Customer Reviews
Very good service but USPS was SLOW! 
2007-08-31
Home Fitness DVDS contacted me right away and sent the DVD the very same day, but it took a very long time to receive the product. I do not recommend USPS as a shipping source. But Home Fitness provided good service and the DVD was New just as promised.
Solid all-body weight workout 2007-05-11
You want to work your muscles? Well Muscle Max will hit every single one .. in about an hour. You can go heavy or light in this workout, so if you are new to fitness DVD's, don't be scared off by Cathe's serious attitude. She will work you and work you hard, but you are going to have a good time doing it. If you are an experienced lifter, take it heavy and feel the burn. The exercises are mostly traditional, with some band based exercises that will work you harder than you expect.
Challenging and flexible -- perfect for the busy but serious exerciser 2006-10-31
I love Cathe Friedrich's workouts. She's energetic and encouraging, but not too much so (think Denise Austin...I just can't take that level of perky). Plus, her workouts don't pull any punches--they're designed to challenge you and push you to challenge yourself.
I regularly do several other of Cathe Friedrich's workouts (Muscle Endurance, Pyramid Upper & Lower Body, Supersets). I love them all for variety, but I think Muscle Max is my favorite. It is 68 minutes of a complete workout--upper body, lower body, and core, with barbell, dumbells, and resistance band. You get it all. (You don't need a barbell, however. All exercises can be done with dumbells alone.)
Better yet, you can choose what you want to do. The DVD comes with "Premixed" workouts loaded. If you don't have time for the 68-minute full workout, you can do the 42-minute upper body, the 23-minute lower body, or the 53-minute "time saver." OR you can go to a "Mix & Match" section to choose your own specific exercises from the entire DVD.
The "Mix and Match" section has its drawbacks--it takes a while for the DVD to switch out of the program, into the menu, and back into a program, which makes this the most inconvenient of the options. However, it's great if you want to match up one of the premixed workouts with the core workout, or if you just have time for one small group of exercises (say, triceps.)
I LOVE this DVD. It is the most comprehensive and flexible strength training workout I've ever done, and I've done a bunch, including many from The Firm series. I highly recommend this one.
A challenging, whole-body butt-kicking workout! 2006-09-01
Since starting with the Gym Style series, I've become a big fan of Cathe's. Her workouts are unsurpassed -- they're the toughest around and results are guaranteed! Muscle Max is no exception. Other reviewers have already given the detailed breakdown of the workout, so I'll just add my praise for this tough and effective sweatfest! She hits the chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, core, and legs - and hits 'em HARD. I find the chest & tri's especially challenging. Man, whatta burn! The only thing I'm not that crazy about is having to change the weight on the barbell multiple times. But I suppose I should just be happy I'm getting a breather. All in all, this workout ROCKS, and I love how it's transforming my body.
A full-body weighted workout that is intense and challenging without being gruelling 2006-01-05
This is the first Cathe strength workout I've tried, and I found it to be intense and challenging without being gruelling. However, keep in mind that this is an advanced workout, so intermediates like myself will probably need to lift less weight than Cathe (I generally used 1/2 to 2/3 of what Cathe was using) in order to complete the workout. Cathe uses a variety of equipment in this workout, including a barbell, several sets of dumbbells, a full club step, and a toning band, but I was able to get by without the barbell, step, or band (although my modifications may have further lowered the intensity of the workout).
The main workout on Muscle Max is 68 minutes long, but the DVD also offers several premixes: Upper Body Only (42 minutes), Upper Body Push-Pull (33 minutes), Lower Body Only (23 minutes), and Timesaver (56 minutes). The full workout breaks down as follows: Warm-Up, Lower Body, Chest, Back, Lower Body, Shoulders, Bicep, Tricpes, Core and Stretch (the DVD includes subchapters under each of the above categories; see Cathe's web site for a full list of exercises plus video clip). During the warm-up, you are constantly moving rather than performing static stretches, but I liked that Cathe still managed to thoroughly stretch each muscle group that was going to be worked. Also, Cathe constantly varies the count, which adds interest as well as varying intensity to each movement. Another thing I liked about this workout was that Cathe allows plenty of time between exercises, thereby providing you with an opportunity to rest AND to change your weights as needed. I also enjoyed the upbeat music, some of it vocal.
Overall, this routine left me feeling completely worked out, yet not exhausted, which means that it was enjoyable and has little dread factor. I think that both advanced exercisers and intermediates who are will to modify can get a great workout from this video--highly recommended!
Amazing Muscle Workout! 2008-05-06
I finished this DVD for the 2nd time today and WOW! My legs were shaking, literally! This is definately a DVD that you can grow with. I always thought I had pretty good strength; that was until I tried lifting with Cathe! I feel like a weenie now compared to her weights. However the great thing about it is, as you get stronger, you work up to her weights and perhaps beyond.
It offers several premixes if you are short on time or just want an upper body workout. If you select the full routine there are even a few Ab exercises thrown in at the end before the stretch. This is one that you get a good burn with. She uses a resistance band for an extra challenge at the end of certain muscle groups. As she saying "just a few more", I was about screaming "I can't!"!
You will need a barbell, an assortment of dumbbells, and a step with at least 2 risers. Also a mat at the end for stretching and Abs. I will say that her Gym Style DVDs do provide more of an isolated workout, however, this is great for an all-over body builder. She works you good! I suggest starting out with some lighter weights, because some of these moves really kill!
Cathe will kick your butt 2008-04-09
I don't consider myself an "advanced" exerciser, but I can hold my own. You will definitely get fatigued doing this workout. That being said however, as far as lower body and abs are concerned, while I feel the burn during the workout, I have never felt sore the next day. Though, in my opinion, Cathe doesn't spend nearly as much time on those sections as she does on the upper body. Because of that, I just ordered her "butts and guts" video to compensate. Your upper body will be screaming though. The first few times I did this, my shoulders and upper back ached for days - I knew they really got worked. I've done it for a few weeks now, and my shoulders/back still feel it the next day. I am a big fan of Cathe, and love that she's not overly perky. She is slightly perky to motivate you, but it's not obnoxious like some instructors get.
As far as equipment is concerned, I don't have it all, but find I can get by just fine. Most of the time the step is used as a bench, so I just use my stability ball which also makes it that much harder. As for the barbell, I find I can get by using dumbells. Overall I think this is a great workout and would recommend it to anyone.
marathonmama 2007-11-10
Excellent, nice format & can skip along in the DVD fast in case you need to abbreviate & do different parts each time. Very easy to follow & encouraging to see all body types, not just the super lean & cut type!
Kathy is a great instructor, highly recommend to anyone looking to increase or maintain their strength or gain definition!
FANTASTIC !!!!! 2007-10-19
LOVE IT!! Great weight training DVD. Sometimes I do the upper body from this DVD and pair it with Butts & Guts, just as another reviewer mention here or on another website. Cathe Friedrich REALLY knows how to motivate and keep you focused on putting "your mind in the muscle."
This was the second Cathe Friedrich DVD I have added to my ever expanding fitness DVD collection. Her DVD's are not for people who do not want to put the work, effort, and fire into their training. Since adding her to my collection I have gotten stronger and have gained more endurance. Cannot wait to see the results within the next 60 days!!!
I am definitely going to be adding more of Cathe Friedrich's DVD's to my collection.
Great workout! 2007-09-28
I always come back to this workout. This is a great workout for men and women.
