Cathe Live Review: Cardio Core Bootcamp (#306)
Cardio Core Bootcamp is a nice and sweaty cardio circuit workout with a core move at the end of each round. I really liked this routine, as it got my heart rate up nicely and best of all there are no repeats of any of the moves!
This workout consists of six rounds of one high impact cardio move (on the floor), one step cardio, one low impact cardio (on the floor) and one core move. I really loved the format of this one and liked the different combination of moves. From the preview, I did think it might be a little more intense, than it actually was, as it is not completely all out but I still got a great workout. Cathe did take breaks in between the intervals so it is not go, go, go.. like some of her other routines. I was expecting it might be similar to Cathe’s other Cardio Core Circuit workouts (she has a DVD version and two live versions – Cardio Core Circuit Live #42 (review HERE) and Cardio Core Blast #144 (review HERE)) and they are all really tough cardio workouts. In all of those routines, you repeat the cardio moves twice through, without breaks, before moving onto the core move and this keeps the intensity higher. In this workout though, you do the intervals for longer (approx. 1 min instead of 30 seconds) but then take a small break before moving onto the next move. Therefore, the intervals are all fairly high rep so they definitely get you working but not quite as intensely as the other routines. The high impact moves though I did find quite challenging, as you do, for example, 32 high reaching pop squats, all in one go, whereas Cathe usually breaks them down into sets of ten reps.
In this workout Cathe showed modifications for pretty much every high impact move – both those done of the floor and on the step. So if you don’t want to do higher impact, this is a really good one to do as you can just follow her modifications rather than having to come up with your own. All of the moves are very familiar Cathe Live exercises but they are sequenced nicely to both push you on some and give you little breathers on others.
As you know by now, if you follow my blog regularly, I am not always a fan of step cardio intervals, as I don’t like lots of jumping on and off the step. However, this one was great as there was only one set of straddle jumps and one set of wide box jumps plus as it was on 8” (two risers) this actually wasn’t too bad. I did just modify the straddle jumps to 1 riser though, as given the speed Cathe goes this felt safer for me.
Each of the circuits ends with a core move done on the floor. I really liked the combination of different moves and got some nice core work in between the cardio.
(One tiny thing to mention, on the fifth circuit Cathe starts demonstrating the different versions of the ‘Attack’ move you can do and thne stops to come up to the camera. I had started with her but then stopped thinking she had just been demonstrating, as she had with other moves, but then she says she is watching to see which move you do… So if you are like me and had to miss a rep – just know that once you start - just keep going! I had to rewind and start it again just to make sure I did all the reps!)
Overall, an excellent, fun cardio workout that includes a little bit of core work. This is definitely one I will return to for a quick cardio blast.
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The Workout
Cardio Core Bootcamp is a cardio workout consisting of six circuits of one high impact floor cardio move, one step cardio, one low impact floor cardio move and one core move.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Cardio Core Bootcamp is 44 minutes long and originally aired on 16th July 2020 (#306). The workout starts with a 6 minute warm-up, before moving straight into the first high impact interval on the floor. Cathe has her step, with two risers on each side, set up vertically to one side and her mat on the other side at the start of the workout. The step height does not change during the workout. Cardio moves shown in bold italics below.
Circuit 1
Plyo jacks – 24 reps
Alternating straddle step & knee lift (w/ little hop) – step – 24 reps
Football runs (forward & back straddling the step & touching down at each end) – step – 13 sets
Core: Bear crawl plank walk out (start in bear crawl position then walk out into plank position; tap mat in front of you; walk back & come back into bear crawl position) – mat – 10 reps
Circuit 2
High reaching pop squats – mat – 32 reps
Straddle jumps – step (I used 1 riser) – 20 reps
Hammer punch lunge – 15 reps each side
Core: Plank jacks w/ alternating shoulder taps – mat – 32 reps
Circuit 3
Squats in a box – 8 sets each side
Fast feet (tapping the step) – step – 2 sets of 24 reps & 8x jacks
Side lunge & knee lift (w/ hop bringing arms across to knee) – 16 reps (1st side) & 15 reps (2nd side)
Core: Triangle choke reverse lift (lying on back with one leg hooked behind the other; lift up the hips & switch legs) – mat – 23 reps
Circuit 4
4 Jacks / 4 air jacks / 4 jacks / 4 galloping jacks – 4 sets
Plunge lunges – step – 60 reps
Fred Astaire (reach 1 arm to opposite foot & then switch to other side w/ little hop) – 47 reps
Core: V-sits (lay back w/ arms & legs off floor & crunch up to V position then back out) – mat – 10 reps
Circuit 5
Attacks (bringing arms overhead & down as you jump up) / attacks w/ legs out as you jump up – 40 reps (keep going once you start!)
Knee off side of step, 2 jacks, knee off back, 2 jacks / knee off side, 2 jacks & shoot over laterally across step, knee off back, 2 jacks & power 3 – step – at Cathe’s direction (as various combos of these moves)
Squat to lunge combo (reaching across & w/ a little hop) – 25 reps
Core: Sit-up & twist (elbow to knee then straight arms out) – mat – 20 reps
Circuit 6
Lateral skates (across the mat – moving forward & back) – mat – 64 reps (or own tempo)
Wide box jump (on step & off), 180 jump turn (on floor) & power 3 – step – 8 sets
Dynamic squat abductions – 31 reps & 23 reps (or as fast as you can)
Core: Side plank hip dips – mat – 16 reps each side
The workout ends with a 3 minute cool down and stretch.
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