To Premix or Not To Premix?

A

avgm1972

Active Member
Hi everyone - I wanted to ask a question about pre-mixes. I don't do them ... I am not sure why, but for some reason it seems like "cheating" to me (I KNOW that makes no sense) but I figure I may as well just do the whole workout in its original state.

Please everyone convince me that premixes are worth it!

Alex :)
 
I live for premixes. They don't replace the original workout, but they totally enhance them "slicing and dicing" the drills to give you a different training effect if that's what you want for a given workout session.

I personally like the cardio-only, blast-only, and cardio / leg-only premixes on any given discs; sometimes I mish-mosh several premixes together among several discs for a real nosebleed cardio session. You can also mish-mosh several steady-state premixes for a steady-state session. If you like the increased cardio that's available in leg-circuit drills, you can mish-mosh several cardio / leg-circuit premixes to get upper margin cardio and leg training in. Many others here like the total-body premixes from circuit-style discs, to cuddle up all of the resistance work.

In fact, I can't remember the last time I did a Cathe workout strictly as produced, without my own mish-moshing and without the use of at least one premix. IMHO, the premixes increase the value of each disc by a factor of about 200 to 300%.

A-Jock
 
Sometimes, if it weren't for premixes, I probably wouldn't work out! I love that I can make a circuit workout all cardio if time (and will!) doesn't allow for the full thing. Cathe's premixes are such a great bonus...LOVE THEM!!!!

Just do one! Maybe one day if you feel like doing just cardio or just a circuit with cardio and upper body...try one that fills the bill! Or do what I do sometimes: I use my rest day to try a new workout. That way, if I don't like it, give up, or just didn't get the choreography enough to get a good workout, it's not a wasted day. And if I go all the way through, and get a good workout, I pick another day as a rest day.
 
If it weren't for premixes, I would probably have to get rid of Cathe's workouts. I have a full time job and a 5 year old and a husband who works for the railroad. I rarly have a hour to work out and NEVER have more than an hour.
Most people who are "getting fit" walk or walk/run for 30-45 minutes a day and they end up in good health. So, I think 45 minutes of a Cathe workout is plenty for fitness!:)
 
The premixes offer so many more options for me. I don't know why you would consider using the premixes cheating? I guess you must be talking about the shorter premixes. Not all premixes are shorter or easier }( . I use the premixes and the chapters (for that matter) to tailor the workout to meet my training needs. Cathe has some excellent workouts but sometimes I need to tweak the workout for a greater challenge, because I'm working my way back, or some other training effect. Whatever the reason, I like using the premixes.

jordan
 
I've just really discovered the use for premixes, and I have to say I'm enjoying them very much! I like to do some cardio most days, so if I'm doing a heavy weight rotation, I can tack a premix to the end of the workout and get in a good 30-45 minute cardio session. If I need a short but hard core workout, premixes are the way to go. And for the new workouts?! They are the best! Scrambled Eggs is harder than the original workout! I absolutely love it for a hard core cardio blast. If I want a hardcore lower body workout and a calorie burner, I do the HSTA cardio and lower body only! Those intense cardio sessions followed by leg presses and then weights? Ouch. And Annette (Aqua Jock) clued me into one of the toughest workouts I have ever done and it's not even a real premix - take Gauntlet and fast forward through the weight sections - just do the BootCamp/Imax 2 sections. And do it twice. If you can walk afterwards, my hat is off to you.

I think the reason I love the premixes so much is that they take a workout that you do every week and turn it into something completely new. And you can mix and match and work yourself different ways. I also often do parts of workouts (or Mish Moshes). One of my favs for the is KPC through the high intensity drills, the Kick Max blasts and the drills from Cardio Kicks.
 
The only premix I do to date is the step only for Step Blast cause the challenge is a challenge. 99% of the time, I do the workouts as is.
From what it appears, you get so many more workouts for the price of one. Plus, more variety.
 
Alex,

I used to feel the same way. However, now I use the premixes more than the regular workouts. I do what other posters have said by using various DVDs to make for a longer cardio, cardio/leg, upper body, etc workouts. Trust me - you will still get a great workout!!}(

They also come in handy when you're short on time, but still want to work out.

Happy premixing!:)

Dallas
 
I used to believe that the original workout was the only one worth doing. However, I recently started making month-long rotations like the following:
Monday: Cardio Emphasis Video
Tuesday: Upper Body Circuit
Wednesday: Lower Body Circuit
Thursday: Cardio Emphasis Video
Friday: Upper Body Video
Saturday: Kickboxing
Sunday: Total Body Weight Lifting Video

With the premixes, I can easily fit her new series into this rotation format because I can easily use the appropriate premix for the respective day.

Frequently, the premix is more difficult than the actual workout. For instance, in DrillMax I often find that my heart rate goes down during the weight sections as compared to the cardio sections. However, when I do the Ultra Cardio Blast premix (Drills: 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6), my heart rate stays high and it is difficult, albeit in a different way than the original DM. That workout is still over an hour long, which I like.

Unlike many of the others who have posted here, I use premixes not because they are timesavers, because I do have the time to do a 90 minute workout every day, but because they provide more variety for me to reach my goals.

I hope that helped...
 
Wow! premixes are a whole different way to do the workouts I didn't even know what premixes were until I discovered Cathe, saying that I only worked out to Denise Austin and Gilad.

If Cathe thought we were cheating on her workouts do you think she would put these out there for us? I think she would tell you "GO AHEAD"

In fact, this December rotation used the Premixes from her new series.

I dare you to do one.

beth6395
 
I have not done a lot of premixes with the Intensity or Body Blast series, but with the new series, I have done a lot of them. With Body Max 2, Drill Max and Low Impact Circuit, you have upper body circuits, lower body circuits and total body workouts. I sometimes like to do an upper body circuit, a lower body circuit the next, then straight cardio, etc. That way I feel like I'm getting all of my cardio and strength work in during the week.
 
Some of the premixes are nice for when you don't have a lot of time but still want a good workout (such as the timesaver premixes).

Other premixes, on the other hand, take the workout to a whole new level!

I'll admit that I haven't done too many of the premixes, but that is quickly changing, especially with the new workouts. When I want a good cardio workout without the weights of circuit training, I do the BM2 Cardio premix. It wipes me out! Today I did the Scrambled Eggs premix for the first time and loved it! I couldn't make it all the way through, but I did get 50 minutes into it! This premix is put together so well that I was actually able to get through the entire series of wide lunges for the first time ever! I was winded, for sure, but I wasn't as fatigued as I usually am when I get to this point when I just do the regular workout. And I was able to do two full series of power squats, whereas before I could usually make it about halfway through just the first set.

Lowmax has a great all-cardio premix that I used to do all the time, too. It's the perfect workout for an all-cardio day! The other Lowmax premixes (Intervals 1-4 or 4-7) are good for active warmups for leg days.

So, I'm definitely learning to love the premixes!!! They ARE tough! They're nice to have when you want a little variety but don't necessarily want to stray from your favorite workouts! Premixes will turn old favorites into new favorites all over again!
 
Without reading everyone elses' answers I will say some of Cathe's workouts I have not done the original, only the premix. Some of these premixes are so much more intense than the original. I have found the same with Cathe's newest set. And mixing up premixes from more than one dvd can be great as well. That way you can concentrate on one area. You should really try these. I know when Cathe first started doing this I did not try them myself because I thought I was cutting myself short. Just try it and I am sure you will have a different view:)

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What premix of B&G do you guys like best?

Also, do you find the premixes of B&G tougher than the original? I personally find the Leg Blast premix of Drill Max more intense than the original, I think it keeps my heart rat up more.

HNY!
 
I also never knew of premixes until Cathe, and once I bought the new series and experienced premixes I was hooked. ;-) It is like having several workouts in one. Try them you will like them.;-) :)

Jenn
 
I have to agree with Diane Sue, too me they are harder, With Cathe's new workouts the premixes are AWESOME, that's all I do.

Teddygirl~
 
I love the premixes, although I don't do them that often. I feel like I'm getting a few extra free workouts thrown into the price of the original!
 
WOW - everyone THANKS for your replies ... It is a new year and I am making a resolution to try out the premixes - after all, so many Cathe fans can't be wrong!!

THANK YOU!
 
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