Cathe Live Review: Touch Up Training: Upper Body (#296)
Touch Up Training: Upper Body is a reasonably high rep, strength workout focused on the upper body.
This was the second ‘Touch Up Training’ workout on Live, although there are now two others currently in the archive – Touch Up Training #294, which is a total body cardio and strength workout (review HERE), and Touch Up Training: Lower Body #298, which is a similar strength training routine to this but for the lower body (review HERE).
This workout, like the Lower body version has no repeated exercises – it just consists of 20 different moves. I love these types of workouts - they have so much more variety and there is no dread factor as the time just flies by. This routine is quite high rep so that’s why Cathe says she went a bit lighter with her weights, for some of the moves, as she wanted to focus on going longer with the reps. However, for some moves she is using heavier weights, as she has 20 pound dumbbells again and uses them to good effect for the one arm and double arms rows. I also really felt the incline shoulder presses near the start and the hip huggers towards the end – as there were just so many reps! I did increase my weights on a few of the exercises, where she went very light, such as, tricep extensions and woodchops but most of the time I found the weights worked reasonably well. However, I would increase on chest flys and the incline front raise arcs in future.
The exercises are all traditional upper body moves and most use the stability ball to provide additional core engagement and balance challenges. They don’t feel rushed so if you did want to increase your weights a little you can. I did feel that I got a good workout but it’s definitely not the most intense routine, as Cathe takes far more water breaks than usual – pretty much after every exercise. When the routine started, with decline push-ups on the ball, and we did 28 reps straight out of the gate, I was a little bit worried about how tough this was going to be but after that and with so many breaks it was far less intense overall than I expected.
(Unfortunately, again the stretch for this one is very short (1:30 minutes) so I added on a few extra stretches at the end. I really don’t understand why Cathe is cutting them so short but it does seem rather a shame to me).
Overall, an effective and varied upper body strength workout that works the upper body nicely. This is one I will definitely be returning to.
(For more information about Cathe Live, how to sign up & to see all of my Cathe Live reviews, click HERE).
The Workout
Touch Up Training: Upper Body is a pure strength workout focused on the upper body using dumbbells and a stability ball. The workout consists of twenty different upper body strength moves.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Touch Up Training: Upper Body is 44 minutes long and originally aired on 7th May 2020 (#296). The workout starts with a 4 minute warm-up, before a quick water break and then moving into the first exercise using the ball.
Decline push-ups (shins on ball & hands on floor) – ball – 28 reps
Incline shoulder press – two 15# Dbs & ball – 8x both arms & 4 sets (2x 1 arm & 1x both)
Lying tricep extensions – two 8# Dbs (I used 10’s) & ball – 10 sets (1x 2/2 & 2x singles)
Crossover push-ups (alternating crossing 1 leg over the other as you do a push-up) – mat – 2 sets of 8 reps
Incline front raise arcs / front raise & chest press – two 5# Dbs & ball – 8x arc, 8x raise & press & 8x arc
1 Arm tricep kickbacks in plank – one 12# Db (Cathe changes to 1x 10# for 2nd side. I stayed with 1x 12) & mat – 16 reps each side
Alternating 1 arm chest fly – two 15# Dbs & ball – 20 reps
Lateral raise / shrugs – two 5# Dbs – 20x lat raise, 8x shrug & 16x lat raise
1 Arm rear delt fly (leaning on ball) – one 5# Db & ball – 8x palm down, 8x thumb down & 8x palm down each side
See saw push-ups (thighs or shins on ball & hands on floor) – ball – 16 reps
Pullovers – two 15# Dbs & ball – 13 reps
Incline bicep curls – two 12# Dbs & ball – 22 reps
Woodchops on ball – one 10# Db (I used 1x 12) & ball – 17 reps (slow) & 13 reps (fast)
1 Arm row w/ leg lift (1 hand on ball, other hand holding the Db; do a row as you lift the opposite leg behind you) – one 20# Db & ball – 15 reps (1st side) & 17 reps (2nd side)
Preacher curls (leaning over the ball) – two 12# Dbs, ball & mat – 16 reps & up 1 count & down slow 8 count
1 Arm salute supermans (leaning over ball with hands resting below you on ball; holding 1 hand to forehead in a salute; raise & lower torso) – ball – 26 reps
Hip huggers (upright rows to the side with shoulders back; as Cathe says “like pulling up your pants”) – two 15# Dbs – 32 reps
Double arm back rows – two 20# Dbs – 16 reps
Concentration curls (sitting on ball; do 1 arm bicep curls) – one 15# Db & ball – 16 reps each side
Reverse crunches (ball against shins) – ball & mat – 44 reps
The workout ends with a very short 1:30 minute cool down and stretch. I added a few extra stretches on the end.
Take Action
Try it today! Find out more about how to subscribe and to check out all of my Cathe Live Reviews - click HERE.
If you liked this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Arms & Abs On The Ball (#284) – HERE.
If you enjoyed this review, please share it using the links below.