Cathe Live Review: Fit Tower Tone & Tighten (#182)
Fit Tower Tone & Tighten is a tough total body strength workout using the Fit Tower. This really worked me hard and I was definitely feeling the burn!
This is a high rep strength workout that starts with lower body then moves on to upper body, with a little more lower body, and then core on the floor. All of the exercises are high rep and my muscles were really burning out on a few of the moves. Shoulders, in particular, were absolutely brutal!
Cathe and class use a Fit Tower for this routine, as I don’t have one I used a chair with no issues. The only exercises I had to significantly modify were the pull-ups. I just used dumbbells for deadrows and bicep curls to utilise the same muscle groups.
The lower body exercises are barre exercises using a resistance loop or just the Fit Tower. The workout starts out with a bang - as there are so many leg circles that I was really feeling it during the first exercise! The 1 leg push dips I also found very challenging. There are a few short stretches sprinkled throughout the workout but it does move quite quickly from one thing to the next so the work compounds as the routine progresses.
The upper body exercises are also generally very high rep and although you are using only your own bodyweight or a resistance band – you will definitely be feeling it. The section for shoulders only uses the band and loop but there are just so many reps and they are all very similar types of moves so you don’t really get any chance to rest the muscles. The 120 reps of band pulls were just unbelievable but then when she moved straight into band pulls, with the resistance loop around the wrists, and did about a million of those too – my muscles were seriously screaming and I was counting every last rep out loud….
The workout ends with a short core section on the floor, starting with straight arm planks. This section ends with a long set of flutter kicks and by then I was really starting to feel it. This was definitely a good way to round out the program.
Overall, this is a really effective and tough workout that uses resistance bands and your own bodyweight to provide a serious total body challenge. If you are looking to really fry those muscles, without picking up heavy weights, then this could be the perfect workout!
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The Workout
Fit Tower Tone & Tighten is a total body workout using the Fit Tower, a resistance loop and a resistance band. The workout ends with a short core section. Cathe and class used medium tension bands, I used a heavier resistance loop for the lower body exercises and this worked well for me. If you don’t have a Fit Tower, you can use a chair, a set of moderate dumbbells (I used 15 pounds) and a step (optional). I would recommend that you also wear lifting gloves, for this routine, as the band work is very high rep and I find this makes it a little more comfortable.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Fit Tower Tone & Tighten is 66 minutes long and originally aired on 25th January 2018 (#182). The workout starts with a 6 minute warm-up before moving into the first exercise grouping for lower body. Below I have only listed the Fit Tower as equipment but you can also use a chair like I did. I have detailed below where I made modifications for not having a Fit Tower. All of the moves below are high rep and include various tempos and rep patterns.
The workout starts with the Fit Tower bar at hole No. 8.
Lower Body
Leg circles – resistance loop & Fit Tower
Straight leg kickbacks – resistance loop & Fit Tower
Hamstring kickbacks – resistance loop (under one foot) & Fit Tower
Hamstring pull-ups (toe pointed) – resistance loop (under one foot) & Fit Tower
Crossback lunge & knee raise - Fit Tower
Push dips – Fit Tower
Repeat above on other side
High & tight (toes forward) - Fit Tower
High & tight in second position (heels together) - Fit Tower
High hip pulses (high glutes) – Fit Tower
Back & Shoulders
Change Fit Tower bar to hole No. 7
Pull-ups (overhand grip) – Fit Tower (I used two 15# dumbbells & did Dead Rows) – 3 sets of 8 reps & 6 reps slow
Band pull downs – resistance band looped over top of Fit Tower (I used the band & did lat pull downs)
Pull-ups (overhand grip) - Fit Tower (I used two 15# dumbbells & did Dead Rows) – 4 sets of up 1 & down 3 counts plus 2 singles
Straight arm shoulder press – resistance band looped over top of Fit Tower (I did the same move but with the band under one foot resting on the step (with 3 risers underneath))
Posture pulls – resistance band
Biceps (with a little Lower body)
Change Fit Tower bar to hole No. 9
Chin-ups (underhand grip) – Fit Tower (I used two 15# dumbbells & did bicep curls)
Band 1 arm bicep curls & leg lifts – resistance band (under one foot) & Fit Tower
Chest & Triceps
Change Fit Tower bar to hole No. 4
Incline push-ups – Fit Tower (I did these with my hands on step (with 3 risers) but you could also just do them on the floor)
Band chest flys – resistance band
Tricep dips (with 1 leg crossed over the other knee) – Fit Tower
Tricep kickbacks – resistance band looped over top of Fit Tower (I did these standing on the band)
Shoulders
Band pulls (close grip) – resistance band – 120 pulses!
Resistance loop band pulls (place resistance loop around wrists, with arms straight, & pull hands apart pulsing) – resistance loop
Band front raises (single arms) – resistance band
Quick water break at 53 minutes. Change Fit Tower bar to hole No. 3
Core
Straight arm plank toe taps (toes in under body) – hands on bar of Fit Tower & a mat (I did these with my hands on the floor but you could use the step, if you wish)
Straight arm plank knee-ins - hands on bar of Fit Tower & a mat (I did these with my hands on the floor but you could use the step, if you wish)
Heel tap crunches (lying on your back, 1 leg resting on the bar, turn out foot on floor - lift & lower it to meet other foot) – Fit Tower & mat (I just did these holding my top leg in the air)
Knee-in crunches (in same position as above, with 1 leg resting on the bar, bring opposite knee in as you crunch) - Fit Tower & mat (I just did these with my knee bent & foot resting on the floor instead of on the bar)
Repeat above two moves on the other side
Change Fit Tower to hole No. 1
Flutter Kicks / flutter kicks with 1 arm moving forward & back – hands on bar of Fit Tower (I did these just lying on the floor with my hands in the air)
The workout ends with a 4 minute cool down and stretch. This includes using the Fit Tower at hole No. 8 (I just used my chair).
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