Pyramid Lower Body and Core Max

Oh boy, I really outdid myself today. Thought I would do Pyramid Lower Body instead of the scheduled GS Legs. I had no idea what I was in for! This was tough, and I wasn't even close to matching Cathe's weights. I can see this workout being very effective for building strength. I was burning and shaking and crying and moaning, and that was just on the first set! Being a pyramid workout - I had to go 5 sets of each exercise! It was killer, and I am typing this entry a couple days late and must say that I am STILL feeling it in my glutes, hamstrings and quads. OUCH! It also gets the heart rate soaring.

Workout: Pyramid Lower Body
Duration: 49:41
Kcal / %Fat: 380 / 35%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 97% / 81%
Time in Moderate Zone: 12:58

I somehow managed to find the energy to follow this up with a 20-minute core workout. I did segment 1 of Core Max, which is really very good. I had DOMS in my abs about 8 hours after, and it lasted about a day. I rarely get DOMS in my abs, so I know a workout is tough when I do get soreness.

Workout: Core Max segment 1
Duration: 21:12
Kcal / %Fat: 92 / 55%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 79% / 64%
Time in Moderate Zone: 4:38

This was an excellent workout - It was very challenging, but still quite doable. I good Saturday morning, I-got-nowhere-to-be workout. :-)

Gym Style Chest & Tricpes

Another lovely upper body strength workout. Had a very difficult time washing my hair and shaving under my arms after doing this workout. Fatigue...

Still can't do pushups on my toes... ahhh, someday!

Workout: GS Chest & Tricpes
Duration: 48:24
Kcal / %Fat: 175 / 60%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 75% / 61%
Time in Moderate Zone: 1:56

A very pathetic day...

Well, the schedule today called for lower body strength training. Last week I didn't get to do the floor work because my legs were so sore from the standing work I did 2 days earlier. So I thought today I would do the floor work and see how that went. I was supposed to do the floor work from both Gym Style Legs, and Pyramid Lower Body. I did GS Legs and it was a burner for sure. But when I put in PLB, it just looked like the same exercises I had just done, so I decided to skip that part. I was also supposed to do a segment from Core Max, which I finally have in my posession. Well, I started to do segment 1, but my abs were so sore from yesterday's ab work in KPC, that I just couldn't get very far. I felt like I was just doing everything with poor form, and that's just not good. So I kind of gave up today. I didn't get a very good workout, other than the burn in my thighs (and oh, were they ever burning!). I probably would have been better off doing the standing lower body work instead. On the other hand, maybe I needed a less intense day. I've been working pretty hard lately, and I tend to get in this mindset where I feel like I must always push myself to the max or it's a waste of my time. But that's just not true. Sometimes you need to take it easy. So I'll look at today as more of a recovery day. And tomorrow I'll pick back up with GS Chest & Triceps.


Workout: GS Legs floor work, some PLB floor work and some CoreMax
Duration: 49:27
Kcal / %Fat: 166 / 60%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 79% / 59%
Time in Moderate Zone: 3:06

166 measely calories burned. Yeah, pathetic. But I am still pleased because I am starting to feel DOMS in my outer thighs. DOMS makes me happy. :-)

Kick, Punch, Crunch

Oh yes, this is a very good workout! The first time I did this one, I didn't do the high intensity combinations, for fear of dying. But this time, I decided to try the whole workout, start to finish. And it was good. Very good. The high intensity drills were indeed very high intensity. But not in a bad way. It was very satisfying to complete something so challenging. At least it's challenging for me. I wasn't able to get through the entire workout, due to lack of time (hey, gotta go to work so I can get paid so I can buy more Cathe DVDs!). I did do the stability ball ab work and let me tell you, my abs were on fire! Oh I'll be feeling it tomorrow. Which is going to make tomorrow's ab work a bit difficult. We'll see how that goes...

Workout: Kick, Punch, Crunch
Duration: 54:06
Kcal / %Fat: 417 / 30%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 97% / 82%
Time in Moderate Zone:13:18

Yep, this one got my heart rate up. It's a lot of fun, definitely a keeper. ;-)

Gym Style Back, Shoulders & Biceps

Another great upper body workout today. What more can I say? It was even aerobic for me, so double bonus. I aspire to have arms as defined as Cathe. Of course, I'd have to live on celery sticks, and we all know that's against my fitness ethic. But hey, one can dream...


Workout: GS Back, Shoulders & Biceps
Duration: 49:40
Kcal / %Fat: 284 / 50%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 87% / 72%
Time in Moderate Zone: 23:41

Tomorrow's workout - Kick, Punch & Crunch. Looking forward to it!

Low Max

Another Low Max day. This time I didn't do the Step Only premix. I actually did the blasts too. But I didn't use my step. I thought the 6.5" would be too much with the interval blasts included. The Step Only premix gets my HR way up there on the 6.5" step. Adding intervals to that may kill me. I really need a Club Step, so I can do 4". Then work up to 6" and maybe someday 8" like Cathe uses. I can't believe that woman is only 5'2" and uses an 8" step for Low Max. Man, she is in excellent shape! Doing Low Max without a step was still a very good workout for me. It was darn near perfect, actually. My HR was aerobic during the step combos, and anaerobic during the blasts. Probably on the low end of both, but still good. A 4" step would get me closer to where I should be, hear-rate-wise. Maybe someone will get me a Club Step for my birthday. *hint hint* And a high-step topper (because you can use the Club Step risers for the high step, so I don't need extra risers for that!) If anyone's reading this who might buy me a birthday gift, I'd prefer the black and grey color scheme, rather than the purple and turquoise (so 1992!). :)

Anyway... as always, I adore Low Max. And this was the first time doing the blasts and methinks I'll be feeling it in my glutes tomorrow. Glute pain is always a joyous occasion for me. My butt needs all the help it can get. I just hope it doesn't get BIGGER.

Workout: Low Max (through step combo #6, due to lack of time - plus stretch)
Duration: 56:41
Kcal / %Fat: 361 / 45%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 91% / 75%
Time in Moderate Zone: 25:00

25 minutes in the moderate zone is excellent - right about where I want to be with this kind of workout.

Tomorrow's schedule calls for Gym Style Back, Shoulders and Biceps. Yippee! :-)

Gym Style Chest & Triceps

Well, today's workout was downright relaxing compared to Gym Style Legs yesterday. My legs are sooooo sore today. I am walking like a bow-legged cowboy. It's rather embarassing. It's a good pain, it's just hard to walk like a normal person.

So today the rotation called for Gym Style Chest & Triceps. After the 8 drop-sets of pushups, my pecs were pretty much fried. But then Cathe made me do 3 sets of bench presses, 3 sets of chest flyes, and some sets of incline presses and incline flyes. I could hardly lift 5 pound dumbbells over my head after that. Talk about muscle fatigue! Then it was time to work triceps, which involved a "warm-up" of what felt like 2 million tricep dips. Yeah, that was just the warm-up. Then there was lying arm extensions, and seated French press, and cross-body extensions with dumbbells AND with the resistance band. My triceps were really wiped out after that too. So it was another one of those mornings where I could hardly wash my hair because my arms were just too exhausted. The fatigue has since passed, but DOMS is slowly setting in. I am fairly certain my lower body will remain sore for at least another day, so tomorrow will be a real hoot with essentially my entire body stiff and sore. Woo hoo! Bring it on!

This workout did not qualify as aerobic, at least not what I usually consider to be aerobic. But, I wore my heart rate monitor anyway and here are the stats:


Workout: Gym Style Chest & Triceps
Duration: 48:31
Kcal / %Fat: 144 / 60%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 73% / 57%
Time in Moderate Zone: 00:32

Yep, a whopping 30 seconds in my moderate zone. And, for a change, no time in my Hard zone. So my heart did not see much benefit today. But my chest and triceps sure did. And they'll be thanking me (or screaming at me) tomorrow. :-)

Tomorrow... that reminds me. I think the rotation calls for another lower body strength workout (floor only). If I am too sore still, I may switch it with next Monday's scheduled workout (LowMax). We shall see...

Gym Style Legs

According to the rotation I'm following, today I was to do Gym Style Legs (standing portion only), plus 1 segment of CoreMax. I don't yet have CoreMax, so I subbed in the core work from Pyramid Upper Body instead. All-in-all, a very good workout. My legs are very jello-like right now. It was tough. I am so glad that the rotation didn't call for me to do the whole workout, becuase I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through. The floor work is scheduled for Saturday, which I am looking forward to. Assuming I'm not too sore to move. :-)


Workout: Gym Style Legs (standing work only), and PUB Stability Ball core work
Duration: 52:23
Kcal / %Fat: 320 / 40%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 92% / 74%
Time in Moderate Zone: 19:12

Not bad for a weight workout. Those squats and lunges really get your heart rate up. Whew! The ab work with the stability ball is fun. I still can't do a pike on the ball, but I'm probably not too far off from being able to. Just gotta keep at it. :-)

IMAX 3

I decided that I wanted to try a workout rotation, in order to be more disciplined and to maximize the effectiveness of my workouts. But I'm not ready to create my own rotation yet, so I have chosen to do Cathe's own Strength Building Rotation, which uses mostly Hardcore Series workouts (which I have most of). By pure coincidence, yesterday's workout was the first workout on this rotation, so today I did workout #2 on the rotation - IMAX 3. You may recall that I tried to do IMAX 3 a week or two ago, and had a rather difficult time with the footwork, and the jumping (oh the jumping!). Not only that, I wasn't even able to get through the entire workout. So this time I modified a bit - by completely eliminating the use of the step. I did the whole workout on the floor, which greatly helped me with learning the footwork (no step to trip over!), and allowed me to do the whole workout, start to finish. What a feeling! It is still a very challenging workout, even without a step. My heart rate stats prove that.

Workout: IMAX 3
Duration: 57:58
Kcal / %Fat: 428 / 35%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 98% / 80%
Time in Moderate Zone: 22:24

Doing this one without a step made it a true interval workout for me. When I did this on a step, I was anaerobic almost the entire workout. But without a step, I am able to bring my heart rate down into the aerobic range after each blast (22 minutes in my moderate zone is GREAT for a Cathe workout!). So I am getting the benefits of interval training, which is good. But, pushing my heart rate to 98% of max is probably pushing it rather hard. Although, at no point during the workout did I feel like I was going to pass out, or throw up, or die. I was just very out of breath. Which you're supposed to be during intervals. So, this again confirms my suspicion that my actual max HR is higher than my calculated max HR. One of these days my HRM will explode when I push my HR above my calculated max, and it gets all confused. :-)

My biceps are killing me from yesterday's upper body workout. And for some reason, my triceps are really sore too, even though I didn't work them yesterday. Must be from Monday's workout. Hopefully the soreness will ease up soon, because I believe tomorrow's scheduled workout is Gym Style Chest & Triceps. Either that one or Gym Style Legs. Can't remember. :-)

Gym Style Back, Shoulders & Biceps

The concept of a 3-day split is rather new to me, but it makes sense, so I'm giving it a try. The 3-day split involves working legs on one day, and splitting the upper body over 2 days. Today I did back, shoulders and biceps. Tomorrow I'll do chest and triceps. The idea being that you can work heavier weights if you split your upper body work across 2 days. We'll see. My weights today were pretty wimpy compared with Cathe's, but why should that surprise me? That woman is ripped! I wish I had the kind of muscle definition she does - minus the bulging bicep veins. LOL! Of course, that definition is a combination of strong muscles and low body fat percentage. My main roadblock to muscle definition is the body fat thing. But, if I build more muscle, my body will burn more fat, so I should see a reduction in body fat over time if I keep training with heavy weights. At least that's my theory. And I'm stickin' to it!

My biceps are toast right now. Cathe works your biceps until you're begging for mercy. My back and shoulders don't feel nearly as fatigued, but I probably could have heavied up on the weights there. Since it was my first time doing this workout, I didn't quite know which weights I needed for each exercise. I was using 14-pound dumbbells on the bent-over rows and my main problem was that gripping the weight was hurting my hands. I now understand why Cathe and her crew wear those cute little weight-lifting gloves. I may need to get me some of those, especially if I intend to get a barbell. Otherwise I'll have roughed up, callous-laden hands. Ewwww! This was a very effective workout though, I was feeling the burn and was happy to see some low back exercises included.

Workout: Gym Style - Back, Shoulders & Biceps
Duration: 48:56
Kcal / %Fat: 248 / 58%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 84% / 68%
Time in Moderate Zone: 17:28

High Step Circuit

What a weekend! I didn't report a workout on Friday because I was working my @ss off planting grass seed in our 3/4 acre yard. I like to call that workout "Lawn Max". It's tough and I hope to never do it again! I was wearing my pedometer while I was out and logged over 22,000 steps, which is over 10 miles. Just from walking around in my yard! And when I say "walking" I mean "pushing a really heavy spreader around, and bending over and picking up rocks, and rolling a wheelbarrow around". It was exhausting. If any fitness video gurus are looking for a new concept, I have found it - Garden Cardio!

So, I didn't do any "official" workouts all weekend long because I was just trying to recover from Friday. But I started back fresh this morning with a so-called "beginner" workout called High Step Circuit. It's a similar concept to High Step Training, which I did last week (and it nearly killed me), but supposed to be a little lower intensity. I dunno, I still got a really good workout from this one. I think, because of the lighter weights used in this one, it would qualify more as cardio, whereas High Step Training would probably qualify more as weights. Both workouts are fun and both have a place in my rotation. As if I have a formal rotation! LOL!


Workout: High Step Circuit
Duration: 49:08
Kcal / %Fat: 353 / 35%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 93% / 79%
Time in Moderate Zone: 10:50

And let's review last weeks totals (week ending Sunday, April 17):
Exercise Count: 4 (but that's not including Lawn Max, which counts for about 6)
Exercise Time: 3:40:06
Calories: 1488
Time in Light Zone / Moderate Zone / Hard Zone: 54:35 / 1:01:33 / 1:43:16

Gee, I sure like being in that Hard Zone. Well, not really. It apparently just doesn't take much to get me up there. :-)

Kick , Punch & Crunch

This morning I did a wonderful kickboxing workout - Kick, Punch & Crunch. It was fun, and just the kind of workout I need to increase my coordination. I don't know why, but sometimes (okay, a lot of the times) it is hard for me to do a "jab, cross, front kick, uppercut" combo. It always ends up looking something more like a "elbow in my face, girly punch at a weird angle, front kick, punch myself in the jaw" combo. Okay, so I haven't actually punched myself in the jaw doing an uppercut, but I figure it's just a matter of time. I'm sure I wouldn't be the first to do so. I know that's the real reason boxers wear those big cushiony gloves. In case they accidentally hit themselves, it won't hurt so bad. Seriously, though, Cathe's kickboxing workouts are not only great workouts, but educational as well. If I ever need to kick someone's ass, I'll be thoroughly prepared!

Workout: Kick, Punch & Crunch (minus the High Intensity drill)
Duration: 51:44
Kcal / %Fat: 313 / 40%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 93% / 73%
Time in Moderate Zone: 12:02

Let me introduce you to my new favorite website: Stumptuous - Weights for Women
I will probably never be able to do squats like this woman does, but this is truly an inspiring, encouraging and educational website for all women who lift weights, have thought about lifting weights, have misconceptions about lifting weights, etc. You will learn fabulous things here. Check it out!

High Step Training

So I wasn't very sore today (after having major DOMS in my quads yesterday), so I decided to try out a circuit workout. High Step Training was my DVD of choice. It is another one of my new receipts from the Firm Ya-Ya swapmeet. Amazingly, I did the whole thing. Oh, don't get me wrong - I didn't do it "just like Cathe". I made modifications to the impact of the step combos, and the weights used in the lifting segments. But I still did it all. And this one proved to be my biggest calorie-burner since I started using my HRM. I will probably be really hungry all day long - I find that happens when I do a really challenging workout. Right now I've got my carrots and peanut butter (my poor muscles need all the protein they can get!). For lunch, it's a roast beef sandwhich with cheese on whole wheat (more protein!).

I have never poured so much sweat as I did with this workout. I was amazed! It was like someone turned on the fountain from my head. LOL! I read recently that people who exercise regulalry and are in good shape actually sweat more than people who are out of shape (gee, this is what I have to look forward to?), because their bodies become more efficient at self-cooling, and knowing when to turn on the sweating mechanism. So today's workout would seem to tell me that I must be in pretty good shape because I'm pretty sure I left standing pools of sweat in the living room!


Workout: High Step Training
Duration: 59:27
Kcal / %Fat: 449 / 35%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 94% / 81%
Time in Moderate Zone: 10:15

Oh yeah, I was way beyond my moderate zone for most of this workout. There was nothing moderate about this workout. ;-)

Basic Step (and then some)

Okay, so today was a cardio day since yesterday I did full-body weights. I just received some more Cathe DVDs in the mail (thank goodness for the Firm Ya-Ya swapmeet - I could never afford to buy these things full price!). One of them was the Basic Step + Body Fusion DVD. I did the Basic Step workout, plus step combos #1 and #2 from Body Fusion, plus the stretches from both workouts. It was a nice cardio workout. Basic Step and Body Fusion are aimed at beginner/intermediate exercisers (Basic Step is just stepping, Body Fusion is a circuit-style workout). But let me tell you, it was still an excellent cardio workout - my heart was a-pumpin'! I think what makes it beginner/intermediate level is the simplicity of the choreography. The steps are very easy to catch onto, which is a confidence booster for sure. It's still fun, even with a lot of basic moves, because of Cathe and her crew being upbeat and positive. I was originally going to add on all 3 step combos from Body Fusion, but decided mid-workout that 2 extra was enough. LOL!


Workout: Basic Step, plus step combos #1 and #2 from Body Fusion, plus both stretches
Duration: 52 min
Kcal / %Fat: 357 / 40%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 91% / 77%
Time in Moderate Zone: 14:40

Oh yeah, I was a-huffin' and a-puffin' through this one. Especially the step combos from Body Fusion - they have some jumping and other high-impact moves that get the blood flowing pretty well.

Muscle Max

Ahhh, Monday. I somehow managed to do a pretty tough workout this morning. Mondays are usually pretty rough - getting up so early after sleeping in over the weekend is hard to do. But I managed. And I did Muscle Max this morning, which is a strictly strength training workout using moderate to heavy weights. My weights were pretty moderate! Cathe and her crew were doing barbell squats with 40 lbs. I was doing dumbbell squats with 20 lbs. They were doing straight-leg push-ups. I was doing bent-knee pushups. They were using a 40 lb barbell for biceps curls. I was using two 10 lb dumbbells. And believe me, I was feelin' it. I'm pretty sure my legs have turned completely to jello now. Hopefully I'll be able to walk again soon because I think eventually I might need to get up and go to the bathroom. :-)

Workout: Muscle Max (Timesaver Pre-mix)
Duration: 57 min
Kcal / %Fat: 369 / 40%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 92% / 76%
Time in Moderate Zone: 24:36

So, even though this was technically a strength training workout, I did get some aerobic benefit from this. The lower body moves (squats, lunges, plies, and leg press) really get your blood pumpin' because the leg muscles are so large. If I can ever do a set of squats with 40 lbs on my shoulders, I will be truly amazed. And these aren't just your basic, everyday, up-and-down squats. Noooo, these are "fancy" squats, with lots of low-end reps (where you pulse at the bottom of the squat for 7 counts, 15 counts, or however long she feels like torturing you). It BURNS! So after a few sets of squats and lunges, she wanted me to do leg press with a resistance band. Yeah right! My legs went on strike at that point. With that said, this really was a great total-body strength training workout. I am sure I'll be feeling it tomorrow. Or maybe even later today.

I learned something new about my HRM. There is a diary feature, which keeps track of totals for each week. I think. LOL! Well, here's what it says for the week ending April 10 (that's yesterday, so this would be Monday April 4 - Sunday April 10, I think):

Number of Workouts: 6
Total Exercise Time: 4:36:39
Total Calories Burned: 1795
Total Time in Light HR Zone (60-70% of max): 1:15:06
Total Time in Moderate HR Zone (70-80% of max): 1:44:55
Total Time in Hard HR Zone (80-90% of max): 1:35:58

This is cool - it's good to know how long I was in each zone. I think I can set it up so I can get this information for every workout, but I need to play with it some more.

I'm expecting some new Cathe step workouts, which I hope I get today so I can do one tomorrow morning. I will need to do cardio tomorrow, since all my muscles have been fatigued today and need to rest 48 hours before strength training again. One goal I have for myself is to come up with my own exercise video rotation plan - I'd like to do a 1-month plan, with 3 weeks of working out pretty hard (both strength and cardio), and then the 4th week is a "rest" week, doing more yoga, and lighter cardio. Then start over again. So one of these days I'll get around to that... :-)

Low Max

Coolness - I've discoverd another neat Blogger feature. I can turn the title of each post into a web link. So, you will notice that if you click on the Low Max title, it will take you to the Low Max page on Cathe's website. Nifty eh? Yesterday's post also has a link from the title.

It looks like Blogger has finally worked out its issues - I was not able to log in at all yesterday (Saturday) due to problems with this website. Ugh! So, the stats I am reporting are actually from yesterday's workout. Today is my rest day, and I will probably do StretchMax, which is so great for a day off. Really helps me stay flexible, and it's pretty darn relaxing too.

Okay, so yesterday I did Low Max - the step-only premix again. Since I was more familiar with the choreography this time, I didn't have to stop to figure out the footwork - I worked it hard all the way through the workout. And my HRM stats show it!

Workout: Low Max (step-only)
Duration: 46 min (inlcuding final stretch)
Kcal / %Fat: 378 / 30%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 96% / 85%
Time in Moderate Zone: 7:05

I'm pretty sure the only time I was in the moderate zone was during the final stretch. LOL! The one thing that I don't like about the step-only premix is that there is no cool-down. You go straight from high-intensity stepping to a stretch. That's a good way to get yourself to pass out. So I have to pause the DVD at the end of the last step segment, and walk around the house for a few minutes to bring my heart rate down. It's really not a big deal, but it just seems like they could have included the cool-down in the premix. I will say again, I just love this workout. I am really enjoying the step aerobics stuff - it's not something I've done a lot of, and I really like the fun choreography that Cathe uses. I'll be getting a couple more of her step workouts pretty soon, and can't wait to try them.

Kick Max

Oh my arms! And my chest! And my back! LOL! Yesterday's pyramid workout was apparently extremely effective, as I am really feelin' it today. DOMS is one of those things that "hurts so good". I actually look forward to that soreness because it tells me I got a good workout. Of course, one can get a good workout without experiencing DOMS... but the physical reminder of my hard work is like an added bonus. The pyramid workouts will definitely increase my strength!

This morning I did Kick Max - a kickboxing style cardio workout. I actually did the "Low Impact Kickboxing Pre-Mix", which is about an hour long (versus 75 minutes if you do the WHOLE workout). It was really fun, and it got my stiff arms and shoulders loosened up. This Pre-Mix consisted of (1) a warm-up (2) punching and kicking drills (3) leg conditioning drills and (4) a stretch. Today I finally figured out the difference between a side kick and a roundhouse kick. I've done other kickboxing workouts before, and to me, the two kicks looked the same. But Cathe finally explained the difference in a way I understood - I learned something new today! Woo hoo! The leg conditioning drills are TOUGH. I will probably feel it tomorrow.

Workout: Kick Max
Duration: 58 min
Kcal / %Fat: 399 / 40%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 92% / 78%
Time in Moderate Zone: 26:34

Great cardio workout, as you can see. I was above my moderate zone for a lot of it. When I get around to figuring out ALL the features of this heart rate monitor, I should be able to report my time in 3 different zones, rather than just the moderate zone. That will be much more valuable information (and I'll be able to make pretty pie charts and stuff). :-)

Pyramid Upper Body

Well, I thought for sure my legs would be sore today from doing IMAX 3 yesterday, but much to my surprise, they feel just fine. Maybe I fried them so bad that they no longer have any nerve endings with which to feel pain. LOL!

In an effort to give my lower body a little rest, I did Pyramid Upper Body (PUB) today. This is another Cathe workout - a favorite amongst "Catheites". This was my first time doing it and I can see why so many people love it. It's fun, and it really works the upper body. I can hardly lift a pencil now! (You should have seen my trying to blow dry my hair this morning - I was contorting myself into all kinds of weird positions so that it was possible to rest my elbow on something. I just could not hold that dryer up!)

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of pyramid sets - the idea is that you work a high number of reps (12) with a low weight. Then you work a medium number of reps (10) with a medium weight. Then you work a small number of reps (8) with a heavy weight. And THEN, you work back down the pyramid until you're back at high reps with low weight. It's a great way to fatigue the muscles, and working muscles to failure is what causes them to become stronger. Being new to this kind of training, I did the Pyramid Down Premix - where you start at the peak of the pyramid and work your way down. There is also a Pyramid Up Premix, which is just the opposite. This workout also includes some core training using a stability ball. It's tough, but fun. I have now become acquainted with the "stability ball pike", which is something you need to see to truly appreciate. I can't do it yet. It requires a very strong core and an excellent sense of balance. I am making it a goal to be able to do this move by the end of May.

I must admit, I was very happy to see Cathe grimacing in pain during the bicep segment. At least I know she can feel the burn too! Of course, she was using 15 lbs for hammer curls, and I was using 10. But hey, she's a lot stronger than I. :-)


Workout: PUB (Cathe Friedrich)
Duration: 45 min
Kcal / %Fat: 221 / 50%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 82% / 67%
Time in Moderate Zone: 16:02

Not very aerobic, which is to be expected from a purely strength training workout. But I'll be feeling it tomorrow for sure in every muscle of my upper body. I can't wait! REALLY! :-)

IMAX 3

Today I thought I'd do something challenging. Boy, I sure know how to pick 'em! I'm new to Cathe Friedrich's workouts. I've recently acquired about a dozen or so of her DVDs and decided to try another one of them today. It was IMAX 3. This is a very advanced interval workout consisting of high-impact step combos intermixed with ultra-high-intensity blast intervals. I knew I wouldn't be able to get through all 7 segments, so I decided to just do the first 4. Well, at least I tried! I learned today that I cannot jump. Cathe does all these jumps onto the step and along the length of the step and high up into the air. I can't do this. I am convinced that she has spring-loaded shoes. No human being can naturally jump this much. I also learned that my coordination leaves a lot to be desired - the step combos were very challenging, to say the least. It will take me several times to get those combos down. And I also learned that plie jacks are the spawn of Satan. My thighs are still burning from them. That said, I really liked this workout! Can you believe I could enjoy something that seems so torturous? Let's just say, I like a challenge. And I really like Cathe. So I'll be doing this one again, for sure.

Workout: IMAX 3
Duration: 37 min (including warm-up and stretch)
Kcal / %Fat: 255 / 40%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 95% / 78%
Time in Moderate Zone: 15:04

The interval blasts really got my heart rate up there. I think my heart rate monitor came close to exploding at one point. LOL! I think next time I do this one, I'll do the Step Only premix, so I can focus more on getting the step work down. Then I'll try adding in the blasts. We shall see....

Fast Cheetah

Well, I am still a little sore from Metaboost, so I decided to go for more of a cardio workout this morning. This is another of my new WHFNs. It was pretty good. On the WHFN message boards, someone mentioned that Kimberly Spreen (who is one of the instructors of this workout) a. looks like Geena Davis and b. doesn't punch like a girl. I would agree with both of these assessments. I'd love to see more kickboxing type workouts led by her - she really is one of the few female fitness instructors who doesn't punch like a girl.

Workout: Fast Cheetah
Duration: 41 min (not including ab work)
Kcal / %Fat: 240 / 45%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 88% / 72%
Time in Moderate Zone: 19:08

Another good cardio workout - almost 20 minutes in my moderate zone, and quite a bit of time in my high zone too. I kept noticing the little down arrow next to the flashing heart on my HRM during leg presses and squats. Yup, those can really get your heart rate up.

Metaboost

Today was another of my new WHFN workouts - Metaboost, led by the fabulous Heidi Tanner. She is just a fantastic instructor, I really like her. She led Steamin' Cardio too, which is my favorite of the new WHFNs so far.

Workout: Metaboost
Duration: 50 min
Kcal / %Fat: 302 / 45%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 90% / 74%
Time in Moderate Zone: 21:02

This was a really fun workout. A true aerobic weight training workout - I stayed in my moderate zone for quite a while with this one, and am currently suffering from DOMS as a result of the weight training moves (mostly in my butt and chest).

I took today off of work, because it was such a beautiful day outside. I got out and did a little shopping, and whatnot. I'm doing a walking program for work, and they gave us all pedometers to wear to keep track of our daily steps. Today I got in over 10,000. Yesterday I did too. I won't be that fortunate when I go back to work. Nothing kills your activity level like a desk job. Ugh.

Low Max

Today I did my first Cathe workout - it was a blast! Ok, I admit to being a wuss - I did the step-only premix. I'm not sure I'm ready for Cathe's interval training. My heart rate stayed pretty high during the step premix. Although, my HRM was set to record my time in my low-aerobic zone for some reason, so I do not have a time in moderate zone for this workout. Not that it matters - I was probably in my high zone most of the workout anyway. :)

Workout: Low Max (Cathe Freidrich Hardcore Series)
Duration: 39 min (does not include final stretch)
Kcal / %Fat: 332 / 30%
Max HR% / Avg HR%: 94% (yowza!) / 86%
Time in Moderate Zone: who knows?

This workout was so much fun. I really don't have a lot of experience with step aerobics, other than what I've done in my Firm workouts. Cathe's step is a lot of fun - the footwork is pretty complex, but once you get the hang of it, the time just flies by. My heart rate stats are a bit staggering. I got up to 94% of my max HR, which is very high. But I didn't necessarily feel like I was working beyond my capacity - I felt pretty good for most of the workout. I am beginning to think my calculated Max HR is not very accurate. I should do a stress test to determine my actual Max HR, but I fear the discomfort associated with that test. Who wants to run until they feel like throwing up? Not me! But I may have to break down and do it.

I think I'm gonna quit with the reports on what I'm eating. It's too difficult to remember everything, or come here to log my food several times a day. I'll just say that I did alright over the weekend. Not stellar. But when we went to McDonald's, I just had a Happy Meal (rather than a grownup's meal). And at Fazoli's, I had fettuccine with broccoli. Of course, I also had a slice of cheesecake, but we won't dwell on that...