Cathe Friedrich''s Low Impact Series: Yoga Max

If you are looking for a spiritual yoga workout then this is probably not for you, but if you are looking for a yoga workout that holds poses for a long time and also includes vigorous flowing moves like "down dog to plank to lowered plank to up dog" and repeat that several times in a row, then this is probably for you.

I absolutely love this Yoga Max DVD! I am an advanced beginner (I am very fit from dance classes) and found the poses in this workout to be challenging, yet not so challenging that I couldn''t complete the workout. My muscles were definitely sore the following day, particularly my arms, so I consider this an effective workout.

There are three workouts on the DVD, a full 48 minute and two express workouts (over 30 minutes each). Cathe does a great job of giving modifications for each pose; easy, intermediate, and advanced. I definitely have plenty of opportunities to strive to achieve those advanced modifications, but I never felt overwhelmed or discouraged while doing the workout. I love that she reminds you to only stretch as far as your body will allow you today and to give thanks for what you are able to achieve. While she does give helpful suggestions on body alignment, this is in no way a beginning "how to" DVD. The background music was relaxing and I like that there is a voice only option to play your own music.

I take PiYo classes one to two times a week and would say this workout is comparable to the PiYo classes I take. At the end of the workout Kathe includes some pilates like abdominal work that is super difficult. If you are looking for a less challenging workout I would give her Yoga Relax DVD a try first (I love this DVD for an evening workout or when I am not feeling well). I certainly hope she will make some more Yoga DVDs!

I am still on the fence about this workout. The first time I did it, I hated it; Cathe''s constant chatter was so annoying. The second time I did it, I pretended it was a stretching workout and didn''t mind it so much. The third time I did it, I was back to being annoyed by Cathe''s constant chatter.

I am a long-time Cathe fan and have every one of her workouts. I always pre-order on the first day. I usually enjoy Cathe''s workouts. I also practice a few types of yoga, including kundalini, vinyasa and power yoga.

There were things I liked about this workout. What I liked:

**The relaxing music. I usually don''t like Cathe''s taste in music, but I loved this music. It reminded me of the music that''s played when I get a massage. It''s very calming and relaxing.

**The pretty set. It''s still the brick walls with blank windows, but plants and flowers were added.

**Cathe''s meticulous attention to form. This was both a blessing and a curse (see negatives below).

**It `forced'' me to do stretching. I know stretching is important, particularly for someone like me who does lots of weight training and intense cardio, but I tend to skip it.

**It may be good for those who prefer athletic yoga without all the talk about spirituality and new-age expressions.

What I didn''t like about this workout:

**Cathe tried to be all things to all people and it didn''t work. She gives a lot of form pointers, to the point where she is talking constantly throughout the workout. Form is critical and pointers are important for beginners. That being said, the poses are held for an extra long time, which is hard for beginners. If you can hold the pose, you''re probably familiar with yoga and don''t need the constant form pointers.

**The misleading title and description. Yoga Max implies an advanced workout that is tough. This was more of stretch workout that was supposed to be relaxing. The end result was a stretch workout that was annoying.

**The workout didn''t really flow well. It seemed to me to be more of a collection of stretches that just happened to use yoga poses. I''m spoiled by Shiva Rea Vinyasa workouts where the poses flow seamlessly.

If I could, I''d give this workout 3 1 /2 stars. It would have played better if Cathe called this a stretching workout. I would suggest that if you''re interested in this workout, check out the clips and other reviews to see if you would enjoy it. VideoFitness Forum has some discussions about this workout as well.

Buy Cathe Friedrich''s Low Impact Series: Yoga Max Now

Cathe is awesome and so are all of her workouts. You will lose weight so easy and get in such good shape

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Just like another reviewer, I''m a big Cathe fan and own most of her workouts. This one came as part of the fantastic low impact set. I''m ok with yoga, but it is not my favorite type of exercise. For me it must be interesting or extremely pleasant and well flowing. Going into this workout I was not looking for anything spiritual, just a good routine with some challenge and relaxation. I didn''t feel I got that from this. I found it super-boring because it primarily consists of just a few basic moves repeated over and over and over. Additionally, the poses are held extra long which was not challenging for me. Cathe cues well and her form is good (unlike Brenda''s, it hurt to look). I didn''t find the talking annoying, but the routine just isn''t for me.

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