Cathe Live Review: Total Body Reps (#22)
Total Body Reps is a very challenging, high rep, total body strength workout.
This routine is based on Cathe’s High Reps DVD, which is also a tough workout. Unlike the DVD, this one does not have one song dedicated to each move but the type of exercises and reps are similar. There is also another Live based on this DVD - High Reps Total Body #28 (review), which IMHO is slightly easier than this one.
The workout mixes groups of lower body exercises with groups of upper body exercises. So your lower body has a chance to rest a little while your upper body works and vice versa. The upper body exercises are done by body part so you completely fatigue one muscle groups before moving onto the next. All of the exercises are high rep and with varying tempos and rep patterns. This keeps it interesting and you more focused as you are constantly changing things up. Cathe used a barbell and dumbbells for this routine and kept the weights lighter, as there are so many reps. I used dumbbells for everything, except plie squats where I used a kettlebell, and had no issues. I pretty much matched Cathe’s weights and this worked well for me, as my muscles were seriously burning out. There are also only short rest periods between the different moves and this really increases the challenge and the compound effect of the moves.
The workout ends with a short core section that is done lying on the step, except for the last exercise. This is just one continuous flow of exercises, one after the other, so there is lots of variety and no rest for the core.The routine ends with a one minute plank that seemed much longer than a minute! This was a great core section that worked me well too.
(One thing to note, the cool down and stretch, at the end, is very short and for such a tough workout I really didn’t find this was sufficient, particularly as she didn’t really stretch out the upper body at all. Therefore I added some additional stretching at the end).
Overall, an excellent, endurance style, total body strength workout that will fry every muscle groups nicely.
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The Workout
Total Body Reps is a pure strength total body endurance workout that ends with a short
core section on the step.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Total Body Reps is 59 minutes long and originally aired on 25th September 2014 (#22). The workout starts with a 5 minute warm-up, before moving into the first exercise for lower body. The barbell, if you are using one, is set up with 25 pounds (two big plates) at the start of the workout. The full size step, with three risers, is set up horizontally in front of you. It is only used for one lower body exercise – elevated lunges - so you will need space to put your back foot on it & lunge down.
Barbell squats - 25# BB (I used two 12# Dbs) – lots of reps (various tempos)
Change barbell to 35 pounds
Heavier barbell squats - 35# BB (I used two 15# Dbs) - lots of reps (various tempos)
Barbell plie squats - 35# BB (I used one 35# kettlebell) - lots of reps (various tempos)
Elevated lunges (foot on step behind you) – 10” step – 16x singles & 32x pulses each side
Change barbell to 25 pounds
Barbell bicep curls / crazy 8’s - 25# BB (I used two 12# Dbs) – 40 reps, 8x ½ way up, 8x ½ way down & 9 reps
1 Arm concentration curls - one 12# Db & step – one minute on each side
Sweeper curls – two 12# Dbs – 16 reps
Barbell static lunges - 25# BB (I used two 12# Dbs) – 32 reps (various tempos) each side
Change barbell to 15 pounds
Barbell overhead press - 15# BB (I used two 8# Dbs) - lots of reps (various tempos)
Barbell upright rows – 15# BB (I used two 8# Dbs)– 19 reps (various tempos)
Scarecrows - two 5# Dbs – 16 reps
Barbell wide upright row - 15# BB (I used two 8# Dbs)– 18 reps
External rotation w/ lateral raise (hold ends of Dbs together, palms facing up, circle Dbs around to shoulder level & tilt them in slight pouring action) – two 5# Dbs – 8 reps
Barbell overhead press - 15# BB (I used two 8# Dbs) – 18x singles & 2x 3 partials
Change barbell to 40 pounds
Barbell deadlifts - 40# BB (I used two 20# Dbs)– 12 reps
1 Arm rows - Cathe uses one 12# & one 10# Db in one hand (I used 1x 20) – 16 reps each side
Barbell deadrows - 40# BB (I used two 20# Dbs)– 10 reps
Rear delt flys – two 12# Dbs - 2 sets of 10 reps
Pullovers – two 15# Dbs & step – 12 reps
Incline push-ups (hands on step) – step – 16 reps
Pullovers – two 15# Dbs & step – 10 reps
Incline push-ups (hands on step) – step – 12 reps
Chest flys – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & step – 8x singles & 3x 5 partials
Tricep dips – step – 32 reps, 24 reps & 3x 3 partials
Change barbell to 25 pounds
Barbell lying tricep extensions - 25# BB (I used two 12# Dbs) & step – 21 reps (various tempos)
Standing overhead tricep extensions – two 10# Dbs- 3 sets – 7 reps, 6 reps & 6 reps
Pulsing plie squats (passing Db from hand to hand) - one 10# Db – 72 reps
Plie squats & bicep curl / plie squats & 1 bicep curl, 1 overhead swing - one 10# Db – 4x bicep & 6 sets (curl & swing – 1 of each)
Pulsing plie squats - one 10# Db – 28 reps
Quick water break & stretch at 51:45 minutes. Get out mat for core.
Core (all moves on the step except for elbow plank - I did all of them on the floor) at 52:35 minutes
Bike manoeuvre – mat & step – 48 reps
Hands to heels pulses x3 & layout crunch – mat & step
Crunches (knees bent off floor) – mat & step
L crunches (straight legs raised in an “L” position, pulse head/shoulders up 1x, then 2x, then 3x, then 4x; change legs and repeat) – mat & step – 2 sets
Layout crunches (crunch in & then push straight legs out as arms go overhead) – mat
Pulsing crunches (knees bent off floor) – mat & step
Leg thrusters (leaning back with hands on floor behind you, thrust feet in & out) – mat & step – 30 reps
Elbow plank hold – mat – one minute hold
The workout ends with a very short 1:30 minute cool down and stretch. I added on additional stretches at the end.
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If you liked this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Barbell Total Body (#259) – HERE.
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