Cathe Live Review: Push Pull (#45)

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Cathe Live Review: Push Pull (#45)

Push Pull is an express, total body, strength workout. This is a really good straight forward routine that will work every muscle group.

The workout starts with strength exercises for the lower body, then moves onto the upper body and ends with core. This routine is based on Cathe’s DVD, of the same name, from the Intensity Series, which is also a good, time efficient workout that I really like. As with the DVD, you are moving pretty quickly from one exercise to the next and this also helps to keep the heart rate up a little higher too. At 41 minutes this is definitely a no nonsense ‘get in and get it done’ kind of workout.

The lower body exercises are a mix of squats, lunges and deadlifts. None of these exercises are too high rep and the controlled pace allows you to really heavy up here, if you want to. There is no pulsing and the reps are often 2/2 counts so you really have time to feel the work and ensure you have great form. Cathe is using a barbell, for this routine, and uses heavier weight than she normally does in her Live classes with 45 pounds (although she says its 40 pounds but it isn’t). As I don’t like using the barbell, I just used heavier dumbbells and a 40 pound kettlebell (for plie squats but you could also use dumbbells here instead) and this worked well for me. If you use a challenging weight in this section you will definitely start to feel the work here, particularly on the final set of squats and deadlifts.

The next section is for the upper body and consists of groups of exercises. You start with chest and back, then shoulders and finally triceps and biceps. Again the pace here is slower so you can go as heavy as you want to. The reps are generally not too high either often between 8 and 12 reps. This was a really nice upper body workout – not too tough - but worked me well. I particularly found the underhand rows and the rear delt flys challenging.

The workout ends with a core superset that you repeat four times through. This consists of 8 ankle grabber sit-ups and then you flip over to do an elbow plank and march the feet in and out. By the last set I was definitely feeling the sit-ups and was breathing a little harder too.

Overall, this is a time efficient, effective total body strength challenge and one that you can really heavy up on, if you want to. This is definitely one I will be returning to frequently.

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The Workout

Push Pull is a pure strength total body workout. The routine starts with lower body then upper and finishes with core. Cathe used a barbell at 45 and 30 pounds, moderate dumbbells, a chair and a mat for this workout. I used dumbbells and a 40 pound kettlebell.

What You Need to Know

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

The Moves

Push Pull is 41 minutes long and originally aired on 2nd April 2015 (#45). The workout starts with a 4:30 minute warm-up before moving into the first lower body strength exercise. The barbell, if you are using one, is set at 45 pounds (Cathe says it’s 40 pounds but it isn’t) at the start of the workout. You will also need to have your chair and dumbbells nearby.

Lower Body

• Barbell Squats - 45# barbell (I used two 22# dumbbells) – 11x 2/2 count & 4x 3.5’s

• Barbell Deadlifts - 45# barbell (I used two 22# dumbbells) – 11 reps (2/2 count)

• Barbell plie squats - 45# barbell (I used a 40# kettlebell) – 12 reps

• Barbell wide leg deadlifts - 45# barbell (I used two 22# dumbbells) – 12 reps (2/2 count)

• Static lunges – two 15# dumbbells – 7 sets (1x 2/2 count & 2x singles)

• Single leg deadlift - one 15# dumbbell (I used two 15# dumbbells) – 12 reps

• Static lunges (other leg) – two 15# dumbbells - 7 sets (1x 2/2 count & 2x singles)

• Single leg deadlift (other leg) - one 15# dumbbell (I used two 15# dumbbells) – 12 reps

• Barbell squats - 45# barbell (I used two 22# dumbbells) – 8x 2/2 count, 4x 3.5’s & 2x 4/4 count

• Barbell deadlifts - 45# barbell (I used two 22# dumbbells) – 12 reps

Upper body at 15:05 minutes

• Push-ups – mat – 8x 2/2 count & 3x 4/4 count

• Underhand bent over barbell rows - 45# barbell (I used two 20# dumbbells) – 7 sets of 3 reps

• Chest flys (knees bent off the floor) - two 15# dumbbells & mat (I used 20’s) – 2x 4/4 count & 14x 2/2 count

• 1 Arm rows – two 12# dumbbells held in one hand (I used 1x 20) – 6 sets (1x 2/2 count & 2x singles)

• Release push-ups to supermans – mat – 1x 4 count rep & 8x 2 count reps

• Upright rows – two 15# dumbbells – 12 reps (2/2 count)

• Overhead shoulder press (goal post position – palms facing forward) – two 15# dumbbells – 12 reps (2/2 count)

• Front raise - one 15# dumbbell – 8 reps

• Rear delt flys – two 12# dumbbells – 10 reps

• Front raise - one 15# dumbbell – 8 reps

• Rear delt flys – two 12# dumbbells – 10 reps

Change barbell to 30 pounds

• Tricep dips – chair – 8x 2/2 count, 8x singles, 2x 2/2 count & 4x singles

• Barbell bicep curls – 30# barbell (I used two 15# dumbbells) – 13 reps (2/2 count)

• Seated overhead tricep extensions – two 12# dumbbells & chair – 12 reps (2/2 count)

• Seated sweeping curls – two 12# dumbbells (I used 15’s) – 12 reps (2/2 count)

• Seated overhead tricep extensions – two 12# dumbbells & chair – 8 reps (2/2 count)

• Seated sweeping curls – two 12# dumbbells (I used 15’s) – 8 reps (2/2 count)

Core on the mat at 33:20 minutes

• 8 Ankle grabber sit-ups / elbow plank hold (x4 count), step feet out and in – mat – 4 sets

The workout ends with a 3:30 minute cool down and stretch.

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