We’re Dennis and Marlene, a married couple in their 40’s from NYC. We completed STS together and want to tell you about our experience doing STS as a couple.
Marlene: Thanks to Cathe’s workouts, I lost over 35 pounds last year. This was a gradual process, and as I acquired more Cathe DVDs, more equipment, and heavier weights, STS awaited. I knew I was going to do it . . . someday.
I started my fitness journey with the support of my husband, Dennis. He was looking for something to help him gain strength and endurance, but didn’t want to have to think about it too much. After a few months of my being his “fitness director”-selecting his DVDs for him-we decided together that we were ready to tackle STS. After working on our one-rep maximums during the week between Christmas and New Years, we decided to start the New Year with a bang, or should I say a “shock!” We began STS on New Years Eve.
Dennis: At forty-eight years old, I had started Cathe programs with my wife to build stamina, increase muscle mass, help with my back problems, and feel better overall-all of which occurred, along with the bonus of being able to support my wife in her workouts. Before STS, I had to guesstimate which weights to use. I’d see what Cathe picked up and try something close to it, never remembering from one time to the next which weight I used for which exercise. (Hey, I’m on a tight schedule-I don’t have time to figure this out!) Since I wasn’t keeping track, I couldn’t see any noticeable increase in strength.
I have to admit, once we got the STS set, I looked at those three huge packs of DVDs and felt a certain amount of, shall we say,
apprehension-how could we ever stay on track and make our way through this? But once we got started and were able to jot down our weight selections on the workout cards (ingenious!), we felt a rhythm and things fell into place. We even learned to feel comfortable with the new “crew” members!
Marlene: This last three and a half months have been challenging and exhilarating. The first Mesocycle was difficult, to say the least. I can remember not being able to push my body off the floor after over 100 pushups-and there may have been a few swear words thrown around. The second Mesocycle was really fun. I enjoyed doing back-off sets, double wave loads, and the like. The leg DVDs were tough, and there were days that my glutes were screaming! Mesocycle 3 was the most straightforward, and there I began to see how much strength I was gaining.
Doing STS as a couple had its challenges. There were days when we could do the DVD workouts simultaneously, and days where we were on different schedules. On the days where we could work out together, it was almost like a choreographed dance. Since we didn’t have two stability balls, two chin-up bars, two benches, two weight vests, etc., he would do an exercise first, then I would go during the rest period. This method worked out really well in Mesocycle 3, where we could spot each other on bench presses. We would check each other’s form and provide feedback and that all-important encouragement when one of us thought we couldn’t do another rep. We also found a way to help each other take the weight vest on and off without straining (you’d just have to see it). We loved doing the squat rack legs using the vest and I look forward to trying the other leg discs that came with STS on their own.
Dennis: My wife and I both turned to Cathe’s workouts for different reasons: she to lose weight and me to feel healthier and stronger. We support each other both by encouragement, and because we don’t want to let the other down. It’s fun to have something like this to share together. And completing STS really got us on track to stay organized. (I speak for myself. My wife was always organized!) I really recommend couples working out together in this fashion-it’s more fun and helps you stay on track.
Marlene: I was so pleased when we finished the last disc together. We’re so proud to have been able to take on and complete the challenge of STS, and reap the rewards. After a little break, we’ll be back to do the undulating rotation for sure!
Marlene and Dennis: Thanks again, Cathe! As usual, you ROCK!!!
