The First (and Maybe Last) Time I Tried STS

Jonezie

Jonezie

Cathlete
Wow...it was all I could do not to fall down in a heap and cry. Or throw my DVD player out the window. I've been doing (and loving) Cathe DVD's for a few years now and purchased the STS series a few months ago...but was too nervous to crack them open. Until tonight...when I put the first disc in to watch before trying the moves tomorrow.

OMG...how many push ups do they do? Seriously, pushups and the Running Man are the two moves I hate most in this world. I loathe pushups. My form is terrible, even though I've been doing them progressively from bent knee to straight leg for many years. I get terrible headaches and head pressure (I wonder if anyone else feels this way) when doing them. And I don't feel like I get a lot out of them considering the intense effort it takes to get through the sets. PS...I just mastered the drop sets in Gym Series a few weeks ago. But seeing how many pushups they did...I mean, 30 in a row in the very beginning...it was all I could do not to yell obscenities at the TV.

I'm also not the kind of person who likes to cut corners in my workouts, so I don't want to skip them.

In any event...I used to think of myself as a Cathlete, but this series really makes me rethink my motivation and ability to keep up. I mean, are Gym Series, Butts and Guts, and Muscle Max easy compared to STS? Have I been doing the bare minimum all this time?

Sorry to vent...but I'm wondering if I should get rid of STS altogether? Or if anyone else has had this experience? I so LOVE Cathe and look forward to working out with her every week...but I don't think I would ever be motivated enough to do 427 pushups in a workout (at least that's what it would feel like).

:(Jonezie
 
Jonezie:

I have never done a full push up in my life. Kathryn posted here that a push up from the knees achieves 70 % of the strength gain that the full push up does, so I don't feel bad about this at all.

I know that this is my workout and I know what I care about and what I don't, what I am prepared to go through and what I am not to make fitness gains. I absolutely would not tolerate a workout making me feel ill or sick, so if push ups give you headaches, either omit them completely, or do the number that works for you and then stop.

Seriously, 3 sets of 15 of push ups is all a person needs. The rest is just showing off.

So, do the amount that you feel comfortable doing and then please stop. Remember: this is YOUR workout, no-one is watching over your shoulder, there's no room for the guilt police on your fitness journey, so kick guilt to the curb, break out those STS DVDs, do 3 sets of 15, stop and read a book for 5 mins and then join back in with Cathe and crew when they get done with this section and carry on with the workout!

Clare
 
Mesocycle 1 had the most push ups.

Push ups aren't my favorite, but I do them...On my knees most of the time.

M1 wasn't/isn't my favorite mesocycle at all...partially because of the push ups and the pull ups...I hate chin ups and pull ups way more than push ups, but I force myself to do them.

Amazingly, I love STS broken up and not as the grouping. Last month I did Fitnessfreaks Leg blast 2010, which has a lot of STS right after doing Chris' version of STS...and honestly...I'm not sure that I will ever do STS as a program again.
 
I wouldn’t get rid of STS. Modifications are sometimes necessary and do not indicate that someone is fudging it or not working hard. (God, why did I have to use a variation of the word FUDGE?
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) Thinking back to when I first started working out with Cathe, if I had only kept those workouts where I could match her rep for rep on every exercise, I’d have a lot of space on my shelves, and I never would have made any progress at all.

I would keep working up to whatever you can do safely.

That is what I’m going to have to do, too. Because of my wrist injury and surgery spanning the last 14 months, I have not been able to get through a full rotation of STS yet, and I’m still not able to do PUs. But I am shooting for it before the end of this year, even if I have to eliminate or substitute for weight-bearing exercises.

One thing I know is anybody who regularly works out with Cathe is no wuss. So, go get ‘em, Cathlete! :D
 
STS is SUPPOSED to be challenging - if your ass ain't gettin' kicked, you're doing it wrong! Meso 1 is definitely the series that is most unlike what Cathe or anyone else has done before. Why not start with Meso 2 and 3 and work back to 1? I know Meso 1 is endurance and the idea is to build strength so it is supposed to be a starting point, but endurance workouts can be incredibly difficult and give crazy DOMS in their own right.

By the way, your form may need some examination if you are getting those kind of results when you do push ups. Are you keeping everything tight? Abs, hips, chest? When you really focus on using the right muscles for push ups and keeping yourself straight and tight, push ups are much easier.
 
I just finished Meso 1 and am starting Meso 2 tomorrow. This is my third time through.

I hate push-ups, but they are good for you. However, I just do as many as I can stand, and move on. I am almost 49 years old and I can do a work-out how I like and when I like without feeling like I am cheating. You will still get the benefits if you skip a set here or there. Meso 2 is wonderful, you will like that a lot.
 
dorothyrd said:
I hate push-ups, but they are good for you. However, I just do as many as I can stand, and move on.
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This is exactly what I do! I do as many as I can stand and stop. I rest and jump right back in when I can.

There is no shame in modifying if you are giving it your all. I do as many as I can on my toes, then go to my knees. I can't do tricep push-ups on the floor because I have one bad elbow, but I can do them on the stability ball.:)
 
Jonezie said:
I get terrible headaches and head pressure (I wonder if anyone else feels this way) when doing them.
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Jonezie - I have found that people who are getting headaches and pressure when doing this type of movement are holding their breath and spiking their blood pressure. Usually they are just trying so hard to complete the movement. Next time you try a push up try it on your knees and pay attention to your breathing. Try to keep your breathing relaxed and not tense. That solves the problem for most people.

Shayne
 
You could always just sell Mesocycle 1. Why keep it and make yourself do it if you hate pushups?? Mesocycle 2 so far has NO pushups, just straight no-nonsense weight training. I love Meso 2! (Havent done Meso 3 yet)
 
maddiesmum said:
Seriously, 3 sets of 15 of push ups is all a person needs. The rest is just showing off.

Clare
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RunninTeach said:
Modifications are sometimes necessary and do not indicate that someone is fudging it or not working hard. (God, why did I have to use a variation of the word FUDGE?
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LOL, Clare and RunninTeach! Too funny!

NRG Woman said:
Jonezie - I have found that people who are getting headaches and pressure when doing this type of movement are holding their breath and spiking their blood pressure. Usually they are just trying so hard to complete the movement. Next time you try a push up try it on your knees and pay attention to your breathing. Try to keep your breathing relaxed and not tense. That solves the problem for most people.

Shayne
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Shayne...you're right! I AM trying with every fiber of my being to stay straight and perform the move correctly...I'm like one big tense muscle. And I think I've underestimated breathing. ;) I don't get headaches with any other kind of move except when I'm facing the ground like that (I have Meniere's Disease and sometimes have to stop for dizziness). So push ups and the Running Man (at least that's what I've heard it called in group classes) seem to build up head pressure and then, when I stand up, I feel like a college frat boy who just did his fourth beer funnel.

THANKS to ALL of you who filled me in on Meso 2! I think I'll start with that!

PS...As long as we are speaking of modifications...does anyone get dizzy or lightheaded when you have the barbell resting on your shoulders (for squats or the majority of Cathe's leg work) and then put it down? I'm never dizzy doing the movement...just when I take the weight off and put it on the floor. I've started modifying with dumbbells instead. Just wondering.

Thanks again...for all your supportive posts!

:)Jonezie
 
I'm sorry if I reiterate what some have said about this already....:) I know someone mentioned breathing with the pushups...and that was my first thought before I saw her response! So yes, I definitely recommend dropping to your knees and concentrating on your breathing.
And this kind of brings me to the issue you said you had with taking your barbell over the top of your head. I even make sure I breathe through this! Because it IS an exertion just to put it down. I always bend my knees to squat and put it down ( I never just bend over from the hip and put it down and stand back up, I think that would make me dizzy definitely.) And I might hang down there for a second, then put my hands on my thighs and support myself up.
I'm one that believes that quitting Meso 1 and just going onto Meso 2 is not the right solution ( at least it wasn't for me! But I know everyone is different!) I feel these endurance exercises ---especially the body weight ones (at whatever pace or level one is at) really conditions and gears you up for moving onto Meso 2. I did 2 months of Meso 1 *and saw results*, and have gone onto Meso 2 and now Meso 3 seamlessly and injury free (and I feel that this was IN PART due to sticking it out with Meso 1 as intended for the program)! Did i do EVERY push up?? HELL NO....not even close...but as the weeks went on? It got better! However, I didn't do ANY of the tricep push ups straight-legged...lol
So I say keep at it! Swearing and all..........;) Just my opinion! HTH?

Iris
 
Iris...will you come work out with me?!? How far are you from L.A.? ;) We could swear at the pushups together. :)
 
Jonzie:
Perhaps you could modify with wall pushups if you want to keep up with Cathe in quanitity. Not sure if anyone had mentioned this yet.
Oh do a combination of bent knee push-ups and wall push-ups. Do whatever is comfortable. I think if you get through the push-up phase you will like the rest. I think they are not on too many disks.

I did the 3.5 month rotation twice,and REALLY liked it! I liked Meso 3 so much, I'm doing Meso 3 after a weeks rest after the full rotation was finished a couple of weeks ago.

Good luck...
 
;)Jonzie:

I have completed 1 round of STS and part of another. I have MS and can get dizzy if I get too warm and overheated. I don't let that get to me though, I do what I can and don't worry about what I can't and move on. I'm 45 and I can just in the last month do pushups from my toes now, shocking I know LOL!! So, don't feel bad its taken me forever to do pushups. I remember Meso 1 being tough for me because I didn't like push ups because I couldn't do them from my toes, but I could do them with a bent knee. So, do what works for you and only as many as you feel, then go on to the next exercise. I feel that it is important to do STS in order as it was designed the first time through. STS is amazing I got huge strength gains for me, which was truly a miracle because with MS I've lost a lot of my strenght but I've gotten most of it back thanks to STS. If you're concerned about Pull ups I used the tubing that is shown in Meso 1 to substitute. Since doing STS I've gone on to do 1 rotation of P90X and now I'm doing Insanity rotation with Cathe thrown in for weights. STS benefits will help you in your everyday life and with doing other workouts. There's nothing wrong with modifying things to work for you. If that means doing push ups from a bent knee, that's fine or wall push ups there's no shame in that. We all need to workout at our level and do what we can and not beat ourselves up about what we can't do. Just remember your ahead of the game by working out don't get yourself worked up about not doing it like Cathe and crew. Even Cathe says to modify and do what you can. Your doing your best and sweating and cursing at the DVD you are working out. Rest assured you are not alone I'm sure that if we all are honest we're right there with you. Hang in there Cathlete you can do it, I'd suggest sticking with Meso 1 and just doing your best to get through that. Meso 2 and three are more fun but you need Meso1 to really get the strength gains in Meso 2 and 3.

You got this, you can do it! Hang in there Jonzie!;)

Hugs!;)

Nora
 
Jonezie, this is YOUR workout...so make it work for you. If you don't want to do a ton of pushups...don't, do another exercise or just skip the extra sets of pushups. I loved these workouts, but during phase 1 I found myself skipping some of the sets because for me it really was overkill.
 
Hi Jonzie!

I recommend elevated pushups either on stairs or the push/pull tower if you have it. Start high, even at a standing position at the wall like Linda suggests and work your way down, slowly, as you progress. Pushups are hard! I did all of mine in Meso 1 on my knees and I still had to take rest breaks!, but by the time I finished Meso 1, I was able to eek out 5-10 in full military style! You have to progress at your own pace. Don't consider it a failure of your ability if you can't keep up with Cathe and crew.

As to the bar on your shoulders. You may try a bar cushion that wraps around the bar or a thick, soft towel that will make it easier on your shoulders. This might help.

Don't give up on STS! Work at your own pace and level. You'll find that you improve as you go through it and it does get better!
 
The body adapts to whatever workout you do regularly, and so introducing it to something new feels almost like starting from scratch.

I'm pretty confident that if you worked at it, you'd come to terms with push-ups. You might not ever enjoy them, but you could probably get over dreading them. Over the years I've found several exercises that at first were so uncomfortable I was pretty sure I was doing something very, very wrong. Or that my body was put together in some weird way that made it unable to handle that particular movement. In each instance I eventually realized I was just really weak in some area that the exercise was taxing. As I got stronger, the exercise got easier.

One other thought on the headaches and dizziness - sometimes I get lightheaded if I tighten my neck muscles hard. This tends to happen when I'm doing something with my traps or shoulders. Check to make sure you're not hunching up that area during your squats and push-ups.

But, yeah, I hated Meso 1 too. I finished it and never looked back.
 
My favorite modication for push ups is to do halfsies: Go down into the push up on my toes, put my knees down at the bottom and then do the push up part on my knees. You can also do the reverse (go down on your knees, up on your toes). Cathe does these in LIC. It's a great way to build up the strength for doing them fully on your toes.

I also do chest presses w/ heavy weights instead of push ups. That helps build up strength in the pectoral muscles as well.

Lastly, straight arm planks (vs. on your elbows) work really well for building up all the muscles needed to do full push ups. Arms, core, shoulders, chest, etc. are all engaged when holding planks.

BTW, there are over 150 push ups per chest workout in Meso 1. (including what Cathe calls "just halfway down" :D.
 
jonahnah said:
I also do chest presses w/ heavy weights instead of push ups. That helps build up strength in the pectoral muscles as well.
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Oh yes, I forgot to mention this! I did the same thing. :)This helps break up the feel of endless push-ups-especially if you do not like them.
 
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