Cathe Step Boss Reviews thread

[Susan H]

Thanks, that sounds fine it me!

Originally Posted by Shelbygirl

I did IMAX 4 yesterday and liked it a lot. I think it's a bit less intense than Low Max. Since there are 10 sections and the overall workout is around 45 minutes, each step routine and blast are shorter than they are in Low Max. Since they are shorter, they seem less intense to me.

That being said, IMAX 4 is just what I was looking for. I also only normally do Low Max one half at a time. With IMAX 4, the workout in its entirety was doable and the time flew by.

There were just two blasts that I didn't like; both involved putting weight on your wrists and kicking back your feet (burpees? swat thrusts? I forget what these moves are called). I improvised on these two blasts and it worked out fine.

Shelbygirl

[cataddict]

Originally Posted by kittybug

I got my workouts WAY early (yay!!) and did this one yesterday and didn't realize how short it was until the step portion was over and left me wanting more!

I did the premix with the abs and extended stretch just to taste everything available on the DVD. After doing a lot of intense core work with various barre workouts and Horizontal Conditioning, the abs section was just meh for me. So the next time I do this workout, I will most certainly do the double blast or double it premix instead and skip everything else.

That being said, while it wasn't the intensity I'd expect from any Imax, it certainly was fun and creative in a new but still Cathe way, and I did definitely enjoy it!

I'm curious, what step height did you use?

[ncl]

I did IMAX 4 today. I used 2 risers and it pretty much kicked MY tail, big calorie burn for me. I did not want it to go on longer. I am just ramping up from bring a solid intermediate trying to get back to advanced status. I liked it including the length.

[Dontmindthemess]

I did imax 4 this morning with abs and no extra stretch. I used an 8 in step. I enjoyed the workout but it is most definitely intermediate, even with some added jumping moves. It’s a nice workout and it will definitely make a lot of people happy but I would say it’s less intense than low max, it kind of reminds me the step section of low impact circuit in terms of intensity. I also wouldn’t call it low impact but it is lower. The last blast is easily the most intense- laterally over the step into a squat thrust on each side. It’s easy to skip if it’s not your thing. I was hoping for similar intensity to the calorie crush on the Lite cardio workout, it was like a little Imax teaser but not all out intensity but Imax 4 is easier than that. It may be the workouts I’m doing now but the bonus abs felt like the easiest abs I’ve ever done on a Cathe dvd. I didn’t dislike them and it was under 10 minutes so they went by quickly. If you’re familiar with Cathe step the combos will be easy to pick up. I thought a couple were a little tricky but not something you couldn’t pick up.
I don’t want to give the impression that this isn’t a good workout, I did get sweaty, but I would have liked a bit more Max. I’m still jumping and Cathe does plenty of it in her drill cardio. I kind of miss that fun medium. It would have been nice if it was closer to an hour, maybe with a easier half and a harder half.

Jane

[Shelbygirl]

Originally Posted by Victoria

Do you mind sharing how you modified? I cannot weight bear on my wrists and I'm always looking for good modifications that still keep the intensity up. TIA!

I just either repeated one of the earlier blasts from IMAX 4 or subbed one of the blasts that I remembered from Low Max.

[angie_nrs]

I did IMAX 4 and then added the bonus abs after I was done with the original w/o. I wasn't wiped out after the w/o, since it is not nearly as difficult as the other IMAX's, nor does it have the impact. The combos were fun and only a couple were slightly tricky. I believe the one I had to re-do was #6 with the K step on the outside of the step. I've got it now though. Cathe is much better with cueing than in past series, but there were still a few places that could've used some earlier instruction. However, after doing it a couple of times I probably won't even notice it.

This would be a great w/o for those days when you want something sweaty but don't necessarily want to get your butt handed to you. I liked it a lot! It definitely has a fun factor even though the music was just OK. The last song in the stretch was my favorite since there were some light vocals in it. I wish she would go back to music with vocals, but I am kind of a music snob. Still, I like IMAX 2 & 3 better with regard to the music for sure.

If I had to complain about something, it would be that the blasts were kind of generic. There seemed to be a couple of moves off the side of the step that were similar in nature like the woodchops. Perhaps next time I'll do the woodchops off the back just for some slight variation.

There was very little time needed for breaks between the blasts since they weren't that difficult, which is why I think this IMAX is shorter. I like that it fills a gap in what my workout choices may be for the day. Also, if I want to add in abs, like I did today, it clocks in at 54 minutes which is still very do-able. I think I'll get a lot of use out of this.

The bonus ab section was only 10 minutes and I liked the variations. It's not too hard or too easy.....but leans toward the easier side for Cathes ab routines. The only move I didn't like was the hip dips off the step since it felt tweeky on my shoulder. No biggie - I can just do them on the floor, so problem solved.

Overall I thought it had a high FUN factor, produced a good sweat, and made my feet happy......so I call that a keeper!!! I'm so glad Cathe is still producing DVD's! THANK YOU CATHE!!!

[kittybug]

Originally Posted by cataddict

I'm curious, what step height did you use?

I used an 8-inch step.

[kittybug]

I just did PHA 3 plus the stacker abs and the extended stretch, and I have to say...Cathe freaking hit the ball WAY out of the park on this one! I loved absolutely every single thing about it and was a dripping sweaty mess at the end! It really got my heart rate up, and I liked how she used the step in this one. I thought continually taking the step topper off and putting it back on might annoy me, but nope, I was grateful for the time to catch my breath and composure. The moves are so unique and fun in this one!

This has to be my new favorite PHA of hers, it really does. The stacker abs were so creative too, and yep, I sure felt it!

I'm so pleased!

[severin817]

How long does it usually take before they add the new videos to Cathe On Demand?

Just curious

Laura

[IceQueen07]

Which one is the easiest?