Cathe Fans Part 5
Replies
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Morning Ladies,
Well all I can say is 2.0 Body Parts Legs is brutal. This workout was tougher than the lower body in the last phase. I really tried to lift as heavy as possible, so I was able to stay with Cathe until I got to the elevated single leg. I used weights that where about 5 lbs lighter than Cathe, even on the hip thrusts. So the swiss ball is awesome for this, I was able to go from a sitting position and lift the weight to put it away. That will be my go to item for all hip thrust in the future. Overall my lower body feels like it was worked really well, and I was sweating like crazy. We will see if I can walk tomorrow, because my thutt area is really sore right now.
Our new furnace is installed, and it felt great to have that humidity out of the house. We also had a nice steady rain all afternoon yesterday, so very grateful for that.
Laurel, Great job with the workouts. I don't have that Step Boss workout, so that is a bummer that I won't be able to try out that workout. Glad that it was a positive for you though. I love that description of your sleep, I feel like that sometimes too.
Thelma, Awesome job with all the workouts! I think that I may have done the same thing with that lower body workout. I was trying really hard to write down some of the information during this workout, but it seem like the one minute break isn't very long. At least I was able to write down the number of reps. Sounds like you really had a high heat index if it felt like 100. I took advantage of the Amazon prime deal days, and purchased some 1 lb weights that I can add to my dumbbells. I probably should have included a new pad for those hip thrust also.
Really felt it today on the hip bones.
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! Today’s workout started with 2.0 Lower Body 2. I did the premix with the bonus moves, and it felt tough today. I stayed with Cathe’s weight throughout the main workout, but I went lighter than her for the bonus moves. I think next week I will do it without the bonus and see how it feels. Anyhow, I was really shaky afterwards but decided to try a spin. I know two weeks ago I said I had found the perfect spin for this rotation, but today I tried another one (from the same instructor) and it was even better. It was a soft rock ride and the music was like a walk through my teens years. And the ride was very moderate. So now I have two perfect spins to get me through this rotation.
Thelma, great workouts. I did the same thing on the glute bridges today! I got up and put my weight away (I was using a dumbbell), and she says ‘for the next set….’ and I was . Too funny. The chair stretch is from the Step Boss series. It is unfortunate the Step Boss series is focused on the step because she has two of her best core routines and two fabulous stretches in that series. I think one of the core routines and one of the stretch workouts is on the PHA 3 workout if you have that one. But I think the Abs I did yesterday (which I prefer) and the chair stretch are only on the IMAX4 workout. And while they are good, it isn’t worth buying the DVD for them. We were over 90 degrees yesterday but it didn’t feel too bad until the humidity kicked in last night. Today is a little cooler but the humidity is up there for sure.
Laurie, great workout! I love your description of that workout and how it felt in relation to the lower body workouts Thelma and I are doing now. So I guess my belief that segment would feel easier is already blown out of the water.
I am glad the Swiss ball worked for you. I am going to try that next week. I am glad you have AC again.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Thursday were Walking, Gina B. Low Impact Cardio and Cathe STS 2.0 Upper Body 2. I'm so glad my strength training this week is done! I was able to go up in most exercises, but I'm stuck with the shoulder work.
I got to use my grips during the first portion of the workout, which allowed me to go in weight. My legs felt like I'd just finished working legs after the upper body workout! I guess the rows and bench dips did it!
I watched a fitness guru today on how to improve grip strength on FB. He said do Farmer carriers! You basically walk around holding very heavy dumbbells in each hand.
https://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/farmer-carries-super-beneficial-yet-widely-underused/
We got a little rain on Thursday, and it was a very hot day. We may have a very rainy weekend.
Larie, good job with the leg workout! That one is definitely a tough workout. Good job pushing through it! I'm so glad you liked the swiss ball for the hip thrusts. It really is the safest way for hip thrusts as far as I'm concerned.
Sometimes that minute between sets feel too short! I sometimes pause the DVD in order to write things down.
Laurel, great workouts! I've yet to do any of the bonus work. I just think it would be too much for me.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who put the barbell down too early! LOL
I actually have the Step Boss step workout! I've never done it, but I'll check out the workouts it has.
It's very hot there too! The rain we got on Thursday got things a little wet, but it dried up quickly.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thelma0 -
Morning Ladies,
My morning workout was 2.0 Body Parts Shoulders. I stayed with Cathe for the most part on weights, except for the barbell and the lateral raises. Just couldn't do 8lbs for that one. I had to go down to 7lbs, and that was perfect. The only exercise that I didn't care for was the banded single arm fly. I'm trying to figure out why those bands are just not something that I care for. My lower body isn't to bad this morning, I thought it would be tough getting out of bed.
More rain this morning, but then we are suppose to have a high heat/humidity index.
Laurel, Awesome job with the workouts, and getting through all the bonus work also. How cool to find another ride that you enjoy, it really does make it fun when you know the music. I can say that the leg workout is very tough, the shoulder work wasn't to bad. I think that is because it's a single body part. I will see tomorrow how I feel, because I really did try to lift heavy. I was a tad afraid to go as heavy as Cathe with 40lbs on the barbell, but I think that I can try for that next time. I was able to get through the overhead presses without to much difficulty. Or I can add a couple of lbs with my new weights that I should be getting today.
Thelma, Great job with the workouts, sure can understand why you would be happy that the weight work was done for the week. It's amazing how hard your hands are working with these workouts. I'm so glad that you found that information on the swiss ball, it sure was a safer and more comfortable.
Have a great weekend,
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! For today’s workout, I did the ‘Extreme’ premix of 2.0 Upper Body 2. I decided to do these extended workout yesterday and today early on in this part of the rotation because I am not sure I will want to be doing them in another week or so. But, surprisingly, the upper body work felt really good today. The workout is only 7 minutes longer than the normal workout, and she just included an extra set of things like barbell rows and pullovers. It definitely wasn’t too much, though my arms were talking at the end. I was able to stay with Cathe’s weight throughout except, as usual, on overhead presses (I used a 35# barbell) and the bicep 21’s (I dropped to 30#). That made me happy. But, like Thelma, I am looking forward to a couple of days off. Anyhow, I followed that with 2.0 No Equipment Abs and a fun 30 minute spin.
Thelma, great workouts. My shoulders are definitely my nemesis too. I find overhead presses much easier with a barbell to be honest. I think it just suits the range of motion better in my shoulders than the presses with dumbbells, even with the palms facing each other. So I think for the bulk of the remainder of this rotation, I will opt for the barbell when possible. I have no clue what our weather is going to be like this weekend because the weather people can’t seem to figure it out either. This morning I got up and there was zero chance of rain today. I just checked and now they are projecting a 95% chance of rain this afternoon. Really? So who knows what will happen. I just know it will be very humid. And hot.
Laurie, great workouts. I remember being slightly underwhelmed with the Body Part Shoulder workout, so thank you for kind of verifying that with your comments. I think weight will be key. There are just some moves with shoulders (like lateral raises) that I don’t like to push the weight on because of my myriad of shoulder and elbow injuries. So I think it will probably take me a few tries to find the perfect weight. But since I am planning on doing the Body Part workouts for 4+ weeks, I will have time. But I so agree about banded shoulder work. I don’t like it at all and will always opt for a dumbbell instead. Are the weights you bought the kind that clip on to the bar of your dumbbell? I saw some advertised on Instagram the other day, and they looked really easy to use. I will be interested to hear your feedback on them, especially how they work with your hands (like does it leave enough room for your hand to fit comfortably on the dumbbell). Sounds like we are all in the same rain, heat and humidity pattern right now.
Enjoy the weekend.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, I hope you had a great weekend. We had a nice weekend. It was busy as usual.
We are getting smoke from the Canadian fires and Sunday was pretty smokey. It made me sad when I realized that those fires are still active.
We are going through a dry and hot period. Our first chance of rain will be on Thursday.
My workouts on Friday were Gentle Flow Yoga and Walking.
Saturday - Walking, and Cathe STS 2.0 Mobility 1 + Mobility 2 Premix.
Sunday - Cathe STS 2.0 Upper Body 1 Walking.
I was able to go up in a lot of the exercises including shoulders because I used a barbell for shoulder presses. I must've hit my triceps pretty well last Thursday because I still felt DOMS on Sunday. I hit them hard on Sunday too. My arms are definitely feeling pumped.
I got myself a new fitness tracker and it's been yelling at me for the little walking cardio I've been doing on a daily basis. It says I'm over training. I guess it agrees with Cathe, but I don't know that I can give up my daily walks.
I almost forgot to tell you that I've been doing the pushups in the Upper Body 1 workout using the bench. Today I added a fabric loop around my arms and wow! I was able to get very low and the band really supported me!
I've been seeing a lot of fitness trainers not wearing shoes while they strength train because regular sneakers affect your balance during squats, lunges. I never returned the pair of minimalist sneakers I bought months ago, and I started wearing them this weekend. I didn't feel any difference with the upper body workout or the mobility workout, but I do like how the shoes feel. I can't wait to do the lower body workout with them. I bought a pair of sneakers that are pretty close to zero drop type of sneakers and my feet for the first time ever are very happy. They are pretty much shaped just like a foot. They are wide at the toe box, almost like Birkenstock clogs. After spending hundreds of dollars on a single pair of sneakers these inexpensive shoes are the best shoes ever for my difficult feet. Doing lunges with these shoes is way better because they are super flexible. This type of shoe was recommended by the barefoot sprinter (or something like that) as a way to get used to zero drop shoes. They are definitely wide at the toe box, but since I have flat feet, my feet are wide. I feel like I'm walking on clouds. I never thought I'd be able to say such thing! LOL. Just in case you're interested these are the shoes.
https://a.co/d/ix1VCmo
Laurie, great job with the shoulders workout and for staying with Cathe's weights! That's awesome! I hope you're able to figure out why you're not liking the banded workouts. What's been a game changer for me with the bands are the wall anchors I bought. There are lots of videos in YT for banded workouts. Perhaps you could find a different method there.
It really is amazing how hard our hands are working with these workouts. I was getting worried because I was feeling like I was hurting my fingers by holding those heavy weights and thick handle Bowflex dumbbells. Since I got those grip things my fingers are feeling better. I'm so glad you liked the swiss ball for the hip thrusts!
Laurel, great job doing the Extreme upper body premix and being able to use the same weights as Cathe! Fantastic job! Those 21's are killers! I am really liking the Upper/Lower workouts. I think the total body workouts are the ones that have the biggest dread factor for me. Right now, I'm feeling like I want to extend the rotation! LOL
I tried the overhead presses with the barbell, and I was able to go heavier. It felt better than the dumbbells for sure.
We had chances of rain on Saturday but didn't get any rain at all. Now I'm worried about forest fires.
My hummingbirds are back! Thank God!
Have a great week!
Thelma
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Morning Ladies,
We had a very enjoyable weekend, we only had one day of really hot humid weather and the rest have been beautiful. We did babysit on Sat/Sun. My goodness is he getting big, and heavy. I think that my lower back got a bit of a workout from just picking him up and putting him down. I was able to do the Active Recovery workout on Saturday, but had to delay my Sunday workout to today. We spent some time with the oldest when we dropped the baby off, and then headed to Costco and DH's brother house.
Woke up this morning not feeling all that great, but I muscled through the 2.0 Body Parts Back. Funny how that one popped up just when my lower back was just a tad sore. I'm a little unsure how I feel about the back workout. Again the tubing is used, and I for sure will have to use my tower the next time I do this workout. I really didn't feel anything using the single tubing, so I need to try the tower or use the double tubing option. I'm going to be doing these workouts for 6 weeks, so I think that I will get to the option that works best. I was surprised that 30#'s didn't feel tough for the single arm rows, guess I'm really getting a stronger back.
Laurel, Great job with the workouts! I'm glad to hear that one of us tried out the bonus moves. That will have to wait until I have more time to get that length into my day. Yes the weights that I got where the ones that clamp onto the handle of the dumbbell. I have not tried to put them on yet, but they are very thin. I purchased the 1#. I do know that they also have the 1.25's, I though that paying the extra money for .5 extra pound wasn't worth it. I could be regretting that through in the future. On the prime day that was a difference to almost $20.
Thelma, Awesome job with your workouts. LOL about your tracker yelling at you. I can safely say that my tracker has never done that to me. So glad to hear that you have found some shoes that work for you. When I do upper body work, I'm usually not wearing shoes. I just have bare feet or socks on. I picked that up from doing the Caroline workouts, and it just seems to work for that. I have not attempted that for leg workouts though. Do the shoes have grip on the bottom?
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! I hope you enjoyed the weekend. Ours was nice. Saturday we spent on errands and chores, and yesterday we spent on chores and golf. We had a bit of rain on Saturday early on, but then the weather was very nice both days. The sun was muted by the smoke yesterday and between that and a light breeze, it made being on the golf course during the height of the daily heat extremely tolerable. Like Thelma, though, I think we are in for a hot, dry week this week.
For workouts, on Saturday I did a walk with Jessica Smith and 45 minutes of yoga. Yesterday was Kick, Punch and Crunch followed by 2.0 Mobility 1. Today I did the Upper Body 1 Extreme Premix. This premix was 65 minutes long (so 5 minutes longer than the original) and included one extra set each of chest presses, bicep curls, tricep extensions and shoulder presses. I really liked having four sets of those exercises since they are all about strength, so this may be how I do this workout more often. I followed it with a 30 minute spin.
Thelma, great workouts. Your fitness tracker tells you that you are over training? That’s not something I have ever heard of. Mine doesn’t do that. I can finish a two hour workout and an hour later it is screaming at me to move. Anyhow, great job with the upper body workout. Overhead shoulder presses with the barbell are so much better, aren’t they? It is funny how you mentioned wanting to extend this rotation. Just this morning I started toying with doing these upper/lower for four weeks. I won’t make that decision until next week, but I am just loving them right now. Great feedback on the fabric band around your arms during push-ups. I may have to try that option. Thanks for all of the information on the shoes!
Laurie, sounds like a very nice weekend with your grandson. I am sorry your back was bothering you today. Great workout. But I completely understand your reaction to that Body Part Back workout. There is way too much band work in it for me. I know I will be using weighted options where available (even if they aren’t suggested by Cathe) because I know I would start seeing that band work as a waste of time the second time I did the workout. But that’s me and band work, so not surprising. I don’t mind using bands for a finisher or burn set, but it was used too much for me in that workout for main back exercises. A $20 difference in price for a quarter of a pound? Yep, I would have chosen the same weight clips as you.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Monday were Cathe STS 2.0 Lower Body 1 and Walking. I told myself that I would challenge myself this week and I really have. My thighs were quivering after my workout. I really went up with the weights. My minimalist shoes felt great. Who knew I'd like working out with these flat shoes! I don't think I'd like working out barefoot, so these shoes will get me as close to that as possible.
The reason why I said my fitness tracker is yelling at me is because Polar has a function called Training Load Pro. This is what the manual says:
"When you train, the different systems of your body get strained. With Training Load Pro, you get a holistic view on how your training sessions strain these different systems and how it affects your performance. Training Load Pro gives you a training load for both your cardiovascular and your musculoskeletal system (Cardio Load and Muscle Load), and with Perceived Load you can rate how strained you feel. Training Load Pro allows you to monitor your training induced strain session-by-session and in the long-term. Together with Recovery Pro, which tells how your body is coping with the strain caused by training, Training Load Pro helps you find the perfect balance between training and recovery."
I am getting the message that I'm overreaching with my cardio load. It says: 'You've been training much more than usual during the last few days. If you keep this up for long, your risk for sports related injuries will increase and your training may become counterproductive."
I am mostly doing steady pace walking, but I guess even this is too much given the workouts we're doing. Who knows! I need to read more about this stuff.
Laurie, great job getting your workout in. I hope your back is feeling better. If the tubbing didn't give you enough resistance, then definitely double up!
I'm glad you got to spend time with your grandson and your oldest. I am sure the baby is getting big and heavier. It's a good thing you lift weights!
I noticed today that Cathe is wearing zero drop type of shoes in the Lower Body 1 workout. They are pretty flat, even flatter than my new regular sneakers.
The minimalist shoes I bought are for trail road running. They have plenty of drip at the bottom, which is the reason why I bought them. Here is the link. I have the W20/Pink Grey. It looks like that item has three different styles.
https://a.co/d/3PSGuvm
Laurel, great workouts! I'm glad you had a good weekend! It was warm here, but the humidity was low, and it felt very nice.
The fitness tracker is pretty fancy. I need to spend time figuring out all the stuff it produces after every workout. I bought it because it was the closest, I could get to my old tracker. All I really cared about was that the watch face would stay on all the time and that it showed me calories and workout duration in one view. It turns out that I can customize the screen views for every workout type, which I love.
You are getting the inactivity alerts. Mine is set to alert me after 45 minutes of not moving.
I'm glad you're also enjoying these workouts and are thinking of extending the rotation too!!
See you tomorrow!
Thelma
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Morning Ladies,
This morning's workout was 2.0 Body Parts Chest. I used my new clip on weights, and they really are great. Once you have them clipped on they do not move. You have enough room for your hands also. I'm super glad that I got them, because I know that I can't lift 30# for chest presses, but I was challenged by lifting 27#. Of course I will try out the barbell the next round, so that I can determine which option I like. Again, I'm not a fan of the band work. I did the weight on the floor, because I don't have a door and I will not be putting anything into the block walls.
Laurel, Sounds like a very nice weekend. We have been having such beautiful weather this week, but we still need more rain. Great job on your workouts! That's not to bad of an increase in time for that workout. I think that is the problem that I had with the back workout, just to much with the band and I really wasn't feeling it despite the fact that I was using two resistance bands. I think that you would like the clip on weights. I really didn't want those micro load gloves. I was able to put them on and off fairly quickly. I used 17# for the incline fly's. Now I can use them for increasing my single arm rows, because 35# is to much, but 31 or 32 is just the right amount of increase.
Thelma, Awesome job with your workout and walking. Sounds like a very interesting tracker, if it is able to give you that type of information. Thanks for the information on the shoes, they really do look interesting. I usually sew without shoes, so these might even be something that I can use to keep my feet warm in the winter. Having lighter shoes for weight lifting is perfect, but you are right, anything else you would probably need to use the trainers. Well maybe boxing wouldn't be to bad with these shoes.
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was 2.0 Lower Body 1 Extreme premix and Shock Cardio HiiT 30/30. Regarding the lower body workout, it is 59 minutes long, so 5-6 minutes longer than the original workout. She added one set each of deadlifts, plié squats, side lunges, hip thrusts and the quad exercise with the stability ball. For me, I didn’t feel like any of those sets were necessary, so this one I will do in its original format. But I wanted to give it a try at least once. I was able to go up in weight pretty significantly today, even with the extra sets. I am just loving these workouts right now.
Thelma, great workouts. Sounds like you have a pretty complicated fitness tracker. I definitely think there is benefit in understanding how your body is handling your overall activity, not just your workouts. My FitBit is really simple. And, yes, it wants me to get 250 steps in nine consecutive hours each day, so that is why it yells at me periodically. I don’t really mind the reminder that I have been sitting too long for sure.
Laurie, great workout. I remember I really enjoyed that chest workout for the most part. I am so glad you like those weight clips. They really do look easier to use than micro load gloves. And just like with STS 1.0, I am finding on a lot of exercises that I really can only handle a 1-2# weight increase from week to week. I might need to look into a set of those. I did the weight on the floor option as well with the band work in that workout, and it seemed fine.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Tuesday were Walking, Pilates Abs and Yin Yoga. The yoga class was awesome. It was all about stretching the lower back.
We continue with the hot and humid trend here. We got a little shower at about 9PM. DH and I got out at about 9PM these to make sure the chickens are inside the coop for the night and do one last clean up job. It's starting to get pretty dark at that time, which I'm finding kind of depressing. I really like it when we have daylight till 9PM.
My seriously padded barbell pad arrived today! I'm doing Lower Body 2 tomorrow and I'm not sure if it has hip thrusts in it. This thing is kind of big. Its diameter is as big as one of those Charmin Mega TP rolls! It's really padded, but I'm starting to think it might be too thick. I'll have to test it out tomorrow.
Laurie, awesome workout! What are the weights you got. I was going to get some clip-on weights, but they needed to be held with some kind of a rubber band, which people said didn't last long. Needless to say, I didn't get them.
I think those little shoes will definitely keep your feet warm if you wear socks with them. I forgot to tell you that this week I was able to do the ball roll-ins without the scary pain I felt last week. I did have to take a break halfway through the set though. Those are kind of brutal! LOL
Laurel, great workout combo!! I like that quad exercise with the stability ball. Good job doing the extreme workouts and thank you for giving us a summary of the bonus workouts! I am trying to figure out how I can increase the weight for my hip thrusts and still be able to pick up the barbell. I have two ideas, the first one is to go back to using the tower like I did and the beginning, and the second choice is to enlist DH to be my spotter and lift the barbell for me! LOL
I really got a complicated fitness tracker, but I wanted a wrist-based tracker and that was the closest to my old tracker. DH inherited my old watch and HR monitor strap.
I do like that these fitness trackers have those inactivity alerts. I am not going to worry about over doing my cardio. How am I supposed to get better about my cardio load if I don't push myself? I kind of like that it tells me what portion of my calories burned went to carbs, fat and even protein. I've yet to burn any protein, but I think that is a good thing.
Are you getting the smoke from the Canadian fires too, Laurel?
See you tomorrow!
Thelma
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Morning Ladies,
This morning's workout was 2.0 Mobility 2 and No Equipment Abs. Felt great.
Laurel, Great job with the workouts! Thanks for the information on the bonus exercises on the workout. All that information is valuable, and now I know that I didn't miss anything by not trying them. I see that you did the 30/30 workout. Once I'm through this first week of one body parts, I'm planning on adding in some cardio. Probably not the 30/30 workout, but HiiT work is probably the best option for these this type of weight work.
Thelma, Workouts sound really good! Glad that the yoga was what your body needed. I'm sure that you will have a great idea if the pad will work, since she does thrusts in both workouts. Great job with those roll-ins. I purchased the following https://amazon.com/dp/B09G77VR8N?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details There are some that are less expensive, but when I was reading the reviews they stated that they where hard to get on and off because of a piece of rubber in them. If you look at the less expensive ones, you can see that rubber piece. The ones that I have listed fit tight enough that they don't move around, and are very easy to take on and off.
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was a fun 45 minute spin and 20 minutes of Pilates yoga.
We had quite a night last night. We started getting weather alerts around 5pm, but I didn’t think much of it because that has been common this summer. But then DH called me as he was driving home, and while he was driving, he said the wind picked up and everything was swirling. Not good. At this time, it was still clear-ish at our house, which is about 10 miles away. We talked for a few minutes, and he kept saying how bad the wind was. So I decided to go outside and move some of our plants away from the brunt of the incoming storm. I didn’t get them all moved when the wind hit. It was insane. Unfortunately, it snapped one of our trees about 15-20 feet from the top. The wind was so strong it carried it about 10 yards into the backyard. But that made it so lucky because if it had just landed, it would have taken out our AC units, the propane line into the house and probably a couple of windows. As it was it damaged our gutter and a small section of roofing that is, again fortunately, not over a room in the house. The storm abated, we were sitting outside drinking tea, and then we lost power for eight hours. That one still doesn’t make sense to me at all. But it made for a long hot night. But, again, we were fortunate because it could have been so much worse. And this is a tree that is somewhat protected by the house next door, so we never imagined that it would be the first one to snap. And now we have more violent storms rolling in this afternoon. Sigh.
Thelma, great workouts. I will be curious how you like the padded bar. If you can get your hands around it, it sounds great. Yesterday I got 54 pounds on to me for the hip thrusts. I think I can probably get to 64, but that will be it. What I used was my 40lb dumbbell, two 2lb micro load gloves on my hand, and my 10lb weighted vest. I positioned the dumbbell and myself on the step, and then reached over to get the vest and placed it on top. Next time, I will try to add my 5lb ankle weights on top of that, and that would be a total of 64lbs. But I like that I can get some of the weight off me before lowering my backside to the floor. That is the riskiest part of that move for my back. But, to be honest, this seems like so much work for a glute raise exercise! But I am determined. I was looking through the Cathe forums and reading posts about this, and a lot of people (like me) are just not comfortable with that heavy barbell. But somebody suggesting they had tried two dumbbells gave me this idea. We had horrible smoke on Monday, but it left yesterday afternoon. It started on Sunday and got worse until that storm kicked it out.
Laurie, great workout. I toyed with doing either 30/30 yesterday or the Double Wave Load Pyramid HiiT from the DVD, but since I had my step out, I opted for 30/30. I really enjoy both of those workouts when I can convince myself to do them. So I have the Pyramid one pencilled in for Friday. We’ll see if that happens or not, especially after another tough lower body workout.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Wednesday were Walking, Gentle Flow Yoga and Cathe STS 2.0 Upper Body 2.
Even though I was tired,
I pushed through the Upper Body 2 workout and was able to go up in weight in a lot of the exercises. I used the barbell for shoulder presses, so I was able to go up. I also used the tower for the chest/tricep close grip bench press, and I was able get within 1.5 lbs of Cathe's 45 lb weight. Next week I'll go up to 45.
I still feel like the biceps are not getting a good workout because they are the last exercise. I had to do the barbell exercises with dumbbells because I felt like the move was hurting my right elbow.
The 1/2 lb rubber plates I use for my dumbbells and barbells finally became available, so I got 4 more. I'm using the ones I currently own in preset dumbbells, so I don't want to use those. I've set them up as 8, 12, 15 and 40lb.
The big barbell pad didn't work for dips. It's too bulky and I'm short, so there's not much space available on my lap. I may end up getting Cathe's pad if this one doesn't work out for hip thrusts.
We finally got some rain! It rained pretty hard on Wednesday morning for about 45 minutes, then we got light rain for about 1 hour in the morning and, again in the afternoon. We got 3/4" of rain. It cleared up the smoke, which was great.
There was a 6.8 earthquake in El Salvador on Tuesday. Thank God my family is OK. My poor aunt was up the whole night. As of Wednesday afternoon, they'd had at least 124 aftershocks.
Laurie, great recovery day workouts!
Those weight plates are great! Thanks for the link. As I mentioned above, I got the 1/2 lb plates. Sometimes I just need 1 lb increments, so 1/2 lb at either end of the dumbbell works for me.
Laurel, great workouts!
OMG, I am so glad you and your DH are OK after that wild storm! It sounds a lot like the one we had a few weeks ago. I can't believe the wind carried that piece of tree about 10 yards! WOW! That was serious wind! Thank God the damage to your house is minimal compared to what it could've been. Sorry you lost power for 8 hours. It's always weird when you lose power long after the storm has passed. It happened to us too recently. I guess our power had to be shut off in order to repair something. It's amazing how fragile trees become under those windy conditions.
I've only gotten up to 48.5 lbs for hip thrusts, but I feel I can go heavier. Good job getting up to 54 lbs. I don't know how Cathe and her crew can lift those 75 lb barbells onto their laps from a seated position! What a great idea to use the weighted vest and ankle weights! I am sure you'll find a way to get to 64 lbs. Have you tried using the swiss ball?
See you tomorrow!
Thelma0 -
Morning Ladies,
This morning's workouts where 2.0 Body Parts Biceps / RAW Boxing Finisher. Couldn't resist doing a boxing workout. Overall I really enjoyed the Bicep workout, and I was on par with Cathe's weight, had to go down on the incline work.
Laurel, What a scary experience with that wind. Glad to hear that you are all okay. I'm sure that the outage was probably for a transformer, because that is what usually happens during storms like that. We had one go out during a storm, and we didn't have power for three days. When the substation goes out, that's when you have extended days of no power. Great job with the workouts! Of course that pyramid hiit workout is still one of my favorites. I wonder if it can be taken down to low impact and still be effective, because I like that one.
Thelma, Awesome job with your workouts! Sorry to hear that the pad didn't work for you. Nice job with increasing the weight for those hip thrusts. My lower body can hand a lot of weight, so I'm able to handle 65# so far. I don't know if I could do more if that swiss ball didn't work. Just lifting that up is tough. So glad to hear that your family is safe after that earthquake.
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! Today’s workout started with 2.0 Upper Body 2. I decided to do the extreme premix again, and I really challenged myself with the weight. I was able to use Cathe’s weight or exceed it for the entire workout. My arms were completely fried afterward. I followed it with 2.0 Mini Ball Abs. And then I did a 30 minute spin because my arms were too tired to do anything where they would need to move. But it felt good to push that much weight today.
Thelma, great workouts. Sounds like we both pushed ourselves on that workout today. I used my tower today for the close grip presses as well. I am going to keep doing that because by using that, I went up to 55# on that move today. Getting that weight up and then off me really keeps me from going too heavy, but with the tower….much better and safer. I haven’t tried the Swiss ball yet for the glute thrusts because I just don’t think I would feel as stable. But since I started this move as a floor exercise and now am just getting used to using the step, maybe in a couple of weeks I will feel like I have the control to use the ball. I just did a quick turn around our neighborhood, and I was stunned how many trees came down in that storm on Tuesday. Most were snapped in half like ours, but one house had four huge trees completely uprooted. Thankfully they fell away from the house and there is no one behind them. Just scary and sad. I am glad to hear your family is okay after that earthquake. I can’t even imagine what all those aftershocks must be like. Earthquakes are so very scary.
Laurie, great workouts. I bet that boxing finisher felt good after the tough bicep work. I remember like the bicep workout a lot. Now that I have been out and about and seen some of the damage done by the storm on Tuesday, I am less surprised they had to take our power out. I think there were trees falling everywhere. But since it was an unpredicted storm, there was absolutely no communication set up to inform people. In fact, there was never any tornado alert or warning, but we had a tornado touch down in the north part of the city. Usually storms like that receive wall-to-wall coverage, so a tornado to touch down without as much as a hint is very unusual.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Thursday were Walking, STS 2.0 Lower Body 2 and Gina B HIIT for Weight Loss.
I pushed myself hard with the lower body workout and it felt great. My big barbell pad worked beautifully with the bridge work and elevated hip thrusts. I did it again with the bridge sets! I thought Cathe was only doing two sets because they all put their barbells on the floor. There's no way I'm going to put the barbell on the floor between sets! LOL
This is the big, fat pad I got.
https://a.co/d/7ACfB48
I also did the barbell plie squats with the EZ bar. I had been doing them with a 40lb dumbbell held between my legs. I just didn't think I could lift the barbell that high, but I was able to lift 40 lbs. I may be able to go a little heavier next time. I don't like those goblet squats. I can't hold a heavy dumbbell like that for too long. I tried 35 lbs and it was just too heavy. I'll go back to doing those holding the 40lb dumbbell between my legs, which is the option Cathe gave on the last set.
As you know by Thursday, I'm always feeling tired. I was tired on Wednesday already and I found myself needing a longer rest between sets. One of the fitness trainers I've been following actually recommends a two-minute rest between heavy sets. A longer recovery time will allow you to do another good heavy set he says. It makes sense. I don't really need a two-minute break, but it's more like 1.5-minute rest.
We got hit with another big thunderstorm on Thursday afternoon. I read that about 300K people were without power as a result of the storm in North GA. We were spared this time around. We got almost 2 inches of rain. It got windy not the dangerous winds we had a few weeks ago. We've gotten 2.75" of rain this week.
Laurie, great workouts! Good job!
The pad didn't work for bench dips, but thankfully it worked for bridges and hip thrusts. I did order another one to see which one I like best. It should come on Friday afternoon.
Good job being able to do the hip thrusts with 65 lbs!! I see women online doing them with 300lb barbells! How is that possible?! I am so glad the swiss ball is working for you too.
Laurel, awesome job with your Upper Body 2 workout!
I am going to keep using the tower too. You should try the swiss ball for hip thrusts without weights or maybe with a very light barbell, so you don't have to worry about stability or hurting yourself.
I didn't feel that those bridges really hit my glutes as much as the hip thrusts do.
I can just imagine how shocking it was to see your neighborhood's tree damage! Was the tree that snapped a pine tree?
A few days after our big storm on my way to yoga, something grabbed my attention. I looked up in the direction of a hill and saw a house I'd never noticed before. All the trees on that hill had snapped and some were just down on the ground! It was amazing how most of the trees in that property got hit so bad. We've not seen anything like that anywhere else. The house the bottom of that tree had a lot of down trees. It's as if that is where the storm hit pretty bad. That's just the down the street from our house too!
Earthquakes are scary. Sadly, they happen very frequently in El Salvador.
See you tomorrow!
Thelma0 -
Morning Ladies,
This morning's workout was 2.0 Body Parts Triceps. Now this workout the tubing was perfect for. I was so happy that I was able to do tricep work with 15# dumbbells, even though I struggled toward then end. This one body part (besides the legs) was not to bad on the body. I for sure will be scoping out some finishers (like yesterdays) that I can do during this phase.
Busy weekend for me. I'm going with my oldest to see the Barbie Truck Tour on Saturday. All they sell is Barbie merch, and my oldest is a huge Barbie fan. It also helps that there are a few items that I want to check out at the mall. Need to get some clothes for our vacation, so Nordstroms has a casual dress that I want to check out. On Sunday we will be going to a Brewers game.
Laurel, Awesome workouts, and great job on the weight you where able to use. I have hear about storms like that, they just pop up and takes people unaware. You are right, they are usually on top of things like that. My take on the one body parts, the leg/bicep/tricep workouts are awesome. The back and chest are effective, but just okay. I think with those I just need to go as heavy as I can handle, and I think that the tower/barbell will help with making at least the chest workout better for me. Tonight I'm headed to get some heavier dumbbells, because I need to up my game on the back work.
Thelma, Great job with the workouts! I love that you where able to find options that worked for you. Glad to hear that the pad worked for the thrusts. I think that Cathe even says in these workouts that if you need extra time between sets then take them. I'm sure that lifting way heavier than I normally do will require me to hit that pause button at some point. That's a good amount of rain, we still have any since the last time I mentioned that we had rain.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! It was another long, stormy night last night. We had thunderstorms all evening, but then it quieted down until 3:00am when we got hit with a massive storm. Thankfully it was just thunder, lightening and rain, but enough rain fell between 3:00am and 6:00am to flood parts of the city. I think we probably only had a couple of inches here, but further north got over 5” of rain. And they are predicting more storms later. This week was originally forecasted to be hot and dry, and we have been in the low to mid 80s all week with rain every day. Go figure. But with all of the thunder and lightening, I didn’t get much sleep after 3am, so I went into my workouts dragging my feet. Literally. But then I put the DVD for 2.0 Lower Body 2 in and decided at that moment to do the long premix with the bonus material again. Why? I don’t know. But I used the same weight throughout the workout I did last week, and that bonus material felt better than it did last week, so I must be getting stronger. I followed it with Shock Cardio Pyramid HiiT.
Thelma, great workouts. I am glad that padded bar worked for you in this workout. I use my weighted vest for both the goblet squats and the barbell plié squats. I find I can hold a 30# dumbbell in front of my body, so with the vest, it is 40#. And I can hold a barbell with 45# for a plié squat, and then the 10# vest takes it to Cathe’s weight. But that is the only way I can do her weight on those exercises. It amazes me to see Jenn in the back using a 65# barbell (like Al) for those plié squats. There is no way in this world I would ever be able to hold that kind of weight up like that ever. I don’t even want to try.
Some of the rest periods feel perfect and some don’t to me. I find I feel most rushed when she is changing exercises, and I think she may cut short some of those rests because she figures by the time she has explained the move and gotten the weight a minute has to have passed and we are ready to go. And I am not always quite ready. 
That is crazy about being able to see a house now because of trees falling. The weather channel app had a video from here in Huntsville last night that showed Tuesday’s storm and just big tree after big tree being completely uprooted. Our tree that snapped was a hardwood. Off the top of my head, I don’t remember which kind. It was part of a double trunk tree, so the circumference of the trunk was smaller for a tree that stood some 50+ feet tall. But when we cut it up, we looked for signs the tree wasn’t healthy, and the tree was perfectly healthy.
Laurie, great workouts. Thank you so much for the reviews on the One Body Part workouts. I am so torn on how I want to do them to be honest. I think I will do the split sets recommended in the ten week rotation, but probably not for four weeks. But I am also toying with doing them as one body part first before doing that. I think going from one body part a day to two would add a level of intensity and a challenge to see if I could maintain my weight throughout. My concern with going from the two body part split sets into the one body part is I think this rotation would feel like it got progressively easier as it went on, and I don’t really want to finish it on that note. So I need to decide soon, and your feedback is helping. I hope you have a great weekend. Sounds like a couple of fun days.
Enjoy the weekend.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, I hope you had a great weekend. We had a very nice weekend. The weather was beautiful. Our weather guy says that the heat will come back on Tuesday. We may not see rain for the next two weeks. We got 2 2/3 inches of rain last week.
My workouts on Friday were Walking, Gentle Flow Yoga and Tracy Steen No Jumping, All Standing Cardio HIIT.
Saturday - Walking
Sunday - Walking, and Cathe STS 2.0 Lower Body 1.
The Lower Body workout felt great. I was able to up my weighs. I found a new hip thrust position. The workout bench is placed in decline position. I lifted the barbell off the floor, sat at the top of the back of the bench and placed the barbell on my lap, then slid down to position myself for the thrusts. I think I like it better than the ball because it put me more in a tabletop position. I imagine this can also be done with the step set up in an incline position. I placed the bench against the wall, so it wouldn't slide on me. I am really happy with my new barbell pad. I did 50lbs today, but I know I can do more. I'll go up 5lbs next time.
https://youtu.be/lwcpImsqpMY
My 1/2 lb baby weight plates arrived. I thought they were the same rubber plates I'd ordered before, but they are baby metal plates! They are the cutest things, and their diameter is about 3". They all weigh 8.1 oz. Like Laurie, I also need to up my game with my weights. I'd like to get two 20lb plates.
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed doing Tracy's Hiit workout on Friday. I am definitely going to incorporate a couple of Hiit sessions into my weekly routine.
My body is definitely shrinking, and it's not because I lost about 3 lbs. I am gaining muscle. I think adding the extra protein to my diet is helping.
I don't know if you'd read anything about all the ways people are consuming cottage cheese these days, but people are adding it to their eggs and are making ice cream with it. I am going to try it in eggs on Monday. Hopefully I won't forget! LOL. I also found a recipe for ice cream that uses protein powder for extra protein.
Laurie, great workout! I am so glad you finally found exercises for which your tubbing is perfect for! Congratulations on being able to do tricep work with 15 lb weights!
Sounds like you had wonderful plans for the weekend! I hope you had a great time!
I am definitely allowing myself a longer rest time when I need to.
Laurel, I can't believe you had another stormy night! That was a lot of rain! I read that two tornadoes touched down about 35 minutes south of here. No wonder people in two counties are still without power.
Good job working out even though you hardly got any sleep! You always do the hardest workouts when you're tired! Great job!
I've never used a weighted vest. Is yours one of those adjustable weight ones, or is it just 10 lbs. I really should get myself one.
It really is amazing to see how strong Jenn is! They're all strong!
I agree with you that some of those rest periods feel rushed. They can afford to take those rushed rest periods because they have dumbbells in every possible weight available. I always want to watch her demo the exercise, so I will always pause to set up my weight, then watch her demo.
The only type of tree that I'd even watch snap at the top was a pine tree. Here all trees seem to snap! Yours was a very tall tree too! The winds are brutal here. At least you know the tree was healthy.
Have you decided if you'll do an extra week of lower/upper? I think this format is my favorite. I just realized that the rotation only has two weeks of single body parts, but they are not really single body parts as she combines to muscle groups.
Have a great week!
Thelma
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Morning Ladies,
What a great weekend, and we even had some rain. DD and I had to wait in line for just a short time, it is a good thing that we get there a half hour early. By the time we got out of the mall, from doing some shopping, they where already sold out of some really cute items. I purchased some patches, and a corduroy bag. Sunday the Brewers lost, but it was a good game. I really do like that the games don't go much longer than 2-1/2 hours. Both days I was able to see my grandson, oldest took him to the game.
My workouts this weekend where 2.0 Foam Rolling Upper Body on Saturday, and Sunday was 2.0 Body Parts Legs. I really do love all the leg work in this series. This morning was Body Parts Shoulders.
Laurel, Dang on the storms. I'm sure that was really tough to get your workout in when you where so tired, but nice job with getting that long workout done and including some HiiT. Going through these workout the second time really makes them seem better. The leg workout seemed way easier, but I still was sweating buckets. Those elevated lunges really make my hr soar. I have noticed that I'm getting stronger in my legs, because I'm able to go down lower on my bad knee. I don't think that I will increase the weight on that one just yet. Jenn #2 really does impress me with the amount of weight that she can lift. I noticed that in the leg workout. I think she had 50's for her squats.
Thelma, Great job with your workouts! Thanks for another great way to do hip thrusts. I may try that one out also, even though the ball is working fairly well for me. I need to be open to trying different things. I have found that putting my bench on an old yoga mat keeps the bench from slipping. There is also enough extra length so my feet are on it too. The guys plates in the video are big enough to roll over his legs, makes me wonder if those 20# plates that you mentioned would be able to do the same thing. With these hip thrust, it would be nice to have those 20# weights. Kelly made some eggs with cottage cheese in them, and she said that they where pretty good. Of course we have cottage cheese in our house all the time, because DH just loves anything cheese.
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! I hope you enjoyed the weekend. Ours was good. We had another wicked storm move through Friday around dinner time and, yet again, it was confirmed that we had another tornado touch down. This one touched down right by our favorite plant nursery. Just crazy to have two tornadoes in three days and not a single watch or warning. I think these storms just developed way too fast for the meteorologists to be able to discern any possible movement patterns. It’s a tad concerning. Anyhow, Saturday we did yard chores and errands. DH left yesterday for the week (again), so I spent it giving the house a good clean. The weather has been lovely since the storm on Friday and I am enjoying a break from all those violent storms for sure.
For workouts, on Saturday I did a relaxing walk with Jessica Smith, 2.0 Active Recovery and yoga. Yesterday was Rockout Knockout and Peloton Pilates. Today was 2.0 Lower Body 1 and a 45 minute spin. I did the 2.0 workout today in its original format and went as heavy as I could with the weight. I matched or exceeded Cathe’s weight throughout except on the hip thrusts, where I had 64# loaded on my hips. I could feel this workout in my forearms, which is the first time in a few weeks that they were talking to me. But I think that was due to the 75# deadlifts. That felt heavy!
Thelma, great workouts. And thanks for another option for hip thrusts. Do you want to do another week of upper/lower? If so, I am good for that. Just let me know. But I am going to change what comes after. I have decided to do the Body Part workouts as one body part instead of the split sets like recommended in the 10 week rotation. To be honest, I am ready for slightly shorter strength training and I am curious how those workouts are going to feel when compared to these last two segments. I think I will do that for 3-4 weeks and then figure out if I want to add on a couple of weeks of the split sets.
Laurie, great workouts! I am glad you enjoyed the weekend and were able to spend time with your grandson. I am surprised how much strength I am gaining in my legs with these workouts. 25# is beginning to feel light! Did you get any heavier dumbbells? I am toying with getting one 45 or 50lb dumbbell for those plié squats, hip thrusts, and, maybe, one arm rows (but only 45 or that, not 50). I can just imagine the look on my husband’s face when I suggest we need to go shopping for more weight. He is so patient with me, but he is also the one who has to get those suckers in and out of the store, car and up the stairs. It is so funny that I can lift the weight, but carrying it around? Nope.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Monday were Walking, and Cathe STS 2.0 Upper Body 2. I've hit my body pretty hard between legs on Sunday and upper body on Monday and it feels great, but I'm feeling a little tired.
I am so excited to report that I did full pushups today! This was thanks to the band around the upper arm method. I used the green fabric band which is medium resistance. That method works!
I wasn't able to go up in weight on chest exercises, because I'd already gone my heaviest (for now) last week. I was able to go up on biceps, triceps and shoulders. I even went up on the shoulder press. What I found very heavy last week was just right today! Those isometric hammer curls are killers!
My inner thighs have talked to me all day about the leg workout on Sunday! LOL
Finding 20lb weight plates is not easy. I'm still looking. It's easier to find 15 lb plates, which I didn't know existed! It's a matter of finding plates with one-inch holes.
Laurie, I'm so glad you had a great weekend. How did the baby do at the game?
Great workouts!! I'm glad you think the workouts feel better the second time around! I do not enjoy those elevated lunges.
You're right about those being so big that they elevate the barbell off the ground enough to get your legs under it. That is one of the reasons why I want the 20lb plates.
I made eggs with cottage cheese, and they were good. I just whisked the eggs and cottage cheese together with a little salt and pepper. DH and I both like cottage cheese. DH would eat most brands. I only like one brand and thankfully they sell it here!
Laurel, I can't believe you had another wicked storm move through your area and that a tornado touched down too! I really think you're right about the lack of storm notifications. The storms just form out of nowhere and by the time meteorologists do their analysis, the storms have already hit. it really is concerning.
I am glad you had a nice weekend after the storm! We also had lovey weather. The heat comes back on Tuesday and will be in the low 90's from Wednesday through next Tuesday, then high 80's. I am not looking forward to those temps!
Great job with your workouts and for matching or exceeding Cathe's weight on the leg workout! I'm starting to feel like I need a weightlifting belt. I used to own one decades ago.
On Sunday I felt like I wanted to do another week of lower/upper, but now that I've pushed myself so hard and I feel tired I think I'm ready to move on to the single body parts.
I also want to do the individual body parts. I was looking at the single body part rotation Cathe has in the 8-week rotation. She does them for 4 weeks, but the last two weeks she only does 4 body parts per week.
On the 12-week rotation she does the one body part workouts for 6 weeks. She also does two weeks of only 4 body parts, but at least they're not back-to-back like in the 8-week rotation.
The only thing I don't like about the single body part rotation is that we'd be lifting weights both weekend days. Let me know if you want to follow the rotations Cathe has in her 8 or 12 week rotations, or if you want to do a different format.
Six weeks of single body parts sound way too long, but I do remember in previous rotation how we kept extending the single body part period! LOL. I do like the idea of doing split sets at the end. This could be one our never-ending rotations! LOL
See you tomorrow!
Thelma
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Morning Ladies,
This morning was 2.0 Active Recovery and Mini Ball Abs. I'm hoping to get in a walk after work, we will see how hot it is.
Laurel, Great job with those workouts! Sounds like a very productive weekend with the cleaning. Dang on the tornado and your favorite nursery. Hopefully there wasn't to much damage. I love hearing how much weight every is able to use. I have been very surprised that I'm able to lift so much in my shoulders. Matching Cathe is always my goal when it comes to that body part. I noticed this morning that the bat wings on my arms are almost gone, so the tricep exercises have been working. Yes I did purchase the weights. Mine where not the 50's, but two 35's. I two will probably purchase just one 40 and 50. I truly love this series, because I have never lifted weights this heavy.
Thelma, Congrats on the push ups. I have been trying out that method also, and I agree with you on it working. I enjoy it much more than without the band. Awesome job with your workouts! The baby did great at the game. In fact the people in front of us commented on how they didn't hear a peep out of him. I did take him onto the inner deck when he was getting sleepy. I was still able to watch the game, and it was a lot cooler. The cast iron plates are easy to fine in the 1 inch, but you are right they seem to have the 15's in the vinyl.
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was 2.0 Upper Body 2 Extreme premix, RWH Low Impact HiiT One and 2.0 Standing Abs: Core and Floor. I really challenged myself on the upper body workout, and it felt so good today despite feeling tired going into it. I am really seeing improvements in my strength right now. I’m really happy with that.
Thelma, great workouts. I forgot to answer your question yesterday about my weighted vest. Mine is the vest Cathe sold when STS 1.0 came out, so it is a 10# non-adjustable vest. What is nice is that I am using it more in this series than I did 1.0. But it is an easy way of adding 10# to a lower body workout without putting all of the weight in your hands.
I was totally with you on doing another week of Upper/Lower until about half way through the leg workout yesterday. And even today I feel ready to move on. No doubt I would see more improvements if I did another week, but I also don’t want to start dreading these workouts, so I think change is good right now. One of my problems with moving on to the Body Part workouts is kind of what you described…..I am not completely happy with the rotations Cathe provided. My biggest issue is that the way she has it set up, you hit each body part once every 10 days. And that just doesn’t seem quite satisfactory to me, even with the level of muscle specific intensity these workouts provide. I am not going to lie when saying when I previewed these workouts, I did not find them overwhelmingly intense, though I am sure adjusting the weight will fix some of that. So what I am going to do next week is try doing all of them in a six day period (as we have done our one body part rotations in the past). I have given a lot of thought on how I want to order those workouts because my biggest concern in doing them sequentially like that is over working the shoulder. I have settled on the following order, which I will start on Sunday: Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Legs, Chest, Triceps. So I am going to give that a go for a week and see if it works, and if it doesn’t whether a better order would be better or whether I need to add a break in between the workouts as Cathe prescribes. But if all goes well, I am hoping to do this for 3-4 weeks (a lot depends on how long it takes me to get the weight right). Then I want to take the weights I have been using for those one body part workouts and test myself in the split set premixes Cathe has on the DVDs. I am not planning on doing the Mishmosh premixes she suggested in her 10 Week rotation, but the full Leg/Shoulder, Chest/Tricep and Back/Bicep premixes she has on the DVDs. Those are very long workouts, but I really want to test my ability to use the same weight with the cumulative effect. But we’ll see how it goes next week before I start thinking a month ahead. I may being saying ‘Nope! Cathe was right!’ and changing my approach really fast.
Laurie, great workouts. Yay on the weight purchase. You will probably find you will use those weights a lot. I so surprised myself yesterday when I loaded 75# on my barbell for deadlifts. I think that may be the first time I have had 75# on there to be honest. I think the heaviest weight I have been using for STS 1.0 on my barbell was 74# for chest press in Meso 3. I am so amazed at how this program is working for gaining strength. I never ever imagined I would reach for my 30# weight to do something and think ‘that’s too light’. It’s crazy….and I know I don’t want it to stop.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Tuesday were Yin Yoga and walking.
Laurie,
Great workouts! I am also loving this workout series and I am also lifting heavier than I have in the past. This series is working my triceps like no other program has. They're always sore! I can see a big difference in arms too.
I can't believe the baby did so well at the game! What a good baby!
Laurel, great workouts! I like how much the three of us are loving this series because it's giving us nice results. I am starting to wonder how STS 1.0 will feel after this series. I know, I know. I must be delirious!
Thanks for your answer about your weighted vest!
It is definitely time to move on to body parts for me as well. I agree that the intensity of the workout can be increased by using heavier weights.
I also would like to do the body parts workouts in a 6-day period because I want to hit each body part every week. I want to be able to use the leg workout as a break for the upper body.
I love the sequence you've come up with and thank you for giving it so much thought. I think this is something we can do for 3 weeks.
I don't think I could do two full split sets in a day. I will stick with the mish mosh workouts when we get to the split sets phase.
See you tomorrow!
Thelma0 -
Morning Ladies,
It looks like we might be getting some rain today, they say we could have some severe thunderstorms. My workout was 2.0 Body Parts Back. The second time around was much better. I got my tower out for all the chin/pull ups. That to me was much more effective than the tubing. Overall I'm feeling positive about this workout vs. last week.
Laurel, Great job with the workouts! So impressed. You really feel the muscles engage when you use a weight that your body hasn't tried before. That is something that I have been noticing. Why in the past was I so afraid to go heavier. Of course she is making these 8-12 reps, so I know that I can lift heavier when it is only 8 or 10. No way could I be lifting some of these weights for 16. I actually had the 30# is light with the single arm rows this morning. So that means up the weight, but I'm taking it to only 2# next time around. For sure lifting the heavier weights with these single body parts really does make a difference. When I was doing the shoulder workout, my hr was increasing. Never has that happened for me before. Of course I have never lifted as heavy as I have for shoulders.
Thelma, Awesome job with the yoga and walking! The grandson is a very very good baby, and I'm comparing that to my two girls. My dd was very blessed to have a son, because I see her being way calmer than she ever has been. Increase those weights!!! I really have been so loving these workouts, and so far I'm okay with the way Cathe has set up the rotation. In the future I may try out some other rotation that may be similar to what Caroline has, but using these workouts. She includes HiiT workouts once a week, so that might be a change of pace.
Have a great day!
Laurie0 -
Hi Ladies! Well, I knew the consistent moderate to low intensity cardio trend was going to break some day since I am an intensity junky, and that day was today. I did a fantastic 45 minute HiiT and Hills ride, and it felt SO good to push it again. I decided today was the day since I will be lifting for six consecutive days starting Sunday, and this type of intense cardio wouldn’t go with that at all. Hopefully I don’t regret it tomorrow when I do my leg workout. Anyhow, I followed it with 2.0 Total Body Stretch, so at least I still did my recovery workout.
Thelma, great workouts. So next week we will plan on six days straight and then adjust from there if necessary. I really don’t want either of us injured, and I like that right now I feel I have had enough recovery time to lift as heavy as possible. I don’t want to lose that. So if after the first two workouts you or I think a rest day would be welcome, we will take one and adjust to the rotation Laurie is doing (just starting in a different order). I laughed when you mentioned STS 1.0. I keep trying to come up with a rotation that combines both programs. I think there are ways to do it that would capitalize on the best of both programs, especially if we toss Mesocycle 1 aside. I think I am going to press on with these workouts until early October (in some format), then take a break for about a month (DH and I have a trip planned for part of that time), and then decide what to do as a winter rotation. So many choices.
Laurie, great workout. I am so glad you enjoyed the back workout better with the Fit Tower. I love the rep counts in these workouts. I am actually beginning to think I restricted myself in weight in STS 1.0 because of starting with Meso 1 and 15-16 reps, and then everything being incremental to that, even with fewer reps. Meso 1 ends at 70% of 1 rep max, and Meso 3 starts just 10% higher, meaning if I did 15 chest flies with 25# (and a 30 second break) to end Meso 1, I would be using 27.5# to start Meso 3 with 8 reps and 75 seconds of a break. Somehow in the 14 years I have done that program, I never really said to myself ‘that doesn’t seem quite right’. But, really, it doesn’t. And I love that this program is making me rethink what I can be lifting in such a different way. Just so good. I love that all of us at this time in our lives are able to do this kind of program and really pushing it. We rock.
See you tomorrow.
Laurel0 -
Hi Ladies, my workouts on Wednesday were Walking, Gentle Flow Yoga and Cathe STS 2.0 Lower Body 2.
I was able to go up in weights in a lot of the exercises, which felt great. The glute thrusts at the end felt great with my fat barbell pad. I increased my weight by 10 lbs to 48 lb and I really felt my glutes working.
We had another hot day here and we will continue in the low 90's for a while longer with hardly any chances of rain.
Laurie, great workout! I am glad you are feeling much better about the workout and that you feel save going heavier.
Interesting that your dd is very calm with her son being a first time mom!
I like the idea of incorporating a Hiit session once a week. I think that's about all my body could handle now.
Laurel, great recovery day workouts and for getting your cardio fix! Too funny!
I think we'll be OK doing a different body part each day. I also intend to lift as heavy as I possibly can.
I LOVE the idea of an STS 1.0/2.0 rotation! I know you'll come up with a great rotation.
See you tomorrow!
Thelma0
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