Cathe Fans Part 5

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

On Saturday I did H&C Hammer Power, 0 Min. Ab Hammer. I then followed that up with the Turbo Fire Low HiiT 20, which was fun to do. On Sunday DH and I went to the home improvement show, found a couple of contractors that could possible help us with an issue we have on the front of our house. I didn't workout, because we walked the whole floor of the show. So not having gotten in my workout on Sunday I did that one this morning which was Chisel Balance with those lovely pistol squats, the legs are really feeling those right now.

Laurel, WTG on those workouts! I really like the sound of those, and will probably get them just to change things up in the rotation once in a while. They do have those workouts as options to do during the Bulk stage. I would really like to get the extra workouts from H&C also. I love the fact that the abs are incorporated into the workout so I don't have to do an add on. When that happens I tend to talk myself out of doing them. I really love when Sagi is making me laugh. In the Hammer Power workout he does that yelling thing, but it always makes me giggle because he is so intense. I'm planning on doing all the BB workouts for evening so the length of them should be good unless I have a long workday.

Tami, Sorry that your post didn't make it, great job on the workouts though. I still had to set my foot down for those pistol squats, but the balance really is getting better and better. I have really been noticing more definition in my legs from doing these workouts also. Will see how the BB rotation goes, I just might follow that one up with another H&C rotation. Really love the improvements that I have seen.

Jaz, STS workouts are still really great. The only thing is that the workouts can be long and they do use a lot of equipment. She did come out with XTrain Burn Sets, which are really good also.

Thelma, We had those lovely cold temps also, and I'm hearing that by Friday we will be in the 50's! I'm ready for the warmth. Nice combo of workouts! I will have to put that premix into my rotation, it really does sound good. I know that some of the BB workouts are shorter, so I could probably plug the BB workout into my morning and then do that premix for my after work on. I agree with you on the amount of clothing that Autumn wears, it really is very tiny. I probably started getting used to it after watching Jillian pull up her drawers all the time, because then where getting down around the crack of her butt!

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! We had a nice weekend here. Drove into Orlando on Saturday to go to Trader Joe's so I could stock up on healthy, affordable peanut butter. There are a few negatives where we live, and one is the absolute absence of healthy grocery stores. It is actually FAR cheaper to drive for an hour to Trader Joe's than get anything here. Anyhow, on Sunday, DH and I spent the day golfing, which was a nice way to spend Valentine's Day.

Saturday was my day off working out, but yesterday marked the start of week 4 in H&C. I started with the warm up from
X10, then did Chisel Balance. All our talk of the pistol squats last week really had me focusing on them and, wow, I feel it is my glutes today! Such a good workout. I followed it with Cardio Core Circuit. Today was Max Hammer Strength into Burn Sets Bi's and Tri's, which was a great combo. For cardio, I did To The Max Extreme, which always kicks my backside!

Tami, sorry to hear about the lost post. So frustrating! The Body Beast Tempo DVD does come with the same ab routine that is included with the regular set (Beast Abs), so there is not a new ab routine or anything like that. But with the core work he does between the exercises, I am not sure whether anything else is necessary.

Thelma, yikes on the cold! That is miserable. I saw where you were going to break cold records up there, and that is never fun. You sure got in some good workouts this weekend, though. Isn't that ICE Chiseled Lower Body Blizzard Blast fantastic? I love that one! I don't think Sagi has any other workouts available except for one short 20 minute total body workout associated with Body Beast. It is called Body Beast Lucky 7. I couldn't possibly justify the cost of $22 for that one, short workout, so I don't have it. But it is out there. I laughed when you said I should ask my DH what new workout programs he is interested in! He has certainly gotten me in better shape because P90X is his, Body Beast is his, Tapout XT is his, T25 is his........

Laurie, sounds like a good workout on Saturday. Good news in finding somebody to help you with your house. Believe me, I feel your pain with Chisel Balance. Even when I was stretching today at the end of To The Max I was feeling it from yesterday. That workout is definitely a keeper for beyond the H&C rotation. Really works things differently and in such a good amount of time.

jaz, I think STS remains one of the best strength training programs on the market. As Laurie mentioned, the workouts can get long (some are over an hour), and it requires a lot of equipment. But, in my opinion, it is the only strength training program out there to cover endurance, muscle building and strength. Most programs (like P90X or Body Beast) only cover two of those. I would recommend doing the one rep max test Cathe recommends to get the most out of the program. I have done more rotations of STS than I can remember right now.......everywhere from six month rotations, to undulating rotations to twice a week rotations (I don't recommend that one!), and each has been effective for me. Please ask if you have any specific questions. Just for background, I have done P90X and X2, Insanity, Asylum, Body Beast, now am doing H&C and own virtually every Cathe DVD she has released . I do think Cathe has better individual strength training workouts (like her XTrain strength training workouts, and Laurie mentioned Burn Sets from that), but if you are looking for a complete program, I think STS is fantastic.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, tonight I was limited in time but I still got a little cardio in: XT CBS w/u, BB Bulk Chest, XT Tabatacise 1, stretching. I hadn't Tabatacised in a very long time and just the first tabata was challenging! Good stuff though. On the chest workout I went with the same weights as last week for the first set. I was afraid to hurt myself. The weight I used felt too light and I noted that for next week. I did challenge myself on the other exercises and I'm feeling it. I think I'm at a point on this chest workout where I can't go any heavier but I have gone up which is huge progress. Legs tomorrow night. I wore a pair of my new jeans today, such a great feeling!
Question on the H&C program. Did you all get the set with the little containers? I need more containers like I need a hole in the head! I hope they sell it without.
The arctic air if gone. Tomorrow will be raining and in the 50's! CRAZY!

Laurie, great workouts! I see that you found the Turbo Fire Low Hiit 20 workout! The BB workouts in the "Bulk" DVD are shorter than the ones in the Build DVD's Laurie. I'm sure I will eventually get used to Autumn attire. I was trying to see if I could step up onto my bench but I think I would actually hit my head on the ceiling if I did that so I'd have to use the step when I do H&C.

Laurel, glad you had a nice weekend! Trader Joe's is worth the drive! Awesome workouts! Are you finding that H&C is a great program to do post BB? What were those Tempo workouts you were talking about? That is why I was asking if you had BB Tempo. I do have the Lucky 7 but haven't looked at it yet. I got the DVD when I bought my BB set. I thought it was so funny that you thanked your DH for helping you get fitter with BB! So maybe he's able to pick good workout DVD's! LOL
I survived the cold weather this morning! It must've been been pretty brutal on Sunday though. I couldn't agree with you more on the ICE Chiseled Lower Body Blizzard Blast! Loved it!

Hi Tami! I hope you had a great day off!

Good night ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

After work I did Max Hammer Strength, sure did torture my legs doing the Balance workout and this one in the same day! This morning I decided to do a lighter workout, so I pulled out Body Revolution workout 1, and that did loosen up those legs. One of my goals for this year is that I would finish more rotations that I start, and now that I'm starting my 7th week of H&C today, I really do think that I'm going to accomplish my first rotation for the year! Maybe I shouldn't count my chickens..... I love these workouts, so I know I will be onto Body Beast on the 1st of March.

Laurel, Great job on the workouts, it looks like we had the same ones again. It really amazes me how the Max Hammer and the Balance workouts get those legs so good, and I'm only doing 8 reps with weights! I hear you on the feeling those legs, really did have that feeling this morning when I got out of bed. Squatting down to put the harnesses on the dogs was fun! I don't blame you for going that far to get the needed food. We are lucky in this area to have a few places that do have those options. Trader Joe's is a little to far for me, but we do have a store that is like Whole Foods. Yesterday I looked at my Body Beast set, and the Lucky 7 workout was included. Probably given out because I ordered from a coach, I think they do things like that periodically. They really don't list it as an option on the rotation, as far as I could tell.

Thelma, Nice workouts! That tabatacise workout always gets me. Great job on taking note of the weight change, love to see strength gains. I don't know if they have the set without the containers, I think that you would have to contact a coach or Beachbody to see if they offer the set that way. You will have to test the amount of weight you use when using your bench, I think that will help you since you are not able to go high without hitting your head. Yep I found the workout, and enjoyed it. It worked really well for an add on to the H&C workout.

Tami, Hope you have a great day!

Have a good one!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I had a great workout today. I started with Burn Sets Chest, Back and Shoulders which felt good. For cardio, I made an H&C sandwich! I started with ICE Low Impact Sweat workout 1, then moved into Chisel Cardio, then back for Low Impact Sweat 2. It was fantastic!! Total, it was about 70 minutes long, but I loved taking a warm body with slightly elevated heart rate into Chisel Cardio. And Chisel Cardio felt brilliant today! Thought long and hard about not doing anymore after it, but pushed through to the end of my planned workout.....and am glad I did. It felt really good.

Thelma, great job with that chest workout. As you know, I couldn't really make many weight changes with that one either because it is so tough. So good job making the increases you have. Regarding going from BB into H&C......I am glad I had a couple weeks break. I think I needed that mentally. I think it also helped me to do a lot of research on H&C and get Laurie's and Tami's feedback on the workouts to really understand what to expect from the program. It is very different with a completely different philosophy and goals. For me, that has been a positive because again, for me, I think going into any basic strength training program right after BB would have had me feeling disappointed since I think BB is about tops (toss up between that and STS). So I think it is a good program to do after H&C if you are looking for something very different. I just bought those Body Beast Tempo workouts week before last. They are the bonus workouts (2 workouts) for BB that emphasize slow rep speed. They are good, but a bit pricey for 2 workouts.

Laurie, yowza on doing Chisel Balance and Max Strength Hammer in the same day! I was dying with them 24 hours apart! In fact, I am still feeling that balance workout today! Great job. No wonder you took it down a bit this morning. Can't believe you are so close to finishing H&C. I didn't get that Lucky 7 workout with my set, but I ordered from Amazon.com. So it probably is a coach 'add-on'. Curious what it is like, so if you ever do it, let us know.

Tami, hope you are well.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ Nice 3 day weekend! I didn’t do a whole lot yesterday other than a couple quick errands, finished up a little laundry and scheduled an oil change on my car. Was nice though, I waited and just read my book that I started when I went to L.A. Almost done with it. I don’t really get to read very much unless on vacation. Since evenings are usually workouts/dinner and a little time with DH. Workouts were fabulous over the weekend. Saturday Chisel Endurance + Total Body Hammer, that was a nice combo and was feeling it Sunday a.m., but back at it on Sunday with Hammer Chisel & Agility followed by RWHiiT Plyo HiiT, then off to Volleyball League. We won all 6 games and our tourney will be next Sunday. Yesterday I enjoyed a combo of H&C Hammer Conditioning followed by ICE Bootcamp Circuit (Pre-Mix #6) with Blizzard Blast, Muscle Meltdown Bi’s and Core; getting that extra Bicep work was great! This a.m. was Chisel Cardio and tonight I will head to Insane X after work.

Laurel: Sounds like you had a really nice weekend and a fun trip to Trader Joes! We don’t have one here in my town but Spokane has a very tiny one that I still haven’t been too. The friends I know that make the 45 min drive to go to that one have found a lot of things are sold out since it is such a small store. Have you ever looked on Amazon for that TJ Peanut Butter? I think they do sell some TJ items forsure. Just a thought. Very fun that you and DH went golfing as well. The combo you did yesterday sounds INTENSE ~ way to go! Today was another fabulous “sandwich” combo as well. Nicely done. Chisel Cardio was one of mine as well today. Such a fun workout! I think I am going to start BB and see before I order TEMPO. I was so close to ordering it over the weekend after your reviews and knowing I will be starting BB in March sometime. What to do?!? I also have the Lucky 7 DVD in my packet, so between Laurie and I we can let you know; this one is definitely less $$ to find on its own than TEMPO.

Laurie: Great job getting in your workouts on Saturday and making up your Chisel Balance yesterday! Always a great one in my book and yes, again gotta love those pistol squats. That is great news on the increased definition and your love for the program reinforced! BB will be right around the corner for you . . . WooHoo and great job finishing up this rotation (almost). Truly a testimony for how fun it is and beneficial too. I could see myself definitely doing another H&C rotation this year, soon after BB with a mix of XT maybe! Have you decided on TEMPO yet? I keep thinking I “need” it and may just wait until I have been in the BB program for a while. It’s very tempting though from Laurel’s reviews. LOL

Thelma: BRRRRRRRR on those temps you are having. OMG, I would have stayed indoors all weekend I think. Just stay cozy and warm inside. My mom, being in LA has had 88-90 degree days over the weekend! WOW, amazing from one side of the country to the other. Great job with all your fabulous workouts and strength gains continuing! On the containers question, yes I did, along with the shake holder for Shakeology; which I definitely don’t need another one of those. Both are still in the wrapper; although if I decide to try the meal plan I will use them. I have some containers almost identical however that I could use. I am pretty sure you can buy the program without them. Congrats on the new jeans and I bet they felt fabulous to be wearing!! Are you still using the LEGION Whey Powder and liking it? I thought of it because I just re-ordered more for myself over the weekend! 

Hope you ladies are all having a great day! I will talk to you tomorrow ~ Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, tonight I did X10 w/u, BB Bulk Legs, Treadmill, stretch and I am feeling the workout! I was able to go up on some weights which is great. I also had DOMS from the chest workout yesterday. Arms tomorrow. It doesn't look like H&C is sold without those little containers. I suppose that's just a way to up the cost of the program.

Laurie, great workouts! Sounds like you killed your legs with those workouts! Great job! You and I are well on our way to finishing our first rotation of the year! Congrats! It really feels good to look at your workout sheets and see your progress from week-to-week.

Laurel, Wow! That was another intense workout! All those workouts were just a total of 70 minutes or just the cardio sandwich? Fantastic work!
The chest workout is tough. The only thing I can't do is the declined push-ups. I am still doing push-ups on my knees but I am much better about them. I need to start pushing myself to try to do full push ups. I think it was a great strategy to take a break between BB and H&C. I would be afraid to lose what I've achieved with BB when going to a new program but it doesn't sound like that would be the case with H&C based on what all of you are doing. Tami's workout calories are through the roof now that she's doing H&C! I am in love with BB and the way it's making me feel. I am afraid about going to a Cathe rotation because I've never had these results with all those workouts. Of course I was never able to do get into STS because I'd always hurt myself. So now I feel that I'd like to give it a try. I just wish those workouts weren't so long. I think BB has been a good program for me because of the way Sagi has grouped the right body parts for each workout and I'm talking about the upper body. It has allowed my upper back to recover between workouts. Maybe now that I am stronger I will have a different experience with Cathe. I've read great reviews on that Tempo DVD. I may get it soon. The Lucky 7 DVD is definitely a coach add on. Just like H&C gives you an extra workout if you buy through a coach. I just went to Youtube to watch some H&C video clips and the the plyo one came up first. Right away I said I can't do that. Since I did that Cathe plyo and hurt my shoulder I get scared of any plyo workout. That H&C plyo workout got all my alarms going. I then found a woman who had all kinds of modifications and I could play it safe by following her modifications.

Tami, you've been on fire lady! Amazing workouts! Congrats on your VB win!
I didn't leave my house this past weekend. It was too cold. Then on Monday I was totally bundled up when I left for work. Very warm temps in LA! I'm sure your mom is loving those temps! This morning I left my house at 6:30 and it was 28 degrees. When I got to work 1 hr later it was 50! What a jump! I've not been able to find the H&C program without the containers. Didn't check ebay though. It feels fabulous to be able to fit into those new jeans. I am wearing a pair of pants tomorrow that fit me just right two weeks ago and when I tried them on tonight they were already a little big. So exciting! If I buy H&C I will have the containers in the wrapper because I don't use tiny containers like that. I am happy doing my fitness pal. Did you know that actress Kate Hudson also logs her food in MFP? I just found that out and thought it was so cool. I am still using the Legion protein powder every day. I just got the second container I ordered. Those giant containers are half empty! Makes me want to buy the 5lb container but it's so expensive. I really do like this powder so thanks for letting me know about it. Made a smoothie for DH on Sunday with cuke, spinach, banana, berries and the powder with 1/2 cup of water and it came out great. He would never eat cukes and he couldn't even taste it! He then commented on how filling the smoothie was!

Good night ladies!
Thelma

jaz050465

Thanks. I'm also thinking about RWH or XTrain as they are shorter. What's the difference between the two?

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

After work I did Total Body Chisel and Ab Chisel, was thinking about skipping the ab work! I'm glad that I included it anyway. This morning I still felt like working out with Jillian, so I did the Body Revolution workout 2.

Laurel, Wow on that workout combo, I don't know if I would have been able to do that cardio sequence. I really do agree with you on the advice you gave Thelma regarding doing something different after a heavy lifting program. I was looking at a Body Building rotation that Cathe had recommended for someone, and she suggested doing STS and then something like LIS afterward for a couple of weeks. Your body gets used to the heavy, and then introducing something different really makes it confused so that when you go back to the heavy the muscles will be extra excited to build muscle. Sounds silly, but that is the way I look at it.

Tami, So glad that you had a nice three day weekend! You really did some great combos also. I really have not been adding to much additional bi/ti work, just wanted to see what this system would do for me following it pretty much to the tee. Will see how those muscle work when I start the BB program. I'm probably going to get the Tempo workouts, I still have some $ left on a gift card from Amazon that I can use. I will probably add on the H&C extras because I will be doing another rotation of H&C, and it would be nice to incorporate those workouts to change things up. Any excuse to use my med ball. If I didn't have the gift card, I probably would wait. Would be an interesting combo with XTrain or even RWH with H&C.

Thelma, Great job on the workout. I'm interested in the Leg workouts in BB, just had a little bit from Sagi in these H&C workouts. Will be interested to see how it goes when he is just concentrating on one muscle. One of the things that I like about Sagi is what I have learned just from doing H&C. From now on when doing Sumo Squats I will be holding the weight the way Sagi has us hold it in H&C. For some reason it is easier to hold the really heavy weight up at my chest vs. with my arms down. For some reason I really want to make this year my year to finish what I start for rotations. How much longer do you have with your BB rotation? It's funny because I have finished rotations, but not a full "system" rotation besides STS and P90X, so this is an accomplishment for me if I get two of them done in a row.

Jaz, I will let Laurel give you the difference between the two, but they both have some great strength work. I do know that XTrain has workouts that are like Phase 1 and 2 of STS. At least that is the way they felt to me.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I enjoyed another good workout today. I started with ISO Speed Hammer and enjoyed it much more this time than the first time I tried it. But since it is so short, I added on LIHI Legs because I enjoy that one so much. After a bit of a break, for cardio I did Cross Fire Extreme.

Tami, sounds like a nice weekend with some killer workouts! Congratulations on the volleyball. Hard to believe another season is coming to a close. I have been paying attention to those temps in LA. Crazy this time of year, but I hope your Mom is enjoying it. Thanks for the idea of ordering peanut butter online. I hadn't thought of that.....and I have no idea why since I get my coffee from Amazon. Anyhow, I will look into that because TJ PB is literally 1/3-1/4 of the price of anything I can find around here which is why traveling a couple hundred miles to stock up is actually worth it. But free shipping is better! I think you are fine holding off on the Tempo workouts until after you have tried Body Beast. They don't add anything particularly new......just different. So it isn't as if you aren't getting as good a workout without them in my view. Just.......different......with them.

Thelma, great workout! I couldn't find H&C without the containers either and, like Tami, mine are still wrapped and in the cupboard. That was the last thing I needed. I completely understand what you are saying about not getting the same results with Cathe as with BB, because I had the same issue until I did STS. STS is the first full program I ever did, and my results were out the roof. That is why I try to do at least a couple of designed strength training programs each year (STS, P90X, BB, etc). Those are the programs I use to push myself through a barrier, and then Cathe's rotations are great for refining, maintaining, etc. That just happens to be what works best for me. Regarding STS, maybe you could start with a different Mesocycle than 1. I know that sounds weird, but Meso1 moves fast, uses the ball a lot, etc. And that could be behind the injuries. Meso 2 and 3 mirror more of BB (roughly, though) with fewer reps, longer breaks, more isolated focus on muscle groups, etc. But doing a rotation in the order of Meso 2, 3, 1 would mean starting with muscle building, followed by strength, followed by endurance (chisel!) and would actually probably be great for definition. Just a thought. Hmmmmm.....I have myself thinking I may try that with my next rotation!!

Laurie, sounds like a good workout. I love those Chisel Abs! I completely agree with how you described going from heavy to not so heavy programs. I know after I have been lifting heavy, my body starts craving those crazy high rep workouts Cathe does. And I think there is a reason for that.

jaz, are you talking about the strength training workouts in those programs only or the entire program? As far as the strength training workouts, there are five in the XT program (one of which is leg/cardio). The upper body workouts vary between 40-55 minutes. Two workouts (Chest, Back and Shoulders-Disc 1 and Biceps and Triceps-Disc 2) are more high rep (roughly 16 reps per set) and you alternate body part (one set chest, one set back, one set shoulder, one set chest.....). Then there is the Burn Sets workout, which you can split into two upper body workouts (same split as the other workouts), and these are lower reps (10 per set) and you focus on each body part separately. I love these upper body workouts and think they are some of Cathe's best. Her Legs workout in this series.......not so much. It uses very light weights, involves a lot of floor work, etc. It is about 50 minutes long. STS far exceeds this in terms of lower body work. The fifth strength DVD is Cardio Leg Blast which alternates heavy leg work with cardio drills. This is a really good one.

There is less variety with RWH pure strength training work, though she has some with cardio options. Her strength training work is on three DVDs, all titled Lift It Hit It. There is Chest, Shoulders and Triceps (about 40 minutes), Back, Shoulders and Biceps (about 50 minutes) and Legs. The latter workout alternates weights with cardio, and is fantastic. The upper body are weights only, each set is 12 reps, the body parts are isolated, and each exercise is ended with a 'finisher' which is a high rep exercise focused on the same body part. These workouts are tough because Cathe moves quickly through these workouts and those 'finishers' are sometimes brutal. I don't quite like these workouts as much as XT only because she moves a little more slowly through the XT workouts, which appeals to me. But the difference in how much I like them is really minuscule because I think the Lift It Hit It workouts are truly great. She also has a Circuit Upper Body and Circuit Lower Body workout in this program (both about 45 minutes). The lower body workout is probably slightly more effective for strength gains than the upper body, but they are both good workouts. But, again, neither is really focused at building muscle.

Another plus about both programs......premixes!! Cathe killed it with her premixes in the XTrain series, so there are add-one, bonuses (like 100 rep exercises), abs, etc. RWH isn't too far behind in options. So since STS didn't have premixes, these are more versatile programs. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these three (STS, RWH, or XT), depending on what you are trying to do. If you read what I wrote to Thelma above, for me, nothing quite works quite as well as a systemic program like STS in transforming my fitness level. But if you are not looking for a system but some great strength training workouts to add to your fitness program, XT and RWH are excellent. Let us know if you have any more questions!

Until tomorrow.

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ Another great Katy workout last night! This a.m. I did an ICE Total Body Metabolic pre-mix and tonight will be Spinning after work.

Laurel: Seriously amazing combo of workouts you put together again today! YOWSA . . . way to work. Thanks for your thoughts on TEMPO, again it is still on my radar (aka: wishlist in Amazon) so I will probably pull the trigger because the reviews I have read, including yours it just sounds like a great addition to the program. Hopefully that can work out for you ordering that PB online! Glad I mentioned it.

Laurie: Great job getting in Total Body Chisel & Ab Chisel . . . I really like both the ab workouts in this series. Works the abs/core well and my mind doesn’t wander due to the interesting moves! LOL Thank you for the kudos on my combo of workouts as well, I love having the time to put a couple together at a time. I agree on H&C being great with RWH as well. So many options; I hope to definitely try a combo rotation of some sort after BB.

Thelma: Awesome work on BB Legs + a little treadmill and stretch which I am sure felt great at the end. So fantastic about your pants and truly seeing and feeling the difference through this workout series! Darn it on the program not being sold without those containers. As expensive as they are on their own you could sell them on Ebay and get more $$ back from that I am sure! Just a thought. I didn’t know Kate Hudson is on MFP. So glad you are liking that protein powder. Yes, I saw the big containers and thought I would continue on the smaller. I’m the only one in our house that uses them so they don’t go super fast. The big ones do seem expensive but I guess if you factor it out it is probably a savings in the end.

Have a great evening ladies! Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, tonight I did XT CBS w/u, BB Bulk Beast, RWH Low Impact Hiit, stretching. I happy to report that I went up weights for all bicep exercises and most triceps including the skull crusher. The only one that you can't go heavy on is the tricep kickbacks which Laurel and I talked about I also spent more time watching people in youtube doing H&C workouts and so far the only scary one is the plyo one so I'm feeling better about buying the program.
I meant tell you yesterday that I love the three of you ladies! I am just so fortunate to have found this group. I wouldn't be where I am today without your motivation, encouragement and of course the fact that your commitment to fitness is a tremendous source of inspiration to me. Your dedication keeps me going. Thank you so much for being there for me.

Laurie, great workouts! Good for you for including the ab workout because that is the first thing I skip given that I'm always pressed for time. I can't wait till you and Tami start doing BB. You ladies are going to love it. I highly suggest do a Cathe warm up/cool down because the BB ones are a joke IMHO. I like how Sagi holds the weight by the chest for sumo squats too. He is very good at showing you proper form. I'm on week 6 of this 12 week rotation. I've never finished a program rotation either. With Cathe her rotations always include DVD's from other programs so it's different. I am definitely feeling stronger and I can see I look thinner and well of course the bigger clothes I'd had to graduate to in the last 6 months are now ginormous. Lucky for me I had smaller pants with the price tags still on which means I never managed to lose the weight I to to lose in order to fit in them. I'm very close now and I feel it is doable given that this time around is not about eating less but lifting more. This will be a HUGE accomplishment for me Laurie. I started P90X and got hurt and of course same thing with STS but I do love Laurel's suggestion on how to do it.

Laurel, great workouts today! Looks like I'm going to have to get the H&C program with the containers. Oh well! Maybe some day I will use them. That idea on how to tackle the STS program is brilliant! Love it! I found a Cathe STS rotation where you do STS every other day and cardio in between. I like that idea too. When I do STS this time I'll be better about recording my weights too. I may even be able to get back into P90X too. I totally loving your STS idea! Thank you! I also understand what you and Laurie are saying about transitioning from BB to an endurance based rotation before getting back to strength training.

Tami, you are killing those workouts! I keep thinking you're going to melt away with those huge burns you're having! LOL. Walking on the treadmill after a Sagi leg workout is a necessity for me to help my legs relax. I can't get over the results I'm having with BB. Of course it makes sense giving I'm finally building muscle. Good idea about selling the containers on eBay. They do charge a lot of money for them and and now all the food container companies are making the same size container sets for 1/2 the price. I prefer the snap lid type of containers. I am the only one who drinks the protein powder too. DH would only drink a smoothie if I prepared it for him.

Good night ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

After work I did ISO Speed Hammer, it was the perfect length because I really needed to get dinner going afterward. Unfortunately I was the only one eating it, because DH had to go into a meeting and didn't get home until way after I had finished. Youngest was headed out to a friends house. They both looked at the dinner and where disappointed that they were not home to eat it. Oh well, just more for me for lunch. This morning I was still on a Jillian kick so I did the Body Revolution Cardio 1.

Laurel, LOL again we had the same workout! Really good combo, love that you added in the leg workout. I agree with you on changing up the Meso cycles in STS, Meso 1 is in some ways a bit daunting with the pace and equipment. I might even try that change, because I really want to do another go through of that program. It really is good, but I think sometimes that first Meso gets in my head. Will think about doing STS after I get through Body Beast, and I'm thinking of some Bob Harper after the Beast. That should really make the body confused.

Tami, Glad to hear that Katy is still giving her class some great intensity. I actually did the Ab Chisel workout on the floor, because I was just to tired to try it on the bench. It was still a killer doing it that way too. I changed my mind on the H&C add on workouts, I didn't realize how really expensive those are. Over $56 for those workouts, just couldn't justify hitting the buy button for that. I'm going to get the Body Beast ones though, just really think that I will use them doing the Bulk rotation.

Thelma, It is so encouraging to hear that you are able to up the weights! I'm wondering if I should get a higher set of weights for lower body work, since I'm at my highest right now with the sumo squats. The plyo one isn't to bad, and you do have the modifier option, which doesn't use the bench at all. The warm ups and cool downs in H&C are not that great either, so you will probably have to do the same thing. The moves are all stretching. Well we are both in the same situation with rotations, and I think enjoying the program you are doing really helps with motivation to finish also. I agree with you on having all of you here, it really helps me get downstairs to do my workout. I really don't want to report the next day that I didn't workout. So I know that posting every day really does help. I'm hoping to get to the point that you are at, I would love to get back into those pants that I was in before I hit this meno stage. I think H&C has really helped me with that. I have the containers and am using them, it is helping me even though I do know the right things to eat. I think it is more of don't eat more than the containers for me.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I started my workout today with Gym Style Chest and Triceps and the ab work from Muscle Max. Felt really good. Then, for cardio, I did a repeat of last week......an X10 premix (this time it was X37) into Chisel Agility. Love doing this workout this way.

Tami, great workouts! Can't wait for you and Laurie to start Body Beast. I really hope you both enjoy it as much as Thelma and I do.

Thelma, what a nice thing to say to us!! And I echo it all right back. I really don't know where I would be with MFP and having found all of you. Like Laurie wrote, on days where I am all 'I don't want to workout! Wah!!', I think about how I am going to post that. It really keeps me accountable because it makes me ask myself 'why don't you want to do that?', and if I don't have an answer I am comfortable sharing, then I go push play. Makes all the difference in the world for me. Great job with the arms workout and great job going up with the weight. Glad you like the STS idea!! I really think I am going to do my next rotation that way (hope to start at the end of H&C) because, as Laurie said, Meso 1 is daunting. But I know after Meso 3 it won't be for me because I will want those lighter weights/higher reps. Hope it works for you!

Laurie, great workout! Yes, I think following Sagi/Body Beast with Bob Harper will shock your body!! But it should be really good. Sounds like a great plan. Yikes on the price for those extra H&C workouts!

See you all tomorrow.

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ Great Spin class last night; reminded me of one she did recently that was really good. This a.m. was Hammer Power and tonight I may be able to get in a workout! DH is headed down to go fishing for a few days.

Thelma: You are so sweet to say that but I can honestly say I know exactly how you feel. Just as Laurie and Laurel have commented already. I am so grateful every day to be able to check in with you ladies and share questions/concerns, etc. no matter if it is about exercise or family. I don’t have anyone to talk “exercise” with on a day to day basis so that is so encouraging to me along with your ongoing "kudos" to me and the fact that I am helping you keep going is so motivational! I am always happy to report in about what I am doing. So Thank YOU. Great job with the BB workout last night and upping your weights again in this one! It is so exciting about your progess throughout this BB program; can’t wait to see what happens for me.
I think Laurel’s suggestion for you about STS is a perfect way to try it again. No 100 push-ups straight out of the chute! LOL I think you would really enjoy H&C and if the Plyo workout is the only one you are worried about I think doing the modifications you would be just fine. Absolutely! All of the workouts have a modifier not using a bench.

Laurie: Awesome work with ISO Speed Hammer and then a little JM workout this a.m.! Again, adding in some variety to your a.m. workout  Great that the Ab workout worked nicely without the bench as well. I saw the price of those add-on H&C workouts and thought, absolutely NO for me. I think they are pretty short workouts as well.

Laurel: Way to go on GS Chest/Tri’s + the amazing abwork from Muscle Max. That cardio pre-mix sounds perfect! I will have to make a note of that one. As I mentioned to Thelma I can’t wait to start BB as well. Hoping for good results and I am sure I am going to love it.

Talk to you all tomorrow ~ Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, tonight was cardio night so I went with ICE Low Impact Sweat I and the blast workout. I did a lot jumping and my legs are feeling it. I finally hit my weight goal today AND I can fit into my jeggings that were a little too tight two weeks ago.
I am really concerned about moving on to another rotation and gaining the weight back or losing muscle tone and having to go back to bigger clothes?
I was watching a couple in youtube who appear to be Beach Body coaches and have daily reviews of their experience doing H&C. They prefer the Chisel workouts and apparently a lot of people feel that way. They worry about working out the same body parts every day. That kind of worries me a little bit but I can't imagine that you're lifting heavy weights? Another thing this couple said was that P90X would be a logical program to transition to after H&C if you want to continue with the strength training.
I would need to find electronic versions of the STS workout sheets so I can put them on a spreadsheet and have multi days on one sheet.
I found out today that I am going to be in charge of 5 people. Not with the manager's title but basically I will have the authority of the manager. They will no longer report directly to our boss and will come to me. The only thing I don't have to do is write their performance reviews but I will have input into it.

I found this STS/Cardio rotation that sounds pretty good. I have to log in to see the full rotation but I like what I see
http://cathe.com/forum/threads/sts-cardio-rotation-suggestions.257971/

Laurie, awesome workouts and I bet you're going to love your lunch tomorrow! I like leftovers.
I have 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 dumbbells and have three adjustable (with plates) dumbbells. I have a pair set to 18 lbs and the 3rd one is 24lbs. I can't imagine going much heavier than 20lbs for squats. If I need heavier I can use the adjustable ones.
There is a close grip chest press that has to be done with hex shaped dumbbells. This exercise is the reason why I got the 20lb dumbbells
https://youtu.be/U0nVKVnTbEA

This group keeps me accountable that is for sure. I really don't want to be the one who reports I didn't workout on a given day. Laurie, I am sure you'll get back into your smaller pants. Have you tried them on lately? How far are you from getting into them?
About the containers. I weigh/measure my food so I know how much I'm getting. Those containers look way too small.

Laurel, that was another tough workout! Great job! I'm so glad we all feel the same about each other and how much it means to have each other in our lives. If it weren't for you ladies I would not workout every time I feel exhausted. So I try to do a little something even if it's walking on the treadmill. I never got passed Meso 1 so Starting with Meso 2 sounds like it would be better for me. I don't have anyone to talk about exercise either.

Tami, glad you had a great spinning class! Awesome job with Hammer Power!
We really encourage each support other which is so helpul.
I'm so glad that H&C has modifiers!


Good night ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

After work I did ISO Strength Chisel, have to say that one really gets me every time. Sweat buckets and with no jumping around. Today is my off day, so no workouts! My morning was pretty funny, Cami appeared to not want to take a walk, so I took Rocket. As I enter the garage DH is at the door with his coat on and Cami on the leash, so she has decided that she wants to take a walk. I headed out again with both dogs for another walk! Good thing that I was up at my usual time, so that I could get both walks in.

Laurel, Another great combo of workouts! I love that you got in those Gym Style workouts. I'm really excited about the next few months of workouts, so hopefully I will be following this completed rotation with another one. I received an offer yesterday through team beachbody for P90X3, and the price is $89.95. This price is only for a limited time, and now I'm wondering if I should hit the buy button on this one. That is 25% of the price. On this same e-mail they are selling P90X for $49.95, and that includes P90X Plus. I think of all the $ I spent with Beachbody, and I know I paid alsmost $200 for that set. I have to ask is P90X2 worth $64.95, because they have that one also it includes the stability ball which is something that I really don't need. None of these prices include the shipping and tax of course. They really do charge a lot for shipping also. Just curious as to how you liked the P90X2 program. I think that BB knows how gullible I am with workout systems.

Tami, Nice workouts, sure do love that Power workout alot. I hope you where able to get in something else since the DH is going to be away. To tell the truth I was a little disappointed that they where so much, but I don't need those workouts at that price. Really since I can get P90X3 for almost as much with more workouts!

Thelma, WTG on the workout. I think that is a really valid fear when you are getting results from the current workout regime you are doing. Yes you do work the same muscle groups in H&C, but I have not experienced any issues. Don't know if it is because I'm not lifting to heavy enough or not. I know that after the workout, I feel the muscles that have been worked. I will say that the legs are really worked, but in my case it has increased my strength and balance because of it. I have adjustable weights that I can go up to around 60lbs, but they are not as easy to hold as those hex weights. I have weighed the amount of food in those containers, and they are pretty dang accurate on oz. per container. I was surprised. I do the container system for things I bring to work, and then for my dinner I just make something healthy and it seems to be working. I gained a lot of weight going through this menopause thing, or should I say peri. I am pretty close, but not able to button some of the items yet. I'm just happy that my butt fits into the pants. That looks like a good rotation, and you can sub in some of her newer workouts if you want to.

Have a great weekend!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I started my workout with Hammer Power and Hammer Abs, which was great. I felt much more in control of the movements in this workout the second time around and hope to go up in weight next time. This workout just flies by. To complete the upper body for the week, I did a 4DS Back and Bicep premix, and at 25 minutes, it was perfect. For cardio, I did Rockout Knockout.

Tami, great workouts! Hope you were able to get one in last night as well.

Thelma, the rotation you posted looks like it has some good--older, but good--cardio options. I don't think you can go wrong with whatever cardio you choose during the program. H&C does work the same muscles a lot, but because the weight, for the most part, is lighter and there aren't many reps, I haven't felt it was unsafe. Like Laurie said, the lower body gets the bulk of the workload. But chest and back get a lot as well. Where the program gets it right is there is little work for the smaller muscles (though shoulders get worked more then biceps and triceps), and those are muscles that really can't take repeated workload. I understand your concern about moving on from BB given the great results you have had from it.......but don't be concerned. Your body will change depending on what program you are doing, but as long as you are working it, it won't forget what it has done. And after 4-6 weeks, if you don't like the changes, you can always go back to Body Beast. But a break will be good so when you do go back to it, your body will not be like 'oh, this again' and not respond as you would like. I was afraid to move on from BB as well because of the tremendous strength gains. And while I feel like I am losing some of that now, I must admit that my body looks more 'chiseled', so there are positives everywhere as long as you keep reaching!

Laurie, that's pretty funny about the pups. Sounds like Cami was having a 'I want to hit the snooze button' morning. I can relate. That's a great sale from Beachbody. Wow. But you ask a tough question about P90X2, and hopefully Tami will give you her impressions as well since she did some of the program. It is a frustrating program........but, ultimately, very, very effective. Think Chisel Balance, but crueler. First off, the warm-ups are ridiculous. They are almost 20 minutes long, involve foam rolling, and seem to go on forever. The first phase of the program is a lot of core and balance work with some weights. The second phase is more weight focused but still with balance challenges included (and I would highly, highly suggest the bonus DVDs for this program because they are much better than the workouts in this phase). The third phase is post-activation potentiation which is all about building explosive power and repeats workouts a lot. Tony does some crazy stuff like push-ups with hands and feet on medicine balls. Not going to happen here! So I did a lot of modification. But, boy, if you are looking for a strong core and better balance, there isn't a program out there that can touch this for effectiveness. I have a very serious and intense love/hate relationship with it.......but as much as I thought I would never touch it again after my last rotation with it last year, I am toying with doing it again later this year. So.......I don't know if that helped at all. If you are looking for P90X, I would say 'no'. But if you want Chisel Balance on steroids, it is worth it. Please ask any questions about it because that deal is good.

Enjoy the weekend!

Laurel

2BLean

Happy Friday Ladies Last night I ended up on the phone catching up with my girlfriend so by the time I hung up I just did Hammer Abs. Felt good though. This a.m. was Chisel Balance and attempted my heavier weights on that last Pistol Squat move . . . which worked out nicely and I was happy for that!
Tonight I will head to Spinning right after work.

Laurel: Way to go with Hammer Power + Abs. That HP workout sneaks up on you with the building process of increasing from light to medium then light to heavy. I like that power lifting added into this program for a little variety forsure.

Laurie: So funny about Cami. I bet she was a little bit like "well I didn't really want you to leave without me Mom" nice that DH was going to take her for you though. Worked out perfectly it sounds on the timing. So my reviews on P90X2 are not nearly as Laurel because I only did a couple weeks - maybe 3 and just could not get into the program at all. From Laurel's reviews and love for the program I really wanted to like it but I just never connected. The warm-up (as she mentioned) was soooo long and left me feeling not warmed up but stretched a little bit. Kind of like H&C but this is with a foam roller and it does go on and on. With Laurel's description above on P90X2 it sounds super good being compared to Chisel Balance however. I wish I would have liked it because I know Laurel had amazing results. Some of the moves, etc. I really did enjoy because they were so different from say "Cathe" ~ Maybe it was just the timing of the program for me. Sometimes they just don't click and then later they do. If you are truly considering purchasing the program I would be happy to sell mine to you or even send it your way and let you try it, if you like it you can buy it and if not send it back. Just a thought . . . I have been wanting to post it and sell since I will probably not get myself into that one again. I think I have the original box it came in and I just printed out the workout sheets online; I don't think mine came with a booklet, like P90X. You can message me if you want, and absolutely no pressure ~ LOL just a thought since it is sitting in my house brand new. Sorry I can't be of more help on that decision.

Thelma: Huge congrats on hitting your goal weight + fitting into those jeggings! What success for you, that is so awesome. I can imagine how you are feeling about leaving BB and going into another program. I think Laurel answered it perfectly though. IF you start something else and feel you are going in an opposite direction, go back to BB. Taking a break from the heavier lifting and doing something like H&C I think will not disappoint your body/results in any way but compliment what you are already doing. The strength you have gained will help benefit in the next program forsure.
I will say congrats on the added 5 people because of the ongoing trust they obviously have in you and truly a testament to how well you do there . . . but on the other hand, more responsibility, time, etc. Hopefully it doesn’t create more stress for you but a good experience.

Have a great weekend ladies!
Tami

2BLean

HI Ladies Hope you're having a good Friday evening

Laurie: I wanted to let you know that the P90X2 I have is all in the original BB box with guides, brand new.
(Not sure why I thought it didn't have the booklet) so I was just letting you know that from my earlier post.

Have a great weekend ladies! Tami