A Cathe chronological rotation and reflecting on the past

[manleym]

Hi All! Hope everyone is staying warm and dry! I think it's cold and wet everywhere.

Super quick check in. Hoping to catch up more later with your posts.

Today I did High Impact HiiT + Mobility Basics. ChelePA I took your advice and didn't do the extended stretch since I did the mobility workout.

Like some of ya'll, I didn't think the High Impact HiiT was nearly as hard as some of other Cathe's HiiT workouts. I really liked this workout, especially for a quick day. I didn't have to modify, take breaks, and I wasn't lying on the floor afterwards DYING! I thought the moves were fresh and there was a nice variety. I didn't notice too many burpees because they were a little bit different each time and there were other moves in between. I think the intensity was similar to some of her Live cardio/HiiT workouts. Or maybe the Blizzard Blasts from ICE. It DEFINITELY isn't as hard as RWY Plyo HiiT, or Shock Cardio HiiT, or some of her others.

The Mobility workout was a good stretch. There are some moves I really like - scorpion, thread the needle, and a few others I can't think of right now. This would be good for those who are just getting into mobility workouts but IIRC, Tracie Long's mobility workouts are equally as good, if not better (some of them). And this is definitely not UDAYA, Bee.

So far I'm liking this series! I like the set, the music isn't terrible (either I don't really notice it, or if I do it isn't for long and is tolerable). Tomorrow I'm planning on doing the lower body workout with the bonus. Then I want to do the low impact + cardio bonus. Next week is premix playing! Like ya'll, I'm trying to figure out how I'll use these dvds. Probably just mixed in with other workouts.

Hugs and waves to all! Will post more later!

[horusosiris]

Hello Everyone

We are expecting snow on Friday. Well the weather has been on a roller coaster here- from Autumn to Spring and now Winter.

I completed all of the Perfect 30 workouts. My favorite of the 3 DVDs is Pump.The high impact workout are repeats from either other Cathe DVDs or Cathe Lives. I have been doing Cathe almost since she started making workouts so I guess there can't be much new that she can do. I still enjoyed the Perfect 30 series and they are definitely a part of my fitness arsenal. I am going to do them all again as is and explore some of the premixes to solidify or change my impressions.

Today I did a chest shoulder, tricep blender mix that had segments from Perfect 30, Burn Set and Total Body Giant Sets. I also did KCM's Super Sculpt premix.


Two Questions:
1.What is your absolute favorite single Cathe workout and Cathe series (only pick one)?
2. What are your workout plans for November and December?

Kitty- congrats on your STS. STS is so versatile! I have completed STS 3 times as a complete rotation. Once as it is outlined and twice as an undulating rotation. I also may join you in STS for select workouts.

Mickey- Sorry about your mail service. Our mail service finally improved after about 3 months of snail mail. We have a great postal person though and she is so kind and considerate.

Manleym- I too will most likely mix the Perfect 30 workouts with other workouts.

Have a great day today!

[ChelePA]

So frustrating...I had this really long post that disappeared...Ugh!

Hopefully, I can catch up more later.

Loving all the reviews so far!

I decided to experiment with the premixes. Today was Low Impact Hiit warm-up and first half of the workout plus second half of High Impact Hiit followed by Pyramid Hiit. I subbed in the Mobility Stretch only premix for the extended stretch. It was a little choppy in areas but a nice end to the workout.

[KateTT]

Wow you guys are really posting some great comments about Perfect 30. I really didn't think there would be anything bad about the set and so far it looks like there are many ways to use it.

Today was the last STS Plyo Legs workout. A mix of several weighted exercises and unweighted plyo. Last week I used two 30s. This week I used two 20s. All the reps are 12-15 so I just kept it a little lighter. I am ready to move on.

I followed that with a Yoga practice on Gaia by Tiffany Bush called Sturdy Stretchy Hammies. It wasn't the greatest Yoga but it did have some really nice leg and hip stretches which was just what I needed after leg day.
Almost made it into full splits today.

Some notes on STS:
I have definitely gotten stronger, more defined. Cathe says you should be about 5% stronger by the end of Meso 3. Confirmed.

I did gain 3 lbs since I started STS. I figure it's muscle weight but I also have not been eating super clean although I am still fasting with one meal a day.

It has never been boring or had any dread, even the Plyo Legs workouts. And although there is some repeated footage on each DVD, it is edited so well that each workout totally seems new. Yes I did recognize some repetition, but again, can hardly notice at all and it kept the whole rotation a lot more doable.

You can use whatever weights work best for you!! You will make small increases in weights per Cathe...one lb, two lbs etc. for each Meso cycle. Reps start at 15 for Meso 1, 10-12 for Meso 2 and 6-8 for Meso 3. (apologies if I got that wrong)

Have fun, stay fierce.

[KateTT]

Originally Posted by horusosiris

Two Questions:
1.What is your absolute favorite single Cathe workout and Cathe series (only pick one)?
2. What are your workout plans for November and December?

Fav single Cathe workout: I honestly don't think I can pick just one as I have several. Great Glutes, Crossfire, some Ripped with HiiT.
Fav Cathe Series: Right now I'd have to say STS but again, so hard to pick just one. I have a lot of favs in Ripped with HiiT, Xtrain too.

Workout plans for Nov: Perfect 30, ICE and then whatever. Still working my way through all my Cathe's.
Workout plans for Dec: Probably finish up on my Cathe rotation. I started our chronological rotation in late January and with the exception of a few other workouts, mostly all Cathe.

[bee]

Hey All! I'm back from the land of no power and flaky internet. Our power was out for about 34 hours this time, I think. It's really getting old. But, we are in the midst of gorgeous fall weather here - not wet - so I'm very happy about that. Supposed to get up to 80 again this weekend. I don't like that so much but I won't complain.

I am loving reading about the new workouts! Since the power was out I wasn't able to do any but I was back to it this morning with the high impact hiit. I wish I had realized mobility is scheduled for tomorrow because I would have just added it on -- oh well. I found a 30 minute yoga on Udaya that actually made me feel great afterward. A new to me instructor: Sonya Genel. It was something about "daily magic" and it was. As for the high impact hiit, I enjoyed it. I'm clearly not as in great cardio shape as many of you because I definitely was feeling it but I know what you mean about it not seeming as difficult. I wonder if the lack of step plays into that somewhat. I had to modify some stuff because I wasn't quick enough to get all the moves in while they did. I try to do a hiit workout once a week but honestly I think I've been slipping and today showed me I ought to make sure I get it in more regularly.

Fun to see that there may be a group doing STS. I think for November I will continue with Perfect 30 maybe mixed with some of my other Cathe favorites and yoga of course.

As for my favorite Cathe and series..... I think it's very hard to pick one Cathe that's a favorite but I guess it would probably be one of the PHAs. I always forget which one I like best. But another current favorite is IMAX 4. For series, I know LITE will continue to get a lot of use, but also what I have from Step Boss (I think that's what she called it) and I think Perfect 30 will get a lot of use, too.

Chele, such a bummer you lost your long post! I hate it when that happens.

I need to get on with some chores so I will keep this sort of (?) brief. Stay dry and warm, all!!

[manleym]

Two Questions:
1.What is your absolute favorite single Cathe workout and Cathe series (only pick one)?

Hmm...SINGLE workout??? One that I would never, ever, not in a million years give up? Gonna have to think on this one.

Favorite Series - gonna have to say 4 Day Split. There is just so much goodness in this series! The premixes are AWESOME, music is decent, and I like all of the workouts.

2. What are your workout plans for November and December?

I haven't even thought about it yet. Suggestions anyone?

I know KB is itching to try STS. And great deal, BTW, KB! You scored! I bought Meso 2 & 3 at a used bookstore (Half Price Books) for about $20-$30 each, IIRC, so I'd say you got an EXCELLENT deal for brand spakin' new ones! I got the deal of the century on Meso 1. Hubby and I were in Movie Trading Company looking to rent a copy of Endeavour (PBS Masterpiece show). Movie Trading Company was having a huge tent/clearance sale and had boxes and boxes and boxes of dvds outside. As I'm walking up to the door, I glance over and see Cathe's Meso 1 series on top of all of the dvds, face up. Like she was there waiting for me. I bought it for $5.00. I don't know if any of the dvds work or not, but just to be able to say I bought Cathe's Meso 1 for 5 bucks was worth it!

Glad your back Bee! Sorry about the power being out but glad the weather is pretty and you're seeing some fall.

Horusosiris did you ever decide on a wine fridge?

[Mickey12]

Bee I'm glad your managing through all your power outages. It must be hard. But you've got a great attitude; keeping on the bright side of things by focusing on the good weather, etc.

Kate I totally agree about the STS workouts not feeling repetitive even with some of the footage repeated. Cathe did an outstanding job with that series.

Tonight I did my first Perfect30 workout. I did Low Impact Hiit with the extended stretch. You people are seriously fierce! I thought it was PLENTY hard and I had to take breaks during some of the moves. I really like the Heisman rock and rolls. So fun! Poor Finley got mixed up in my feet during one of the agility drills and I think I kicked him. At least he didn't come back in the living room for the rest of the workout. The extended stretch was nice, but I had to pause and cool down a little more before starting it.

I may do the yoga or mobility workout after dinner and I'll report back if I do.

On a side note, yesterday was our 30th wedding anniversary. I seriously can't believe it's been 30 years, where does the time go? It's crazy to me.

[kittybug]

Hello friends!

Today I did the Perfect 30 Yoga plus Mobility plus Core Bonus premix. I'm so surprised I really liked this premix, particularly the mobility part! And I was feeling sore and crunchy today so this was perfect. Y'all know I don't go to Cathe for yoga and Travis has ruined me for most other yoga, and usually, if I'm going to do mobility stuff, it's Essentrics/Tracie Long/barre stuff/etc. But I thought this was excellent! This is a great premix for when I want to get loose and feel stretched without death by chaturanga! I also discovered why my left shoulder is so wonky because paint the rainbow on that side was much stiffer than my right. That was the only serious imbalance I found though, so I suppose that's good.

I probably won't be able to work out tomorrow, then Friday will be one of the Live PHAs, then Sunday I'll do the long Pump premix, so hopefully I'll post my thoughts then.

Oh, Kim!!! Cheeto and Charli sometimes chase ping pong balls and/or each other right through my workout space when I'm working out. Can't tell you how many times I've nearly biffed it while stepping off the step and onto a ping pong ball/kitty/other toy! I hope Finley is okay!

Manleym, I love your STS deal story! And that does make me feel pretty good about the deal I got too. I just got shipping notification that it's already supposed to be here this weekend!! We'll see if that happens but if so, I plan to start an STS/Live/other rotation next week. EEK!

KateTT, splits, yay!!! I can still mostly do them all three ways though I've seriously let a lot of flexibility go in the name of healing my sciatic issue that was aggravated by it. Get ready for me to PM you when my STS arrives, hah!!

Bee, it's just awful what you're going through with the fires and power. I agree with Kim that you have an amazing attitude. And you STILL keep up with working out! Fierce!

ChelePA, did the forum eat your post!?? That's terrible! Come back and try again!

Horusosiris, no WAY! I could not pick ONE Cathe workout, and as far as series go, before my chrono rotation, it was Intensity series all the way (the one from back in the early 2000's), but after, I still love Intensity but also adore RWH, the no-name series with Intensity, High Reps, STS Total Body, and Lower Body Blast, and more. It's too hard to pick!

My plan for November and the months after is some kind of STS rotation along with Lives and whatever else floats my boat. I'll have to see when it arrives just what I'm getting myself into, hah!

Nathalie, I can't wait to try the Pump workouts. I just have a feeling I'll love them!

Stay fierce, my Watulan friends!! Waves to all!

[cataddict]

Hi all!

Yesterday I finished up the rest of Perfect30 by doing the upper, lower and core bonuses. I liked using the bands as well. I'm considering buying the new set of tubing since my tube is probably well beyond it's useful life. I've mostly been substituting a resistance band when the tube is used.

Today I decided to do a repeat of the Perfect 30 HiiT workouts, this time doing the high impact one first followed by the low impact one. I was feeling like I would have to resign from the Fierce Watulans to join the Wimpy Watulans when I kept reading that people thought the high impact HiiT wasn't very hard. I thought it was advanced, but I had done the lower impact one prior to it so I was "pre tired" out. So today after I finished the high impact section I agree that it isn't as hard as I thought the first time, but still plenty challenging. It wasn't so hard that I stopped and I was able to complete the low impact workout without puking in a bucket. I think the 40/20 HiiT from the Shock Cardio series was her toughest HiiT workout. bee, I think you're right that it was the step made that one harder, plus the 20 seconds of rest flew by compared with the 40 seconds of work. I think the ratio of work to rest also makes a big difference.

Kim, Happy Anniversary!! Hope you get to celebrate! I've also accidentally kicked one of our brood during a workout. I always feel like a heel but fortunately I haven't hurt anyone seriously. Usually one kick or tap does the trick and they stay away! Big Orange was seriously in the way during the Mobility workout, however. He doesn't understand the just because I am on the mat on the floor it isn't my stretching time when he gets his super charged petting session. I agree I need to cool down a bit more before I do the extended stretch. I also paused a little on some of the stretches, since I like to do the torso focused stretches for 15-20 seconds each.

bee, good to "see" you. You are handling the situation so well. I can't imagine the stress it adds to an already stressful time.

manley, great score of STS for those prices! And what Tracie Long mobility workouts would you recommend? I realize the Cathe mobility one is basic, and that's what it was promoted as, but it has made me want to try another one.

Kate, thanks for the notes on STS! Honestly the first time around I didn't notice any strength improvement but I did gain weight and was hungry all the time. Obviously I'm hoping for a much better outcome this time!! kittymax, let me know when you are ready to start! I still have my notes and the book that came with the set.

horusosiris, I'm gonna have to think about your first question. I like Kate's suggestion of Crossfire. I also like Intensity, mostly because of the options and premixes. I think FitSplit is probably my favorite series. But I don't really think I could make a choice of just one! And as mentioned, Kittymax and I are going to do an STS rotation presumably during November/December. Or at least start it.

Chele, that stinks that you lost your long post. It's happened to me and you all know how long my posts are! Ugh! I was going to do the premix you mentioned, but what I really want is a premix that alternates higher and lower impact exercises. There isn't one like this, unfortunately. I guess I could kind of cobble it together myself by combining the two premixes and skipping the warmup of one and cooldown from the other.

Nathalie, I also feel like I need the mobility work. I didn't have any problem doing the moves in this workout, and I noticed that I have been feeling a little more flexible since I've been doing longer stretches more frequently. Hope you like the yoga workout! I liked it, not too advanced as I am definitely not advanced in that arena, and short enough to use as an add on.

Waving to all!