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HiiT by Cathe: Another Fitness DVD Review!


Okay, so this is the last of the DVDs I got from Cathe. Its another good one!

This one has 3 half hour workouts.  The first is 30/30 (30 seconds HiiT, 30 seconds rest), the second is 40/20, with 3 1 minute breaks, and the third is a Double Wave Pyramid (HiiT intervals increase in duration, then 1 min rest, then back to HiiT with intervals decreasing in duration).

Workout 1 (30/30)

I love this workout and its super tough! The warm-up is classic step, and, again, it reminds me how awesome step is.  Why its fallen out of fashion in the fitness industry I don't know, its a fabulous workout, and fun too!  Yes, if you have never done a step class, you'll have a learning curve with this, but if you really don't like it, you can always do your own warm-up and just go directly into the workout.

You need the step for the whole workout, and the intervals are very challenging.  Again, if you have a home gym, buying a step is a worthwhile investment.  They are very versatile (aside from cardio, you can use them as a bench for strength training), and I'm sure they are available used for pretty cheap these days.

This is definitely not a workout for beginners nor anyone who cannot jump or do high impact activities.  It's plyo!

Workout 2 (40/20)

This one also starts with a step cardio warm-up.  Cathe mentions that this is the easier of the HiiT workouts and I definitely agree.  For me though, it isn't the fact that its 40/20, its the fact that most of the moves are on the floor, not using the step.  This is one of the few workouts where moves are modifiable if you can't keep up, or if you need to keep things low-impact.  Its a good one, but not my favorite.

Workout 3 (Double Wave Pyramid)

This workout doesn't use the step at all, but its actually still pretty challenging because its basically all high impact/plyo.  You can make modifications if you find it too difficult, but again, this is not a workout for anyone who are beginners or can't do high impact activity.

The warm up is like classic high/low aerobics.  The choreography is simple, thankfully, so its easy to follow. Its very similar to how I used to teach fitness classes and, again, I love it.  Oldies are goodies sometimes.  Fun and effective, you can't beat it.

Its another tough one and fun.  My only criticism about Cath, in general, is that she tells you what move is coming next, but doesn't physically demonstrate it.  The problem is her terminology isn't the same as mine, or many other instructors.  For example, she doesn't call burpees burpees.  She has another name for them. So I don't know what the heck she's talking about when she tells us what's next, even when its something familiar like a burpee.  But this isn't a huge deal.

There you go, essentially I give top ratings to all 3 Cathe DVDs I purchased.  They are as challenging as I hoped for and fun.  In fact, I am already dying to get more.  There are 3 more I've got my eye on...

My message is to you that no matter how much space, time or money you have, it is possible to get fit. You don't need a gym membership, you don't need fancy equipment.  Just move!



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