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I "previewed" KPC tonight in stocking feet and a bathrobe and before I knew it, I was doing the workout! I was an avid kickboxing hater until Cathe introduced it; in fact, I attended and sat for the exam years ago, and ended up walking out. No joke. The instructor picked on me relentlessly...

RE: Roe Tnanks to both of you for the kind words! I just received my Body Blast DVDs last night and will be doing them over the next several days. I bought the VHS version of Step Jump & Pump and Push-Pull so am very familiar with them now. SJ&P will get you pumped from the music alone...

Ha, ha, Kathryn- I do too!! I never sit on my tall box anymore! And I have worked up to almost the same weight on the ball as I do on the box. It took some practice though! :D

Folks, there is a science to this, a slow progession if you will. Please do not risk injury by starting with a workout that might be too advanced. I recommend you begin in this order: The best workout to start with is Maximum Intensity Strength. I am assuming your workouts at the gym were...

Actually, I do not recommend the belt. The belt only serves to weaken the deep abdominal muscles which are critical stabilizers for free weight lifting. Instead, work the core at least 3x per week with exercies like prone planks, bridges, stability ball pikes (or the bent knee version Cathe...

Well, I have the Supersets VHS, so am not going to complain if the Timesaver is in my DVD package instead, LOL! Patiently waiting... :7

Hi Trevor, Yes, you could substitue shrugs, lateral raises and front raises for the shoulder press. And tricep extensions since the triceps work too. What I dislike about shrugs is that most people tend to hold tension in the upper back/neck region causing the muscles to become short and...

Hi Trevor, There is nothing wrong with mixing up machines and free weights; the trouble occurs when one becomes too dependent on machines and develops not only pattern overload, but also atrophy of the important stabilizer muscles. I vote for using dumbbells, but keep in mind that the...

To add to Cathe's sound advice, I find that what helps me lose weight a little faster is to do something about an hour after dinner (which is the time I might eat a little more than usual due to being on my feet all day). Since I get my cardio during the day teaching classes or late in the...

Yes, as this is how I trained my sister (long distance) to get back to her pre-pregnancy weight after her third child. Because she couldn't find an hour, or even a half hour, in her day to exercise, she would skip it. I encouraged her to use any available to time to move, suggesting she do...

Hi Rachel, While strength training is an important component of fitness that should not be neglected, when I train clients who have a lot of body fat to lose, the focus is on longer duration, moderate intensity cardio at least 5-6 days per week, with only 2 days of strength training for all...

Hi Brenda, Because I make my living in the fitness field, which includes teaching 5-7 classes per week, I don't have any sort of rotation or workout plan when it comes to doing my own thing. I have to listen to my body each day when deciding what to do for my own personal workouts. I only...

The more I do Step Jump and Pump, the more I love it. The music is absolutely wonderful and the first time I did it, I actually WAS singing during the chest work when Cathe said, "Stop singing!" Well, the only way I can keep those 20's going on bench presses and flies is to sing! (The song on...

The job of the glutes is hip extension and external rotation, so any exercise that involves these joint actions will target the glutes. Unfortunately, we can't spot reduce any one area of a muscle. If your genetics predisposes you to store fat in that area, your best line of attack is through...

Most injuries occur from a combination of overuse and incorrect technique. Home exercisers are especially vulnerable because they often begin a program with muscle imbalances which, if left uncorrected, eventually lead to injury. Part of my job as a personal trainer is to completely assess a...

Connie - I will be ordering the DVDs too. But I had to get at least one video for new choreogoraphy ideas. Cathe is such an inspiration. Even if you don't end up using her combos as is, there are always pieces that will work for different class levels or something that will inspire you to...

I know this question was meant for Cathe but as a step instructor for going on eight years, it is much easier to teach facing away from the class than toward them, especially when the choreography starts moving around the step. When teaching combos that face tha front of the room and stay on the...

Hi Clare, I use Roberta in the workplace but friends and family call me Roe or Roey (Well, not parents, just sister!). Alexis, yes, I do think the Pyramids would be great for increasing definition. Of course the amount of defintion is determined by genetics but there will most definitely...

KathyH, Just to clarify, in a true gym style weight workout, there is only a 6-20 repetition scheme for a given set. A set never goes beyond 20 repetitions. So to determine what you are getting (strength or endurance), consider the number of reps in a given set, not the grand total of reps...

I like the idea of a pyramid style workout to bust through plateaus, but this style of training is very different in the gym environment than on a video. In the gym, pymrad training falls into the category of High Intensity Strength Training and is designed to bring the muscle group to total...