What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Hi Cathy & Gina :)


How are you both doing? I hope STS is treating you as "nicely" as it is treating me.......with lots of DOMS, sweat, burning and muscles!

I am REALLY loving STS so far. I'm so happy to have invested in this series, as it totally exceeded my expectations and some. In a short 2 weeks, I'm already seeing a noticeable difference in my body. I'm not doing traditional ab exercises, as I tend to focus more on diet for that, but I swear my stomach is flatter too. My arms are also getting more defined, which used to be a struggle. I always feel as though it takes forever to tone up my legs/butt even the slightest bit, but I take this as a sign to suck it up and work harder. I try not to be so critical of myself anymore, as I look at the positive which is that my legs are strong enough to go up/down hills with a 30lbs child in a stroller around my neighborhood. My cousin, who is 23, accompanied me during one of my "hilly" walks, and was amazed that I didn't even get winded. I felt very proud of me :D.

I'm not sure if I have come across a fav yet. Good question though. Maybe the firewalkers during the leg discs. The bonus burns with the band are awesome too. I love using my tower for pull/chin ups. I feel like Linda Hamilton from T2 :eek:

Gina
I am the same way when I lose weight. All of it comes off the top half and that makes my boobs shrink :eek:. I guess that's where the fat wants to come off just to play a sick practical joke on me :mad:. Seriously, heavy upper body weight training is the key to make the lower body appear smaller and more proportionate. Are your shoulder's strong? Make sure you are working them hard enough. Oh and chest exercises will put a little lift on the chest area :D. Don't be afraid to lift what you are capable of, even with legs. Today I'm going to use my barbell for D9 instead of my dumbbell's so I can squat heavier. No more wussy #'s for this chick ;).
You are doing a great job. Keep up the good work and be confident in yourself and your abilities.
Cathy
I hope to be like you at the young age of 50. Wow, your energy and positive attitude amazes me. Age is definitely just a number that's for sure!
I've always wanted to try running, but I guess I'm afraid. I can do all of Cathe's hardest cardio, hiit, CCC, Imax 3, with little/no modifications, but something about running just scares me. Perhaps it's the fear of getting injured or people looking at me funny, I'm not sure. I don't have cardio equipment, just my legs, a step and Cathe, so running would have to be outdoors. Maybe as I get older I will muster up the courage.
Good luck on the NYC 10k!!! You go girl! That's awesome!


Ok, now that I've talked your ears off, I must get a move on! Have a great day ladies. Hope to talk to you soon :)

Natasha
 
mini-natty said:
Hi Cathy & Gina :)


How are you both doing? I hope STS is treating you as "nicely" as it is treating me.......with lots of DOMS, sweat, burning and muscles!

I am REALLY loving STS so far. I'm so happy to have invested in this series, as it totally exceeded my expectations and some. In a short 2 weeks, I'm already seeing a noticeable difference in my body. I'm not doing traditional ab exercises, as I tend to focus more on diet for that, but I swear my stomach is flatter too. My arms are also getting more defined, which used to be a struggle. I always feel as though it takes forever to tone up my legs/butt even the slightest bit, but I take this as a sign to suck it up and work harder. I try not to be so critical of myself anymore, as I look at the positive which is that my legs are strong enough to go up/down hills with a 30lbs child in a stroller around my neighborhood. My cousin, who is 23, accompanied me during one of my "hilly" walks, and was amazed that I didn't even get winded. I felt very proud of me :D.

I'm not sure if I have come across a fav yet. Good question though. Maybe the firewalkers during the leg discs. The bonus burns with the band are awesome too. I love using my tower for pull/chin ups. I feel like Linda Hamilton from T2 :eek:

Gina
I am the same way when I lose weight. All of it comes off the top half and that makes my boobs shrink :eek:. I guess that's where the fat wants to come off just to play a sick practical joke on me :mad:. Seriously, heavy upper body weight training is the key to make the lower body appear smaller and more proportionate. Are your shoulder's strong? Make sure you are working them hard enough. Oh and chest exercises will put a little lift on the chest area :D. Don't be afraid to lift what you are capable of, even with legs. Today I'm going to use my barbell for D9 instead of my dumbbell's so I can squat heavier. No more wussy #'s for this chick ;).
You are doing a great job. Keep up the good work and be confident in yourself and your abilities.
Cathy
I hope to be like you at the young age of 50. Wow, your energy and positive attitude amazes me. Age is definitely just a number that's for sure!
I've always wanted to try running, but I guess I'm afraid. I can do all of Cathe's hardest cardio, hiit, CCC, Imax 3, with little/no modifications, but something about running just scares me. Perhaps it's the fear of getting injured or people looking at me funny, I'm not sure. I don't have cardio equipment, just my legs, a step and Cathe, so running would have to be outdoors. Maybe as I get older I will muster up the courage.
Good luck on the NYC 10k!!! You go girl! That's awesome!


Ok, now that I've talked your ears off, I must get a move on! Have a great day ladies. Hope to talk to you soon :)

Natasha
Click to expand...

Hi Natasha and Cathy,

Mesocycle 1 completed as of last night! Whoohoo!! I've never completed a rotation & I consider each Meso kinda like individual rotations so I am thrilled! I am happy to be in recovery week. I didn't think I would want a break & would miss weight lifting, but I am looking forward to not just a physical break but a mental one too. I know I will be ready for Meso 2 with a renewed energy and kickbutt attitude. This week I am focusing on "easy" steady state cardio meaning I'm still gonna sweat just not Hiit sweaty :)

In Disc 11 there was a noticeable difference in both by back and tricep strength. Actually, overall, I've gained strength b/c moves felt "easier" in week 4 even with the increase in weight. Also, my cardio w/o's are getting stronger b/c of my leg strength like with Cathe's knee repeaters and lunges in her step.

Oh just wait Natasha, firewalkers reappear in Disc 12 and quite a few of them... I enjoy those too! I feel my butt and quads today after doing the w/o last night. And if you like working your outer thighs just wait until you experience the outer thigh lift on the ball in Disc 12...it had me crying mercy!!

I understand your amazement when walking with your cousin Natasha, I have learned that we are fitter than we realize and it is noticeable when we do things outside of Cathe and/or workout with someone who doesn't do Cathe!

I am working on regaining my shoulder strength, but I have to be careful as I tore my right rotator cuff about 2 yrs ago and it still limits what I can do. Holding anything over 20# in my rt hand for like squats really takes a toll on it so I am converting to the BB for lower body moves too in order to increase the weight and be nicer to my shoulder ;)

Cathy, you must be busy as your 10K is fast approaching! I wish you the best of luck. I admire you. I ran a 5k once and have thought about doing a 10k, but I just can't get into running. I keep trying, but for me there is a dread factor and I just don't like it compared to so many other fun cardio options (plus I like a mental challenge like complex step choreography). I have wanted to resume running b/c I know it helps to lean out my legs, but I just can't seem motivated to do so. Any advice? Although, I guess you either love it or hate it. Be sure to check in with us when you can! We would love to hear your STS progress!

Good luck completing week 4 - it is going to feel fantastic to do so!!

Gina
 
Hi ladies!

I haven't posted in a few weeks but I'm still hanging in there and I'm glad you are too. Later today I will be doing Disc#19 in Mesocycle Two (boy was I happily surprised that there were no pushups!! OK so I'm lazy...). I haven't gone to the park to do chin-ups and pull-ups the way I did in Mesocycle One. I've been relying on my purple Dynaband which is NOT the same as the rubber tubing and NO comparison at all to doing the real thing on a bar. I still don't have a turbo tower but I may get a chin-up bar to install somewhere in my house for when I can't get to the park to do real-deal chinups and pullups.

I'm really enjoying Mesocycle Two (especially that last backoff set!). WOW.

Also, I now realize that I DEFINITELY need a weight bench! Last week, when I was doing a bench press on my step bench, I found myself trapped under my barbell (good thing the husband heard my cries for help!!). The benches I had looked at in the store seemed kind of low quality but they're better than nothing and waaay better than being an embarrassing Yahoo headline ("Woman Trapped Under Barbell for Four Days").

I completed my 10K last Saturday and although I wasn't the fastest lady in the race, I was able to run the entire distance without any walking breaks, which made me very happy. In the past, I used to get injured all the time because I was always training the wrong way. Now I have found that 3 days/week of running (one long slow distance day, one day of hill repeats or intervals and one day of a tempo (slightly fast but shorter) run) works for me. Also, now that I've added STS to the mix, I've been feeling suprisingly good and strong! I hope this feeling lasts a long time.:)

Keep up the good work everyone!
 
Hi Gina,

I have to confess, at the beginning of every run, there's always a bit of the dread factor for me too. It takes a while for these middle-aged limbs to loosen up! Unfortunately, I also have beta Thalassemia trait (very low hemoglobin). There's nothing I can do (short of a blood transfusion I guess) to boost my hemoglobin. This is my natural state so cardio activities always have me at a disadvantage. Pete Sampras the tennis player also has this condition but he only spoke about it after he retired from professional tennis. He didn't want his opponents to use his anemia to their advantage. The weird thing is that I still enjoy running. Especially early in the morning. Even in winter! Even if I'm slow-ish.

What I don't enjoy is getting injured. I always tell folks to start slow and take frequent walking breaks. There's no shame in taking walking breaks when you need them. They can prevent fatigue and muscle soreness. Also, after you've built up a good running base, it's a good idea to vary your running workouts. Do one long, slow day. Another day, you can run up a hill or do intervals. Another day, you can run a shorter distance but at a slightly faster pace (this is a tempo run).

I love Cathe's step workouts too and recently, I became addicted to "Kick, Punch and Crunch". I do it with boxing gloves for more resistance! The main thing is to do what YOU enjoy because that's what will keep you motivated to keep working out!
 
STS-purchased today

Hi ladies,
After reading so many positive reviews on STS I finally broke down and bought the bundle this morning. I'm excited! I downloaded instructions on how to do 1RM test and am eager to get started. I'm 5'2 and 106 pounds. My main goal is to increase muscle mass and be well-defined all over. I particuarly want muscular arms.
I've been working with Cathe's hardcore series and really enjoy these DVDs. I want to step it up a notch and have more variety for weight training.

Is this the go-to thread for support for STS newcomers? :)

Justina
 
Hello Cathy,

You seem to be doing amazing! STS, runs and a 10K??!! You go girl! I feel the same was as you do since starting the program, good and strong :cool:.

I love KPC. I mean love, love :). Cathe makes the best kickboxing workouts!

As far as the weight bench, if you are using a barbell, you will definitely need one as you go higher in weight (unless you plan on using dumbbell's for chest presses). Your story made me laugh :D. I mean, you getting injured would not have been funny, but the Yahoo Headline thing made me smile :). It's too bad you guys in the US can't get a Turbo Tower. It's strange, we have them here in Canada :confused:. Even SNM can't answer why it's out of stock. It's a Cathe Atlus product and very popular with STS'ers, so you'd think they would replenish their stock. I hope it is available again on-line for you :(.

BTW, come over to the forum STS Deal Of The Day. A bunch of us who have just started STS for the first time have hooked up there. Wonderful group of ladies.

Keep up the great work!

Justina
There are a bunch of us on the forum STS Deal Of The Day who have just started the program. Come and join us! Everyone is so wonderful there :).
Oh and congrats on your purchase!! You are gonna LOVE STS!! I'm 5'1 and float around 115lbs and have seen a very noticeable difference in my body composition and muscle mass. All the ladies have experienced very positive results in such a short amount of time too :).
 
STS

Thanks Natasha! I truly enjoy your posts. You are always positive and encourging.
I'm excited to start this new program. Looking forward to transformating my body. After having three kids, it's more challenging to have to body that I want. Nothing worth while is easy, right? :D

Have a good afternoon!

Justina
 
Hi Cathy!! Welcome back. We missed you. As Natasha wrote, come hang with us and a few other wonderful, supportive ladies in the "STS Deal of the Day" thread. And a HUGE congrats on the 10k and running the whole thing!! Quite impressive!

I've slowly started adding in a jog day here and there. I've done a few intervals and one steady state run. Im not fully committed, but I will keep working it into my rotation. I got some books on tape that I want to listen to, so maybe i'll do that while jogging. I need major distraction!! lol. Cathe just has so many great cardio routines that they seem to win out when I think about what I would enjoy doing more :) Thanks for the advice though. It is very helpful and encouraging. You nailed it, I have to tell myself that it is ok to take walk breaks.

Oh, yes, Justina, please do come join us on the other thread where we have found a great group. STS is definitely the way to go. I have begun to see upper body definition and my strength has increased. When I started Meso 1, all of my pushups were on my knees then table top. Today, the last week of Meso 2, pushups came back and I did the first 20 on my toes!!

Look forward to seeing you girls on the other thread :)

Gina
 
Cathy thinking about you...

Hoping that you will see this. I can't believe where the time has gone, but you have been on my mind. Let us know how you are doing (even if you still aren't doing STS).

I fell a few discs behind, but I just completed Disc 28 for Chest and Back today which starts of the 2nd week in Meso 3. I am so excited to be nearing the end and ancy to get going on a lower body rotation next!!

Do you have another race in mind yet? I've been reading Jeff Galloway's suggestion about doing walk breaks from the first mile in your runs and I am considering retrying jogging with that in mind. For some reason, I just really want to do the 10K Peace Run this fall through my beautiful local park.

Natasha & I plus a few others have been chatting about our STS progress over on the "STS Deal of the Day" thread. So you are more than welcome to join us over there too.

Miss you!!

Gina
 
Still hanging in there!

Hi Gina! I'm still hanging in there!! I'm on Disc 33 (as a matter of fact, I'll be starting it in a little bit!). Life threw a few curve balls at me these past few weeks and I should be on Disc# 34 today but I'm not going to worry about that too much. I took a few weeks off from running during that brutal heat wave earlier this month but now I'm back and I'm planning a Fall 10K (the Rock 'n Roll 10K in Prospect Park, Brooklyn).

I have Jeff Galloway's Half Marathon book and he gives very sound advice. A race will give you something exciting to look forward to and your Cathe workouts will give you the extra confidence to get you across the finish line! If you can recruit some friends or family to join you, that would be awesome but going solo isn't so bad either. The important thing is to set a goal for yourself and see it through. I'm used to doing these things on my own since hardly any of my lady friends work out and sometimes I even feel embarrassed to share these running/weight-lifting accomplishments with them! I know this is going to sound weird, but when my friends complain about how crappy they feel now that they're older/heavier/etc., I feel guilty that I actually feel pretty darn good!

Anyway, I thinks it's great that you're considering a Fall race. As soon as I finish STS, I may order one of those cute STS T-shirts to reward myself and then I'll do those 2 new Cathe DVDs, Cross Fire and To The Max!!
 
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