Cathe Live Review: Rapid Fire Legs & Core (#180)

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Cathe Live Review: Rapid Fire Legs & Core (#180)

Rapid Fire Legs & Core is a fun, fast paced cardio and strength workout, focusing on the lower body and core. This was a fantastic workout that I really enjoyed and worked my legs and core very well. This is definitely more of a metabolic strength routine, as you are moving very quickly from one thing to the next, with very little rest, and your heart rate will stay pretty elevated throughout.

There are only two cardio sections in this workout and they both use the resistance loop to increase the intensity and continue to work the lower body. The cardio moves are there to keep the heart rate up and provide different ways of working the lower body, rather than providing a true cardio and strength routine. However, they are still very effective in getting you breathing a little harder. It also contributes to the overall metabolic / cardio factor of the whole workout.

The strength moves are done using lighter to moderate weights and given the speed you are moving it would probably be difficult to go too much heavier and maintain the pace and your form. This is designed to be more metabolic than a heavy strength class. You also combine different lower body exercises together, such as, squats and static lunges so you move quickly between the two different moves. The moves are generally quite high rep and you will definitely be feeling some of them. I particularly felt the walking lunges / plie squats and the ball knee squeezes at the end.

The lower body workout ends with floor work using the ball – a combination of hamstring roll-ins and ball knee squeezes. Given the high reps and number of sets you do for these, you will definitely be feeling them by the end! The final floor work move for the lower body is ball toss and then you move directly into the core work from that position. The core work also uses the ball for every move and provided a nice variety of different exercises to work the core section very well.

Overall, this is a really effective metabolic lower body workout with a strong cardio effect - providing a nice challenge for your lower body and core. It is quite different from many of Cathe’s other lower body workouts, and was one I really enjoyed and will return to frequently.

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The Workout

Rapid Fire Legs & Core is a cardio and metabolic strength workout focusing on the lower body and core. You use moderate weights, resistance loop and a stability ball for this routine.

What You Need to Know

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

The Moves

Rapid Fire Legs & Core is 50 minutes long and originally aired on 11th January 2018 (#180). The workout starts with an 8 minute warm-up before moving into the first set of lower body exercises. The class starts with Cathe and crew hopping up on their toes. Cardio moves shown below in bold italics.

• Squats & static lunges – two 10, 12 & 15# dumbbells – 3 sets increasing weights each time – 8 reps of each alternating between the two moves

• Deadlifts & static lunges – two 15# dumbbells – 4 sets of 4x deadlifts & 8x lunges

• Alternating side to side sumo squats – one 15# dumbbell – 3 sets alternating sumo squats to back, pulsing & side to side

• Jacks – resistance loop around ankles

• Shuffle & punches (facing side) – resistance loop

Repeat on other side

• Diagonal lunges - two 12# dumbbells – 16 reps

• Lateral walks – two 12# dumbbells – 3 sets

Repeat above starting on other side

• Back lunges – two 10# dumbbells – singles & pulsing

• Walking lunges & plie squats – two 10# dumbbells – 8 sets

• Jacks – resistance loop around ankles

• Jump forward & back (feet wide) this changes to jumping in place - resistance loop

Repeat above two more times

• Firewalker side steps – resistance loop

• Calf raises – two 15# dumbbells – 2 sets of 50 reps

• Crossback lunges – one 15# dumbbell – singles & pulsing

• Alternating side leg lifts (changing arm positions – prayer, out to side, overhead, circles) – resistance loop around ankles – 7 sets of 8 reps

Quick water break & move to floor with stability ball

• Hamstring roll-ins – stability ball – 24 reps

• Ball knee squeeze – stability ball – 16 singles / 8x 3 pulses / 48 fast pulses (1st set), as before but add another 16 reps on end (2nd set), 8 singles / 4x 3 pulses / 64 fast pulses (3rd set)

Repeat above two more times

• Ball toss (lying on back with legs straight into the air – catch & release ball between feet) – stability ball

Stay in the above position (ball between the feet in the air) as you move to the core exercises straight away

• Crunches (hands behind head) – stability ball

• Crunches (reaching arms through the legs) – stability ball

• Ball exchange – stability ball

• Banana holds (ball held back over head) – stability ball

• Sit-ups & roll ball over the feet (legs straight out) – stability ball

• Flutter kicks (lying on back, raise head & flutter up both legs alternately then back down) – stability ball

• 1 leg lifts (lying on back, ball over head, sit-up with ball & raise 1 leg toward the ball then alternate to other side) – stability ball

• Russian twists (leaning back & rotate ball side to side) – stability ball

• Modified V-sits (boat pose) with stability ball balanced on shins – stability ball

The workout ends with a 3 minute cool down and stretch using the stability ball.

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If you enjoyed this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Cardio Leg Party - HERE.

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