Cathe Live Review: Vertical Loading 2 (#194)

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Cathe Live Review: Vertical Loading 2 (#194)

Vertical Loading 2 is an effective pure strength total body workout. This routine is based on the concept of vertical loading - in that you start at the top of the body and work your way down. So you start with a shoulder exercise, then biceps, triceps, back, chest and finally lower body.

There is also another version of this workout in the Live archive, hence this being the second version. Vertical Loading (#124) follows a similar format and is also an effective total body workout.

Like the first Vertical Loading, this workout consists of 3 circuits of the above format and each circuit is repeated, before moving on to the next one. Cathe confuses the order on the first circuit so you do lower body before chest but she corrects it on the second time through.

The strength exercises use moderate weights and are generally reasonably high rep often 10 – 24 reps. Cathe struggled a little with the counting on this one and so the second set often has a different number of reps – sometimes intentionally and sometimes not. Many of the strength exercises also incorporate the use of a stability ball, which also works the core. Additionally, some of the back or chest exercises also target the core too so you do get a total body workout here. Gliding devices are also used in this workout – mostly for lower body - but also one of the chest exercises, disc push-ups, uses them too.

For some reason, this wasn’t quite as challenging as I was expecting after previewing it. I generally stayed with the same weights as Cathe, due to the higher number of reps, but I actually could have gone a bit heavier on several of the exercises. As the pace is more moderate too – I think this would work well next time. I also didn’t find this quite as metabolic as some of her other strength workouts - as you are not moving quite so quickly, from one thing to the next, in this one.

Overall, this was a good total body workout that you can heavy up on, if you want to, in order to really feel the burn!

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The Workout

Vertical Loading 2 is a pure strength total body workout consisting of three circuits. Each circuit contains 6 exercises that are then repeated before moving onto the next circuit. Cathe uses moderate weights, a stability ball and gliding devices (wash cloths, discs, paper plates etc) for this routine. If you don’t have a stability ball you could do the exercises on the floor instead.

What You Need to Know

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

The Moves

Vertical Loading 2 is 56 minutes long and originally aired on 19th April 2018 (#194). The workout starts with a 6 minute warm-up. Part way through the warm-up, you pick up 5# dumbbells to mimic some of the strength moves to come. Once completed you then move into the first circuit.

Circuit 1a

• Seated overhead press – two 12# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps, 8 reps (alternating arms), 8 reps

• Bicep curls (crazy 8's) – two 10# dumbbells (I used 12’s) – 24 reps

• Seated tricep overhead extensions – two 12# dumbbells & stability ball – 12 reps

• Pullovers – two 12# dumbbells (I used 15’s) & stability ball – 7 reps (4/4 count)

• Squats & lunges – two 15# dumbbells – 2 sets of 8 squats & 8 lunges each side

• Incline chest flys – two 12# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps

Circuit 1b

• Seated overhead press – two 12# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps

• Bicep curls (crazy 8's) – two 12# dumbbells – 24 reps

• Seated tricep overhead extensions – two 12# dumbbells & stability ball – 10 reps

• Pullovers – two 12# dumbbells (I used 15’s) & stability ball – 8 reps (4/4 count)

• Incline chest flys – two 15# dumbbells & stability ball – 12 reps

• Squats & lunges – two 15# dumbbells – 2 sets of 8 squats & 8 lunges each side & 8 squats at the end

Circuit 2a

• Front raise – one 15# dumbbell – 12 reps

• Incline bicep curls – two 15# dumbbells & stability ball – 12 reps

• Narrow grip bench press – two 15# dumbbells & stability ball – 22 reps

• 1 arm row – two 12# dumbbells (I used 1x 20) - 16 reps each side

• Disc push-ups – two gliding devices - 12 reps

• Slide back lunges – two 12# dumbbells & one gliding device - 16 reps each side

Circuit 2b

• Front raise – one 15# dumbbell – 16 reps

• Incline bicep curls – two 15# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps

• Narrow grip bench press – two 15# dumbbells & stability ball – 24 reps

• 1 arm row – two 12# dumbbells (I used 1x 20) - 16 reps each side

• Disc push-ups – two gliding devices - 12 reps

• Slide back lunges – two 12# dumbbells & one gliding device - 16 reps each side

Circuit 3a

• Rear delt flys – two 8# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps

• Preacher curls – two 12# dumbbells & stability ball – 12 reps

• See saw push-ups – stability ball – 10 reps & 1x long hold

• Supermans on ball – stability ball – 24 reps & 4x trap pulls (reach arms forward & back)

• Chest fly – two 15# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps

• Sliding crossback lunge – two 10# dumbbells & one gliding device – 16 singles (alternating sides) & 2x 15 pulses

Circuit 3b

• Rear delt flys – two 8# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps

• Preacher curls – two 12# dumbbells & stability ball – 16 reps

• See saw push-ups – stability ball – 4 reps, 4x partials & 4 reps

• Supermans on ball – stability ball – 24 reps, 4x trap pulls (reach arms forward & back) & 4x 3 trap pulls

• Chest fly – two 15# dumbbells & stability ball – 15 reps

• Sliding crossback lunge – two 10# dumbbells & one gliding device – 16 singles (alternating sides), 2x 15 pulses, 2x 7 pulses & 2x 3 pulses

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: Total Body Giant Sets 3 - HERE.

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