Cathe Live Review: Low Impact Cardio Muscle (#292)
Low Impact Cardio Muscle is a metabolic strength workout with a few low impact cardio blasts sprinkled in. This was a really fun routine but it’s definitely not one of Cathe’s toughest. It’s fairly intermediate in level, particularly if you stay with the same weights as Cathe. Again, as is the norm now, Cathe did this workout on her own and it is amazing how energised and motivating she is even without a class. You really feel that she is training you one-on-one, which I love.
The routine is a good mix of different metabolic strength exercises with seven cardio blasts mixed in. As Cathe says the cardio blasts are not meant to be hiit level but are more just to keep the overall cardio level of the workout a little higher. Therefore, they are much lighter than usual and you are not going all out in any of them. For me, they just nicely got my heart rate up a little and kept the whole workout pretty metabolic throughout.
The strength moves are generally all compound moves so incorporating both the upper and lower body and this also helps to keep the heart rate a little higher. In addition, some of the moves are more cardio in nature, such as, rowing forward lunges or squat hops / rear lunge. None of the exercises are too high rep – they are just enough to start feeling it without fatiguing the muscles. I did go heavier on several of the moves and this helped increase the intensity a little more but it is definitely a lighter workout. I loved the variety in this workout and there were also a few new variations on moves, including a side lunge / woodchop move and a new twist on the step out Arnold presses from the STEP Boss workouts. I wonder if Cathe is practicing a few of the new moves for her upcoming Perfect30 workouts.
The workout ends with a number of moves on the floor, including crab kicks, bear crawls, plank snatches and push-ups.
(One thing I have noticed, with the recent Live workouts with Cathe on her own, is that the stretches tend to be a little longer, which I love. The problem with some of the Live workouts, in the past, was that the stretch often felt a little short or rushed but she seems to be taking more time now to really stretch you out properly like in her DVDs. I wonder if it because she doesn’t have to worry about the class wanting to get on with their day maybe? I don’t know but I like it!)
Overall, a fun and more intermediate metabolic strength workout with a few little cardio blasts. This is great for when you want to get your body moving without any jumping or too much intensity.
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The Workout
Low Impact Cardio Muscle is a low impact cardio and metabolic strength workout.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Low Impact Cardio Muscle is 49 minutes long and originally aired on 9th April 2020 (#292). The workout starts with a 6 minute warm-up, before a quick water break and then moving into the first cardio interval. Cardio moves shown in bold italics below.
Line taps – 56 reps
Side lunge & woodchop (bringing Db up towards side of head) – one 10# Db – 12 reps each side
Squat toss – one 10# Db – 32 reps
Explosive side to side lunges – 24 reps
Deadlifts / bent over dead rows – two 15# Dbs (I used 20’s) – 5 sets (2 of each), 2x D/L, 1x 3 rows & 2x 7 rows
Forward rowing lunges – one 10# Db – 32 reps
Hi-lo punches (lifting heels & jumping) – 64 reps (changing side after every 4 reps)
Alternating 1 arm back fly – one 10# Db (I used 1x 12) – 20 reps
Kettlebell swing & double arm lat pulldown – two 8# Dbs (I used 10’s) – 12 reps
Puddle jumpers – 48 reps & 16 sets of 2 steps to side
Static lunge w/ hammer down & bicep curl up (do a hammer curl down then turn DBs into a bicep curl to come up) – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) – 10 sets each side
Hop squat & rear lunge (3 squats hopping & 1 rear lunge) – one 10# Db (I used 1x 15) – 12 sets
Lifted abductions (I did vertical mountain climbers as I find these awkward) – 48 reps
Front & side lateral raises w/ calf raise – two 5# Dbs – 32 reps
Sumo squat jacks with 1 arm snatch (picking up & putting down the dumbbell in between) – one 10# db (I used 1x 12) – 20 reps
Lateral skates – 48 reps
Sumo squat & bicep curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) – 16 sets
Step out Arnold press & step out bicep curl – two 8# Dbs (I used 10’s) – 8 sets each side
Plank jacks w/ alternating shoulder taps (do shoulder tap as you jack) – mat – 32 reps
Tricep push-ups (on knees) – mat – 12 reps (2/2 count)
Hip bridge w/ lying tricep extensions – one 12# Db & mat – 5x 3.5’s & 8x singles
Crab kicks – mat – 24 reps
Sit-up, overhead press & 2 jabs (leaning back w/ Dbs at chest, then sit-up straight w/ overhead press then lean back & hold whilst doing 2 jabs across the body) – two 5# Dbs & mat – 11 sets
Bear crawl to plank w/ 2 push-ups & shoulder press (start in bear crawl position (squatted down) then walk out to straight arm plank; do 2 push-ups, walk back then shoulder press (bear crawl press)) – mat – 5 sets
Side plank 1 arm shoulder snatch – one 10# Db & mat – 10 reps each side
Elbow plank w/ foot to shoulder taps & knee-ins – mat – 8 sets
Release push-ups (slower then faster) – mat – 14 reps
The workout ends with a 4 minute cool down and stretch.
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If you liked this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Low Impact Compound Training (#244) – HERE.
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