Suggestions for a Comeback - I need your opinion

Ayse Lynn

Ayse Lynn

Member
Here’s my story: I used to be a big Cathe fan… Throughout my 30s, that’s all I did for exercise. There were times I was doing Cathe 5-6 times a week. And then at 40 I got pregnant and I stopped exercising… cold turkey. And now, I just turned 46, feeling terribly middle-aged, but worst of all, feeling totally out-of-shape and tired. I finally want to make a come-back (that’s my New Year Resolution, I guess) but this time, I want to stick with it. My question is: which workouts should I start with? I have most of the old stuff but if I hit the challenging ones first, I know I will give up very soon (like Imax 3 for example. Too hard!) What are the easy ones to start with? Should I get the newer routines, like HIIT? I’m not sure how hard they are. I guess my question is, are there any newer routines geared towards a beginner?

Thanks for your suggestions! I’m not sure if I’ll pull it off in the new year, but I will definitely try. ;)
 
Hey there & welcome!!! Congrats on your decision. You're in luck with Cathes new ICE intermediate wkouts. You could start there. Or if you have some older ones like ....."Cardio & weights", "High Step circuits", "Athletic Training". Something that offers variety with some cardio and weight work might help you get back into it. Then move on to longer cardio wkouts and heavier weight stuff. Kickbox is also good because it's easy to modify. Just off the top of my head.
 
Good for you, Ayse Lynn, for making a positive, life changing decision to 'make a come-back'! I'm sure you will not feel out-of-shape, tired or 'terribly middle-aged' after a few weeks of working out with Cathe! I am 56 and with a regular routine of Cathe workouts I don't feel middle-aged at all! Consistent Cathe workouts make all the difference physically and mentally!

My suggestion would be to do the workouts from the new ICE series. The user guide (posted at cathe.com/ICE) gives rotations and the first one is for beginners - i.e. 'All ICE Rotation Level One'. It is only one month in duration and from there you can progress to Level Two and then Level Three (each a four week rotation). I am thinking that after 3 months of ICE you could make use of some of your Cathe videos, modifying as needed with your weight load selection, number of risers used for step workouts, timesaver premixes and keeping your hands below your heart when needed. I now wear my heart rate monitor when working out and that has been a big help in keeping my heart rate in a safe zone, so I don't overdo it when my enthusiasm gets the best of me!

I wish you the best of luck! Hope you have fun and find it rewarding to see your improvements.
 
Hey! Love your story. :) Everyone has already given you excellent suggestions & I think rotations and that structure are quite motivating to keep your activity going. If you look around the forum here, it is evident that it works!! My addition is that if you have been doing just about nothing for awhile to probably start off and promise to do three workouts a week. Two that you love and one that you find challenging. If you are a true beginner now, I still think jumping right into a Cathe intermediate rotation has the possibility of early burn out. That's just my two cents! I also don't believe that ANY HiiT routines are very beginner friendly. Not to say no to them, but don't kill yourself off the bat either! ;) My experience with HiiT just last year when I was coming back as a beginner was many, many pauses and water breaks.

Cheers to your New Year of healthful choices & to you getting your fit mojo back!
 
Justinef said:
Great suggestion from Elsie -plenty of what you love with a dash of what you 'should'. Motivation and adherence are what gets results.
Good luck
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This!

It really doesn't matter what you do, just that you do something. I would not aim for doing something I don't already have and would have to purchase to get started. Whatever was in your collection of workouts from 5-6 years ago will work now too. Almost everything is modifiable.

One thing I've learned over the years is that just doing a workout and being consistent is over half the battle. Pick a workout that you love and start there.

Good luck with your new goal. Working out really is a lifelong pursuit!
 
Yes, agree with everyone -may I add that if you explore the premixes on the DVD's that you have, you'll find some great ones to get back into a rhythm of working out. Like IMAX3 has a 30 minute step only (no blasts) premix that I used to get back into working out. And Low Max - if you have that one, has 3 different very 'doable' premixes to start out with. BTW, I can't believe this was my very first Cathe purchase :) I believe all of her older DVD's have premixes that will work!

I believe that it is kind of variety that Cathe offers for all levels of exercisers are the reason that her DVDs remain in my collection while the others just come and go for the most part. I have kept KCM around, too :)
 
I love the idea of exploring some of the less demanding premixes on the DVDs you already have (The LowMax premix that includes intervals 1-4 was an important stepping stone for me to be able to tackle Cathe's more advanced workouts, and Cardio & Weights is almost always my first workout when coming back after illness or injury; it's easy to modify by using lighter weights.)

Another good starting point is the Cathe Beginner Rotation. I still have a soft spot for Basic Step, and I still love Low Impact Step, especially the lower body blast premix. http://cathe.com/forum/threads/official-cathe-beginner-rotation.236223/ Cathe suggests moving from there to C&W, and some of the new ICE DVDs might also be a good next step.

Also, there used to be an Ultimate Guide to Cathe Workouts that was compiled from votes on the difficulty of each of Cathe's workouts. It hasn't been updated in many years as far as I know, but here's a link to what I could find. It may give you some ideas for some less intense Cathe workouts that you already own. http://cathe.com/forum/threads/isnt...the-ultimate-guide-to-cathes-workouts.267557/

For myself, when I'm trying to get back into shape, I try to pick fairly short workouts that are fun. I don't pay too much attention to what I "should" be doing, but just grab what makes me happy. And if I miss a day, I try not to beat myself up over it. Just dust myself off and get back to it as soon as I can. Be patient with yourself, and eventually you'll remember why you loved working out. Good luck!
 
Before you start please have a check-up. The thing with starting a workout regimen at 46 is age and hormones mess up our cardio vascular system. Exercise is best medicine but if you have underlying b/p, heart issues you could actually hurt yourself if they aren't addressed first.

So after the check-up start with a 20-30 min of something daily. This will establish a habit and it just needs to be something you enjoy. I would not absolute not start out with hiit. The hiit workouts are great but they are for advance condition people or someone really young.

I know its all you here but trust me we see middle age folks jumping into crossfit, p90x stuff from couch to this stuff. They end up in the ER. I see at least one a month and a lot more early January of each year.

I didn't come to cathe as a beginner but at intermediate level so I don't' have a specific recommendation.

I just want to encourage you in the journey its worth it . There are many of us middle age. I remember when I started Cathe at 42. I would of fell out trying to do a hiit. I had to work up to her level. Its now been 3 years and I push weight heavy and sometimes heavier thans cathe. I can match all her cardio but my air jumps and air jack look really wimpy LOL But I'm just happy that I'm able to get to this level of fitness at age 45. I love Cathe.

So you can get back to a full Cathe workout regimen but just remember slow, listen to your body and remember its a life marathon not a sprint. I've had a few set back like many on this board. You can do it and we are all here to cheer you on.
 
Wow. Such great advice. I don’t know why I never joined this wonderful community for support before.
I guess now I need it more than ever, in other words, it is more than concrete advice and suggestions but also moral support. See, before I had a kid, my sole responsibility was towards myself: I had a full time desk job, and whenever I had free time, I exercised. It was not only fun, but also a motivation that made me keep on going. The more I exercised, the fitter I got and better I felt. It was not really about looks either - I was heavier then (probably had a lot more muscle in my body) but definitely healthier. But after the baby, my metabolism has changed: I lost a lot of weight, but also since I stopped exercising completely, I lost all my muscle mass. Now I’m basically pretty thin, but also a stiff, saggy mess. I’m not kidding you… I do NOT like how I feel. To make things worse, I use my current physical state and lifestyle to extract sympathy from others. Like: “Oh, I haven’t exercised for years. Why bother starting now? I feel so out of shape, nothing will work for me. Oh, having a child takes all my time, I don’t have enough time for myself. etc etc”. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But I’m hoping to finally start over this year. Thanks to your encouragement… I’ll keep your advice in mind. I can use my old DVDs that are not as challenging (Cardio & Weights, Low Impact Circuit etc) but also check out ICE - since I need to mix in something new to get excited about. (If I spend money on something, I’ll feel guilty about not using it… hehe guild works for me.) I’ll be realistic: 5 times a week is probably not going to work; but I’ll target 3 times a week to start off. And finally, I’ll try to be consistent. Cause, in the end, as long as I do it regularly, doing SOMETHING is better than doing nothing. Of course, I’ll take it slow… The last thing I want is to get injured while trying to get into shape.

Sorry for all the blah-blah… but thanks for listening! You’re all fantastic!
 
I'm choosing STS to kick off 2016. Haven't exercise for 2 months due to a shoulder injury from attempting kite surfing. I'm turning 48 this week and want to be in the best shape of my life for my 50th! I have found in the past that 2-4 weeks of weights first, then adding in cardio- I am more motivated and feel better able to handle the cardio intensity. Cheers from down under.


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Hi Rharabed - I'm not sure about Checkins: Never done it before. Is it some place where you log your daily workout activity? I don't know if that would work for me if I think nobody's actually reading it. But who knows... may be the thing to get me to work out after all.
 
Ayse Lynn said:
Hi Rharabed - I'm not sure about Checkins: Never done it before. Is it some place where you log your daily workout activity? I don't know if that would work for me if I think nobody's actually reading it. But who knows... may be the thing to get me to work out after all.
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There is a Checkins and challenges forum here. We could set a day or two of the week to post how we are doing. Just as we are chatting here. Or we could email each other if you would like daily encouragement, accountability. Let me know if you want to and we can work out the details. My email is [email protected].
 
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