Cathe Live Review: Total Body Band Blast (#343)
Total Body Band Blast is a low impact cardio and strength workout using resistance bands. This was a fairly cardio intensive routine and I was definitely nice and sweaty by the end. It wasn’t necessarily one of my favourite workouts, as I am not a huge fan of using just resistance bands but it was definitely an effective and interesting total body workout. Cathe doesn’t have that many Live band only routines so it’s always nice for a bit of variation. She does also have a few DVD workouts that use only the bands, including LITE Body Weight & Bands – detailed review HERE. In addition, she also just posted yesterday that she is going to be releasing two new band and loops, low impact, routines using fabric resistance bands, which is super exciting! I love using my fabric resistance loops for lower body and so am really looking forward to the new routines, as one is Glutes & Core. So now all we have to do is to be really patient until July for them to come out…!
This routine alternates cardio intervals with total body strength work. All of the cardio intervals are low impact but you can easily make them higher impact, if you prefer. They are quite high rep, often 40+ reps, so they will definitely get your heart rate up a bit higher. You don’t use the bands for these moves and they are all familiar Cathe low impact exercises, such as, halo slams, galloping jacks and lifted abductions. None of the moves are repeated though, for either the cardio or strength work, so once it’s done you move onto something else.
The strength moves are a mix of compound moves, incorporating both the upper and lower body, with some more isolation exercises, such as, 1 arm tricep press downs. They all use the resistance tubing or resistance loop in some way. Cathe used both light and medium tension resistance tubing and a medium tension resistance loop during this routine. I used a medium tension resistance band and a heavy tension resistance loop. Although some of the moves are pretty high rep, I didn’t find this too bad. However, I did modify a few of the moves to using dumbbells, including overhead moves and bicep curls. Firstly, my band is not that stretchy for overhead moves and secondly, I find using it for bicep curls a little awkward without the handles.
Cathe incorporated a wide variety of different moves in this routine, which I really liked. There is so much variety that even though the workout is nearly an hour long, it really didn’t feel like it. She managed to target all of the different muscle groups, in some fashion, and the routine then ends with a series of core focused moves to round out the program nicely. There were a few new variations for the strength moves or Cathe used the loop for some exercises that she usually uses the tubing. I liked the opportunity to switch it up slightly and it just keep things fresh and interesting. My only other thought about this routine is that Cathe seemed a little distracted at times – sometimes her counting was off and other times she stopped an exercise mid-way to say she was “checking on” the viewers. Now usually she only does this a couple of times during a workout but this time it seemed like it was during pretty much every cardio move and I found it a little distracting to keep the tempo sometimes. I don’t know if she was particularly tired or something but it just felt a little disjointed and unusual to me.
Overall, a total body low impact challenge that’s great for travel or when you don’t want to pull out lots of equipment.
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The Workout
Total Body Band Blast is a low impact cardio and strength workout using resistance tubing and a resistance loop. The routine alternates between low impact cardio intervals and total body band exercises.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Total Body Band Blast is 56 minutes long and originally aired on 15th April 2021 (#343). The workout starts with a 5 minute warm-up, using the light resistance tubing (I used both my 5 pound dumbbells and my band for the warm-up, as I found some of the moves a little awkward with the band). Cathe used light and medium tension resistance tubing during this routine and I have noted which one she used for each exercise below. I used a medium tension resistance band and 10 and 12 pound dumbbells. Cardio moves shown in bold italics below.
Attacks / rope climbs – 61 reps
Squat & twist w/ 1 arm overhead press – light resistance tubing – 32 reps
Line taps (“scoop water out of the pool”) – 55 reps
Squat & lat pulldown / step out squat & lat pulldown – medium resistance tubing – 40 reps
Halo slams – 40 reps
Row & arrow (side lunge back & pull band at shoulder height) – medium resistance tubing (around 1 hand & held in other) – 16 reps & 16x pulses each side
Double hop into fighter stance – 24 reps
Double arm pulls / add knee lift – resistance loop (around wrists / bottom of hands) – 43 reps
3 Rope climbs & 1 elbow smash – 8 sets each side
W curls (Cathe starts w/ W curls & then forgets & changes to straight bicep curls) – medium resistance tubing (I used two 12# Dbs) – 24 reps & 8x 1.5’s
Lifted squat abductions – 62 reps
1 Arm tricep press down – medium resistance tubing or loop – 2 sets of 8x singles & 16x pulses (1st side). 16x singles, 32x pulses, 4x singles & 8x pulses (2nd side)
Squat digs / apple pickers – 40x digs & 16x apple
Step out sumo squats – resistance loop (around thighs) – 24 reps & 4x 3 pulses
Galloping jacks – 24 reps each side
Wide stance 1 arm chest press (pushing out across the body) – light resistance tubing – 64 reps
Hammer lunge down & knee smash – 16 reps each side
Overhead tricep extensions – light resistance tubing (I used two 10# Dbs) – 16x singles, 4x 1.5’s & 4x 2/2 count
Heisman rock & run – 16 sets
Lateral walks (“firewalkers”) – resistance loop (around ankles) – 16 sets (4 steps to side)
Hi lo punches – 8 sets of 8 reps
Wide stance bicep curls – medium resistance tubing – 37 reps
Touch down & reach up – 24 reps
Hamstring curls – resistance loop (around ankles) – 24 reps
Tap backs / rear leg lifts – resistance loop (around ankles) – 16x tap & 16x pulse lift each side
Tap outs (to side) – resistance loop (around ankles) – 24 reps each side
Fred Astaires – 50 reps
Windmills – resistance loop (under 1 foot & held in same side hand) – 12 reps each side
Wide high knee march (“hot coals”) – 64 reps
Side bend crunches – resistance loop (under 1 foot & held in same side hand) – 24 reps (1st side) & 28 reps (2nd side)
Puddle jumpers or lateral skates – 78 reps
Plank feet tap outs (in high plank; tap 1 foot out to side & in; then other side) – resistance loop (around ankles) – 25 reps
Plank hand tap outs (in high plank; tap 1 hand out to side & in; then other side) – resistance loop (around hands) – 24 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: Bands & Bodyweight Travel Workout (#150) – HERE.
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