Cardio Pump is Kelly Coffey-Meyer‘s other new 30 Minutes to Fitness workout DVD. The other one she just released is Lean Body Circuits. I love them both but this one is my favorite of the two. Cardio Pump contains two approximately 30 minute workouts. One is strength training done “pyramid” style and one is cardio boxing. They are both excellent workouts.
The “Pump” part of the DVD is a total body strength workout. By “pyramid” style, Kelly is referring to the weights used. She uses 20, 15 and 10 pound weights. Now, this workout isn’t actually done traditional pyramid style. When you do something pyramid style you are referring to weight load + reps in relation to the same exercise. For instance, say you are doing squats–you start with your lightest weight and do the most reps–say 15 reps, then you change to your moderate weight and do 12 reps, then you change to your heaviest weight and do 8 reps–still squats, btw. If you are doing a reverse pyramid you would go from heaviest/least reps to lightest/most reps, so just reversing the order. This is not how Kelly structures the strength training workout at all, so her referring to it as “pyramid training” is incorrect. Here is how it is actually structured: every exercise is done for one minute. You do 3 exercises for each muscle group (6 for lower body, but they are split into two groups of 3 exercises). For each muscle group, the first exercise uses the heaviest weight, the second exercise uses the moderate weight and the last exercise uses the lightest weight. However, they are all different exercises–no exercise is repeated. In spite of this, it is still an excellent workout for a 30 minute total body workout; impressive really, but not real pyramid training. I loved it anyway. I used more variety in my dumbbell choice: 25, 20, 15, 12 and 10 pound dumbbells. In the future, for some of the lower body exercises I could even use 30 pound dumbbells. I noted the weights I used for each exercise below.
For the cardio workout it is simply cardio boxing. Kelly builds 6 combos. They are varied and complex enough to keep things interesting and fun, but not so complex as to be difficult to learn and follow. The first time I did these workouts, I did the strength workout immediately followed by the cardio boxing workout. I wore 2 pound weighted gloves for the cardio boxing and got an excellent hour long workout. However, even better than doing it that way is the premix that combines the two into circuits–so you do some cardio boxing, then some weight training, some boxing, some weight training. I can’t wait to try that premix!
FYI–both workouts use the same warm up but have different cool down/stretches.
Workout 1 is 30 minutes with a 4 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. I’m not breaking this workout down as I would other workouts since it is cardio boxing. There are 6 combos; if they focus on one side of the body then the entire combo is repeated on the other side of the body. However, some of the combos address both sides of the body within the combo.
Workout #2 is 33 minutes long with a 4 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. Kelly and crew each have 3 sets of weights–heavy, moderate and light. I suggest you have more than that since you are working all muscle groups with various exercises. The weights listed beside each exercise is the weight I used.
Shoulders:
Heavy: alternating shoulder press, 20# DBs
Moderate: upright rows, 15# DBs
Light: alternating lateral raises, 10# DBs
Biceps:
Heavy: alternating bicep curls, 20# DBs
Moderate: hammer curls, 15#DBs
Light: alternating side curls, 12# DBs
Legs:
Heavy: deadlift, 30# DBs
Moderate: sumo squats, 20# DBs
Light: alternating reverse lunges, 15# DBs
Back:
Heavy: lawnmower rows (30 seconds each arm), 30# DB
Moderate: squeeze backs (hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of you at waist level; pull to the side and back, keeping then at same level but turning dumbbells so palm faces ceiling), 15# DBs
Light: run rows (bent over alternating back rows), 15# DBs
Triceps:
Heavy: overhead tricep extension (one dumbbell), 25# DB
Moderate: tricep kickbacks (30 seconds each arm), 15# DB
Light: tricep push ups (she does them on the dumbbells, but I just did them on my hands)
Legs:
Heavy: squats, 25# DBs
Moderate: alternating front lunges, 15# DBs
Light: sumo squats, one 30# DB
Chest:
Heavy: chest press, 25# DBs
Moderate: chest flys, 20# DBs
Light: run bench press (alternate arms), 12# DBs
Premixes:
Interval Pump (53 minutes)
Cardio Leg Pump (38 minutes)
Cardio Shoulder & Arms (41 minutes)
Cardio Back & Chest (38 minutes)
Pump Shoulder & Arms (18 minutes)
Pump Back & Chest (15 minutes)
Hey there! I was wondering if u can put a link to Facebook on your web page here? I’d love to share your page with people on FB. But I don’t see a link here for that. Have u thought about doing a Fb link?
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Hi Renee! I wish I could but WordPress requires me to upgrade and pay to be able to install plug ins–which is what those buttons are. This is a free blog. The only thing I pay for is the domain name. However, if you want to share a post, just copy and paste the URL. On FB it usually posts the picture and title when you post a link.
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PS Where did you get your 2 lb weighted gloves? I bought a pair about a year and a half ago, had them tucked away until I worked up to them, and when I pulled them out, they looked like a relic — pulled threads, pilling, and, worst, they felt loose on my hands. It took me a while to track THAT pair down (hardly any vendors seem to sell 2 lb gloves), and now I’m in search of another pair.
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Hi Liz–I got mine several years ago from Cathe’s online store. They are used in STS (basically for microloading, but there are better ways to do that than the gloves IMHO) and that is why I originally got them tho I use them all the time for kickboxing/cardio boxing workouts. She doesn’t sell them anymore unfortunately.
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I’ve seen those microloading gloves before. Mmm. Maybe I’ll see if I can pick them up somewhere else. Thanks for your reply!
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Uck, I’m asking again. 🙂 Could you list the weights you used for each move?
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Not a problem! I will do it tonight or tomorrow night.
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Updated–I added my dumbbell weights.
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You’re awesome! 😀 Thanks so much!
You know, going through your listed poundage, I just realized that the second set of leg exercises isn’t included in the Interval Pump premix!! That’s weird. And annoying! What a bummer! 😦
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Really! I have been planning to do that premix forever. That’s good to know–and kind of disappointing. She does that in other workouts, too. I feel like if she is “combining” two workouts, everything should be present. I was actually starting to shuffling things around in my rotation to fit that premix in but now I may not. I guess I could always go to chaptering and add that segment onto the end, but it kind of defeats the purpose of a premix.
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(Can’t reply under your “premix” comment for some reason.)
I KNOW! I feel like you do — if she’s COMBINING the workouts, ALL moves should be present. What is the point otherwise? Plus, it makes no sense — she includes EVERY other segment but that one?? (I thought it was odd that there was only ONE set of exercises for the legs in there — I’ve only ever done the premix.) I can’t imagine it was a time thing because the premix workout would still clock in at under an hour. Maybe it was just a weird oversight in editing? I THOUGHT something was off when I was tallying up the workout times you gave for the individual workouts, then, looked at the total time for the premix — the times don’t add up. The premix is 3 mins. off, and that explains it. (23 mins 1st WO, 26 mins 2nd WO = 49 mins + 4 min WU + 3 min stretch == 56 mins. The premix is only 53 mins. . .) I usually just do both KCM WOs back to back and that works for me the majority of the time, but I REALLY like the way the segments are set up in the premix, alternating one cardio and one strength — it’s my preferred way to do those kinds of workouts, intermingling both instead of just all one, then all the other. Ah, Kelly! LOL
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It is frustrating. And just FYI, she does the same thing in Shape Up–a tabata is missing in the combined workout, she also does it in Home Gym Intervals–an entire strength segment is missing. Also, Muscle Up has less sets for at least one of the exercises in the combined workout. All of these things irritate me when I come across them because when I do a combined premix I expect both workouts in their entirety. So for the most part, when I do both of KCM’s workouts, I just do them back to back rather than the premix. But like you, I love workouts that alternate cardio and strength, which is why I have been planning to do the Cardio Pump premix for a while!
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I agree with you — when there is a “combined workout” premix, I want to be doing the ENTIRE workouts, EVERY move that is in each one. The special premixes (focusing on just Upper Body, lower, back of the body, front of the body, etc.) is the time to be excising moves. It is frustrating, indeed, and certainly odd; Kelly is clearly passionate and enthusiastic and a lot of thought obviously goes in to these workouts. Given the time and effort that goes in to creating, filming, editing, and creating the premixes, it doesn’t jive that those combined premixes always get botched! (For Shape Up, I remember you noting it in your review, so when I did the premix, I just went back and tacked that one at the end. 🙂 ) It’s mildly idiotic, frankly. 🙂 It’s almost always just ONE set/move/exercise that gets left out while EVERY other move from the workouts is included.
I honestly think it’s still worth throwing the premix in to your rotation. It might be annoying, but I don’t think it would detract too much from your workout to just go back and add on that segment at the end before the stretch/cool down. It might feel a little disjointed, but I think it would be worth it. Also, since you know the moves and that each one is for 1 min., you can just pause the premix, do the segment where it SHOULD have been in the premix, timing the moves on your own, then continue on with the rest of the workout. It’s an idea.
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I probably will. I just started a Cathe Live only rotation, so I won’t be doing it for another month or so, but I have my rotation mapped out into August right now. I do that with Cathe workouts sometimes–use chaptering. Especially Ripped w/ HIIT workouts. SHe messed up the cool down/stretch in most of the premixes, so I always have to use chaptering to get to the stretch!
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Jen, Have you done the premix/circuit wkout yet? Does it contain BOTH complete wkouts w/ nothing left out?
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I have done the premix but it has been a while. I am pretty sure it contained everything. I think if it hadn’t–that it would have stood out in my memory. I know I liked the premix so I’m thinking everything was present.
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Yeah, I like Cathe Pyramid Training. Thank you!! : )
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Do you have any suggestions of programs that offer actual reverse pyramids? I think I would like this. Especially for my arms and back.
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There aren’t any I can think of that focus solely on the reverse pyramid, but Body Beast ad Cathe’s Pyramids have the full pyramid, so there reverse is included.
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