Cathe Live Review: Cardio Step Bootcamp (#313)
Cardio Step Bootcamp is a fun cardio and strength workout, incorporating moderate step choreography, step blasts and strength conditioning. I actually really enjoyed this routine and was nice and sweaty by the end. As you may know, if you read my blog regularly, I am not always a huge fan of step workouts but this one was really enjoyable and did not involve lots of jumping on and off the step (which is what I don’t like). Cathe calls this a plateau buster workout, as it aims to fire up the metabolism and get you sweating.
The workout consists of five rounds. Each round includes one step combo and sometimes a step blast, one lower body, one upper body and one core move. The step combos are all pretty easy to pick up, particularly, if you have done any of Cathe’s other step workouts. It includes familiar favourites, such as, pony’s, figure 8’s, up jacks, repeater knees, scoops and scuttles etc. Cathe does not break the choreography down, in this one, you just do the combo straight out and then repeat it a number of times before moving on. However, because it is just Cathe on her own again, she cues to the home exerciser rather than a class behind her. Therefore, when she says, for example, “left foot on the step” – it is actually your left foot, whereas when the class are there she has to cue to them and so you are working on the opposite foot. This definitely helps, if you are not so comfortable with step choreography. I had no trouble picking up the combos on the first go round but even if you don’t, you have at least another 3 tries to get it right. The combos are not too long either, they are just a few moves strung together, so I would really suggest trying it, even if you don’t like or haven’t done much step, as the whole workout is rather fun! They are also not too high impact so as I mentioned no jumping on and off the step etc. Cathe used an 8” step (2 risers on each side) for the whole routine but you can always lower the step height, if you prefer.
Once you have completed the step combo, this is sometimes followed by a step blast (on three of the five rounds). This is just one move or set of moves repeated for a number of sets. These include pony’s, step knee tap down (jumping) and power boxes, which all got my heart rate up nicely. You then move onto the three strength moves in each round.
This is a cardio focused routine so the strength work is generally all compound moves, with lighter weights, to keep the heart rate up rather than to provide serious strength training. However, if that is what you wanted, you could easily slow the pace and go heavier, if you prefer. The workout, as presented, is all fairly fast paced and this keeps the heart rate elevated throughout. The rep counts are also higher so if you are going to use heavier weights be aware that many of the strength moves are in the 16 - 24 rep range. I went heavier on a few on the moves (shown below), while still maintaining the pace, and would probably do so on a few more of the moves next time I do the workout. The lower body moves generally incorporate the step and again this increases the cardio factor a little more. Each upper body muscle group is hit once, if you include crab kicks for the triceps but it is not super challenging. The core moves are also done using the step, such as, soldier planks and plank knee-ins.
Overall, an enjoyable routine that gets the heart rate up and provides a little strength conditioning for the whole body.
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The Workout
Cardio Step Bootcamp is a cardio and strength workout consisting of five rounds. Each round includes a step combo, a lower body, upper body and core move.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Cardio Step Bootcamp is 40 minutes long and originally aired on 10th September 2020 (#313). The workout starts with a 4 minute warm-up and you use the step for the last part of the warm-up. The step, with two risers on each side, is set up horizontally in front of you at the start of the workout. The step height does not change during the routine. Cardio moves shown in bold italics below.
Round 1
Step Combo 1: Walk, walk, turn (around step), step knee straddle x2, in out in repeater, pony on the corner x2 – 4 sets
Step Blast: Pony corner to corner - 10 reps
Uneven squats (over step; alternating Db from 1 hand to other) – one 10# Db & step – 24 reps
Step over w/ curl & overhead press (step on & over step w/ overhead press at top) - two 8# Dbs & step – 16 reps
Plank knee-ins (hands on step) – step – 8x alternating & 8 reps each side
Round 2
Step Combo 2: Up jack (on step), rock back, jump twice, repeater & exit, step kick corner to corner, repeater knee on corner – 6 sets
Crossback lunges off step – two 8# Dbs (I used 10’s) & step – 16x singles, 8x 3 pulses & 8x singles
Upright row & tap foot on step – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) & step – 24 reps
Crab kicks (hands on step) – step – 32 reps
Round 3
Step Combo 3: Knee off side (of step), drop squat, box step & cha cha, knee off other side, drop squat, box step & cha cha, figure 8 on step & figure 8 on floor, step knee tap out & step knee exit – 6 sets
Step Blast: Step knee, tap down (jumping) – 4 sets of 8 reps
Elevated lunges – two 10# Dbs & step – 16 reps each side
Incline push-ups (hands on step) – step – 19 reps
Soldier planks (hands on step & lifting opposite arm & leg) – step – 16 reps
Round 4
Step Combo 4: Power 7 (on corner), exit, walk, walk, turn (around step), go up (on step) & swim lunges x4, exit – 8 sets
Squats off side of step – one 15# Db & step – 16 reps each side
Sweeper curls & tap foot on step – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) & step – 24 reps
Russian twists (sitting on step) w/ alternating leg raise – one 8# Db (I used 1x10) & step – 32 reps
Round 5
Step Combo 5: 2 Scoops on floor, 4 scuttles back, step kick corner to corner, knee around the world (knee lift on each corner of step) – 6 sets
Step Blast: Power boxes (1 knee up then 2, 3 & 4 as you move around each corners) – 4 sets
Step-ups – two 12# Dbs & step – 16 reps each side
Pullovers – two 15# Dbs & step – 17 reps
L crunches (straight legs raised in an “L” position, pulse head/shoulders up 1x, then 2x, then 3x, then 4x; change legs and repeat) – step – 8 sets
The workout ends with a 2 minute cool down and stretch using the step.
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