3rd Week of Rotation...Let's start the week with Intensity!!

Happy Monday!!!  This week's rotation started with Intensity. Had a really good workout. It was still hard but didn't feel as hard as last week. I'm telling you, you really need to try this workout.  It's awesome!!! 

Did you get your workout in today?  What did you do?  Please share with me, I'd love to hear.

Who's ready for the all the snow we're supposed to get. Yuck... not me.  I'm so tired of winter.  Part of me feels like I have a bit of the winter blues.  I've been in such a downer mood the past few weeks.  I'm trying my hardest to stay upbeat but it's been really difficult. What is a person to do to get out of the winter blues. Any suggestions?

Back to the workout topic... I'm on Cathe's email list and I see that she might be having a 3rd Road Trip this year in Chicago. Oh man, if that happens, I would absolutely love to go. I have to keep my eyes on her emails.  I would give anything to meet Cathe and her crew in person.

Hope everyone stays safe and warm through these next few wintery days.

No excuses though... keep moving and sweating!!!

Brenda

The end of Week 2 of this Rotation.. what fun it has been!

Good Morning!!

No rest for the weary.  Even though it was Saturday, I was still up at 3am for my workout. I know I'm crazy.

Friday I had a cardio day. On the rotation was Cathe's 4DS (day split) Bootcamp, which is 34 min cardio workout. I absolutely love this cardio workout. With it only being 34 min., I also did the cardio blasts from Drill Max so between the two, that put me at an hour workout.  Had a great workout.  I love doing the workouts that have the blasts and then a brief rest.  For some reason, they seem to make the hour go faster. 

This morning I had a second day of STS Total Body.  After doing this workout the other day, which I felt for a couple of days so I knew there were a few exercises where I needed to drop the weight a little.  Had a really good workout.  Still not fond of the elevated lunges but they really get into that glute muscle.  You love to hate those. :-) 

Okay now, just because it's the weekend doesn't mean you can slack off.... actually it should mean you have more time for a workout.  Get those muscles moving and go break a sweat.... you'll love it and be glad that you did!!

Make it a great day!!
Brenda

4DS Kickbox, Legs, and Abs.....love this workout!!

Did you ever have one of those days where it's tough getting out of bed, to get moving, and get that workout in. I had one of those yesterday.  I woke up with such a massive headache I did not want to get out of bed and go downstairs and jump around. Yesterday was cardio and I was supposed to do Cathe's Step Blast, which is a really fun workout.  Fun routine with fun music.  The thought of jumping up and down off of a step wasn't tripping my trigger so I decided to Cardio Coach 6.  The headache went away a little while I was working out but didn't take long to come back after that.

Today on the rotation was Cathe's 4DS (Day Split) Kickbox, Legs, and Abs. In Cathe's 4 Day Split DVD's, she splits up four days and does about 1/2 hr cardio and the 1/2 weights. I love kickboxing so I love the cardio in this workout.  I have a love hate relationship with legs.  I hate doing legs because I feel like my muscles fatigue fast but I love the progress that I've seen through the years.  In this workout Cathe does a really nice overall leg workout. She does low plane lunges in this workout... talk about love hate.  Those babies hit the glutes like you wouldn't believe.  If you haven't tried Cathe's 4 Day Split, give it a try.  It's a great workout series. 

I'm gonna say it again.... what was your workout today?  Did you push it hard.... come on, you can do it!!

Until next time... keep on moving!!!
Brenda

STS Total Body

On the rotation today was STS Total Body.  This is the 2nd time I've done this one and it actually seemed harder then the first time I did it.  I do have to say when doing this workout it would definitely be beneficial to have how much weight you're using written down for each exercise.  It'll make things go smoother.  If you would like a sneak peak of STS Today Body you can always go onto Collage Video's website and search for STS Total Body and you can see a sneak preview of it. Of course, you can always visit Cathe's website by clicking on the link in my blog.

How was your workout today?  Share your workouts with me, I'd love to hear from you.

Come on.. get up and move... burn some calories.  You can do it!!

Week 2 of this Rotation

Today was another day of Intensity.  I love that workout.  It's tough but it's awesome.

Yesterday I tried a couple recipes with my new mixer.  I went real green to start...not a good idea. I found the recipe online and someone said they start their day with this.  All I can say is GROSS!!!  I took 3 sips out of it and I had to pitch it.  I thought I was going to throw up.  So, I didn't let it scare me and tried another one.  This was Dr. Oz's Green Drink... there we go again going green. :-)  Actually this one wasn't bad.  I only did 1/2 of the recipe and I drank the entire think.  My DH on the other hand didn't think too much of it.  The look on his face when he drank it was almost priceless.  I would definitely try that one again but would change the recipe slightly.  It'll be fun experimenting and trying some of these recipes. 

Don't forget to share any good recipes with me. 

Who's happy that the Packers are going to the Super Bowl.  I'm not a huge football person but I think it's pretty awesome that they are going to the Super Bowl.  GO PACK!!

Come on people... share your workout stories with me!!  I'm waiting.

High Reps... what an awesome workout!!

Friday was an elliptical day.  I did Cardio Coach 7. This one has 3 intervals.  The first two are longer then the 3rd.  I was a little tired Friday morning so I had to really push it to get my 10 miles in but I did it.

Saturday I did another one of Cathe's new workouts.. High Reps.  Absolutely loved this workout.  She does some exercises using the band with a dumb bell.  It makes the muscle work differently then when just using the dumb bell or a band.  The two together is a great combination.  This is one of those workouts that you want to know what's coming up next and have it written down what weights work for you so it goes smoother.  My biceps were tight today but otherwise I wasn't incredibly sore.  Hmmmm.... does that mean I need to work harder next time???? :-)  I definitely felt it yesterday.  Muscles felt majorily worked.

How did your weekend go?  Did you get some workouts in before sitting down and watching the Packer/Bears game.   Today was my off day.  I needed it  I had a really bad nights sleep last night. We went to an outside party yesterday in the freezing cold.  Though I did manage to stay warm, thanks to a bon fire, I was standing in snowmobile boots for about 4 hours and not moving a bunch.  My left knee hurt so bad and it went down into my shine.  No matter where I put my leg I had this stabbing in the side of my knee. Almost brought me to tears.  I broke down and put an ice pack on it and managed to get a couple hours of sleep before that wore off.  Feels better today, aches more then anything. 

For those of you watching the game...Enjoy!!

I'm not as sore as I thought I would be......unless DOMS sets in tomorrow.

In case you don't know what DOMS means, it is delayed onset muscle soreness.   I would see people refer to DOMS and I never knew what it meant and finally it was bugging me and I did a little digging and found out.  I thought for sure I was going to feel it in the glutes this morning but I didn't.  I did however feel it in the quads, not to the point where I almost felt like I couldn't walk. 

Today I did KPC (Kick, Punch, and Crunch).  In KPC Cathe does a warm up, lower impact section, med/high impact drills, and then kickboxing combinations and finishes off with some ab work and a stretch.  I love this workout. I love kickboxing. If you haven't tried this workout, you should.  I think you'll love it!!

So, on another note, I've been online trying to find juice/smoothie recipes to try this upcoming week.  I got about 5 or so.   One is Dr. Oz's Green Drink. I like Dr. Oz so I'll have to give that one a try.  If anyone has any recipes they want to share, please do.

You're gonna make me say it again.... come on, get up and move... what was your workout today! 
I'd love to hear from you.

Keep the sweat rollling!

GO PACK!!

Lower Body Blast..... gonna be feeling that one tomorrow

Another day with one of Cathe's new workouts... Lower Body Blast.  Holy moly!!!  If my butt isn't sore tomorrow, I'll be shocked.  This is an awesome lower body workout. She does some unique exercises in here along with some traditional ones and tosses in a few cardio blasts to really burn those legs. Then she finishes it off with some floor work.  I actually had to wimper out on the last exercise.  We were doing glute presses and between the supporting leg and the leg in the air, OMG!! I needed to stop and stretch it out before I did more harm then good. Definitely need to build up to that one.   Way to go Cathe on another awesome workout!!

I'm going to ask again...... what was your workout today!!  Come on get up and move..... you'll feel so much better about yourself!

Keep on moving!!
Brenda

INTENSITY...... and Intense it was... WOW!!!

Hi Followers,

This morning I had the pleasure of doing Cathe's new workout called Intensity.  Intense it was.  I absolutely love this workout.  It's a combination of step, HiiT (high intensity internval training), and a little bit of bootcamp.  My heart rate monitor was going crazy and my legs were just a burning.  If you don't have this workout in your library, it's a must!! This is an incredible cardio workout and it has a nice selection of premixes to choose from. 

On another note... I got my blender today.  Yeah!!  Now I need to do some searching and get some receipes for some real healthy juices or smoothies.  If anyone has any that they would like to share, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I'm not sure who's all reading my blog but I will continue to ask "so what was your workout today?"  I you don't have a workout routine, now is the time to start.  Come on, you can do it!!

Join me in my workouts, even if you don't do Cathe, I'd love to hear from you.

Keep pushing!!
Brenda

First Day of New Rotation - STS Total Body

Today I started a new rotation for the next 4 weeks.  This rotation has Cathe's new workouts in it. Today was STS Total Body.   What an overall total body workout.  She doesn't leave any muscle unworked.  In this workout she does tri-sets, which she does three excersises first set at 16 reps and second set at 12 reps and depending upon your level you can use anywhere between 65-80% of your 1RM (rep max).  I think in this workout it would be very helpful to write down the exercises and what weight you use and as time goes on you can increase once it starts getting easier. Loved, loved, loved it!! Another awesome Cathe workout!!

So did you workout today?  What did you do? 

Plyo Legs - Two Days in One Week... OMG!!

One more day in this rotation.  Today was another day of Plyo Legs.  Heck my legs still felt fatigued my the other day of Plyo Legs but I made it through the workout.  Quads were burning from time to time but I stretched and pushed through it.

Got an email last night that my Ninja 1100 blender shipped and we should see it on the 18th. Am very anxious to try it out.  I believe it does come with some receipes.  I'll be looking for receipes online for juices and smoothies.  If anyone has some and would like to share that would be great.  I'll be sharing any good ones that we try. My DH is going to join me on this so that aught to be interesting.

This weekend I need to pick out a new rotation.  I think I'm going to do Cathe's December rotation which uses her new DVD's.  I've only done one of her new DVD's (Intensity) and I loved it. I previewed the others and they look like awesome workouts. Be prepared that you'll be hearing about them next week. Does anyone care to join me? :-)

An Oldie but a Goodie

After a couple days of weight training it felt good to do some pure cardio.  Today was one of  Cathe's older step workouts.. Power Max.  It starts out on the slower side but by the second combo it really picks up. When I first started doing step, I only used the 6" step.  On some of the workouts I did increase it and start using the 8" step.  I always need to be careful because on some of the step workouts, depending on how intense they are, I need to keep it at the 6" step otherwise by lower back and knees start bothering me. I know some people said that you still get the same workout intensity when using the 6" vs. the 8", I completely disagree.  I always have a higher heart rate on the 8" step then the 6", maybe because the 8" forces me to jump higher where on the 6" you obviously don't have to.  Yesterday I had a day off from legs and my legs were still a little sore from Plyo Legs the other day, which made my workout today even a little harder.  That's okay though, a little extra sweat never hurt. 

Last weekend we ordered a new blender so we can start juicing.  We ordered the Ninja 1100 (I think that is what it was).  I can't wait to get it.  I hope it works as good as they say.  Always trying to take steps to become healthier.  More fruits and veggies in a diet is always a good thing. 

Keep the sweat rolling!

STS Plyo Legs.... Gotta love it!!

Yesterday my workout was STS Plyo Legs.   A person wouldn't think their legs would get that spent in approx. 45 min.  Plyo legs is a weight exercise followed by plyometric moves.  It still amazes me how your heart rate spikes when working legs and especially when doing plyometric moves. I've done Plyo Legs many times already but it never fails when I do this, my quads and glutes are always sore the next day.  I have seen such an improvement in my leg strength since working out with all of Cathe's workouts and especially with doing STS. 

Today my workout was STS Mesocycle 3 Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps.  Working my biceps is probably one of my favorite weight training exercises.  I had a great workout this morning.  Really good strength.  In this workout, Cathe does one exercise for each group and then repeats that 4 times and we have three different groups of exercises.  Trust me, if you're doing your 1RM you will feel spent by the end of the workout. 

You will probably hear me say time and time again that STS is an incredible workout.  You go through this program, you will see improvements of some sort.  When I first did it, I didn't lose any weight but what I gained out of it was more strength and definition and I was good with that.

I hope you continue to join me on my workout journey and hope you will join me. :-)

Make it a great day!!
Brenda

STS Mesocycle 3 - Chest and Back

Today my workout was Mesocycle 3 Chest and Back.  I had a great workout.  Real good strength.  If you decide to invest in STS, I strongly recommend buying Cathe's Push Pull tower.  This is a must when doing Mesocycle 3.  In this cycle you lift 80% of your 1RM (rep max). When doing the chest work, it's best to have the push pull tower or a bench where you can unload your barbell at the end of your set.  I love this cycle.  If you try it, let me know what you think.

How was your workout today!!

Sunday is rest day, preparing for STS on Monday

Today is my rest day from working out. I had the opportunity to sleep in this morning and it felt nice.  

Tomorrow I start the 4th week of my current rotation. This week I have part of Cathe's STS series Mesocycle 3.  For those of you that aren't familiar with STS (Shock Training System) is a 12 week workout program, which includes three cycles.  The first is Mesocycle 1, which is for muscle endurance, Mesocycle 2 is Hypertrophy, and Mesocycle 3 is for muscle strength.  It's a good idea before starting STS to do your 1 RM (rep max) because during each mesocycle you do a certain % of your 1RM.  This will give you the most benefit when doing the workout.  It's not necessary to know your 1RM to do STS but it is definitely helpful.

STS is an investment well worth it.

Cardio Coach

Today I decided to do something a little different for my cardio and I did Cardio Coach Press Play.  For those of you not familiar with Cardio Coach.  You have a coach that takes you through a work out of intervals.  The music they use is very fitting for the workouts.  When you need to pick up the pace the music is faster and more intense.  They do a really good job of putting the music together with the workout.  I do Cardio Coach on the ellipitical.  It can be done on a treadmill as well.  My legs and glutes were a little sore from my leg workout on Friday but over all I had a pretty good workout.  10.5 miles in 1 hour.  That hour goes fairly fast.

So did you work out today?  If so, what did you do and how did your workout go.

Today's workout - Slow & Heavy Legs & Shoulder

The rotation I'm doing had Cathe's Slow & Heavy series.  Today was legs and shoulders.  It's amazing how much of a difference it makes when going at such a slow speed.  As Cathe always says, "time under pressure".  This is a good workout to through in to change things up and confuse the muscles.   I haven't done this workout in a while so we'll see how sore I am tomorrow.

Until then... have a great day!!

Join me when working out to Cathe Friedrich

Hi, my name is Brenda.  I decided to start a blog to share my experience since I started working out to fitness guru Cathe Friedrich.  As time goes on, I will share my thoughts on various Cathe workouts.  If you've never worked out to Cathe Friedrich before you are missing out.  She is a true inspiration.  Her cueing is right on.  Going through the workouts she talks to you about proper form when weight training.  She always pushes you to keep moving.  It's always a pleasure working out with her crew.  The regulars are Cedie, Brenda, Jai, and Lorraine.  

Please stay with me on sharing my experiences that I have had with Cathe.  Hopefully you can join me and share your experiences with me as well.

Brenda