Your opinion on Cross Train Express
- Thread starter Carmen829
- Start date
kathryn
Cathlete
I have mixed feelings about CTX, but mostly positive. I'm doing a rotation right now.
The good:
A very time-efficient set-up.
The weight work is also efficient and effective (some of the best weight workouts Cathe has done, IMO).
The cardio is fun.
Leaner Legs is a fabulous lower body workout.
Cathe is in top instructing form.
The not-so-good:
The music is very repetitive (between workouts, and also repeated somewhat in CK and CM).
Some of the moves are space hogs, especially side-to-side, and may need modification in the typical home workout space.
There is not enough variety in cardio from day to day, so you do a lot of step (4 out of the 6 workouts) and there's a lot of impact. Can be hard on the knees (mine tell me about it if I try more than a 2-week rotation).
The rotation that is implied by the order of the workouts is not the best, IMO, as it has the shoulders worked 3 days in a row (with chest, back and shoulders themselves).
I recommend either one of the following rotations (moving from larger to smaller body parts, avoiding putting the circuit/lower body and leaner legs back-to-back, and allowing a day of rest between chest/back and shoulders to not have 3 shoulder days in a row):
Day 1: circuit/back
Day 2: interval/chest
Day 3: leaner legs
Day 4: all step/shoulders
Day 5: kickbox/biceps
Day 6: 10-10-10/triceps
Day 7: off
(I hope I got the cardio right: if not, just follow the body part emphasis, and do whatever cardio goes with it, maybe taking some of the step to low impact).
Or:
Day 1: interval/chest
Day 2: circuit/back
Day 3: off
Day 4: all step/shoulders
Day 5: leaner legs
Day 6: kickbox/biceps
Day 7: 10-10-10/triceps
Or:
Day 1: leaner legs
Day 2: interval/chest
Day 3: circuit/back
Day 4: 10-10-10/triceps
Day 5: kickbox/biceps
Day 6: all step/shoulders
Day 7: off
The good:
A very time-efficient set-up.
The weight work is also efficient and effective (some of the best weight workouts Cathe has done, IMO).
The cardio is fun.
Leaner Legs is a fabulous lower body workout.
Cathe is in top instructing form.
The not-so-good:
The music is very repetitive (between workouts, and also repeated somewhat in CK and CM).
Some of the moves are space hogs, especially side-to-side, and may need modification in the typical home workout space.
There is not enough variety in cardio from day to day, so you do a lot of step (4 out of the 6 workouts) and there's a lot of impact. Can be hard on the knees (mine tell me about it if I try more than a 2-week rotation).
The rotation that is implied by the order of the workouts is not the best, IMO, as it has the shoulders worked 3 days in a row (with chest, back and shoulders themselves).
I recommend either one of the following rotations (moving from larger to smaller body parts, avoiding putting the circuit/lower body and leaner legs back-to-back, and allowing a day of rest between chest/back and shoulders to not have 3 shoulder days in a row):
Day 1: circuit/back
Day 2: interval/chest
Day 3: leaner legs
Day 4: all step/shoulders
Day 5: kickbox/biceps
Day 6: 10-10-10/triceps
Day 7: off
(I hope I got the cardio right: if not, just follow the body part emphasis, and do whatever cardio goes with it, maybe taking some of the step to low impact).
Or:
Day 1: interval/chest
Day 2: circuit/back
Day 3: off
Day 4: all step/shoulders
Day 5: leaner legs
Day 6: kickbox/biceps
Day 7: 10-10-10/triceps
Or:
Day 1: leaner legs
Day 2: interval/chest
Day 3: circuit/back
Day 4: 10-10-10/triceps
Day 5: kickbox/biceps
Day 6: all step/shoulders
Day 7: off
Amy Steppe
Cathlete
Hi Kathryn,
I try to mix Cross Train Express workouts like you. Well, not exactly like you, but I do change it up from its original format.
I do try to sandwich the Leaner Legs between the workouts with higher impact.
I agree the music is repetitive, but fortunately, it is nice music. There are two songs in particular I really like. One is the song at the first part of "All Step" and the other is used in the kickbox part of the "Power Circuit" on the step and again at a slower pace in "Leaner Legs."
While I also like "Timesaver", I much prefer "Cross Train Express" because it is not a compliation video (except for the All Upper Body and All Abs sections).
"Cross Train Express" is a rotation I always look forward to doing, and it is a great choice for individuals with limited workout time.
It sounds like Cathe is planning something similar in her new workouts -- I can't wait for her "Big Announcement".
Cheers!
Amy
I try to mix Cross Train Express workouts like you. Well, not exactly like you, but I do change it up from its original format.
I do try to sandwich the Leaner Legs between the workouts with higher impact.
I agree the music is repetitive, but fortunately, it is nice music. There are two songs in particular I really like. One is the song at the first part of "All Step" and the other is used in the kickbox part of the "Power Circuit" on the step and again at a slower pace in "Leaner Legs."
While I also like "Timesaver", I much prefer "Cross Train Express" because it is not a compliation video (except for the All Upper Body and All Abs sections).
"Cross Train Express" is a rotation I always look forward to doing, and it is a great choice for individuals with limited workout time.
It sounds like Cathe is planning something similar in her new workouts -- I can't wait for her "Big Announcement".
Cheers!
Amy