When I become a card carrying member of vidiotism and vidiocracy, I ran the the gamut of many well-known instructors out there. If you were to list the names of all the well-known instructors in the video fitness industry, chances are I tried one of his or her workouts at least once.
One particular instructor who alluded me was the mythical Cathe Friedrich. You see, despite the fact that she has been a 20+ year veteran in the industry and markets a genre that normally appeals to me, something about her just didn't click with me.
I think it was a combination of the fact that she uses 10x the amount of equipment I own (and can't afford), and that she refuses to create workouts for mainstream exercisers. Don't get me wrong, I love using workouts that do not appeal to mainstream audiences, and mainstream does not always =good. BUT, I find that trying too hard to avoid the mainstream can create a disconnect as well.
If it hadn't been for websites like video fitness and collagevideo.com, I would not know who the hell Cathe Friedrich is! I don't even see her name showing up on blogs or online fitness resource sites. Between the controversy Jillian Michaels and Tracy Anderson create, the reputability Tony Horton has gained the past decade, and the longevity Denise Austin and Gilad have maintained for over 3 decades, it's like Cathe doesn't even exist.
When she does make a blip on my radar, it is because people are complaining about her customer service, her own fans are being bullied by admins on her website, or some people are having to deal with her snooty, hardcore fans who think they are a part of some elitist club. I have been on her forums and admit it is not my type of environment. Oh, and watching clips of her workouts reminds me that I don't utilize my gym membership as often as I should. Between all the barbells, tower thingys, and steps with ridiculously high risers, I am not sure I will ever be a member of this Cathe club, or Cathletes as they are known.
Still, I don't want to discount Cathe and her efforts just yet. Despite the fact that 90% of her workouts don't apply to my current financial or space situation (I live in a studio apartment afterall), I do find that I like the few workouts from her that I can. The funny thing is I own some of her lesser received workouts: Travel Fit, MMA Kickbox, MMA Fusion, and HIIT Pyramid.
Some of the reasons these workouts aren't as popular as some of her other fare are because a.) they don't require the regular amount of equipment found in her other workouts and b.) they are deemed too easy by some her more fanatical followers. For me, those two reasons are why I like these workouts.
Take Travel Fit, for instance. As its title implies, it is best utilized for vacations and business trips, which means its skimps on the equipment. In fact, it only uses a resistance band for a total body workout. While I can see how some people might be turned off by this, I, on the other hand, have to give Cathe credit here. Not only has she created a great travel workout, but even when you are not traveling, this workout still hits all the right places. I would be lying if I said I didn't break a sweat or feel fatigued by the end. Cathe really knows how to utilize that band to the max. Now that is the type of creativity I look for when buying a fitness DVD.
Then there is her MMA series of workouts, including Kickbox and Fusion, both which I acquired in a trade. Some people particularly criticize Kickbox for things like form or length of time, but a common complaint I saw was that it was too simplistic and not very hard, overall. Let me tell you, after 30-45 minutes of either rigorous, traditional strength training or an advanced barre workout, I don't mind doing 45-50 minutes of an intermediate kickboxing workout with uncomplicated choreography. In fact, I prefer it. This is the perfect workout to break out into a sweat, but there is no need to worry about pretentious, fancy footwork or putting stress on your joints. Nothing wrong with that in my books.
Hypothetically assuming that a workout instructor has an audience who has the space and resources for gym-style workouts, I feel almost any instructor could create a decent workout. Utilizing minimal equipment, time, and space, while working the muscles to fatigue--plus a little creativity thrown in there--is what I think makes some instructors stand out from others. I do believe Cathe has these abilities, but her target audience and her market niche prevent her from doing otherwise.
That is not to say that I can't warm up to Cathe, or that she has no place in my house of fitness, but for now, she is just not my favorite instructor. She may not be Shaun T or Chalene Johnson--heck she ain't even Tracy Anderson yet--but I promise to work on our relationship if she can occasionally provide a workout for the financially strapped, spatially challenged crowd.
In the meantime, I plan on trying MMA Fusion and HIIT Pyramid this weekend. I'll admit, I am liking what I am seeing so far.
Have a good weekend!
One particular instructor who alluded me was the mythical Cathe Friedrich. You see, despite the fact that she has been a 20+ year veteran in the industry and markets a genre that normally appeals to me, something about her just didn't click with me.
I think it was a combination of the fact that she uses 10x the amount of equipment I own (and can't afford), and that she refuses to create workouts for mainstream exercisers. Don't get me wrong, I love using workouts that do not appeal to mainstream audiences, and mainstream does not always =good. BUT, I find that trying too hard to avoid the mainstream can create a disconnect as well.
If it hadn't been for websites like video fitness and collagevideo.com, I would not know who the hell Cathe Friedrich is! I don't even see her name showing up on blogs or online fitness resource sites. Between the controversy Jillian Michaels and Tracy Anderson create, the reputability Tony Horton has gained the past decade, and the longevity Denise Austin and Gilad have maintained for over 3 decades, it's like Cathe doesn't even exist.
When she does make a blip on my radar, it is because people are complaining about her customer service, her own fans are being bullied by admins on her website, or some people are having to deal with her snooty, hardcore fans who think they are a part of some elitist club. I have been on her forums and admit it is not my type of environment. Oh, and watching clips of her workouts reminds me that I don't utilize my gym membership as often as I should. Between all the barbells, tower thingys, and steps with ridiculously high risers, I am not sure I will ever be a member of this Cathe club, or Cathletes as they are known.
Still, I don't want to discount Cathe and her efforts just yet. Despite the fact that 90% of her workouts don't apply to my current financial or space situation (I live in a studio apartment afterall), I do find that I like the few workouts from her that I can. The funny thing is I own some of her lesser received workouts: Travel Fit, MMA Kickbox, MMA Fusion, and HIIT Pyramid.
Some of the reasons these workouts aren't as popular as some of her other fare are because a.) they don't require the regular amount of equipment found in her other workouts and b.) they are deemed too easy by some her more fanatical followers. For me, those two reasons are why I like these workouts.
Take Travel Fit, for instance. As its title implies, it is best utilized for vacations and business trips, which means its skimps on the equipment. In fact, it only uses a resistance band for a total body workout. While I can see how some people might be turned off by this, I, on the other hand, have to give Cathe credit here. Not only has she created a great travel workout, but even when you are not traveling, this workout still hits all the right places. I would be lying if I said I didn't break a sweat or feel fatigued by the end. Cathe really knows how to utilize that band to the max. Now that is the type of creativity I look for when buying a fitness DVD.
Then there is her MMA series of workouts, including Kickbox and Fusion, both which I acquired in a trade. Some people particularly criticize Kickbox for things like form or length of time, but a common complaint I saw was that it was too simplistic and not very hard, overall. Let me tell you, after 30-45 minutes of either rigorous, traditional strength training or an advanced barre workout, I don't mind doing 45-50 minutes of an intermediate kickboxing workout with uncomplicated choreography. In fact, I prefer it. This is the perfect workout to break out into a sweat, but there is no need to worry about pretentious, fancy footwork or putting stress on your joints. Nothing wrong with that in my books.
Hypothetically assuming that a workout instructor has an audience who has the space and resources for gym-style workouts, I feel almost any instructor could create a decent workout. Utilizing minimal equipment, time, and space, while working the muscles to fatigue--plus a little creativity thrown in there--is what I think makes some instructors stand out from others. I do believe Cathe has these abilities, but her target audience and her market niche prevent her from doing otherwise.
That is not to say that I can't warm up to Cathe, or that she has no place in my house of fitness, but for now, she is just not my favorite instructor. She may not be Shaun T or Chalene Johnson--heck she ain't even Tracy Anderson yet--but I promise to work on our relationship if she can occasionally provide a workout for the financially strapped, spatially challenged crowd.
In the meantime, I plan on trying MMA Fusion and HIIT Pyramid this weekend. I'll admit, I am liking what I am seeing so far.
Have a good weekend!
4 comments:
if you like the MMAs and don't mind a little impact, KickMax is a great workout and GREAT premixes which we don't get with the Shock Cardio Series. KM has low impact combos, 20 min high intensity drills (like HIIT) and a nice leg conditioning segment that you don't see in many other workouts. I enjoy her Kick Punch Crunch but it is on the same dvd as Legs and Glutes also incredible premixes. Legs and Glutes uses high step and dumbbells with optional ankle weights.
i like cathe, but since STS i have been a little blah on some of her workouts. it lacks some of the stuff i enjoyed from her earlier workouts and that includes the awesome premixes.
Thanks for the suggestion. I was also eying her Cardio Core Circuit workout next time I opt to trade or buy some of her DVDs.
I have slightly mixed feelings about Cathe's workouts too, although I have been getting into some of her older workouts lately - love the premixes!
You can't go wrong with Cardio Core Circuit - it's lots of fun, not a space hog and requires no equipment. And just as I'm starting to feel a bit pooped, the music lifts me up and keeps me going.
I have only used the Pre-Mixes so far and can't imagine the pain I'll be in when I finally do the full routine. This is a good change from my standard lower body routine.
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