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Old 06-11-09, 09:42 AM  
intensityjunkie
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
I'm another that doesn't click with Jillian. I got the same cocky/bossy "tuff guy" attitude from her. I think I had the backside dvd. Couldn't even do it after previewing.

I love Chalene in turbo jam. totally interested in turbo fire. I tried some of CLX and didn't click with me. not liking what I hear about the combo moves either. I'm selling mine.

LOVE Cathe. Her workouts are top notch quality. she has a friendly but no nonsense attitude. Never wastes time on pointless moves. Feel totally worked afterwards. Luv the equipment I bought for all my cathe dvds. Have my own w/o area in my room. everythings easy to get out/put away.
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Old 06-11-09, 10:13 AM  
Wanda
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Originally Posted by Debbie M View Post
For me, it is not about her "yelling". It is an attitude she exudes that makes me feel she is full of herself and condescending/intolerant.

I cannot fully explain it and mean no offence to those who like her. I just got a strong feeling that I would not click with her style.

Deb

Deb, you're right, it's Jillian's attitude that is so off-putting about her workouts to me. I got Cardio Kicks in the exchange, previewed it, and put it right back up for trade. She came across to me as contemptuous. It's good to hear her latest offerings are better; I might try one to see. There's always the exchange if not.

Cathe's Pyramids are all time favorites of mine because of the pace and well organized approach.

Of the newer strength systems, CLX is the more interesting to me because of the lower cost plus there's less time and equipment involved. But the posts about injuries worry me so, so far, I've managed to avoid that bullet!
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Old 06-11-09, 01:22 PM  
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It is an attitude she exudes that makes me feel she is full of herself and condescending/intolerant.
I listen to her radio show every week and she is so totally opposite to that! She is very warm, funny, caring and knowledgeable. Many people like that Biggest Loser boot camp style. Those same people would probably dislike Margaret Richard for being folksy and relaxed in her workouts. Thank God we have an endless variety of workouts and instructors for all of us vidiots!
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Old 06-11-09, 01:51 PM  
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Originally Posted by Wanda View Post
Cathe's Pyramids are all time favorites of mine because of the pace and well organized approach.
It is interesting how we're all different. I have absolutely no idea why the Pryamids are so popular, especially PUB. By my way of thinking, that is an utterly gratuitous workout, poorly organized and unfocused. My real life, in the gym pyramid style workouts never look like that. No one else's do, either.
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Old 06-11-09, 02:31 PM  
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By my way of thinking, that is an utterly gratuitous workout, poorly organized and unfocused. My real life, in the gym pyramid style workouts never look like that. No one else's do, either.
Can you elaborate on why you feel it's poorly organized and unfocused? I'm just curious. How do real life pyramid workouts differ?
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Old 06-11-09, 02:54 PM  
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Originally Posted by videofit View Post
I listen to her radio show every week and she is so totally opposite to that! She is very warm, funny, caring and knowledgeable. Many people like that Biggest Loser boot camp style. Those same people would probably dislike Margaret Richard for being folksy and relaxed in her workouts. Thank God we have an endless variety of workouts and instructors for all of us vidiots!
Ditto all this. Because of this thread, I made a point to listen to her radio show/podcast on my way to work this morning and she was super sensitive to several callers with really intense problems that bordered on eating disorders. I think she's just used to that boot camp style with her workouts but when it comes to the advising side of herself, she's soooo nurturing without being condescending. I think she's big on giving practical advice that you can use right then rather than simply sympathizing with someone.
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Old 06-11-09, 03:18 PM  
Kyra
 
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Can you elaborate on why you feel it's poorly organized and unfocused? I'm just curious. How do real life pyramid workouts differ?
You have to feel these things, not have them dictated to you. I will walk into the squat rack, and just pile on the weights until I'm done. Empty bar, 5's, 10's, quarters, plates - it's over when it's over. I've never been convinced about the use of pyramiding down. Ditto what I do at the db rack. It's all very organic. Even my fellow (very cool) dudes in the testosterone cloud area of the gym operate under the same principles. Feel it out, crank it up. See what you can do.

Structure is useful, if it has purpose. I question Cathe's purpose.
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Old 06-11-09, 03:28 PM  
Wanda
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Hmm...I don't have anything to compare the Pyramids to other than strength dvds...and next to most of them PUB feels very organized and direct. I'm curious as to what a gym pyramid w/o would look like? BTW, PUB is my favorite of the two!
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Originally Posted by Kyra View Post
It is interesting how we're all different. I have absolutely no idea why the Pryamids are so popular, especially PUB. By my way of thinking, that is an utterly gratuitous workout, poorly organized and unfocused. My real life, in the gym pyramid style workouts never look like that. No one else's do, either.
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Old 06-11-09, 03:53 PM  
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Hmm...I don't have anything to compare the Pyramids to other than strength dvds...and next to most of them PUB feels very organized and direct. I'm curious as to what a gym pyramid w/o would look like? BTW, PUB is my favorite of the two!
I'll chime in here, and I'm not a gym rat. But generally, the point is to do sets, and lift heavier each time you do a set of the same exercise, but go down in weight. Cathe sort of does this- but there is no rest, so there really aren't sets in her Pyramid workouts. It's just one huge endurance round. Pyramids are a method to increase strength, so you aren't going to start with 15 reps, do another 15 reps for the same body part, (am I remembering this right) and then 12, 12, etc.

I couldn't get stronger with this method, its just too many reps, and doesn't allow for heavy weights. More likely is 12, 10, 8 or 10, 8, 6, so even if you went back up, you'd end up with 30 or 40 less reps than Cathe. Plus, if you're resting at least a minute (or more if you're working in with a partner) you'd never get in the 400 or 500 reps it seems like there is in PUB.

Someone in VF land made this a "real" pyramid workout by resting during the second exercise. Again, in general, pyramids are strength building and not endurance.

My personal opinion is that the whole workout is just major overkill, even for endurance. Just doing the pyramid up premixes seems a lot more reasonable to me, but of course everyone has different preferences.

Last edited by LynnO; 06-11-09 at 03:54 PM. Reason: Added quotes to real since there is not a real definition of pyramid workouts.
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Old 06-11-09, 04:14 PM  
Debbie S.
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I'll chime in, too. I had serious issues with Cathe's upper body pyramid workout, because the way she structured it isn't right.

It was me who made this into a true upper body pyramid workout by resting during the second set of each exercise. Cathe turned each exercise into a superset, which you don't see in a true pyramid workout.

There are different ways to do your pyramid. You can do a full pyramid, half a pyramid, or a reverse pyramid. I prefer a reverse pyramid. With this method you do half a pyramid and your first set is your heavier set. Your strength gains can be really good using this method.
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