Thank you Cathe!

[munchkin928]

Cathe,

Hi! I just wanted to say thanks for the Intensity Series... my boyfriend completely surprised me by getting me Volumes 1-3 on DVD and a stability ball for my birthday, and I have just been enjoying these workouts sooo much. I've just started doing your July rotation, and I hope to see great results.

I also noticed today that I actually have a frontal delt that I can feel now, and I know it's due to the shoulder work I did using the CTX series. I'm confident that I will eventually have shoulders that are actually as wide as my hips!

I have a couple of new questions though, for you or the educated crowd:

1. All of the core work is stil quite difficult for me, but one of the moves that gives me the most trouble is the oblique work that is in the very first interval of bootcamp - sort of a side-plank/crunch. Can I modify by going down on my knees instead of to my feet and then crunching? Or should I stay on my feet and just hold the positioin instead of crunching when I get fatigued? I guess I'd really like to hear a general program for working up to all of the core work, since most of it is pretty hard for me.

2. Sort of similar, but about IMAX2. I don't recover from each interval as quickly as you and the crew, and so have had to pause and take a drink and an extra rest after about every other interval - just for about 15 seconds (okay, maybe 30!). Would it be better to sort of 'modify' the intervals so that I didn't have to pause afterwards or should I keep pushing hard and taking extra time for a break?


Thanks so much again,

Amanda

 

[kathryn]

>1. All of the core work is stil quite difficult for me, but
>one of the moves that gives me the most trouble is the oblique
>work that is in the very first interval of bootcamp - sort of
>a side-plank/crunch. Can I modify by going down on my knees
>instead of to my feet and then crunching? Or should I stay on
>my feet and just hold the positioin instead of crunching when
>I get fatigued?

Either one of your modifications sounds good, but I would suggest the "on the knees" version as a better substitute, as it is more dynamic, as the original version is. You could also do a combo of the "on the knees" crunch and a static side plank (which is tough!) from the feet).

For most of these core moves, I like to think of the version Cathe and crew show as the "most advanced" version. Since Cathe doesn't tend to show modifications (or a term I prefer "hard" and "harder" versions vs. the "hardest" version), it's up to us to find modifications that will help us get to the level that is shown on the tape.

>2. Sort of similar, but about IMAX2. I don't recover from
>each interval as quickly as you and the crew, and so have had
>to pause and take a drink and an extra rest after about every
>other interval - just for about 15 seconds (okay, maybe 30!).
>Would it be better to sort of 'modify' the intervals so that I
>didn't have to pause afterwards or should I keep pushing hard
>and taking extra time for a break?
>
Why not try lowering your step height by one riser? Then, if you still need an extra rest, take it.
>
>Thanks so much again,
>
>Amanda
>
>