitely is not at all repetitive. Each disk in the entire Meso feels like a new workout. Very little is repeated. Meso 2 has more repetitions but again each workout is sequenced differently, and each one feels different as well. Meso 3 would be the one that has the most repetitions. However, with Meso 3 you are supposed to do the same exercises each week so you can gauge your progress, so I think Cathe deliberately was not having us do different exercises. She even said if you are going to start with dumbbells for Meso 3, use dumbbells throughout the Meso. Some of what Cathe says varies from disc to disc in Meso 3, which is pretty cool. If you use the Plyo Legs option in Meso 3, the workouts are pretty different from each other, because we are going more for endurance so Cathe adds different exercises and mixes them up.

I agree with others that STS is the best investment I've ever made.

There is a thread on VF about people doing CLX after STS, and the majority of the people say that they much prefer STS over CLX. Again, these are people who actually have done both programs, so it's more believable to me than hearing from someone who is a promoter for BeachBody.
 
I felt MESO 3 was a little repetitive, but that is the nature of building strength. There is a point to it. 1 &2 were not repetitive at all, and 2 is fabulous. I did 7 weeks of CLX, and it no way, no how compares to STS. STS far outshines it.
 
i have to echo everyone's comments and agree that STS is not repetitive in a negative way. i mean, you need a certain level of repetition in weight training, especially when building size and strength, but STS is not boringly repetative. i absolutely LOVE STS and will be starting it all over again when i finish up meso 3. LOVE IT!
 
I did CLX for 7 weeks prior to STS' arrival.
CLX is not even in the same league as STS!

I tried to do another round of CLX after 16 weeks of STS, and I can't. My fitness level had increased so much from STS, that CLX leaves me feeling like I didn't workout, and I hate that!
I say bring on the intensity! That is where you get stronger:D
STS is a fantastic series!
 
You can't go wrong with Cathe

I would say that STS is not repetitive at. It has been my experience that I have found the trainers I have had to be ineffective. I have worked with 5 different ones in recent years and I have fired each one. I am sure there are some good trainers out there, but I am skeptical after my experience. Plus, I push myself harder than anyone else can anyway. I love to workout and I have found trainers just to be annoying - not motivating. No offense to any trainers out there - I am sure you are fine. That is just my opinion of the ones I have had.

That being said, here is my review.

1 RM test results are the foundation to this program. You really need to know your current capabilities so you can build upon them and improve with any strength-training program. That is the only way to see results. From what I gather no other program on the market has the forethought and design based on this concept AND the tool you use to find out your capabilities and lifting schedule.

Meso 1 varies greatly from day to day. The way in which the exercises are ordered combined with the short breaks keep you going throughout the month. Yes, you do the same exercises, but not in the same order or format. Cathe varies the rep speed and rep count from week to week so you really don't get the same workout. PLUS, you are progressively increasing your weight according to the 1 RM results and percentages. You really get a great workout.

Meso 2 is the growth portion. While this looked repetitive to me when I previewed the videos, it actually was not when doing the workouts. The weight increased progressively and the rep count and set style changed from each workout. I am actually going to add a decline bench press and chest fly to the next round on my own. (I take the workouts to the gym.) This is the meso cycle where I got to really burn out the muscles and push past my plateaus.

Meso 3 is the strength portion. This one aslo can seem repetitive, but when you actually do it - the results you desire happen. And that really is the point of a workout program - results. I really enjoy lifting heavy weight so Meso 3 was a fun one for me. I love looking at those 1 RM results and see what the 90% mark was and then actually lifting that much! It was amazing. I finished the program and I am so strong now it is shocking! The results of the past three months, as one previous poster said, are well worth the money. What a great investment.

I have re-tested some of the exercises and I am super strong - who ever thought I would be able to do a Barbell Shoulder Press - 10 reps - with a 45 lb barbell!!!! I started meso 1 barely finishing 15 reps at 15lb! Now that is what I call a result. I have always had issues with shoulder presses and now I am super strong. I can now do 30 military style push ups with no problem. I cannot wait to see what I can do with pull ups. I am hoping to be able to do 1 with no assistance. I had started the program doing the sets with a chair in front of the bar for assistance.

I am going to start over again with a 3 month rotation next week. The best part of this program is that you can do a 3 month or a 6 month rotation. You can undulate the program -someone wrote about that on this site too. You can mix up the dixes - I plan to do that in the upcoming year. you have an unlimited variety. PLUS you can even separate the dics and use one for a leg day etc with your other discs.

As you can see, I am a big fan of this program. I am excited to see the results I get in September, when I am finished my next round.

I hope that helps - sorry so long.

Good luck to you!
 
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STS is far from repetitive - take it from a guy who's been doing each week twice!!!
Also, look at all the people who take a couple of weeks off after finishing STS for the first time and they dive back in for a 6-month STS rotation!

Need I say more?

Chris.
 
bigbadbrandini said:
My name is Brandie and I've been working out to Cathe since 2001. I have all of her recent DVD's up to STS. When STS came out, I wanted to wait to see how other people liked it because it is the price tag intimidated me. I did this with the Hardcore Series too. I waited for it to release, read the forums, then after I saw everyone's great comments on it, I ordered it. I have pre-ordered the STS Shock Cardio and can't wait for it. I'm ready to order STS, but one of my good fitness friends (she's the one who introduced me to Cathe's workouts) told me that her trainer said STS is not worth the price because it is really repetitive. Her trainer is a major Beachbody promoter, so I think it may be she's just telling my friend this about STS to get her to buy Beachbody products, and my friend actually did buy Chalean Extreme. My friend started it and seems to like it a lot.

I just want to know from people who have actually done the STS program if you agree that it is repetitive. In what ways is it repetitive? In what ways is it not? I borrowed my friends Chalean Extreme and I've watched some of the workouts, and I have to say, those look pretty repetitive to me and quite easy for my current fitness level. I've also heard good and bad things about P90X. I'm a devoted Cathe follower and don't have many other instructors in my collection. I've spent some time reading all the STS forums about injury, good results, weight gain, the positive and the negative, etc. So, I am looking for some feedback to hopefully boost my motivation to just BUY it. Look forward to hearing from you all.

Thanks,
Brandie
Click to expand...


Brandie,

I did not feel STS was repetitive at all. There is just enough fresh material in each week's workouts so that you don't get bored. I am currently doing a CLX rotation, and as you pointed out, I do not believe it is tailored to the advance exerciser. The combination moves in the first and last circuits are just awkward enough that you cannot go as heavy as you normally could. My issue with both CLX and P90X is that you do THE SAME discs for the entire portion of a rotation. You do the same two or three cardio discs for the entire rotation. To me, that is repetitive. I think your instinct is right on - your friend's trainer is probably a Beachbody Coach and so promotes their products. I have nothing against that...everyone has to make a living! And Beachbody does have good programs. However, I don't know when comparing STS and CLX that 1 - it is a fair comparison. They are different programs and 2 - the goals for each program are different.

Carrie
 
I agree with the others. Meso 1 and 2 were definitely not repetitive! Meso 3 was, and I would have liked to see some different exercised thrown in, but true strength workouts are repetitive anyway. The plyo legs was fabulous, and I use it all the time.
 
Hi Brandie

You should ask your friend to ask that trainer if he or she has even tried STS before dissing STS. I'd bet she/he would be blown away by the intensity and the result of STS. I am only just finishing my 5th week (Meso 2, finished disc 15 today) and I am already seeing the results.

SNM said it themselves that there will be some exercises that will be repeated but will also include some exercises not done before, so STS is not repetitive. In addition to that, the exercises that are being repeated vary in intensity, weight, and in order in which they are presented; so they are not exactly the same either.

The only thing I would say that Beachbody workouts have any advantage over STS would be less equipment requirement. They don't use barbell, bench or the exercise ball. Only things they use are dumbbells and bands. I am not saying they don't produce good workouts. It's just that even P90x cannot beat STS, and P90X, in my humble opinion, is so far their best product.


Penny
 
No, it's really not repetitive, I took off about 10 days from the first round, and was excited to start the second round. I generally get bored quite easily with any workout, but STS is so varied, I think this one is going to feel fresh for a long time to come. If you have enjoyed Cathe's other workouts, you'll LOVE this one.

My guess is the trainers statement came from the fact that within a mesocycle, some footage will be re-used, but there is a different workout provided for every single workout for 3 months, not one is exactly the same as another, unlike CLX where you do repeat the exact same workout a few times each. Also, it seems as if she is providing her opinion without ever doing the workout herself, so I would go with your own judgement, and the reviews you read over her comments.

This is in my eyes, hands down the best workout DVD investment I've ever made. This one is going to be hard to top. :D
 
Thank you Everyone!

I really appreciate all of your input and feedback.

kryptychyck, thank you for the thorough response, I found it very helpful.

4fitNphun, I asked my friend about this. Her trainer HAS NOT done STS herself, but apparently has trained clients that use STS and has gotten feedback from those clients. But it made my friend think a little bit about her trainer! LOL!

BTW, Anyone else, please feel free to respond, but I think I'm going to order STS TONIGHT! I'm hoping to show my friend what true STS results look like by this fall! Wish me luck!

Thanks everyone,
Brandie
 
kryptychyck said:
I would say that STS is not repetitive at. It has been my experience that I have found the trainers I have had to be ineffective. I have worked with 5 different ones in recent years and I have fired each one. I am sure there are some good trainers out there, but I am skeptical after my experience. Plus, I push myself harder than anyone else can anyway. I love to workout and I have found trainers just to be annoying - not motivating. No offense to any trainers out there - I am sure you are fine. That is just my opinion of the ones I have had.

That being said, here is my review.

1 RM test results are the foundation to this program. You really need to know your current capabilities so you can build upon them and improve with any strength-training program. That is the only way to see results. From what I gather no other program on the market has the forethought and design based on this concept AND the tool you use to find out your capabilities and lifting schedule.

Meso 1 varies greatly from day to day. The way in which the exercises are ordered combined with the short breaks keep you going throughout the month. Yes, you do the same exercises, but not in the same order or format. Cathe varies the rep speed and rep count from week to week so you really don't get the same workout. PLUS, you are progressively increasing your weight according to the 1 RM results and percentages. You really get a great workout.

Meso 2 is the growth portion. While this looked repetitive to me when I previewed the videos, it actually was not when doing the workouts. The weight increased progressively and the rep count and set style changed from each workout. I am actually going to add a decline bench press and chest fly to the next round on my own. (I take the workouts to the gym.) This is the meso cycle where I got to really burn out the muscles and push past my plateaus.

Meso 3 is the strength portion. This one aslo can seem repetitive, but when you actually do it - the results you desire happen. And that really is the point of a workout program - results. I really enjoy lifting heavy weight so Meso 3 was a fun one for me. I love looking at those 1 RM results and see what the 90% mark was and then actually lifting that much! It was amazing. I finished the program and I am so strong now it is shocking! The results of the past three months, as one previous poster said, are well worth the money. What a great investment.

I have re-tested some of the exercises and I am super strong - who ever thought I would be able to do a Barbell Shoulder Press - 10 reps - with a 45 lb barbell!!!! I started meso 1 barely finishing 15 reps at 15lb! Now that is what I call a result. I have always had issues with shoulder presses and now I am super strong. I can now do 30 military style push ups with no problem. I cannot wait to see what I can do with pull ups. I am hoping to be able to do 1 with no assistance. I had started the program doing the sets with a chair in front of the bar for assistance.

I am going to start over again with a 3 month rotation next week. The best part of this program is that you can do a 3 month or a 6 month rotation. You can undulate the program -someone wrote about that on this site too. You can mix up the dixes - I plan to do that in the upcoming year. you have an unlimited variety. PLUS you can even separate the dics and use one for a leg day etc with your other discs.

As you can see, I am a big fan of this program. I am excited to see the results I get in September, when I am finished my next round.

I hope that helps - sorry so long.

Good luck to you!
Click to expand...

What she said! Perfect review! Totally agree with everyone - not repetitive, best investment I've ever made, and first workout where I've seen real, tangible results. LOVE STS!!
 
I love STS! Tony Horton's p90x lasted all of 5 minutes in my dvd player. Now he and p90x are boring compared to cathe's sts. I have not lost any weight on the scale but my string bean arms are jacked up and ripped now after meso 1 and 2 weeks of meso 2. I am on a 6 month rotaion.
 
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