No results w/ Cathe but yes w/ FIRM?

[LoveVA]

Originally Posted by PhyllisG

I did the classic Firms for years and felt and looked great. I got a lot of compliments during that time. Then I switched to Cathe because she was more "advanced" and the gold standard of home workouts. I certainly gained in strength and endurance but was not so happy with how I looked. There is no other word for it "bulky". So I switched over to fusion/barre, hi reps, lo weight and walking with Leslie. Much happier with results. You really have to find what works for you and what you can be consistent with doing.

+1 to finding what works for you. Maybe do The Firm 2-3 times a week and Cathe 2-3 times a week instead of all Cathe all the time. I love Cathe's workouts, too. My cardio endurance and strength have certainly improved, but I was starting to get a boxy-type of shape (not sure how else to explain it). By adding in things like Tonique, ART Method, Dreambody, pilates, and barre, I've got a much leaner look. I still do Cathe's workouts, just not several times a week like I did when I first started working out at home.

Don't despair about buying all of those Cathe workouts. You will get your money's worth over time, but you might have to mix things up a bit.

Also, I've found that it is sooooo easy for me to sabotage all of the benefits I've derived from exercise by eating one too many snacks or letting my portion sizes increase. Maybe keep a food journal and write down not only what you're eating and drinking but also how much you're eating and drinking. You might be surprised. It could be just an extra 200-300 calories a day keeping you from seeing the results you'd like.

[glowacki]

Stick with the Firm if that's what you enjoy. I got results from Cathe but not what was desirable to me. I did back-to-back STS rotations and just got bigger. I didn't mind so much for my upper body, but I was having difficulty fitting into my pants and skirts. Over the years, I've had much better physical results from workouts like the Firm and Slim Series.

I love Cathe and still buy her workouts. But I mix her workouts in with other things and will never do another concentrated rotation again.

[Candiceena]

This is really good feedback. I thi I part of my problem was doing a lot of Cathe step cardio and not getting enough weight work in. With the FIRM I always manage to get my weights off the shelves and use them!

I'm a pear shape... I don't mind working lower body but I **KNOW** I can, do, and will bulk VERY easily (or get boxy, or whatever word means "more visible muscle than i want") and I think subconsciously that's made me shy away from Cathe, especially her strength workouts.

I am going to stick with the FIRM over the summer and keep up with my WW plan which I recently joined. I really am excited to buy some of the Classic FIRMs that Collage has. I got great results with BSS1 and feel like now that the classics are on DVD, they will be right up my alley.

[Scbayless]

I adore Cathe's work outs for the fun factor, but I certainly don't get the best results from her. When I did her the most (6-7 days a week) I wasn't liking what I was seeing. I still looked pregnant (it was 2-9 months after having my babe), even though i was working so hard. I tried TA meta, and it did the trick right away. I still do Cathe at least once a week (because I miss her) but short of keeping me a little stronger, and good cardio, it isn't the greatest for me.

[LoveVA]

Originally Posted by Scbayless

I adore Cathe's work outs for the fun factor, but I certainly don't get the best results from her. When I did her the most (6-7 days a week) I wasn't liking what I was seeing. I still looked pregnant (it was 2-9 months after having my babe), even though i was working so hard. I tried TA meta, and it did the trick right away. I still do Cathe at least once a week (because I miss her) but short of keeping me a little stronger, and good cardio, it isn't the greatest for me.

Not to threadjack, but why do you think that is? Do you know what it was about Cathe's workouts that didn't work for you aesthetically? As I said in an earlier post in this thread, I found the same thing but I can't understand why they wouldn't work. They are great workouts and my strength and cardio capacity really improved. Yet, I wasn't losing weight and I didn't like the way I looked. I add in barre, pilates, Tonique, TA, etc, and now I'm back to fitting in to my smaller clothes.

[Candiceena]

Originally Posted by LoveVA

Not to threadjack, but why do you think that is? Do you know what it was about Cathe's workouts that didn't work for you aesthetically? As I said in an earlier post in this thread, I found the same thing but I can't understand why they wouldn't work. They are great workouts and my strength and cardio capacity really improved. Yet, I wasn't losing weight and I didn't like the way I looked. I add in barre, pilates, Tonique, TA, etc, and now I'm back to fitting in to my smaller clothes.

I will third this whole concept. Like I said, I know diet makes up part of it, but I got nothing postiive from Cathe in terms of physique! It is WEIRD. Her workouts are awesome and her cueing is spot-on and she obviously knows what she is doing and has an extremely loyal following and has built a very successful fitness business that has been going on for 20+ (??) years.

[Tugger31]

My two cents is to get Bob Harper's workouts!!! They're aerobic-weight-training much tougher than FIRM without the leotards His workouts are pretty cheap on his website, and Target.

[cherimac]

Candice~I had great results with the Firm. Went to all Cathe and gained weight, etc. Went back to the Firm and it was much better. I think for me I ate too much with Cathe~just made me so hungry.

I have done TA Meta and still had better results with the Firm. It definitely takes some experimenting to figure out what works best for you.

[Bebop]

Candiceena: Welcome to VF. Results are so subjective.
You can't fight your bodytype or genetics. You can just work within it.

I love Cathe but I mix and match the Firm and Joyce Vedal.. You need variety and to cross train. Your body may have adapted to the Cathe workouts you have. You may want to add different ones. Which ones do you have? IMHO - The Intenity Series and the Bodyblast series make nice cross training series.

You said you were a Pear shape. IMHO - Cathe workouts are very lower body orientated. I'm a classic hour glass. My lower body is not my problem.
I need upper body work. I find that mixing and matching workouts helps me.

Diet is key also. Everybody's metabolism is different. If weight loss is your goal, you have to eat less calories than you burn. Cathe cardio IMHO is fantastic. Her older workouts still kill me.

The Firm workouts IMHO don't provide enough cardio but they are great for total body shaping. When I've done Firm rotations, I will alternate Cathe or other cardio workouts with the Firm .

If you are getting bored with an instructor, it's time to change.

[Kathleen86]

Originally Posted by Cafelattee

I don't usually loose weight unless I eat really clean (which for my southern taste mean dropping my sweet tea and no breads then the pounds and inches fall off. I have never counted calories or anything. I'm a pear shape and high carb high glycemic foods add to my thighs and butts. I use exercise to maintain a low weight. The cutting of certain foods help me to actually loose weight.

Yes! Not to divert the thread, but I just learned this is me too..! Even whole grain versions do me no favors. I've shaped up faster than ever this month (well, continuing to shape up hopefully ) by limiting bread/rice/pasta (and similar) to a normal portion at lunch time. Eliminated them from both breakfast and dinner. I also majorly upped the exercise...outdoor walks, TA, Kettlebells, and a large variety of cardio. Lost 3" from my waist, 2" from hip bone area, and 1" from my hip (I'm a pear so this is the stubborn part).

ETA: I love Cathe..but the only time I did her workouts consistently was STS (phases 1 and 2) which I liked but I feel takes so much time and energy for weightlifting that it is probably not the program for weight loss (at least for me).. Maybe if I knew what I know now about eating and overall activity, I would have had more success. I am starting to incorporate more of her cardio w/os though. Currently not in the mood for her more traditional strength DVDs though (but I can see myself going back to them sometime..I'm still going to need something more effective for arms).