Cathe Live Review: Smokin’ Lower Body (#128)
Smokin’ Lower Body is a tough and intense lower body strength workout. Wow was this a serious workout – I was absolutely drenched by the end and my lower body was pretty fried.
This is the second edition of this routine as there is the sister workout – Smokin’ Upper Body (#111 review HERE) that goes with this one. If you do them on consecutive days you will burn out every muscle group.
Unlike the upper body version, this one does not contain actual cardio blasts but it has a really strong cardio effect, as any of the moves are very metabolic or you are using heavy weight with very little rest in between.The whole workout moves at a pretty fast pace and there are only short rest breaks, between some of the exercises, and others you just go straight into the next move. I was really feeling this by the end and my lower body was pretty fatigued so I was struggling on those elevated lunges.
The workout is set up in four main sections. You start with non-weighted exercises for the lower body and these are very metabolic and pretty fast paced. You then move onto using dumbbells then a barbell and finally you do lower body exercises using a 10” step and dumbbells. So you really hit the legs from all different angles and with a variety of different training methods. I really liked the format and the fact there is so much variety means the routine just flies by.
Overall, this is an excellent, fast paced lower strength routine that will really challenge your lower body, using a variety of equipment. This is definitely one I will be returning to often.
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The Workout
Smokin’ Lower Body is a lower body strength workout. Cathe used moderate dumbbells, a barbell at 40 pounds (I used dumbbells instead of a barbell & a 40 pound kettlebell for plie squats only) and a full size step with three risers.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Smokin’ Lower Body is 47 minutes long and originally aired on 8th December 2016 (#128). The workout starts with a 2:30 minute warm-up, before moving straight into the non-weighted lower body exercises. The barbell, if you are using one, is set up with 40 pounds at the start of the workout (it doesn’t change during the routine). The step, with three risers on each side, is set off to one side with the barbell and dumbbells for later in the workout.
Non-Weighted Lower Body
Step out squats – 8 sets each side
Side lunge & crescent knee – 8 sets each side
Squat kick, squat lunge – 8 sets each side
Pendulum lunges – 2x 8 pulses, 4x 4 pulses, 8x 2 pulses & 16x singles each side
Side lunge, leg abduction, side lunge & crossback lunge – 8 sets each side
Standing outer thigh lifts – 16x alternating & 32x singles (one side only). 36x alternating & 32x singles (other side)
Side-to-side sumo squat jumps – 48 reps (double pulses & singles)
Dumbbell Lower Body
Lateral plie walks – two 10# Dbs – 4 sets
Lateral plie walks – two 12# Dbs – 8 sets
Walking lunges & plie pulses - two 10# Dbs – 4 sets
Walking lunges & plie pulses - two 12# Dbs – 4 sets
Sumo pulse walks - one 15# Db – 6 sets each side
Diagonal forward lunges – two 12# Dbs – 4 sets of 8 reps
Single leg deadlifts – one 15# Db (I used 2x15) – 12 reps each side
Static lunges – two 15# Dbs – 16 reps & 12 reps each side
Barbell Lower Body
Deadlifts – 40# BB (I used 2x 20# Dbs) – 12 reps (2/2 count)
Squats - 40# BB (I used 2x 20# Dbs) – 30 reps (singles, 2/2 & 3/1 counts)
Narrow stiff-leg deadlifts - 40# BB (I used 2x 20# Dbs) – 12 reps
Wide stance deadlifts - 40# BB (I used 2x 20# Dbs) – 8 reps
Plie squats - 40# BB (I used 40# kettlebell) – 28 reps (singles, 2/2 & 3/1 counts)
Deadlifts - 40# BB (I used 2x 20# Dbs) – 16 reps (2/2 & 3/1 counts)
Step & Dumbbell Lower Body
Squats off side of step - one 15# Db & 10” step – 16 reps each side
Step ups – two 12# Dbs & 10” step – 16 reps each side
Crossback lunges off step - one 15# Db & 10” step – 6 sets (1x 3 pulses & 2x singles)
Alternating reverse lunges off step - two 10# Dbs & 10” step – 6 sets (2x 3 pulses & 4x singles)
Elevated lunges (back foot on step) – two 12# Dbs & 10” step – 4 sets (4x singles & 1x 7 pulses) each side
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: We’re Talkin’ Legs Live (#225) – HERE.
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