Why STS 2.0 works!

Kellyro77

Kellyro77

Cathlete
I've finally figured out why I'm loving STS 2.0 so much. Aside from just the workouts themselves being so fun and varied - I feel like I never get bored - and the moves are all sufficiently challenging and I feel pumped up and encouraged to go as heavy as I can handle (with good form, of course!)

What's finally dawned on me is that this program is working so well for me because of all the RECOVERY days.

Instead of all the other workout rotations I've ever done in the past where I push hard, hard, HARD for five to six days straight, this program and its rotations give me little breaks in between. So instead of 5-6 days straight of pushing hard then resting for a day, I instead push hard for a couple of days (if doing full body days then it's just one day!), and then doing a super light recovery day.

I can't tell you how much this has changed my perception of "have to's" for workout and fitness in general to be effective. I don't have to push hard for several days in a row to get results!

Those old rotations typically looked like this: Upper Body, Cardio, Lower Body, Cardio, Full Body, Cardio, Rest. And maybe one of those cardio days was a "lighter" cardio day, but I was still getting my heart rate elevated.

I've found I really, really need and appreciate those recovery days, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, as well.

I'm so grateful to have this whole new approach to workout rotations and I can tell you I'm going to utilize this mindset from now on. Push hard for a couple of days, then recover for a day!

This pattern will also most definitely help me stick to a fitness routine, as well, because I tell you, sometimes after several months of the old way with only one rest day a week and an occasional rest week thrown in, I get tired and worn out by it.

So, thank you Cathe and crew for introducing me to a new approach to fitness and workout rotations.
 
Kellyro77, I completely agree with you 100%. I am loving this series so much. Every workout is challenging and it provides so much opportunity for progressive overload. Yes, the recovery days are great. I don't think I am ever going to get tired of this series.
 
Debinmi said:
Well said Kellyro77! :)

I think it also helps having the rests between sets ... I'm doing P30 this week & there are NO rests between sets... makes a difference!
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Yes, those rests between sets are pretty revolutionary for me, too! I may have to start hitting pause in my other Cathe workouts when finishing a set! (Well, if I'm going heavy at least - pauses likely aren't so necessary if I'm going light and doing an endurance-type approach.)
 
Kellyro77 said:
Yes, those rests between sets are pretty revolutionary for me, too! I may have to start hitting pause in my other Cathe workouts when finishing a set! (Well, if I'm going heavy at least - pauses likely aren't so necessary if I'm going light and doing an endurance-type approach.)
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I agree. Cathe uses 2x30# dumbells for squats in P30 LB w/12 reps (IIRC), so I think a rest is warranted. Thankfully there is a pause & rewind to previous chapter button on my remote ... I didn't do a full minute rest, but enough time to check my worksheet for the next weight/exercise. This is another time the Workout Blender in On Demand would be handy ... could just insert a pause/rest, or even repeat the sets ala STS2.0. :)
 
My feelings exactly on this series! Maybe its because I'm more focused, maybe its because I've cut out alcohol and am sleeping better, maybe its because my overall diet is better, maybe its even my Selectech dumbbells, but with this series, I'm able to lift heavier than I was with the original STS. I've also been able to use 20's on the biceps curls for most of the exercises (except for the body parts biceps workout - I can start out with 20's, but had to drop down to 15's for some of the exercises) and go heavier for lower body although I haven't worked up to 25's for some of the lunge sequences.

I'm looking forward to fully recovering from my ankle sprain and being able to go back and do the total body and lower body splits. And I'm also excited about doing the body parts Legs workout as I think I'm going to miss it in the rotation because I'll probably be finished with the rotation by the time my ankle is good to go.
 
My normal pattern of workout is to do one or two days then a recovery day. I get too sore otherwise, which then compromises future workouts. Sometimes I need two recovery days in a row. I did a monthly Cathe rotation once a couple of years ago, with only one rest day, and that was really hard. But I am getting better results from this series than I have for other series, so I don't think it is just the recovery days. I think it is also the rests between exercises. Normally I use the workout blender to insert pauses throughout a workout but not after each exercise and it is normally to allow me time to change equipment and get a drink of water, not to actually rest and stretch. I think the rests between exercises along with the shorter reps per set, typically 8-10 reps, which allows me to go a bit heavier, is why I am getting better results. Thinking back to when I did STS 1.0, I also had good results with phase 3 which had fewer reps per set and 3-minute rests between exercises.
 
Kellyro77 said:
I've been eyeballing the OnDemand subscription with workout blender. It's hard to justify at times because I've got like, probably almost $1000 worth of Cathe DVDs here at home.
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Kellyro77: That's true, I know I tend to use the blender alot more than the actual physical
dvds.....I always get the dvds and think of them as "backups" :), in case internet is down,
etc. I can still get in Cathe's workouts.

ashaw said:
I think I have close to 100 Cathe dvds in my collection, but after seeing some of the good stuff Aqua Girl puts together, the ondemand, blender and live are super tempting!
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ashaw, the blender options are truly endless.....because you can always go back to a
workout you have put together and change anything, add more, delete chapters, switch
the order of the chapters, change to different ones, etc. Kind of like all the options we
have with equipment, etc in the STS 2 workouts. I know sometimes after I do a blender
workout for the first time, I will see places where it will "flow" better if I switch two chapters
around, or switch out a different exercise, put in a rest if needed to switch out equipment,
& so forth. Fun times!
 
aqua girl said:
Kellyro77: That's true, I know I tend to use the blender alot more than the actual physical
dvds.....I always get the dvds and think of them as "backups" :), in case internet is down,
etc. I can still get in Cathe's workouts.


ashaw, the blender options are truly endless.....because you can always go back to a
workout you have put together and change anything, add more, delete chapters, switch
the order of the chapters, change to different ones, etc. Kind of like all the options we
have with equipment, etc in the STS 2 workouts. I know sometimes after I do a blender
workout for the first time, I will see places where it will "flow" better if I switch two chapters
around, or switch out a different exercise, put in a rest if needed to switch out equipment,
& so forth. Fun times!
Click to expand...
I’ve always thought of doing a blender workout of Cardio Slam and putting quick core exercises between some of the cardio. Kinda like a cardio core circuit-ish vibe.
 
aqua girl said:
I know sometimes after I do a blender
workout for the first time, I will see places where it will "flow" better if I switch two chapters
around, or switch out a different exercise, put in a rest if needed to switch out equipment,
& so forth.
Click to expand...
I do this too. I try to make it so my workouts flow without the need to actually pause the workout, so I sometimes need to switch exercises around or insert longer breaks if I need to change equipment. That way I also know the total time for the workout, including breaks.
 
What I like is when I pick a chapter from …say STS 2 and the chapter ends with them
bending down to lower weights and then my next chapter might be from Strong & Sweaty and it starts where they are bending over picking up weights….that’s so neat,
it’s like it’s from the same workout, and flows right along…..it doesn’t work that way all
the time, but it’s neat when it does!
 
Kellyro77 said:
I've finally figured out why I'm loving STS 2.0 so much. Aside from just the workouts themselves being so fun and varied - I feel like I never get bored - and the moves are all sufficiently challenging and I feel pumped up and encouraged to go as heavy as I can handle (with good form, of course!)

What's finally dawned on me is that this program is working so well for me because of all the RECOVERY days.

Instead of all the other workout rotations I've ever done in the past where I push hard, hard, HARD for five to six days straight, this program and its rotations give me little breaks in between. So instead of 5-6 days straight of pushing hard then resting for a day, I instead push hard for a couple of days (if doing full body days then it's just one day!), and then doing a super light recovery day.

I can't tell you how much this has changed my perception of "have to's" for workout and fitness in general to be effective. I don't have to push hard for several days in a row to get results!

Those old rotations typically looked like this: Upper Body, Cardio, Lower Body, Cardio, Full Body, Cardio, Rest. And maybe one of those cardio days was a "lighter" cardio day, but I was still getting my heart rate elevated.

I've found I really, really need and appreciate those recovery days, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, as well.

I'm so grateful to have this whole new approach to workout rotations and I can tell you I'm going to utilize this mindset from now on. Push hard for a couple of days, then recover for a day!

This pattern will also most definitely help me stick to a fitness routine, as well, because I tell you, sometimes after several months of the old way with only one rest day a week and an occasional rest week thrown in, I get tired and worn out by it.

So, thank you Cathe and crew for introducing me to a new approach to fitness and workout rotations.
Click to expand...
DITTO!!!
 
Kellyro77 said:
I've been eyeballing the OnDemand subscription with workout blender. It's hard to justify at times because I've got like, probably almost $1000 worth of Cathe DVDs here at home.
Click to expand...
I've got pretty much every Cathe video except the really old ones that are hide to find now. But, I love OnDemand and use it a lot. For me it's easier than messing with a video and I like creating my own variations of workouts and throwing in some lives. I use videos on days I'm having issues with wifi.
 
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