Workouts to alternate with Cathe?

B

brendazzzz

Cathlete
In regards to Cathe, I'm definitely an intermediate exerciser. I started with the Basic Step & Body Fusion and I've got the Body Blast series, the CTX series, her new Low Impact Step, Rhythmic Step and some of the step workouts on Classic and Cardio hits. I also preordered her new 4 DVD's but I'm really afraid they're going to be too difficult. Can anyone recommend other FUN, intermediate workouts to alternate with Cathe?
Thanks bunches!
 
Well, I dunno, I keep spending money on other workouts as alternates and then I trash them because they are (1) boring, (2) wimpy, (3) annoying, (4) not Cathe. :)

Christie Taylor is supposed to be really good. I have her Fantastic 4, and it looks interesting.... too bad I can't interest myself in anything that is not a Cathe step workout!!! LOL

:)

Marie
 
One idea I had is to check out your local library and see what they have. That way you can try other instructors for free. Do you subscribe to Netflix? They have a lot of workouts that I plan on trying(I rec'd a free 3 month subscription as a gift).
Angela:7
 
:7 I know what you mean... I tried Christi Taylor's Totally Cool step and I just didn't care for it. Cathe is supposed to be difficult in terms of choreography but Christi was way out there... too dancy maybe... Well, if ya'll think of anything I would appreciate the tips. I've heard of lots of things mentioned on these forums but as I said I'm definitely intermediate.
 
I think the Slim Series from Beachbody.com is a fun alternative to Cathe. It also trains you completely differently with low weight and very high rep counts. Its a good intermediate workout. I like Mix it Up, Tone it Up, and Shape it Up the best for total body. They all have a mix of standing wts, floor work and abs with some intervals of cardio. Firm it Up is a great leg/ab workout using low weights and a lot of kicks.
Beth
 
You could just modify Cathe workouts. That is what I did when I first started. I just did the workout and modified it when I needed to. Somedays I still modifiy on some of the moves.

Jo
 
Finding an alternative to Cathe will depend on the instructor's personality, the type of workout, things like different settings and styles...it's pretty tricky. The advice to check out what's at your library or on Netflix or Blockbuster is good. You'll get some ideas of what else you like besides Cathe.

I do love my Slim Series/Sin6! I also like my Classic Firms. Charlene Prickett has some great step workouts and she also has some very interesting strength workouts:)

Some really different workouts/instructors include Tracie Long's TLP workouts, Bar Method and Lotte Berk. And there's always the P90X series with Tony Horton from Beachbody. That whole project is considered rather challenging, too! HTH!!
 
I'm the Queen of Variety!! I really love Cathe's workouts, but here are some other suggestions. TLP (Tracie Long Productions), Turbo Jam from Beachbody, Power Half Hour from BB, Project You from Beachbody, The Firm, Fit Prime's new series Kick Butt and Fit Prime, Gunnar Peterson's Core Secrets, David Kirsch's New York Body Workout (not sure if this is the correct name) and another one he has is Bootcamp. They are both good workouts, but may be intermediate/advanced. Gunnar's are definitely intermediate. The Firm might be intermediate/advanced. Project You is intermediate. Power Half Hour is intermediate/advanced. TLP is intermediate/advanced. I think these are all excellent choices to take you up a level and closer to the advanced level for Cathe's workouts. Feel free to PM me or email me with additional questions.

I also just ordered the new workouts from Jillian Michaels (available on Amazon). They look really good, but I'm not sure what they're like yet.
 
>:7 I know what you mean... I tried Christi Taylor's
>Totally Cool step and I just didn't care for it. Cathe is
>supposed to be difficult in terms of choreography but Christi
>was way out there... too dancy maybe...

I tried Christi ONCE, and that was it. I was also surprised that Collage rates both Christi and Cathe as "complex" in terms of choreography. I "get" Cathe's choreo pretty quickly, but Christi was an exercise in frustration from the get-go! (I don't like to have to think that much when I workout!).

I actually haven't found a lot of step workouts that I like. Many are too "dancy" for my tastes (and require too much thought). Mindy Mylrea has some that are more "athletic," but her cuing, from what little I've seen, is aweful! More like a "watch and learn" than actually telling you what to do.

I love kickboxing, and do a lot of Powerstrike, some Janis Saffel, anything else I can find.
 
I'm glad it wasn't just me! haha I'll check out that Powerstrike, thanks. I think that's one that I repeatedly keep hearing on these forums.
 
You know what's funny about the Christi workouts? On the one workout I previewed, the background exercisers were ALL over the place! Either they didn't rehearse at all or even the experienced can't get her choreo. I think that's why I've never attempted to do the workout....

Let us know what you end up getting. I have some of Janis Saffell's older stuff and I don't like it at all, but I did hear her newer stuff is better. Did you try reading the reviews over on the video fitness board?

Good luck!
Marie
 
Do some of you remember that old Brillcream commercial (Okay, I'm REALLY dating myself here): "I came back, I came back, I came back to Brillcream, and I'm glad I did. I tried other haircreams, but....."

Although (unlike the commercial) I never STOP doing doing Cathe workouts and I never switch to a rotation that excludes CAthe, I love variety, so I keep trying to intersperse other workouts. And, I'm glad for some of them (I still love some of the old Tae Bo's and I like Powerstrikes too -- and I too pre-ordered Jillian Michaels). But, I always find that none of them quite satisfies the way Cathe does. [My Transfirmer dvds, which I like, aren't used much because I just don't feel the same satisfaction.]

So, I find that after a few weeks of interspersing other workouts, I always veer toward doing more Cathe's and fewer others. So, I'm really excited to see Cathe helping us variety freaks have more variety!!
 
I LOVE Chriti Taylor's step workouts, some better than others. But that's how I am with Cathe's workouts too!

Marie, try doing Stage 1 of Step Heaven on Christi's Fantastic Four workouts. Give it a litte time. It's not one of her real advanced workouts but still I love both the music and the step choreo. I'd be curious to see what you think.
 
I have gunther peterson. He is ok. Agood change. Definitely not as challenging as Cathe.
Karen voit is good.Cathe is harder.
Have you ever just tried lowering the step to 4 in or lightening the weights to your capacity. I have days when i feel doing less is better than nothing at all.
Anne
 
One of the best Karen Voight DVD's is The Great Weighted Workout. This workout is totally with 3-5 lbs weights and the reps are high. I reach for this workout a couple of times a month because it gets you going and for the low amount of weight used you are fried in the end. I also like Billy Blanks, Janis Saffrell, and Charles Harris. I was running, but now purchasing a spin bike so I can keep alternative cardio at a high level.

Linda

"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated."
Maya Angelou
 
I know I've gotten on a love fest with Christi, but she is fun and intense. I agree with Kelly. YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT TIME. Her choreography isn't that difficult really. Cathe's choreography is much easier, but repititious from video to video. Christi keeps it fresh and you won't get bored. After a few tries, you'll love her. I think her last series was a bomb, but her older stuff is great and so is the music.

By the way, which videos are her background exercisers all over the place? I have Fantastic 4, Solid Gold Step and Happy Hour Hi/Low. Everyone seems very "on" to me.

BTW, her older dvds are really cheap. Check out her website. Taylordfitness.
 
I'm another Queen of Variety. I get bored doing the same instructor over and over again. I'll even put Cathe away for a month or two and try other instructors. I love the early Firms, much tougher than their later stuff, although a bit cheesy. I also highly recommend P90X. It's advanced, but since you work at your own pace you can easily modify. Beachbody is also making a less advanced series called P90 Masters which should be out soon. I'm waiting for reviews before I splurge on it. I love Christi, but when I first tried her I was lukewarm. It's only been the past few months that I've become interested in challenging choreo. BTW, she has a great functional fitness workout called Strenth Balance and Flexibility that I find is grossly underrated. And there's no stepping!
 
I have workouts by Charlene Prickett and Mindy Mylrea and will do them alternately with my Cathe DVD's. They are both very good, and compatible if you like Cathe's stuff. Charlene and Mindy are both "chatty," but not unbareable (spelling?), and they create fun workouts. Gin Miller is OK, too, although the only tape I have of hers is Intense Moves.
Just Do It! :)
 
For step, I also like Kari Anderson. She can be a little dancy at times, but her stuff is pretty fun. It's definitely less intense than Cathe. With Cathe's step, I typically use a 6 inch step (except for the low impact workouts, where I use an 8 inch step). For all of Kari's step tapes, I use an 8 inch step. I'm not overly fond of Kari's hi/low,though; I just can't seem to figure out the moves half the time. Her step is more straightforward, in my opinion.

Shelbygirl
 
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