Cathe Live Review: Butts & Guts (#24)
Butts & Guts is a pure strength lower body and core workout. This was a fun and effective workout that worked my legs and core well.
This workout is based on Cathe’s DVD of the same name, however this is definitely not as brutal as that routine. The Live class is shorter for one thing and the exercises are not as high rep, also there is not as much pulsing as with the DVD. The DVD is an excellent workout but it definitely has a big dread factor, for me, while this one doesn’t and I really enjoyed it.
The routine starts with standing lower body exercises using dumbbells, a resistance loop and your own body weight. Unlike the DVD version, there is no floorwork, for the lower body, in this one. The standing exercises are all straight forward, traditional lower body strength moves and work the legs well. It does include the infamous low pulse lunges from the DVD, which really fry the legs. I really liked this section, as the moves were generally slow and controlled so you can really heavy up here, if you want to. They are also not too high rep but just enough to start feeling the work. Cathe used moderate weights and I increased on quite a few of the exercises and this worked well for me.
Cathe did have a few issues with counting, in this one, so her count was not always even from one side to the other, which was a little frustrating. I have noted the differences below so you can add them on or alternatively, which is what I will do, start on the other side of the body next time. All of the moves were pretty metabolic and my heart rate was reasonably elevated throughout the routine, as you are also moving quite quickly from one thing to the next.
Once you have completed the standing lower body section, you then move into a long core section. This starts standing, using one dumbbell for two different moves, before you then go to the floor for more exercises. These also use a dumbbell with the exception of the last exercise, which is plank jacks and plank hold. This again was not as tough as the core work in the DVD but did hit all angles nicely.
Overall, this is an effective and enjoyable lower body and core workout, one that’s not too tough but will get you feeling the work. This is definitely one I will be returning to often.
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The Workout
Butts & Guts is a pure strength workout focused on the lower body and core. Cathe used light to moderate weight dumbbells, a medium tension resistance loop and a mat for this routine.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Butts & Guts is 55 minutes long and originally aired on 16th October 2014 (#24). The workout starts with a 7:30 minute active lower body focused warm-up before a quick water break and moving into the first strength exercise.
Butts (standing lower body moves)
Squats – two 15# dumbbells (I used 20’s) – 22 reps
Marching sumo squats – one 15# dumbbell – lots of reps with feet lower then higher off the floor
Plie squats (setting down & picking up db) – two 15# dumbbells (I used 20’s) – 16 sets
Deadlifts / narrow stance deadlifts – two 15# dumbbells (I used 20’s) – 8 reps (2/2) & 8 reps (3/1 – narrow stance)
Static lunges – two 15# dumbbells – 12x singles, 4x 2/2, 4x 3/1 & 8x singles (1st side) and 18x singles, 4x 2/2, 4x 3/1 & 8x singles (2nd side)
Side steps w/ resistance loop (firewalkers) – resistance loop around ankles – 4’s, 2’s & singles
Squats – two 15# dumbbells (I used 20’s) – 32 reps
Low pulse lunges – one 10# dumbbell (held horizontally between hands) – 8x singles, 8x 3 pulses (1st side) and 16x singles, 8x 3 pulses (2nd side)
Plie squats (setting down & picking up db) – two 15# dumbbells (I used 20’s) – 16 sets
Lateral walks – two 10# dumbbells (I used 12’s) – 6 sets
Pulsing plies (you go straight into these after lateral walks) – two then one 10# dumbbell (I used 12’s) – lots of reps
Pulsing crossback lunges - one 15# dumbbell – 4 sets of 15 pulses
Side lunge into crossback lunge (no dbs but touch the floor w/ fingertips on each lunge) – 16 each side (8 reps are coming up in the middle & the last 8 reps are staying low)
Single leg deadlifts - one 15# dumbbell (I used two 15# dumbbells) – 12 reps
Hamstring curls w/ loop around one ankle & bottom of the working foot – toe pointed bring toe up towards glutes) – resistance loop – 64 reps & hold
Single leg deadlifts (other leg) - one 15# dumbbell (I used two 15# dumbbells) – 12 reps
Hamstring curls w/ loop around one ankle & bottom of the working foot – toe pointed bring toe up towards glutes) – resistance loop – 82 reps & hold
Walking lunges (4 in each direction) – two 15# dumbbells – 8 sets
Forward back pulsing lunges (pulsing pendulum lunges) – 4x 4 pulses, 2x 8 pulses, 4x 4 pulses, 8x 2 pulses & 8x singles (repeated on other side)
Get out mat, 8 & 10# dumbbells (I also used 1x 15) for core at 39:20 minutes
Guts (standing & floor work for the core)
Elbow to knee oblique twists (standing, holding one DB in both hands, raise one knee and twist db towards it) – one 10# dumbbell – 16 reps each side
1 leg raise & side crunch (standing w 1 db in hand, raise the other arm overhead & crunch torso down as you lift that leg straight up towards it) - one 10# dumbbell (I used 1x 15) – 21 reps (1st side) & 20 reps (2nd side)
Seated lean back crunches (legs straight in front of you, holding 1 db straight up in front of you; lean back & pull db back along one side of body then sit back up, transferring db to other hand; alternate sides) – one 8# dumbbell & mat – 24 reps
Pullover crunches (heels tapping floor) - one 8# dumbbell (I used 1x10) & mat – 8 reps
Pullover crunches (bring heels out further away from body) – one 8# dumbbell (I used 1x10) & mat – 17 reps
Sit-up & oblique twist - one 8# dumbbell (I used 1x10) & mat – 14 reps
Russian Twists – one 8# dumbbell (I used 1x10) & mat – 20 reps (double pulses), 4 sets (1x double pulse & 2x singles), 8 reps (singles)
Walking planks & plank jacks / plank hold (start in straight arm plank & walk down to elbow plank & back up x2 then 2 plank jacks; this changes to high plank to low plank once then 2 plank jacks; this changes to walking to elbow plank & 1 plank jack, raise into high plank & 1 plank jack. This sequence ends with a plank hold – mat
The workout ends with a 3 minute cool down and stretch.
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If you liked this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: High Step Legs & Core – HERE.
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