So I tried S&S Cardio Slam

Kellyro77

Kellyro77

Cathlete
All I have to say is... "Why do you hate me, Cathe?"

(Okay, that's not all I have to say)
This workout just is not my cup of tea. :( I think Cardio Slam was one of the reasons why I shied away from getting the series because I saw the style of cardio in it and knew it was HIIT and said "nope".

If ya loooooove HIIT, this one's for you. It does have a lot of different moves so you're not just faced with endless air jacks and burpees (those do show their ugly faces but not continuously.)

There were some fun moves in there that I enjoyed, like the lateral skate over/jump return, the long jumps, and the lateral hops. I could possibly stick with the premix that uses the mat section next time ...Or I could also check out her low impact modifications premix and see if I like that better, which is what I'll do the next time it shows up on my rotation.

Is this workout effective in getting the heart rate up? Absolutely. If I stick to it, I know I'll see some continued improvement in my cardio endurance. However, intense workouts like these put me back into that old danger-zone of experiencing burn-out. Meaning if I had to keep up this intensity for several days in a row (and yes, that includes the weight workouts in this set), I'd find myself skipping more and more workouts down the line.

Fortunately I'm doing this series in a rotation that mixes it with the ICE series, so I think I'll be getting a little bit of a break in intensity level. Also, I modified the rotation a little to throw in a couple extra recovery days through the four weeks.

Really wish I'd have enjoyed this more. That's okay - I've got lots of other fantastic Cathe cardio workouts to use instead (when I'm through with this rotation...)
 
We put off purchasing S&S Cardio Slam for years, then bought it in a sale since it had the modified workout. Some of the modifications are too easy, so we modify those somewhere between the original and the modifications. It helped with modifying other Cathe workouts up or down to fit your needs. Lots of people love it. I seldom use it & if I do, it's a Timesaver.
 
According to my spreadsheet I have done this one, but I don't really remember it. Which probably means I only did it once when I first purchased the S&S series, and it probably wasn't my cup of tea either. :) I really like the weight work in this series though.
 
@Hazlady , I use a spreadsheet to create my monthly rotations and have to go through each one to see when I last did a particular workout. So I've been thinking of creating a spreadsheet to track dates I've done specific workouts. Any suggestions/tidbits to have an effective and efficient record?
 
To go further into reviewing cardio slam, I decided to post the clip. This should bring opinions really back into the context. Well hopefully!


This workout contains some plyometric drills. The entire program is leg focus. Cathe has many circuits high reps program. Most of them are leg focus.
That being said, anyone disliking plyo won't embrace the workout. I am not surprised reading some review.

I can count really few cardio circuit focusing on upper body only. In the entire collection there are less than 5 fingers of my hands. I shall list them in future. OK legs are large muscles. Working them properly can produce an afterburn. This is what us women have heard for years to tackle fat and gain lean muscle mass.

The beauty of cathe collection is, it cater many types of cardio programs. Ample enough to satisfy everyone taste and need.

That being said this program is challenging enough to be considered as a high reps leg day

So do not line this up after or before a leg day. It would not make sense. It's counterproductive.

ETA : I have just looked at premixes and realised cardio option within 1/2 an hour. This is what I need at this point.

Basic Premixes
  • #1 Warm Up + Floor Cardio + Mat Cardio + Step Cardio + Bonus Abs + Stretch (62:39)
  • Modification #1: Normal routine is shown with modifications. (49:21)
  • Modification #2: Normal routine is shown with modifications + Bonus Abs + Stretch (62:33)
Timesaver Premixes
  • #1 (No Mat Cardio): Warm Up + Floor Cardio + Step Cardio + Stretch (33:48)
  • #2 (No Step Cardio): Warm Up + Floor Cardio + Mat Cardio + Stretch (40:37)
  • #3 (No Floor Cardio): Warm Up Mat Cardio + Step Cardio + Stretch (33:10)
  • #4 (Floor Cardio Only): Warm Up + Floor Cardio + Stretch (24:57)
  • #5 (Mat Cardio Only): Warm Up + Mat Cardio + Stretch (24:19)
  • #6 (Step Cardio Only): Warm Up + Floor Cardio + Stretch (17:31)
  • #7 (Floor & Mat Cardio Exercises Reduced): Warm Up + Floor Cardio First Half (Power Scissor through 3 Lateral Skates) + Mat Cardio Second Half (Squat Thrust Jump Over The Top through Speed Lateral Runs) + Step Cardio (All Exercises) + Stretch (35:20)
Mish Mosh Premixes
  • Scrambled #1 (Step First): Warm Up + Step Cardio + Floor Cardio + Mat Cardio + Stretch (49:28)
  • Scrambled #2 (Mat First): Warm Up + Mat Cardio + Floor Cardio + Step Cardio + Stretch (49:28)
  • Extreme #1 (Double It): Warm Up + Floor Cardio + Mat Cardio + Step Cardio + Floor Cardio + Mat Cardio + Step Cardio + Stretch (90:15)
  • Extreme #2 (2 Rounds of Abs Mixed In): Warm Up + Floor Cardio + Bonus Abs (Roll Downs through Rope Climb) + Mat Cardio + Bonus Abs (L Position Leg Circles through Plank Complex) + Step Cardio + Stretch (62:39)
This Cathe's gem has great review. Here below is one of them.

THIS IS A GREAT WORKOUT. I LIKE MIXES AND THE BONUSES...ALLOWING FOR GOOD AND NOT SO GOOD DAYS. AS WITH ALL HER DVD’S, I WILL NEED TO WORK UP TO BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE SOME OF THE DRILLS, BUT WHO DOESNT ENJOY A CHALLENGE. I AAM A 63 YEAR OLD INTERMEDIATE EXERCISER, AND CATHE’S WORKOUTS ARE SOME OF THE BEST OUT THERE. ONLY 4 STARS, BECAUSE POOR SOUND QUAALITY FOR THE PRICE I PAID. SEVERAL OTHER DVD’S OF HERS HAVE SAME PROBLEM....POOR QUALITY CONTROL FOR PRICE CHARGED.
 
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Kellyro77 said:
Meaning if I had to keep up this intensity for several days in a row (and yes, that includes the weight workouts in this set), I'd find myself skipping more and more workouts down the line.
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Definitely, don't want this! Good to read you're adding more rest days. I like the mix of LITE cardio (or other lighter cardio) with the Strong and sweaty weight workouts. I have added more recovery workouts and rest days for a couple years now and have been all the better for it.

I think the fact that Cathe urged very little cardio with STS 2.0 further validates our approach as well. It's not just the body...it's the central nervous system. Too much stress to manage...(and since we CAN control it... let's do it! :cool: )
 
Fitness Fan said:
Cardio Slam is definitely intense! When I do this one I usually don’t use it the day after leg day. She uses so many different variations of power scissors in it, my legs have to be fresh. But it is a sweat fest for sure!
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Yep:cool:
That is the strategy....Some of us Do not just line up programs ramdomly according to daily mood!
To play efficiently hard, one has to plan smart:D

As Cathe says some of programs do have teeth :D:D
 
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Debinmi said:
Any suggestions/tidbits to have an effective and efficient record?
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I only have a spreadsheet listing all Cathe's workouts, including Lives, a Yes/No column if I own them, and another Yes/No column if I've done them. I have OnDemand so there are a lot of workouts I've done that I don't own. I don't track the date I did them. In the case of Cardio Slam, I have a Yes in the column that I have done it but the fact I can't remember it means it would have been when I first purchased the series. I usually try all the workouts in a series at least once. I looked it up on the Workout Blender after seeing this post where I can see all the chapters. Looking at the exercises it is definitely not my cup of tea. I hate power scissors and football runs, and I can't do up/down moves like Burpees as I get dizzy. Also, I injured my hip nearly 3 years ago and reinjured it last year. I haven't been able to do jumping exercises or use a step since then. I know there are a lot of Cathletes who can do this one and love it. But it isn't for me.
 
Kellyro77 said:
OMG, I did NOT like those big power scissors moving sideways - feel like that's just asking for tweaked knees, or back, or ankles, or hips.
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I survived uninjured and it felt great!
I survived the main program, not the premix.

Try small by doing a premix and your leg will thank you;)

Another animal to tame is IMAX3
love it.
 
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Lady Vol Fan said:
There's too many GREAT choices to force yourself to do something you don't want to do or feel safe doing. Onward and upward!
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This!
If it doesn't click, it doesn't click. Not every workout is for everyone. I prefer some choreography in my cardio videos instead of drills. Others are the opposite. Different strokes... etc. I would suggest you at least preview the modification premix before you pass completely. Once you have the mods you like down, you can always use a Timesaver for a shorter cardio, as an option.
 
Kelly, Cardio Slam isn’t one of my favorites, either, but I have used segments of it in a premix. There are so many other great options that Cathe offers that it doesn’t make sense to do one that isn’t your cup of tea for whatever reason. Personally, if I have to modify too much then I might as well do a different workout.
 
I would like to make it clear here. @Kellyro77 Fell free to do whatever drill or program you want. Based on your goal should you have any.

I have not and do not force you into anything.

It's your ability, it's your workout
Each their own.

To modifying queens out there, you just carry on with your requests. YOU do you!:)

ETA : Second clarification to my previous post. I wanted to share my own experience doing cardio slam. It is taxing on muscles when done as designed but it has it's place just as LMR and LMR2. Cardio slam was made for a purpose. It's possible to do it without being injured. Anything and everything we don't like is NOT necessarily harmful. Kudos
 
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