Cathe Live Review: Chiseled Legs & Abs (#129)
Chiseled Legs & Abs is a highly enjoyable and effective metabolic strength workout for the lower body and core. I love this routine - it is so much fun and even though it’s 57 minutes the time just flies by.
The workout consists of three sections – standing lower body strength, floor work using the stability ball and a long core section using the ball & your own bodyweight. This isn’t a really intense lower body workout but it is good routine that works the lower body and core nicely.
The standing section is a mix of different exercises using dumbbells, a gliding device and a resistance loop. There is one cardio section, which includes jacks and jumping forward / back with the loop around the ankles, but it is not enough to count this as a real cardio and strength workout. The focus is more on challenging the lower body with the resistance loop. The exercises in this section are not too high rep but enough to start to feel the moves. This is not a heavy weight strength routine and the dumbbells used are between 10 and 15 pounds.
The next section uses the stability ball, on the floor, to challenge the lower body in different ways. This includes lots of hamstring roll-ins and hip lifts. You also do outer thigh lifts leaning on the ball. These were much less brutal than usual for Cathe as she give you rest breaks in between the sets.
The workout ends with a tough core section. This starts with seven different moves using the stability ball. These work the core from all different sides and I found the plank roll-ins particularly challenging, especially the angled ones. You then move into five more exercises, for the core, on the mat. These finished working my core nicely.
Overall, this is a really nice lower body and core metabolic strength workout that will challenge those muscles from all different angles, using a variety of different equipment. This is definitely one I will return to often.
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The Workout
Chiseled Legs & Abs is a metabolic strength workout for the lower body and core. The routine consists of standing lower body exercises, floor work, using the ball, and ends with a long core section.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Chiseled Legs & Abs is 57 minutes long and originally aired on 14th December 2016 (#129). The workout starts with a 6 minute warm-up, before moving into the first exercise using the gliding device.
Standing Legs
Side slide pick-up lunges – one 10# Db (I used 1x 12) & one gliding device - 16 reps each side
Pulsing plie squats - one 15# Db – 72 pulses
Marching sumos - one 15# Db – 48 reps
Side slide lunges - one 15# Db & one gliding device – 6 sets (1x 2/2 & 2x singles) each side
Crossback slide lunges - one 15# Db & one gliding device – 1x 15 pulse, 2x 7 pulse, 4x 3 pulse & 8x singles each side
Single leg deadlifts - one 15# Db (I used 2x 12#) – 8 reps each side & 6 reps each side
Sweeper lunges - one 15# Db (to put your hand on) & one gliding device – 64 reps each side
Jacks / squat jump forward & back / side steps / angled steps – resistance loop – 4 sets (16x jack, 8x jump & 4 sets (side step). 16x jack, 13x jump & 4 sets (side). 16x jack, 8x jump & 8 sets (angled). 16x jack, 8x jump, 4 sets (side) & 4 sets (angled))
Static pulse lunges – one 15# Db – 31 pulses each side, 23 pulses each side. 15 pulses & 7 pulses each side
Diagonal forward lunges – two 12# Dbs - 2 sets of 12 reps each side (although Cathe misses one rep on 2nd set for the 1st side)
Quick water break, get out ball & mat at 28:35 minutes
Floorwork Using Stability Ball
Hamstring roll-ins / roll-in & hip lift – ball & mat – 8x roll-ins, 4x hip lift & 8x roll-in
4 Hamstring roll-ins /hip lift & hold (raising straight arms overhead & back down) – ball & mat – 4 sets
Hip lifts only (heels on ball, legs straight) – ball & mat – 24 reps
Outer thigh lifts (leaning on ball) – ball & mat – 24x point, 32x flex, 10x forward circles, 10x backward circles & 24x kick outs (1st side). Repeat but do 32x point to start.
Quick water break & stretch at 39:10 minutes
Core at 40:10 minutes
Roll-outs (on knees, forearms on ball - roll in & out) – ball & mat – 12 reps
Roll-out circles (roll out w/ forearms on ball, hold & circle ball) – ball & mat – 8 reps each direction
Plank roll-ins (shins on ball) – ball – 24 reps (straight & angled)
Windshield wipers (lay on back, ball between feet w/ straight legs - lower ball side to side) – ball & mat – 12 reps
Ball exchange – ball & mat – 6 reps & 10 reps
Crunches on ball (leaning back on ball, various arm positions) - ball – 21 reps & 14 reps
Oblique crunches (leaning on ball in side plank) – ball & mat – 8x singles, 16x pulse, 12x singles & 16x pulse (1st side). 12x singles, 16x pulse, 12x singles & 16x pulse (2nd side)
Roll downs (pausing at 3 different levels; holding for a count of 4 each time) – mat – 4 sets
Reverse crunch & pilates press (lay on back, knees raised & do reverse crunch into straight legs twice; then hold straight legs a few inches off floor, raising head & hold pumping arms down to side) – mat – 5 sets
1 Arm sit-up (lay on back, legs straight, one elbow bent & pressed into floor, other arm raised to ceiling; lift torso & reach toward ceiling, keeping other elbow anchored to floor) – mat - 12 reps alternating sides
Seated 1 arm V-Ups (lying on side of one cheek, raise & lower straight legs towards 1 arm) – mat – 2 sets of 8 reps each side
Elbow plank hold /elbow plank march / elbow plank hold - mat
The workout ends with a 2 minute cool down and stretch.
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If you liked this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Rock Bottoms & Core (#110) – HERE.
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