Tell us about your strength training journey!

[CollinsMom]

People who have lost a lot of weight love to tell the story about how they did it. And people love to hear those stories!

But we rarely talk about how we got so buff -- what we did to get those amazing guns or six pack abs;-)

So tell us about your strength training journey. How did you start lifting, and why did you start? What brought you to Cathe? What helped you make the most strength gains, etc.

I am relatively new to weights, and I just get so frustrated trying to keep up with Cathe and other buff ladies on this board. I have to take a step back and realize that a slammin' body is NOT EASY, so I should not think it is going to come to me easily. I will need to put in the hard work required to achieve that body.

So, EDUCATE ME! How did you do it?

 

[LauraMax]

My dad gave me a gym membership for my 21st birthday & I was hooked. Started out on Nautilus (yep, that's right, Nautilus!) and after about 18 mos. found the courage to make my way into the gym's weight room where I worked out w/all the Ahnold wannabes listening to Led Zeppelin & the Who blaring on the boom box in the corner (oh the days before satellite radio! :7 ).

After college, when I started working full time (about 1996), I discovered Cathe & started doing a lot of my cardio at home for time reasons.

I'm still stuck in the Ahnold exercise philosophy. I like circuit training & do it once every week or two, but I love the heavy lifting. It's funny how people just starting out today aren't even aware of traditional weight lifting techniques--last week at the gym an older gentleman (early 60s maybe?) got on the leg extension machine when I temporarily vacated it to do a set of calf raises. Upon my return he said "I didn't know you could do more than one set of an exercise. I thought you were just supposed to do one set on each machine"

 

[Boybert]

Hi Katie! What a great thread. I love to hear how people involved into the fitness machines they are today

My fitness journey really began back in 1991 when I started to lose what became a grand total of 150 lbs. I was obese my whole childhood, and finally was ready to make changes after returning home from a weight watchers summer camp. I got a free membership via the camp, and started to eat better and exercise at the local Y. It wasn't more than 15 min max for cardio and I learned the nautilus machines. Over time, my endurance and strength improved. In 1992 I became a lifetime member of WW.

Over the course of the next ten years, I consistently worked out and managed to keep my weight within ten pounds of my goal. However, I did focus too heavy on the cardio. Weights were always a secondary thought for me, and it wasn't enough with my sometimes shaky eating to keep my weight stable.

Fast forward to a year or so after getting married - I continued to w/o w/ my husband, but he focused more on weights and me still cardio. My eating was not the best and I gained almost 20 lbs over where I really wanted to be. So, I started gaining control of my eating and really working harder in the gym. I lifted a bit more, but still not balanced.

I had my son in April 2004 and really wanted to kick it into high gear. My goal was to lose weight, gain strength & definition, and dangit, do some chin ups! Somehow, I found Cathe through perusing the collage videos and bought IM2/C&W as my first. Wow, it really humbled me. Over the course of the next 2.5 years (up until now), I have read like a fiend and really learned from you all...my fitness friends.

I now balance my workouts quite well. I never do more than 45 min of cardio at a time. Splits seem to work best for me, though I do throw full body & circuit weeks in there. Not only am I the thinnest I have ever been, but I am in the best shape of my life. You know what else? I can now do 5 chin ups in a row. WHOOT.

That is the nutshell version


Debbie


It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept.
-Calvin & Hobbes

 

[SRP]

I've been sort of lifting weights since oh, maybe late high school years. At least that's what I thought I was doing! My parents bought us kids one of those concrete weight sets and a bench. I did some quad and hamstring work... a little of it... along with some upper body. I thought I was in pretty good shape. Ha.

A friend loaned me PowerMax oh, about three years ago, which introduced me to Cathe. I found her website and bought several cardio workouts. I was still convinced my weight work was fine. Then I finally let people on these boards talk me into trying some of the weight work. My first upper body was PUB, and I also got some lower work... PLB and Leaner Legs and L&G.

I really thought I was going to die. I'd never worked so hard in my life! I remember I could barely get my arms over my head to wash my hair the evening after my first PUB experience. From there I just kept at it and gradually increased my weightlifting ability. When I look back, I'm really amazed at how far I've come, because it's been such a gradual process.

I'm not saying I'm buff or anything, but there are definite improvements. And let me tell you, Cathe's workouts have really made me love weight work!

 

[lioness]

I started my fitness journey in 1999 mainly doing Taebo. I lost 35 pounds in a year doing Taebo. I kept my weight off but focused mainly on cardio. I discovered Cathe on FiTtv. For some reason I was focused on Cedie and thought I want to do that!!! I found this website, ordered Boot Camp in 2004 and fell in love. My only previous experience with weights was in high school track where we would visit the weight room every once in a while.

My strength training journey has been an interesting one. I have come so far and am still learning new and interesting things about myself. In 2006, I joined a fitness boot camp and discovered how strong I really was. Although I am self-motivated, I am constantly pushed at boot camp and have really moved out of my comfort zone to constantly work at increasing my weight. Believe me, when you are trying to pull 140 pounds with some guy yelling at you, you really learn how to push through your comfort zone. I translate this motivation and push to my home workouts as well. I have learned to constantly challenge myself with heavier and heavier weight.

I not 100% buff yet but at 45 years of age, I am stronger and fitter than most of my younger recruits at boot camp. Although I credit Billy Blanks for starting me on my fitness journey, I credit Cathe for getting me interested in weight work and making me strong!

 

[Redeye]

I started using weights in 1989. I could barely do chest presses with 5-pounds dumbbells. I couldn't do a single squat; even with NO WEIGHT I still couldn't do even one. I was in the worst shape of anybody in the gym. Needless to say, I was sooooooo embarrassed.

I kept working out in the gym and then switched to home videos in 1999.

I'm doing a rotation of S&H right now. I can usually use Cathe's weights, sometimes more.

I can do full-form pushups. I can do Butts & Guts (my fav workout right now!)

I've come a very, very, very long way. I don't know another 60-year-old IRL who is as fit as I am.

 

[alicia17]

I joined Golds Gym around 20 years ago, after my Mom told me how much fun the classes were. I started doing aerobic, step and a body toning class. After about a year of taking classes, I noticed how many women were in the weight room. My B.F. at the time was really into weight training and showed my a few exercises. I became totally into it, and read everything I could about the subject. I worked weight training into my routine by doing weights in the morning at 5:00 am - 4x a week before work, and then going back after work for cardio. I was in great shape.

After I got married and was pregnant with my 1st child, I was able to continue with the same routine, expect modified. After she was born, I couldn't put her in babysitting until she was 3 months, so I purchased a step, some weights, and got on a video review site to do some research. Cathe got some of the best reviews and I purchased, Step Jam, Step Max and the Pure Strength series. I loved them, and was able to keep my fitness level. I have since purchased almost all of her tapes and love them. I joined the YMCA, and I work out at a gym as well. My girls attended Pre-K there, so I was able to fit in a workout while they were in classes. I still swim there at least once a week, and use the cardio equipment when I need a break from the high impact. When the kids are in school I use the gym more and, I also run outside. When they are home I use Cathe more.

 

[netsnotes]

When I was younger I took ballet and tap. Then onto the dance team and band. I cheered in college. My fitness journey in a nutshell has been up and down. However, when I was taking a photo shoot for PR at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, all you noticed was boobs and belly. I finally got serious. I started with Firm Abs and went from there. Sporadically I workedout with Denise on TV and an occassional tape from the library.

I did do aerobics when I was pregant with my first child, and walked with my second. The aerobics class was with my gyn/ob office.

I am not at my ideal weight. But working on it. Ironically I worked at The Firm in shipping a loooong time ago during my youthful years and BC. I wish I knew what I know now! However because of me working out I had the experience to workout with Gin Miller and finished the Firm Cardio Challenge last fall. I am looking forward in working out with Nancy in August. I did take a few classes with her.

The State Newspaper did an article on me which I noted my favorite "F's"-The Firm, Fitprime and (Cathe) Friedrich. There are so many instructors I would love to workout with including Cathe. I just need to win the lottery or wait for a rich uncle to die .

Anyway, I haven't done this fitness journey alone because I have met two wonderful friends on eBay as well as on various Forums.

Annette

 

[Jess_jugs]

I never lifted weights until a couple years ago. I was a *cardio queen*, but was never *buff*. I had lost about 70 lbs since the birth of my 3rd child (walking & doing pilates) and realized I needed to tone up my upper body more. I had been doing pilates which had helped & started doing pushups (girlie ones, I couldn't do a full pushup at ALL when I started!). Then I bought the FIRM videos at a garage sale (for $3!), and started w/ light 5 lb dumbbells. I thought I was really getting in shape then!! I started doing more pushups & was still running a lot for cardio. I was going to train for a marathon when I ended up injuring myself (tendonitis). I knew I had to find something else to keep me busy while I was injured or I'd go nuts. I had heard of Cathe before, so I decided to order KickMax and Muscle Max last year (March, I think?). That was it for me, I was sold on Cathe!!

I have since aquired a LOT of Cathe's DVD's. I really love the Gym Styles. And (thanks to the overwhelming talk about it here!) I just finished my first round of P90X and am able to do 50 pushups in a row (and can do a lot more sets & different kinds of pushups) and can even do full pullups/ chinups now! I hit 30 this year and I'm definitely in the best shape that I've ever been in! I just bought S & H so I'm alternating that w/ the GS until I start round 2 of P90X again in August.

 

[Rogue]

This is a great thread and such interesting stories!

Let me start by saying I have always been active and never overweight. I love working out and I consider it my fun time. When I was in high school I had a couple of horses and went to horse shows just about every weekend. I didn't do any kind of formal workout until I was about 19. I then started to go to a gym. Minor weight lifting and use of cardio machines. When I was 25 I became much more interested in the weight lifting aspect and began to increase the weights. I have always been small and I have a very small frame so my body weight was, well, on the low side of the chart for my height. By the time I was 27 I had put on 10 pounds of muscle. Now, at 35 years old, I am very comfortable with the skin I'm in!

On with the story . . . I met my husband 11 years ago at a gym! We have worked out together every day except when either one of us has to travel for work. Three years ago we decided to put in a home gym. We bought a spin bike, some weights and most recently a treadmill. I discovered I had plenty of room to break out the old club step that was collecting dust in a closet! Early in 2005 I ordered LOW MAX. I immediately became a huge fan of our Cathe! More DVD's followed and I began to lurk here on the forums. I officially signed up to post a few months later. Here I am two years later. The biggest change for me in that time has been my ab defintion and my flexibility due to kickboxing. Through this forum I discovered other workouts (Powerstrike anyone???) and a wealth of information from like-minded individuals. I visit the forums every day that I am able!

 

[goldenrun358]

I was overweight and out of shape as a child. I HATED being bigger, although I learned a lot of valuable lessons about loving yourself no matter what you look like, thanks to a very supportive mom. In my fifth grade fit test, I could barely walk ONE mile (which upset me very much)!

When I was aroung fourteen or fifteen, I stopped eating fast food completely. The only thing I would (and still) eat is pizza on occasion. I haven't had a french fry in eight years! Soon, I cut out all sodas and started drinking only water! This started my weight-loss. I was so encouraged by this. A friend and I decided to go for a jog one day. We didn't set a distance, just kept going. When it was all said and done, I had jogged one mile, WITHOUT stopping. I was sooooo proud of myself! This gave me the courage to join this same friend at her gym for a kickboxing class! I was fifteen. Women there three times my age were in MUCH better shape than I. But, I didn't care! I LOVED it! I bought Tae-Bo, joined the gym, started running, and continued to cut out junk food. I lost about thirty pounds and was hooked.

I continued to workout through college. When I was eighteen I got certified through AFAA to teach. I've been teaching for five years!

I have always concentrated heavily on cardio, but since finding Cathe and reading this forum, I have started to lift weights regularly! I love it! I found Cathe about two years ago and am in the best shape of my life and am a better instructor because of her!

I have dedicated my life to health and fitness. It has even helped me choose a career; I have one more year of nursing school until I will graduate with a BSN!

I look forward to continuing to learn more about health and fitness and I personally CANNOT WAIT for Cathe's new video's!

The only problem, I want to add onto my house to build a workout room! LOL!