Cathe Live Review: Cardio Crush (#310)
Cardio Crush is a fun and varied, high energy, cardio interval workout. I really enjoyed this one as it got my heart rate up nicely and the time just flew by. However, it wasn’t actually quite as intense as I was expecting, from the preview, as although there are only very short breaks, between the moves, Cathe does a mix of easier and harder moves so it’s not all go, go, go… Therefore, for me, this was not in quite the same league as Cardio Mish Mosh (#62 review HERE), for example, which I find much harder but it did definitely did get me working and sweating.
The workout is made up of four sections of different cardio intervals. Each section has a slightly different focus and uses a different piece of equipment or no equipment, as in the first circuit. Each interval is performed for between 8 and 32 reps, depending on the move. Some intervals combine two or more moves and some are just one move that is repeated for a set number of reps. The rest breaks are short so you transition fairly quickly, from one thing to the next, and as only a few moves are repeated, on the other side of the body, there is lots of variety and no dread factor.
After a thorough warm-up you move into the first circuit, which as mentioned uses no equipment. Cathe does each of these moves low impact but you can easily modify to higher impact, by adding jumps or hops, which is what I did. You then use the mat for another six intervals. These are all familiar moves, such as, slam-its and half circle shuffle sprints. This section was where my heart started to climb, a bit more, as it also includes squat thrusts with tuck jumps. However, none of the intervals are done for very long so they are just enough to get you breathing harder without completely wiping you out. (Note: I didn’t use a mat for this section, as I find it a trip hazard so I just did it without).
You then move on to using a resistance loop around the ankles. I used my Cathe blue firewalker loop, which is heavy resistance, and I was really feeling the work in my legs during this section. These are some of the longer intervals, particularly the jacks / scissors as Cathe gets distracted on the second round and starts doing 8 jacks, in each direction, rather than four! This for me was the most intense section, as you have had the build-up of the previous two sections and this one also includes icebreakers, snowboards and air jacks.
The final section is using resistance tubing as markers on the floor. Here you can use jump ropes, bands or anything else you to have so you have marker to jump over. If you don’t have anything suitable, you can always just visualise the markers instead. This was a slightly lighter section and allows you a bit of a breather after the last one. Cathe then finishes the workout with a five bonus “high five air jacks” – similar to last weeks ending. I rather like this, as it’s a nice way to celebrate the fact that you completed the workout.
Overall, a time efficient, mixed impact, cardio workout that packs a lot into a short amount of time and will definitely get you moving! This is also a good travel workout, as you only really need a resistance loop to do the routine (although even that you could do without if you wanted to).
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The Workout
Cardio Crush is a mixed impact, pure cardio workout consisting of twenty three different cardio intervals.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Cardio Crush is 38 minutes long and originally aired on 20th August 2020 (#310). The workout starts with a 5 minute warm-up, before a quick water breaks and then moving into the first interval. Cathe has her mat set out horizontally, in front of her, at the start of the workout and the other equipment off to one side.
No Equipment
Pull & pound – 16 reps each side
Squat to lunge combo (stepping rather than hopping) – 16 reps
Galloping jacks – 16 reps each side
Hi-lo jabs – 32 reps (alternating sides after every 8 reps)
Dynamic squat abductions (I did vertical mountain climbers as I find this move awkward) – 32 reps
Hammer punch lunge & knee pull – 12 reps each side
Mat (optional)
Slam-its – 16 reps
Half circle shuffle sprints (shuffle around edges of mat) – 16 reps
Squat thrust, lateral jump (across mat) & tuck jump – 8 sets
Puddle jumpers / lateral skates (across the mat – moving forward & back) – 48 reps
3 Power hops forward & 4 block jacks back – 8 sets
Box slides (making a box around the mat) – 6 sets each direction
Resistance Loop (around the ankles)
Jacks / fast scissors – 2 sets of 16x jack, 8x scissors & 2 sets of 32x jack, 8x scissors (no breaks)
Icebreakers (jumping straight up & legs out) – 32 reps (change after every 4 reps)
4 Travel twists & 4 jacks – 8 sets
Jump forward / back & quarter turn jump – 12 sets
Touch down jacks (2 jump ropes in middle) – 16 reps
Tap outs (side & angled) – 8 sets of 4 reps & 16 sets of 2 reps
Snowboards – 24 reps each side
4 Jacks & 4 air jacks – 4 sets
Resistance Tubing (or optional marker on the floor)
2 lateral hops & jump forward / back (resistance tubing in horizontal line on floor in front of you) – 12 sets
Guard stance switches (bounce on toes w/ arms in guard position & turn to other direction keeping arms up; resistance tubing same position as above) – 8x 4’s, 8x 2’s & 12x singles
Quadrant jumps (resistance tubing in ‘+’ on floor) – 16x front & back / 16x side to side / 8x front, back & side to side / 8x front, side, back, side (in a box) on each side
'High five' air jacks - 5 reps
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: For The Love of Cardio (#68) – HERE.
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