Cathe Fans Part 5

Hi Ladies! I hope you enjoyed the weekend. Ours was good. Saturday was spent on chores and errands, and yesterday DH left for his first of three almost consecutive trips that will happen in the next two months. Our weather continues to be gorgeous but dry. I am having a very hard time wrapping my mind around the fact October is coming to a close given the weather feels more like June than October.

For workouts, on Saturday I did the Lower Body Circuit premix from Cathe’s Low Impact Circuit workout. Sunday was a walk with Jessica Smith and 30 minutes of Peloton yoga. Today was a 20 minute spin into STS Meso 1, Week 2 Disc 4/Chest, Shoulders and Biceps. I did fine with the pushups today but the pace of the workout had me quite breathy given it was so much faster than what I have done the last few weeks. But it felt pretty good for a Meso 1 workout.

Thelma, great workouts. Cathe makes up t-shirts for her road trips, so I think that is where some of the ones you are seeing come from. I wish she sold them more broadly than that but she mentioned during one of the Zoom road trips I attended during the pandemic that her business is not equipped to handle all of the various sizes and expected returns and such that come with clothing, which I guess makes sense. We are definitely in the same weather pattern. Birmingham will not have seen rain this entire month either, which is a first in 100 years. At least we had the rain from Helene (though I hate being thankful for that given how horrible that was). But, as of now, we are going to be hovering close to 80 straight into November with nothing but clear skies. This is not normal for sure here. Our leaves have barely even started changing. Just weird.

Laurie, sounds like a great weekend. And great workouts! I really liked how Cathe used the yoga blocks in that core workout. Some moves were similar to moves in her Step Boss series, but in that series she used the square step risers. The yoga blocks were so much better to use…..still effective but not nearly as awkward. And then, as I mentioned, she used them for balance in some of the plank moves which made for a subtle but not scary difference. Really good stuff.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

Morning Ladies,

We did Heat Day 1 Giant Leg Day. We are going with the rotation playlist on youtube, which seems to be a bit different than the paper rotation. This morning I did the Yoga Mat workout from the STS 2 series.

Laurel, Great job with all the workouts! Hope that your DH has a productive but safe trip. My DH will be heading out on Saturday, for a meeting on Sunday. That should be the only other time that he will be gone again. I would imagine that the yoga block would be a better option instead of the step. At least the block has some give to it. I used a yoga block this morning to help with pigeon. I'm getting better and better moving deeper into the stretch using the block.

Thelma, Love the workouts! Like I stated above we are going by the youtube rotation, and that may be why you did the Fuel Leg workout first. It's for sure different in some instances vs the paper. I think it will be okay. I think two boys will make us exhausted before they get there. When we had the gs last weekend, I had him walking outside to make sure he slept good during the night.

Have a great day!
Laurie

Hi ladies, Tuesday's workouts were walking, yoga and CG Fuel Day 1 - Giant Leg Day.
I had a freak accident when I was doing Bulgarian lunges and I'm out of commission for lower body work. I use a chair for the BLs. It's not a heavy chair, so somehow when my right foot was on the chair and I was going down on the lunge, the chair tipped over to the right. My foot was obviously on the very outer edge of the seat, and I didn't notice my foot placement.
I felt a major pull on my upper left quad, glute and I think groin area too. I can walk fine, but I can't lean forward and touch my toes. No forward folds, just barely a halfway lift. As soon as it happened, I got down on the floor and massaged the area, then iced. I took 800mg ibuprofen and had DH hook me up to the ice machine. Seven hours later and I'm feeling throbbing in the groin area, but it's toward the back. I don't know what tomorrow will feel like though. I can get down on the floor, so I'll be able to do ab work, upper body and low impact cardio.
Needless to say, I won't be using that chair anymore, but it was the one thing that put me in the right position for BL's. It's just the right height and it feels right. Neither the step, the rack or even my workout bench feel right for BLs.
The plan is to rest, ice, massage and do a little lite cardio provided it feels OK.

Laurie, great workouts! Are you doing the right playlist? You said you did Heat, but it should be Iron Day 1 - Legs.
This is the playlist I'm following, which matches the printout
https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLryeO5xOFZikxw7vm6pEDULpVAXUu5RMF

The workout I messed up on was day 2. I did Iron Day 2. Tomorrow I'll do Fuel Day 2.
It is true that the boys will exhaust the adults before they run out of energy themselves! Great idea to take the gs out for walks! LOL

Laurel, I love that kickbox workout name! Great workouts! I'm glad you've found another Peloton instructor you like.

It really is a waste of money to go for one day of training or just for meetings. DH was thinking of driving himself and leaving his truck at the airport. I told him that since the university is paying for his expenses, that he should hire a transportation service to take him to the airport. It's almost a two hour ride through crazy GA traffic each way.

Thank goodness your DH's trips are actual working trips. I have been worried about the dryness for months now. It looks like almost the entire country is in drought state!
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx

See you tomorrow!
Thelma

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was an easy 20 minute spin into STS Meso 1 Disc 6/Legs. My legs were shaking at the end and I will be feeling it tomorrow. But I felt surprisingly strong today with the workout.

Thelma, I am so sorry to hear about the injury. Like Laurie, I use the high step for that move and I have felt it slip on more than one occasion, which is not good. I have resigned myself to doing elevated lunges with a low step height these days. It just feels so much safer to me. I hope you heal quickly and can find a way to do that move effectively without the chair. I am glad you talked your DH into transportation to and from the airport. That traffic around Atlanta is such a pain no matter which way you go. Atlanta is one of my least favorite places to drive through hands down.

Laurie, great workouts. Thanks for the summary of the 2.0 mat yoga. I will definitely be reaching for that one because I am needing some serious stretching with this rotation. The darkness is already bothering me and we haven’t even changed the clocks yet! I usually wait until near Thanksgiving to put the Christmas stuff up, but this year with the time change being so early in the month of November and Thanksgiving so late in the month, they may be up early this year. But the lights really help me from going mad from the darkness so……it might be a first for me. We’ll see. If the weather stays like it has been, though, I am not going to want all those lights heating up the house.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

Morning Ladies,

After work yesterday was Iron Day 3 Glutes. I decided to do this workout on the floor for the glute bridges, and I didn't use the step for the bulgarian lunges. Guess I had Thelma in the back of my mind, and I found it worked better for me in the long run. I did use the step top for the glute bridges, and DH did that also. Butt was burning by the end of the workout. This morning was stretching with Jessica.

Laurel, Looks like legs where the muscle of the day. Great job! DH has been putting up the lights for Halloween. He will not be here for trick or treating, but we are set up for all the kids. Well except for the candy, I have not purchased that yet. I may have to add one element to our decor. JoAnn's has a skeleton sewing machine. I think that our skeleton needs something to do while he is sitting around. All you have to think about the darkness is that you are not in Alaska anymore! Sun actually is out for more than a minute.

Thelma, Glad that you where able to do walking, and that your mobility is better. You tackled the situation right away. The tower will be more stable, so that is a great option. I remember you used the tower before. I was actually did better in the lunges just doing it on the floor, my knees didn't bother me at all. I think that the two yt playlists that we found are the only two out there.

Have a great day!
Laurie

Hi ladies, my workouts on Thursday were walking and Tracy Steen Beginners Upper Body workout.
My lower back and left glute are still hurting, so I decided to do a lite workout. It seems that the glute is the most injured part. I believe that because I felt the pull travel up my upper hamstring and glute.

All of a sudden, the leaves turned colors and we're pretty much at or near peak in most areas.

Laurie, great workouts! You definitely had me in the back of your mind. The last time I had my heels on the bench I got the glute burn, too.

The tower is my next best option for BLs. I agree with your that there are only two hybrid playlists out there.

Laurel, great workouts and good job sticking to the workout even though it didn't have sound!

I woke up with a backache and my lower back feels pretty tight. I definitely strained something. I'm going to keep moving and trying to stretch. I feel like I need traction, so I'll be trying a little of that, too.

I have tried the tower in the past, but nothing felt as good as the chair did. I am going to try the tower again because it is better than the step for me.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Thelma

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was STS Disc 5/Triceps and Back and a 20 minute restorative spin. We are under a fire danger advisory, have record breaking heat and will close out the month without any measurable rain all month making it the driest October in history. But when I took a quick walk around the neighborhood after my workout and saw the leaves and the sky wearing a tank top and leggings….I am just fine with this right now. It is just too beautiful outside. But, hopefully, we’ll get rain sometime.

Thelma, I am sorry you are still sore. Hopefully a few more days of rest will have you back to your workouts. Our leaves are finally beginning to change as well. We don’t get bold and beautiful colors here, but it is still a wonderful season.

Laurie, great workout. I hope you have a good time at the party. We are supposed to be in the 80s on Halloween. I was at the grocery store yesterday and bought a little more candy than what I had already because I wouldn’t be surprised if our turnout of trick-or-treaters this year is higher than what it has been the last couple of years with those temperatures. I hope it is because I love seeing the costumes.

Enjoy the weekend.

Laurel

Morning Ladies,

I was a slug all weekend, and really didn't do anything but household chores and some sewing. DH left to go to Bowling Green, and he will be back later tonight. The oldest came to our house for trick or treat. We had so many kids that I ran out of candy. I think that is the first time that has happened since we lived there. It was really fun to see all the costumes, even though a majority of them had coats on.

So no workouts, but this morning I did a Pilates workout with Nicole.

Laurel, Great job with the workouts! I'm sure that being in that severe of drought has everyone worried. DH thought that the amount of candy we got was going to be fine, even though I thought we should have purchased another bag. We had a lot of Harry Potters running around. We are going to have temps in the 80's this week also.

Thelma, Awesome job with all the workouts! Nice that you are able to move better, and hope that all goes well with other workouts. Glad to hear that you got some rain, even if it was a lot.

Have a great day!
Laurie

Hi ladies, My workouts on Monday were walking, yoga and Gina B Low Impact Hiit.
My lower back is still acting up because of the injury I suffered last week.

I decided to give Yoga a go and I made sure I stretched before class. I did well in class, but by the afternoon my hip bones were killing me. Bone pain really freaks me out because of the RA I have. It can so painful. I hope my pain is due to the injury and not RA. I was definitely walking funny as a result of the hip pain. I feel that things are still very tight there. Lifting was not going to happen given how my back hurt. I decided that I needed a dancing workout in order to get my hips loosened up. It helped temporarily and eventually gave in and took Aleve.

My family is going through a very sad period. My aunt's husband is in hospice care. He's been sick for a long time and medical care back home is horrific. My uncle has been in the hospital since last Monday. One day the doctors tell them, his disease is too advanced, it's only a matter of time, the next his disease is too far advanced and is only a matter of time, then back to he is going to get better and to it's only a matter of time. This time it sounds like it's really a matter of time. He's such a great guy and the entire family loves him. I would love to go home to be there for my aunt, but instead of helping I would be a burden because I would have to totally depend on them while being there.

Laurie, great workout. How nice that you got all those trick or treaters! What was your grandson's costume?

I wasn't moving very well after my yoga class. Maybe my hips didn't like the hip openers.

Laurel, great workouts! Good job getting rid of things!! I need to go back to do that, too.

Surprisingly yoga seems to have backfired on me. I'll just keep moving.
It was very nice here and we also have chances of showers toward the end of the week.

See you tomorrow!
Thelma

Hi ladies, Tuesday's workouts were walking x2, Yin and CG Fuel Day 3 - GLUTES & HAMSTRINGS Supersets. I went with lower weights than I've been using for lower body and was OK during and after the workout.

I feel that the Yin class really helped y back. The first 'feel good' move for my back was when we were doing windshield wipers while on our stomachs. The instructor does Thai body work, and she gives us little adjustments during class, which is great. She pressed down on my sacrum while I was on wide leg child's pose and felt soooo good! I think that is kind of what I needed for the sacrum. The groin injury seems to be t not the healed but not glute part. I can't stand to be seated for very long, which is not a bad thing.
I booked a Thai body work session with my yoga instructor for next Tuesday.

I think I might've figured out a way to safely do hip thrusts and Bulgarian lunges. I have those stepper wedges used to set the step on an inclined position, so I set the small step on an incline. I can put my toes on the higher part of the step and feel really safe doing BL's, so I'll give this a try for a little while. This incline position feels good on my back during hip thrusts.

Laurel, great choice of workouts for tired day. Listen to your body tomorrow, too.

Tuesday was a much better day with my injury. I didn't feel pain and my sacrum felt better after the little sacrum adjustment I got from my instructor. It was instant relief on the tightness I was feeling there.
I am going to continue to be careful because I know I'm not fully healed.

I decided to treat myself to a 4ft barbell. Unfortunately, these barbells only come in the 2-inch Olympic size, which means I had to get some Olympic plates too. The beauty of the plates I got is that they're 17 inch in diameter, so I hope to be able to just roll the barbell onto my lap. I got a package that comes with the barbell, collars and 2-10# plates. 40# is a good weight for me to do hip thrusts with. I also ordered a set of 6 2.5# plates, so that I can add another 15# slowly. I was getting too frustrated trying to balance the long barbell I have on my lap during hip thrusts.

Thanks so much for keeping my aunt and uncle in your thoughts. He is still alive. It is really hard for my aunt who lives in Italy and I to be so far away from El Salvador and not be there for my aunt during this time. She does appreciate our support from afar. I was telling DH that I'd like to gift her a trip to the US so she can come and spend a couple of weeks here with us after this situation is over. Hopefully she will accept.

See you tomorrow!
Thelma

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was 2.0 Supersets Total Body and a 20 minute spin. And I am mowing the lawn after I send this. Lawn mowing season is quickly ending and will become leaf raking season in the next week or so. At least we don’t have snow shoveling season after that. Hopefully.

Thelma, great workouts. I am glad you are feeling better and the yin yoga helped. Congratulations on the new barbell set. I have really been toying with a new set as well because I want the clamp in kind of plate holders. And I would love bigger plates for the same reason…to be able to slide over my legs. Keep us posted on how you like that shorter barbell. I just need the barbell to be long enough to use with the Fit Tower. I hope you are able to get your aunt to visit you. I know it has been years since you have seen either of your aunts, and that has to be difficult no doubt.

Laurie, great workout. I am glad your mistake wasn’t major, and that you were able to correct it. But that doesn’t make for a great day. I am definitely trying to moderate my cardio during this rotation. I am keeping it to15-30 minutes on days I lift and 30-45 minutes on days I don’t. I am not doing much HiiT, but when I do, I keep it low impact. It seems to be helping me keep up my energy for lifting heavy, but I am getting enough cardio to make my brain happy, so that is good. I miss my longer spins, but they will be there when I am done with this rotation.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

Morning Ladies,

We finally got in our workout yesterday, and we did Fuel Day 4 Full Body. This morning I did some Yin Yoga with Travis.

Laurel, Nice workouts! Sorry to hear that you are still having to mow. I know that DH will mow, but it will probably be to mulch some of the leaves that are falling. He likes to pulverize the leaves into super small pieces. Taking it down a notch is a good idea when you are lifting so heavy. DH and I are competing with our weights right now. I'm really glad to see that he is upping his weight, and that he knows when the weight is to much. He is progressing.

Thelma, Great job with the workouts! Don't blame you for using the lighter weights, you are able to get in a workout and staying safe. We had some rain today, and the temps are already cooler than the last two days. This has helped my sinuses quite a bit. Still keeping your family in my prayers. Very nice that your cousin will be with your Aunt.

Have a great day!
Laurie

Hi ladies, Thursday's workouts were walking, Warm Yinyasa and CG Standing Abs.

My uncle had greatly improved today. He was totally lucid. He had a good conversation with my aunt, told her that he was hungry and thirsty. now the doctor is even talking about getting off oxygen and sending him home. What an emotional rollercoaster this has been. One day he's about to die and the next he's going to go home soon.

My back is definitely better. I feel that I've managed this injury very well.

Laurie, great workouts!
Even though I am using lighter weights, I am still getting good workouts in.
I'm glad the cooler weather is helping with your sinuses. Thank you so much for keeping my family in your prayers.

Laurel, great workouts!

Thank you so much for keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers. Knowing that my cousin and his wife will live with my aunt gives all of us peace of mind.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Thelma

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was 2.0 Giant Sets Total Body and Cathe Live Cardio Core Express. I finished the week feeling more energetic than I did starting the week, which is a shock given these tough total body workouts. But maybe I have energy because we finally got rain!! We got over a half inch last night, which is the good news because our fire warnings were getting scary. The sad news is it started right at trick-or-treat time, so I had some wet goblins on my porch last night. I gave them extra candy to compensate.

Thelma, great workouts. I am so glad you are feeling better. And what great news about your uncle! I hope his improvement continues and he is able to go back home again.

Laurie, great workouts. My last two core workouts have been all standing abs, and I am really beginning to appreciate that kind of core work for sure. Because of the rain, I only had about 20 kids last night, but when the rain started I didn’t think I would have any. So I was happy with every ring of the doorbell last night.

Enjoy the weekend.

Laurel

Morning Ladies,

We had a cold weekend, and of course rain. Suppose to have rain for the next few days, and then our normal temps in the 50's. Our weekend was quiet, and I did some cleaning and sewing. Guess I'm in a weekend rut, but I'm okay with that. DH went to the DD's to do some construction work. They are remodeling the kitchen, so the house is in a bit of disrepair. We will be watching the little man soon when they have their floors redone. He will be happier here at our house than in a hotel with them.

We did Fuel Day 5 Dumbbell Cardio on Saturday, and a walk on Sunday. This morning I did a Jessica Lower Body workout which was floor work.

Laurel, Great job with the workouts! Sorry to hear that your Halloween turn out wasn't that great, but yippee on the rain. I'm sure that everyone in the area is very happy about that. I've been trying to get my DH onto MFP. He really needs to log his food intake. He is getting the workouts, but I don't think that he eats enough protein or even enough food.

Thelma, Great job with the workouts! Looks like we did the same workout! I actually enjoyed that one quite a lot. Nice that your barbell showed up, and that it has a one inch bar for holding. Good news from your family! My mom is doing really good, best of all no more pain in the hip.

Have a great day!
Laurie