Substitute for PHA style workouts?

[Jkg501]

I'm just returning to Cathe workouts after a many years break, and thankfully the gym workouts I've been doing have me at a level that I can mostly keep up! However, my home gym is not what it used to be, and I'm working with a set of Powerblock adjustable dumbbells as my only weights. Adjusting them between sets takes a moment, and when I was doing PHA2 this morning it really detracted from the benefit of that particular style of workout.

Can anyone suggest a different workout that I could slot in on days I see a PHA style workout in Cathe's rotations? I'm not that familiar with her newer workouts (last time I was working out with her was 2005!) so I'm learning as I go.

Thanks in advance! Hope everyone is keeping safe and well.

 

[Jane Power-Grimm]

Good for you, jkg501! Great that you have kept your fitness level up over the years and that you have gotten back to Cathe and not let the gym closures stop your fitness efforts.

Can anyone suggest a different workout that I could slot in on days I see a PHA style workout in Cathe's rotations?

I would suggest a total body weight training program. Where you can not switch out weights every few minutes you may not get the same cardio conditioning as you would with PHAT, so perhaps every second time you have PHA on your rotation you could do a bootcamp workout. Those include some cardio, and so between total body for the heavy weights and bootcamp for the cardio you would get similar benefits. Cathe has produced many excellent workouts in these categories. The one you select may depend on the equipment you own - stability ball? barbell? Fit Tower? I would stay away from pyramid training workouts as those switch weight loads with every set.

Some great total body workouts to consider are:
Low Impact Total Body Trisets
Flex Train
STS Total Body (need a barbell and bench)
Strong and Sweaty Total Body Giant Sets

Some great bootcamp workouts to consider are:
ICE Boot Camp Circuit
Strong and Sweaty Bootcamp

And perhaps you already own these two 'oldies but goodies', both of which have 2 total body workouts on one DVD:
Supersets / Push Pull
Bootcamp / Muscle Endurance

You may wish to look at Cathe's preview videos to see if the workout switches out weights more often that would work for you and if it uses other equipment you own.
Good luck!

 

[Jkg501]

Thank you Jane - those are great suggestions! I am working with an adequate set of equipment - aside from the Powerblock weights (which go up to about 30lbs each) I have a step, stability ball, and resistance bands (the kind with detatcheable handles that can be grouped together for increased resistance). Part of the challenge is modifying for what you have, right? I'd love a barbell but where I live (Ireland) all of the fitness supply shops are sold out for the foreseeable. I guess a lot of people had the same idea I did.

In any case I love a bootcamp/circuit style workout, as well as a straight up full-body strength routine. So I'm happy to sub those in. Thanks again!