When Cathe is your standard, . . .

janie1234

janie1234

Cathlete
Okay so to broaden my horizons and just to try something different I enrolled in this local kickboxing class that everyone in town keeps raving about. It was through my local community center so the price was right $40 for 8 classes. The class was hard but what was interesting was how much I compared him to Cathe. I mean this was a kick boxing class but there was very little focus on popper form for kicking and punching. It almost felt like a flail your body parts all over the place while jumping class. My calves were so sore and I got quite the work out but it made me wonder, . . . .is it an okay thing to compromise form to get a good workout? I don’t plan on taking more than the 8 classes that I signed up for but again it made me wonder if anyone else has the habit of comparing other instructors to Cathe. The day after my class I pulled out kickboxing 4 day split and was in awe as to how good Cathe, Lorraine, and Jai’s form were. To all you Cathe fans who have the utter luxury of being able to be a member of Cathe’s gym well I am so utterly jealous!!! To bad we can’t clone Cathe.
 
I have a few dvds by other instructors but I always go back to Cathe!! As a matter of fact I miss her if I don't get a good dose of her periodically. My husband always says "I'm gonna tell Cathe" when he sees me doing a w/o by another instructor :p
 
Hi Janie,

I laughed when I read your post. I signed up for a Hip Hop class this past fall - the brochure said it was a really good workout. Well, it was fun and I learned some moves. But a good workout (for me) it was not. I never broke a sweat in that class. I never even felt I was pushing myself in the slightest. Also, although the instructor had perfect form herself, she never gave any form pointers, especially in the warm-up section of the class where we did stretching and crunches. Lots of times I saw people tugging on their heads, chins folded right into their chests, and doing bouncing stretches.

At any rate, many of my classmates thought it was a great workout and they were pretty much exhausted by the end of the hour. It reminded me every time of the high standard Cathe sets, and just how fit we Cathe-ites really are compared to the general population. Of course, our expectations are now very high as well. :)

Stebby
 
I was actually lucky enough to find an instructor as hard as Cathe, but more motivating, since she is in person. If I could have Cathe in person, I would workout every chance I could get!!

I am doing this now with the instructor that I found. I am in the best shape of my life and about to turn 40...feels good!! We all have to find what works for us (which is something new all the time for many of us!!), and stick with it!

At first I felt like I was cheating on Cathe, too! Hee! Hee! :p

Jenn
 
I am a fitness instructor and in my mind, Cathe sets the standard to which instructors try to aspire. I have been told my kickboxing (and step, pilates) classes are challenging and people can't believe it when I tell them I have grandchildren. I have Cathe and her DVDs to thank for that, I have learned a lot by doing her workouts.
As far as any class is concerned, I believe that form is everything... you don't want to hyper-extend the arm or just throw a kick out there without control.I am a stickler for good form in all my classes and my participants appreciate it.
Brenda in Indiana
 
I know what you mean!

I always regret buying non-Cathe videos... (except for my Art of Strength kettlebell workouts, for which there's no Cathe equivalent).

I always find myself wishing I was doing a Cathe workout instead. I feel like I'm wasting my time doing any other videos!

In fact, I recently packed a way all of my Firm and FitPrime videos because I just don't use them (and haven't in years). I needed room on my shelf for STS!
 
Wow, I love Cathe as much as anyone else and her workouts are among my absolute favorites, but I sure don't regret buying other instructors! I enjoy many, many other fitness instructors and different types of workouts. I can't imagine using only one instructor forever more. Variety is the spice of life and it's what keeps me motivated and going strong!
 
janie1234 said:
. . .is it an okay thing to compromise form to get a good workout?
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Not if it compromises safety, which it often can.
Though if you know good form well enough, you should be able to take it to the workout with you (unless the pace is too fast, or the sequence of moves doesn't allow for good form).

I'm with JeanneMarie: I love having a variety of instructors, and I can't say Cathe is my favorite, but she is in the top group. (I don't have ONE favorite that I could use exclusively. Each of my favorites has elements I like, elements that are better done by others, individuality that I like, quirks that annoy me after a while. I take what I learn from each of them, and use it with all my workouts).

I've taken a few (very few) live classes since becoming an at-home exerciser, and I've found that overall they don't compare to the quality of workouts and instruction on video. We truly are getting the 'best of the best' with our video instructors.
 
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I took a kickboxing class at our local "y" about a year ago & was also very dissapointed! I guess I now expect everything to be like Cathe ;). The class was very fast paced so that form was not an issue for them. Almost like they were trying to cram all this stuff into an hour. She has a doing abs/push ups/dips at this very fast pace. I wanted to say "you ding dong, slower can be better!" Geez! When we finally got to the kickboxing portion then she decides to talk form. She was giving my friend pointers (we were wroking on the same punching bag) & it was throwing off my mojo so I finally walked to an empty bag on the end. Don't think she cared for that - she didn't talk to me the rest of the calss. Fine with me. Needless to say not something I would do again.
I must admit I haven't found a live class I care for - with the exception of Cathe's of course!! :D
 
I love variety, while I agree Cathe is top notch, so are other instructors IMO. In regards to form, I have been to a few Kickbox classes where the instructors form was not good but I know what good form is so that didn't bother me. I focus on the workout. I like taking live classes occasionally just for something different. A lot of people diss Amy Bentos "form" in her kickboxing DVDs, I love Amys KB because its down right FUN. I also like Cathe KB, but again its the variety that keep me interested.
 
kathryn said:
Not if it compromises safety, which it often can.
Though if you know good form well enough, you should be able to take it to the workout with you (unless the pace is too fast, or the sequence of moves doesn't allow for good form).
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Funny you said this Kathryn, . . because I totally agree. I just took the class again last night and it was interesting to see how form is not really a priority. Flailing side kicks in all directions. The cardio intensity was pretty much like jumping rope for 45 minutes. No warm up, no cool down, no stretching, so you can imagine that it is quite the workout on the calves. The pace is really way to fast and I mean fast. There isn't even enough time to do a kick properly at the pace he's going. Luckily I've learned a lot from Cathe and I just hang out in the back corner doing what I think is safe, . . which I think others in the class think I'm a little on the weird side for. I'm rethinking renewing for more classes.
 
MAYNARDSMOM said:
I took a kickboxing class at our local "y" about a year ago & was also very dissapointed! I guess I now expect everything to be like Cathe ;). The class was very fast paced so that form was not an issue for them. Almost like they were trying to cram all this stuff into an hour. She has a doing abs/push ups/dips at this very fast pace. I wanted to say "you ding dong, slower can be better!" Geez! When we finally got to the kickboxing portion then she decides to talk form. She was giving my friend pointers (we were wroking on the same punching bag) & it was throwing off my mojo so I finally walked to an empty bag on the end. Don't think she cared for that - she didn't talk to me the rest of the calss. Fine with me. Needless to say not something I would do again.
I must admit I haven't found a live class I care for - with the exception of Cathe's of course!! :D
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gosh ditto. I can tell the instructor really knows all the people in the class because he knows them all by first name. I refuse to compromise form and get injured for some $35 class through my community center. Heck this in not Navy Seals training. I'm sure they think I'm a little on the weird side for not conforming to the standard, . . . but like I said this class is not worth injury.
 
I walked out on a kickbox class a while back when the instructor insisted we punch with 10 pound weights in each hand, I simply felt that was putting too much pressure on the joints, and risking injury.

The instructor had the mentality of "I know more than you"..and for me, that's the sign for me to head for the exit door.
 
jloewe said:
I walked out on a kickbox class a while back when the instructor insisted we punch with 10 pound weights in each hand, I simply felt that was putting too much pressure on the joints, and risking injury.
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10 pounds!!
Even Michael Olajide, who was a boxing pro, doesn't use that heavy of a weight.

It's scary that some places seem to have people teaching who aren't certified (or if they are, I wonder what qualifications they needed for it? Obviously not enough!). I wonder if the general public even knows about certification for fitness?

Maybe it's like some students in a conversation class I once taught. They all had to give oral presentations, and one woman--who had an accent, but NOT French, more like something of her own making!--gave a garbled, highly incomprehensible talk. I had students write out comments for their classmates, and for some reason, the student didn't pick hers up right away, so out of curiosity (nosiness!) I looked (I usually let that be between the students). Some students thought she had a "great French accent" and spoke French "really well".

I assumed it was because they didn't understand much of it, but noticed 'an' accent, and thought it was because it was such 'authentic French."

Maybe fast moves, flayling and high energy seem like a 'good workout' to some people, regardless of form.
 
janie1234 said:
10lbs WHAT THE HECK! That sounds worse than my class!
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Just imagine: the speed and flailing of the class you took, BUT with 10# weights! (And heck, why not, ANKLE WEIGHTS to boot!). I certainly hope the instructor has participants sign a waiver in case of injury!
 
janie1234 said:
Okay so to broaden my horizons and just to try something different I enrolled in this local kickboxing class that everyone in town keeps raving about. It was through my local community center so the price was right $40 for 8 classes. The class was hard but what was interesting was how much I compared him to Cathe. I mean this was a kick boxing class but there was very little focus on popper form for kicking and punching. It almost felt like a flail your body parts all over the place while jumping class. My calves were so sore and I got quite the work out but it made me wonder, . . . .is it an okay thing to compromise form to get a good workout? I don’t plan on taking more than the 8 classes that I signed up for but again it made me wonder if anyone else has the habit of comparing other instructors to Cathe. The day after my class I pulled out kickboxing 4 day split and was in awe as to how good Cathe, Lorraine, and Jai’s form were. To all you Cathe fans who have the utter luxury of being able to be a member of Cathe’s gym well I am so utterly jealous!!! To bad we can’t clone Cathe.
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Jai, Lorrayne and Cathe are forces to be reckoned with.

They have superb form. I can't believe how clean Lorrayne's punches are and Jai has such flexible legs.
 
Connie07 said:
A lot of people diss Amy Bentos "form" in her kickboxing DVDs, I love Amys KB because its down right FUN.
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Well, I won't put down Amy Bento's form, because I love her Kickbox Xtreme video (even though it took about 25 times to learn it), but I will say that her choreography is so complicated and she cues so haphazardly that I really struggle to learn her workouts.

I'm not kidding -- it really did take me forever to learn Kickbox Xtreme!
 
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