Where do I start?

[scrapquilter]

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Dear Cathe,
I have emailed your Cathe.com site about which program to start with. They were helpful, although they recommended to ask you, simply because you had more knowledge to help answer my questions.
I had been ready to order Muscle Max, because I like weight work. I then saw on your video clips, not to do that one more than two, max three times a week.
I have recently started back working out. All the usual complaints, overweight, arthritis, etc. I am also 52 years old, and I am changing my lifestyle. My goal with exercise and diet is to look as healthy as I can, and be fit at a weight that is comfortable for me. I am also mostly vegetarian. I do eat fish, and once in while some ground turkey.
I have consulted with both physicians, and exercise trainers at various times in my life, including recently. NOne of them could say anything but eat a balanced diet, and when I asked about the weight training, nobody had a clear answer on how much and when. And this was from more than one professional. I finally received more advice from my chiropracter than the trainers.
I want to start back on my 6 day a week schedule. Three weights, 3 cardio, and 2 stretch. I am at a loss of what program to start with. I looked on your forums, and found that Muscle Max and Power Hour along with Drill Max were recommended.
I can do weights pretty good. I am not a fan of step aeorobics, preferring dance workouts to that.
Where do I start? Would Power Hour be better for me than Muscle Max? Or Drill Max, or I know you have a boot camp program. I really need some advice here.
I have always had to have a pretty thorough routine. The half hour and twenty minute workouts don't leave me feeling like I have done my body any good, or improvement.
I want a total body workout. And once I get to the point that I can do that, and do it well, where do I go from there? I would appreciate any information you can give me.
Thanks.
Dana

 

[JoanC]

Dana
Not Cathe. I am 58 years old. I would get STS. It will take you step by step through 3-6 months at your level of weights. You can then do it with heavier weights the second time through because you will be stronger. You can use the cardio that is recommended with the sts but if you don't like step , Cathe has substitutions of treadmill, running, etc.

Most wo are about an hour.

 

[Davidj]

Musle Intensity and Power Hour are my favourites

Dear Dana,
Good luck with your new lifestyle!

I do not know how many strength DVDs you can afford. But the good thing that I like about Cathe DVDs is that the strength tapes are fairly uincomplicated and straightforward, and can be done by anybody.

The key point is to lighten your weights to a level far lower than that used by Cathe and her demonstrators. This is what I have done (I am not very strong), and I am 60 years old. I would start with Muscle Max, but then go on to Muscle Intensity (my all time favourite) and then to Power Hour. I also agree with the idea of buying the STX series. These tapes are rated "advanced" -- but anyone can follow just be lightening the weights until one can do all the reps. For example, after all of this time I cannot do lunges with any weights, since I have minor balance problems, and use a stick for balance. Yet I can keep up with any kind of Cathe's lunge sequences.

You say that three days of aerobics an three days of strength works best for you. Keep it up! What works for me is 15-20 minutes of step areobices (easy-to-do-tapes) and 40-50 minutes of strength areobics.

One point through. I have bought all the STS Strength DVDs, but I find these a real challenge. Again, I have lightened the weights considerable, in order to do all the reps. Also, I find I have to do easier versions of some of the more difficult things (like advanced pushups), or completely different exercizes for the very difficult routines (like, chin-ups). Substitute easier versions of the more difficult exercizes!!

Good luck in your new lifestyle. Exercize and eat well!!!

--David

 

[scrapquilter]

Hey David,
Thanks for answering. I have looked at the STS series, and right now can not afford that. I would have to save some money each month, and then buy it once I had the total.
I was all set to get the muscle max, until I heard Cathe say no more than three times a week. I guess that kind of scared me a little. While I am by no means an expert, I have some knowledge of working out, and that was always given to me as a standard ratio of wieghts to cardio. I like the rest my body gets when it is an every other day type thing. I like dance cardio better than step cardio. I am about the klutziest person on a step, and dance isn't a whole lot better, but I enjoy that.
I had one old VHS tape, that had a workout on it, very calisthenic, boot camp type, but I am afraid of wearing it out, and it is not replaceable. But I also wanted something that would really make my body more fine tuned, and give a good all over body workout.
Lunges are my least favorite exercise. Even with light weights they take a lot of effort for me.
I think I now have my choices narrowed down to Power HOur or Pure strength.
It used to amaze me that professionals couldn't always tell me what was right, and how much to do. I wondered if because Cathe's training is so much more complete than the others, is why you don't have to do them as much.
Being over 50 is a challenge. I guess I didn't think I would ever turn 50. At thirty and even forty, fifty seems a long ways away. THen bam, it creeps up on you, and it changes your body!! Not for the better.
Since I have been primarily vegetarian, that has been a big positive in how I feel. My body is less inflated, and functions better, when I eat veggies,and grains, and limit my proteins to plant proteins, and fish, and as I said just a little ground turkey. It is a little hard to do, working in fast food as I do, but thank God for salads.
One thing I am looking for, where do I get a barbell? I do have a body bar, which is just an eight pounder, but am having trouble finding that?

Dana

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Scrapquilter,
It is great that you are returning to exercise. Any of Cathe's strength building/weight work dvds are great. My favorites are the gymstyle series, muscle max, powerhour, and slow and heavy. Muscle max, powerhour, or Pyramid uppper and lower body would give you the full body workout. The pyramid workouts split upper and lower body but come on the same dvd.

Start with whatever weight is right for you and as you get stronger increase the weight levels.

You can buy barbell sets at Target or Walmart for a reasonable price.

~michelle

 

[Davidj]

Videos and weights

Dear Dana,
Thanks for your reply.

I agree with your point about-too short videos. I prefer the hour-long videos over the 20-30 minute videos. I find the longer videos much more relaxing, since there is more time put in to do them. I do have shorter strength videos. What I do is the following. I do my own stretches, and then do two shorter videos in a row. For example, I combine Cathe's two videos "Strong Legs and Abs" and "Chest-Shoulders-Triceps", starting each videos after the stretches. Sometimes I am too tired getting through the second one, so when I am truly tired, I stop. I have learned to "pair" shorter videos -- like the above -- pair-vidos that naturally go together. Also, check out Cathe's DVDs, since some of these pair older videos together nicely.

Use the video clips on Cathe's website to see what strength videos are useful. Also, the video clips, and other information, on www.collagevideo.com are very informative as to weight training work.

You mention you are worried about wearing out an old, out-of-print tape. Note that one can go to amazon.com, or other sites on the internet, and buy out-of-print tapes. Since I like easy-to-do step tapes, I have bought out-of-print tapes off the internet. (One thing: there should be more new, less-complicated step tapes produced. I find nearly all of the new tapes are "advanced" -- tapes far more diffuclt for me!). Also, buying used tapes off the intenet can be inexpensive.

I am like you. I use a bodybar instead of true barbell, for nearly all of the barbell routines. I have 9 lb and 12 lb bodybars. What I then do is used 1/2 lb, 1 lb, and 1 1/2 lb wrist weights, and -- depending on the exercize -- used these. For example, for high repetition bench presses, I use 1 and 1 1/2 ln wrist weights on the 12 lb body bar, for a 17 "barbell". For curling with high repetitions, I use 1 1lb wrist weights with the 9 lb bodybar, for an 11 lb barbell. Also, a bodybar with wrist weights keeps the hardwood floor undamaged. I do have a 15-lb barbell, and up it to 25-lbs, for deadlifts, for low-rep routines only. Everything else I use bodybars.

I am ashamed to admit that I have very weak shoulders, and long thin arms -- so for some reason I have difficult lifting weights above my head (shoulder presses and overhead extentions). So I have a 4-lb bodybar for these routines, especially high-repetition routines, and up it to 5-lbs. One day I am going to summon up the courage to ask someone how to strengthen shoulders for over-the-head routines!

Take care. There have been a number of newspaper articles about the benefits of strength training for boomers and older people. Perhaps someone on this site and expand on this. Exercise and good healthy eating can do wonders for aches and pains.

-- David