Cathe Live Review: Lower Body Bootcamp (#146)

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Cathe Live Review: Lower Body Bootcamp (#146)

Lower Body Bootcamp is a tough, lower and core strength, workout with a strong cardio effect. This is a really excellent and challenging routine that I loved.

The workout consists of six rounds of three lower body exercises and one core exercise. Cathe says this is a moderate weight and moderate rep routine. I went heavier on several of the moves and was completely drenched by the end. The cardio effect stays with you till the last round, which is a little bit kinder. There is also an upper body version of this workout in the Live archive – Upper Body Bootcamp (#145 – review HERE), which is also a tough workout.

The lower body strength moves are a mix of standing exercises, on the floor and using a high step, plus a few floor work moves at the end. The whole workout is very fast paced and there is a lot of balance challenges both for the strength work, on the step, and sometimes on the floor too given the pace at which you are moving. I really struggled with the elevated pick-up lunges, as Cathe did them so fast. I lowered my step height for this one and still found it very challenging. The exercises are performed for a random number of reps so there is no pattern here but once you have done a move you don’t repeat it, which I love. The work on the high step I found tougher than usual, as Cathe has the step height at 12” (4 risers) rather than the usual 10”. I was really feeling the work on these and as you are moving quickly your core really has to work hard to try to stabilise you too.

The core work is all on the mat and some of the moves are fairly lower body intensive too. I was definitely feeling the 68 leg thrusters! Many of these moves also have a cardio factor too, such as, the triangle choke holds (from Cathe’s DVD - Cardio Core Circuit (amongst others)) and these kept my heart rate elevated throughout.

Overall, this is an intense lower body and core routine that with the right weights will really challenge you. This is definitely one I will return to.

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The Workout

Lower Body Bootcamp is a lower body and core strength workout consisting of six rounds. Each round includes three lower body strength moves and one core move. Cathe used a high step, with four risers, moderate dumbbells and a mat for this routine (I also used ankle weights for one move in Round 6 rather than the step). If you don’t have a high step, you could use a full size step instead.

What You Need to Know

(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).

The Moves

Lower Body Bootcamp is 58 minutes long and originally aired on 27thApril 2017 (#146). The workout starts with a 5 minute warm-up, before moving into the first lower body exercise. The high step, with four risers, is set up off to one side at the start of the workout. The step height remains the same until Round 6. You will need to have your equipment handy, as you will be moving fairly quickly from one thing to the next.

Round 1

• Deadlifts – two 15# Dbs (I used 20’s) – 18 reps (2/2)

• Squats – two 15# Dbs (I used 20’s) – 26 reps

• Elevated lunge & 1 arm overhead press / elevated pick up lunges – one 10# Db & step – 8 reps / 16 reps (1st side). 8 reps / 20 reps (2nd side)

• Core: Elbow plank shift & 1 leg raise (shift body forward & back then raise 1 leg) / elbow plank march / elbow plank shift – mat – 12x shift & 1 leg, 8x march & 8x shift only

Round 2

• Step ups to reverse lunges – two 10# Dbs & step– 12 reps each side

• Alternating side lunges – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) & two 5# Dbs for markers – 30 reps

• Crossback lunges - one 15# Db – 4x 15 pulses each side

• Core: Leg thrusters (leaning back with hands on floor behind you, thrust feet in & out) – mat – 68 reps (straight & angled)

Round 3

• Squats off side of step - one 15# Db & step – 20 reps each side

• Front lunges (1x 3 pulses & 2x singles) – one 10# Db (I used 1x 15) – 6 sets (1st side) & 7 sets (2ndside)

• Plie squats (setting Dbs on floor & picking them back up) – two 15# Dbs (I used 20’s) – 48 reps

• Core: Triangle choke hold (roll back then come up to one knee) / alternative move: leg chasers – mat – 12 reps

Round 4

• Reverse lunges off step – two 10# Dbs & step– 10x 3 pulses & 4x singles each side

• Walking lunges & plie pulse squats – two 12# Dbs – 6 sets

• Calf raises – two 15# DBs (I used 20’s) – 71 reps

• Core: Reverse hip lift & leg shooter (lay on back w/ head off floor; raise hips & legs straight up overhead then press legs straight out a few inches off floor. Keep elbows off floor when shooting legs out to front) – mat – 12 reps

Round 5

• 1 Leg abduction & 1 arm front swing – one 10# Db & step – 16 reps each side

• Standing straight leg raises / inner thigh raises – two 12# Dbs – 32x straight leg & 32x inner thigh each side

• Pivoting sumo squats - one 15# Db – 20 reps & 2x 15 pulses

• Core: Pullover w/ leg extension – one 10# Db (I used 2x 10) & mat – 21 reps (1 leg & both)

Round 6

• Single leg deadlift - one 15# Db (I used 2x 15# Dbs) – 12 reps each side

• Outer thigh lifts (leaning elbow on 12” step w/ mat over it to protect elbow) – 12” high step & mat (I did these on the floor w/ ankle weights on instead) – 32 reps (point) / 32 reps (flex). (2ndset has 40 reps toe flexed)

• Single leg glute press (1 foot on 8” step) – 8” high step & mat – 76 reps (1st side) & 80 reps (2ndside)

• Core: Windshield wipers (lying on back, arms out to sides & legs straight up in the air, move legs side to side, bringing legs 12-18” from floor) – mat – 14 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: High Step Legs & Core (#153) – HERE.

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