Cathe Friedrich
Click to Meet the Instructor
Qualifications: ACE certified. Has been the Aerobics Director of Four Seasons Health Spa since 1990.
Personal History: Before there was Zumba, Tae Bo, Spinning or even Step Aerobics, fitness video pioneer Cathe Friedrich recognized the need to provide a simple, flexible, affordable and motivating way for Americans to exercise and stay fit. Nearly thirty years and over 200 DVDs later, thousands of people have credited Cathe Friedrich for helping them to transform their bodies and their lives with her videos and TV appearances.
Like going through life with a friend, Cathe’s followers have grown in their workouts as she has learned and expanded her video offerings, staying focused on Cathe’s three guiding principles: Professionalism, Passion, and Quality.
Cathe is often credited with being the first to bring advanced fitness videos to the home exerciser and helped shatter the theory that only celebrities could star in fitness videos. As a certified Group Fitness Instructor, Cathe has taught thousands of classes at her New Jersey health club and has helped to train many of today’s top instructors.
As a leading innovator in the home exercise video industry, in 1988 she founded Step N Motion Videos and in 1989, created one of the first ‘step’ aerobic videos. Cathe continues to produce fun, intense, and challenging workouts for all body types and fitness levels. Her award-winning workouts have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Dallas News, Fox Business News, QVC and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Health and fitness writers have published articles about her in Shape, Oxygen, Self, Health, Fit, Consumer Digest and Fitness magazines.
While appearing on Fox Business News, Cathe told her story of how she got started. When she was 16, she took an aerobics class. Three weeks later, was asked to teach it and she was “hooked.” A few years later, Cathe was teaching a creative movement class at a fitness studio on the top floor of Carnegie Hall, where she used fourteen inch benches as part of her workout. At the same time, Step Reebok was launching what is now known as “Step Aerobics” to the world. Cathe incorporated step into her philosophy, creating her first video, “Step N Motion One,” which was also one of the first and most influential step aerobic videos of it’s time. Today, her fitness empire includes all types of workouts and is one of the largest privately owned fitness video libraries in the world.
Always on the cutting edge, Cathe recognized the power of the internet and was the first to sell fitness videos online nearly 17 years ago. Today, Cathe.com is one of the largest and most visited fitness websites and Cathe’s pioneering work in this area has inspired other instructors to market and promote their own fitness videos in a similar fashion. Today, she continues to be a trendsetter with her DVDs, XTrain, STS Fitness Program, digital downloads, iPhone apps and fitness tracking software.
Collage Video, a source for exercise videos since 1987, says this about Cathe on their web site: “Since the early 1990s, Cathe Friedrich’s videos have set the standard for ‘challenging workouts’. Cathe Friedrich’s workout video technique is excellent; her cuing style is very direct. These exercise videos will challenge even the elite athlete!” The Dallas Morning News wrote: “To say that Cathe Friedrich workout videos are tough is like saying Everest slopes upward.” Fit TV declared: ” Cathe is one the most popular trainers on our network. She is a power-intense cardio-buster, a punch and crunch trainer.”
Recently, Cathe has joined forces with sponsors such as Eggland’s Best to bring her workouts and her message of healthy living directly to her fans, known as “Cathletes.” Part of this effort is done through national road trips which give Cathe a unique opportunity to meet many of her loyal followers in person (something Cathe really loves to do.) She also keeps in touch with her fans by embracing new technology, frequently updating her web page, blogging, Tweeting, posting on Facebook and continually answering questions in her forums.
Since 1986, Cathe has been certified through the American Council on Exercise. Additional specialty fitness certifications include: Indoor Cycling, Body Pump, Kickboxing, Boxing, Prenatal Fitness, Resist-A-Ball, Yoga Fit, and more.
Cathe was just recently inducted into the Fitness Hall of Fame. She is the mother of two boys: Eric, age fourteen, and Kyle, age twelve.
Workout Philosophy: There is no magic pill. You have to DO the work. Establish your goals, design your plan, and stick to it! Workout reminders: be consistent, work hard, stay focused, and always keep your workouts stimulating, effective, and challenging.
Success Story: This is certainly one of my favorites. "My weight hit its all-time high of 375 pounds, but losing weight seemed impossible! So, as always, I continued to ignore the problem and figured, 'well, you have to die from something!' So, I did nothing. Then, my life took an unexpected turn and I lost my job of 8 years; it was the lowest point in my life. No job, obese, and dying from it; I felt like I'd hit rock bottom. While flipping through the channels one morning, I saw a Denise Austin workout and I watched it for a few minutes. Something that day made me say, 'I'll do it; I'll start losing this weight.' I could only last about 10 minutes that first day. But, by the end of the second week, I could do the full 30-minute show. I then found Cathe's videos and, at 350 pounds, began strength training and cardio. The weight began to melt off. Health problems I'd had for years, such as swollen ankles and bronchitis, were gone. I looked and felt better than I'd ever looked in my entire life and my body continued to take shape and shed fat. I did have to modify all of Cathe's cardio in order to complete it. But, even with modifications, I was consistently shedding pounds and inches each week. My journey is not over; I'm still traveling. But, with Cathe's workouts, I know I'll reach my goals of attaining a healthy weight, being fit, and healthy for the rest of my life."
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Cardio Leg Blast
$ 22.99$ 14.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Cardio Leg Blast
$ 14.99$ 22.99Using both step and non-step exercises, you'll alternate plyo-style cardio with classic lower-body toning. It's a tough “12 round” workout that's guaranteed to burn mega-calories while building lean legs and...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Hard Strikes
$ 22.99$ 16.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Hard Strikes
$ 16.99$ 22.99A boxing-style workout that features amped-up versions of classic fighters' moves. It's a non-stop fat-burner that keeps your heart rate up with total-body engagement. The upper-body combos are endlessly changing...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: All Out Low Impact HIIT
$ 22.99$ 14.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: All Out Low Impact HIIT
$ 14.99$ 22.99This interval training workout proves that “high intensity” doesn't have to mean “high impact.” Instead, this low-impact program keeps you nearly breathless with fast, deep and wide-ranging exercises (plus lots...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Super Cuts
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Super Cuts
$ 17.99$ 22.99A total-body toning program that's exceptionally fast-paced and fast-changing. In just 37 minutes, you'll do 30 separate combos. It's a well-planned mix of isolated and multi-muscle exercises. While the moves...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Legs
$ 22.99$ 14.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Legs
$ 14.99$ 22.99A well-sequenced mix of traditional and innovative lower-body exercises. It targets your legs and buttocks with an endless range of movements, angles, techniques and positions. Cathe also maximizes the variety,...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Burn Sets
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Burn Sets
$ 17.99$ 22.99Two workouts: one targets your chest, shoulders and back; the other works your biceps and triceps. Both programs maximize results with “burn sets” — a very precise, very effective sequencing...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Bi's and Tri's
$ 22.99$ 19.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Bi's and Tri's
$ 19.99$ 22.99A unique program that's precisely targeted on your biceps and triceps. You get nine sets of exercise pairs — first you'll work your biceps, then your triceps. Despite the muscle...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Chest, Back and Shoulders
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's XTrain: Chest, Back and Shoulders
$ 17.99$ 22.99Exactly what the title promises — a separate set of exercises for your chest, then back, then shoulders (repeated in eight separate “rounds”). It's a focused format that lets you...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's to the Max
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's to the Max
$ 17.99$ 22.99A fast-paced, non-stop program that features five distinct workout techniques (all carefully designed to keep you physically challenged and mentally motivated). You'll start with classic Cathe-style step aerobics — varied...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Cross Fire
$ 22.99$ 18.99Cathe Friedrich's Cross Fire
$ 18.99$ 22.99A well-cued program that features four different types of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The workout's varied intensities and diverse exercises are both motivating and effective. The first section is...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Cycle Max
$ 22.99$ 18.99Cathe Friedrich's Cycle Max
$ 18.99$ 22.99Cathe's first-ever stationary bike workout. It combines her legendary energy with detailed cuing and straight-forward motivation (no yelling, just lots of sincere, friendly encouragement). Each five-minute segment features a different...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Low Impact Challenge
$ 22.99$ 15.99Cathe Friedrich's Low Impact Challenge
$ 15.99$ 22.99A non-stop program that smoothly intermixes on-step and off-step movements (e.g. four counts on and four counts off the bench). From the warm-up to the stretch, Cathe keeps you moving...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Yoga Relax
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's Yoga Relax
$ 17.99$ 22.99Peaceful yoga poses specifically selected and cued to relax your body as they lengthen your muscles. Cathe achieves total tension relief with longer-than-usual holds and deeper-than-usual stretches. Following a gentle...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Yoga Max
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's Yoga Max
$ 17.99$ 22.99Not a killer workout. Instead, Cathe offers a straight-forward yoga program with a few Pilates moves and lots of optional modifications. All the poses and sequences are selected to build...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Slide and Glide
$ 22.99$ 22.99Cathe Friedrich's Slide and Glide
$ 22.99An innovative and effective workout that integrates gliding discs into nearly every exercise. The aerobic section uses the discs to provide low-impact, fat-burning fun. The toning segment uses the discs...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Total Body TriSets
$ 26.99$ 21.99Cathe Friedrich's Total Body TriSets
$ 21.99$ 26.99Separate lower and upper-body workouts that both use "trisets" — a proven technique that works each body part with a progression of three distinct exercises (e.g. legs: wall squats, front...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Cardio Supersets
$ 22.99$ 18.99Cathe Friedrich's Cardio Supersets
$ 18.99$ 22.99A totally low-impact program that uses gliding discs and dumbbells to supercharge the aerobic intensity. It's short but tough — Cathe's non-stop, never-slow-down pacing is guaranteed to keep you burning...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's AfterBurn
$ 22.99$ 18.99Cathe Friedrich's AfterBurn
$ 18.99$ 22.99A genuinely challenging program that combines gliding-disc cardio with multi-muscle body-sculpting. No jumps or hops, this workout burns fat and sculpts your body without stressing your knees or back. The...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Lower Body Blast
$ 22.99$ 14.99Cathe Friedrich's Lower Body Blast
$ 14.99$ 22.99A huge variety of lower-body exercises alternated with short step-aerobic bursts. The toning totally reshapes your legs and buttocks while the cardio burns calories (the aerobic segments also give your...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's High Reps
$ 22.99$ 18.99Cathe Friedrich's High Reps
$ 18.99$ 22.99Nine short segments, each one targets a specific muscle group with a varied series of high rep exercises. It's all designed to build strength and endurance while increasing your metabolism....» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Intensity
$ 22.99$ 18.99Cathe Friedrich's Intensity
$ 18.99$ 22.99A truly high-intensity program that includes both step and floor aerobics. Nothing fancy or complicated, this cardio challenge is simply fast-paced and non-stop (even Cathe admits she's breathing hard). The...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's MMA Kickbox
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's MMA Kickbox
$ 17.99$ 22.99A well-taught medley of high-intensity kickbox combos. It's a no-nonsense program created to blast calories while building strength and endurance (easy to follow but tough). Cathe begins each series with...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's MMA Boxing
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's MMA Boxing
$ 17.99$ 22.99Non-stop upper-body punches and lower-body "fast feet" exercises; this is "boxing," not kickboxing. You get the energy and effectiveness of a real boxers' workout -- burning fat, boosting endurance and...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Step Moves
$ 22.99$ 17.99Cathe Friedrich's Step Moves
$ 17.99$ 22.99A solid step program with interesting moves, excellent cuing and lots of variety (no endless repetition). These innovative combos are designed to burn fat as they subtly challenge your mind...» View full product details -
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QUICK VIEW Cathe Friedrich's Athletic Step
$ 22.99$ 18.99Cathe Friedrich's Athletic Step
$ 18.99$ 22.99A straight-forward step aerobic workout led by a superb instructor. Cathe's subtle blend of classic and new moves makes this program both effective and fun. You get four progressively-more-intense combos....» View full product details