ICE: Chiseled Lower Body Blast

Chiseled Lower Body Blast is a great workout. I loved it. It is one of my favorite types of workouts–cardio + strength in which strength work is alternated with cardio blasts. However, it is part of the ICE fitness program and ICE stands for Intermediate Conditioning Extreme, so this is not as intense as Cathe‘s other similar workouts. So you are not getting an STS Plyo Legs or Ripped w/ HIIT: HIIT Lower Body Circuit. But that does not mean this is not an excellent workout. It is. I don’t even look at it as recovery level. True that this is not advanced but you can still get a great workout. In fact, with heavy enough dumbbells and the Blizzard Blast added onto the end, I was definitely worn out by the end of the workout. My legs were burning and my Fitbit said I had burned well over 500 calories in 66 minutes. So not bad at all.

The first time I did this workout I only did the main workout and I did the same thing I did with all of the ICE workouts–I automatically lifted heavier than Cathe. Now, before I write anymore, I want to point out that regardless of all I just wrote, this workout could also work well for a higher level beginner or someone of an intermediate fitness level. First, if you follow Cathe’s weight selection, you are lifting super light and it simply will not be as intense as it is when you are challenging yourself w/ heavier dumbbells. And second, there is a modifier. Amanda modifies a lot of the exercises in this workout for someone who isn’t ready for the level of the exercises Cathe is performing.

Now, back to my experience. Cathe lifted very light in this workout–primarily 8 and 10 pound dumbbells and 15s for deadlifts. I used 15, 20 and 35 pound dumbbells, so you have to keep in mind that if you are a more advanced exerciser the weight of your dumbbells will go a long way to increasing the intensity of the workout. Granted, I don’t believe it takes the workout up to an advanced workout, but it is still a fun and effective workout that does a great job working the lower body hard and giving you some great cardio bursts. BTW–that is another thing that makes this less advanced–the cardio blasts. Even tho they are often intense and get the heart rate up there, they are not HIIT level intense like her cardio blasts frequently are. That is, if you are an advanced exerciser. If you are not advanced, these blast could very well make your heart rate sky-rocket. But I don’t always need HIIT level blasts. I do like HIIT level blasts a lot (and I have STS Plyo Legs and Ripped w/ HIIT workouts for that), but I also like cardio + strength workouts that get the heart pumping but don’t kill me. And that’s where this workout falls.

Now, the second time I did this workout I did it with the Blizzard Blast–that push it into the HIIT level. I also used lighter dumbbells (12 pounds) because it is much more metabolic. So doing the Blizzard Blast will push this workout into the advanced level if you are using heavy enough dumbbells in the main workout then adding on the Blizzard Blast. As mentioned above, that one wore me out!

This DVD also includes Muscle Meltdown: Shoulders and Icy Core #2; they will be reviewed below the main workout and Blizzard Blast. BTW–this is the same Muscle Meltdown: Shoulders that is included in To the Mat: Legs & Glutes. Any additional equipment you need for those bonuses will be listed there, so keep that in mind when you do premixes that include them. For my doubles workout today I am doing premix #7–4 rounds of the Muscle Meltdown.

Chiseled Lower Body Blast is 48 minutes long; 8 minute warm up and 4 minute stretch. For this workout all you need is a variety of dumbbells. As mentioned above, Cathe uses 8, 10 and 15 pound dumbbells. I had heavier dumbbells.

Exercises:

1. Strength: Forward/Back Lunges (pendulum lunges; first you will pulse forward 4x, then back 4x, then it drops to pulsing 2x); no DBs used
2. Cardio: Forward In/Out/Back Jacks
3. Strength: Hover Squats (you will be pulsing in low squat 15x); Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 15# DB
4. Cardio: 3 Lateral Skates/1 Jack
5. Strength: Step Out Squats (holding one DB in both hands, squat and hold isometrically for entire exercises while pulsing and stepping 3x out to side then back in); Cathe used 10# DB, I used 20# DB
6. Cardio: Lateral Frog Hops (deep, wide leg squat jump, jumping side to side)
7. Strength: High Rep Lunge Taps (place end of DB on floor and hold top end w/ hand, step same side leg back; bringing same side leg in and out at a pretty brisk pace); Cathe uses 15# DB, I used 20# DB–since you’re not lifting the DB, the heavier the better since it stays it place better
8. Cardio: Sump Squat Lunge Combo (wide squat, pivot to side into static lunge, pivot back to front sumo squat, pivot to other side into lunge; keep alternating then it changes–you add small hops every time you pivot)
9. Strength: Cross Back Lunge Crescent Knee Squats (curtsy lunge, squat, crescent knee, squat) Cathe uses 8# DB, I used 15# DB
10. Cardio: Shuffling Power Turns (shuffle to side 3x, drop into deep squat, quarter turn jump squat, jump squat back (so another quarter turn))
11. Strength: Static Lunges; Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 20# DB
12. Cardio: Cross Jack Cross Knee
13. Strength: Alternating Forward Lunges; Cathe uses 8# DB, I used 15# DB
14. Cardio: Plie Jacks
15. Strength: Plie Squat; Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 35# DB
16. Cardio: Front Side Back Jack (jump forward, jump side, jump back, jack)
17. Strength: Side Lunges (first you alternate side then you do them on one side, then the other); Cathe uses 8# DB, I used 15# DB
18. Cardio: Lifted Squat Abduction (alternate squatting and lifting leg to side, very brisk pace)
19. Strength: Back Lunges (reverse lunges; when you lunge you pulse 3x) Cathe uses 8# DB, I used 15# DB
20. Cardio: Flying Angel Jacks (squat down with legs together and pulse twice then jump up into air jack)
21. Strength: Deadlifts; Cathe uses 15# DB, I used 35# DB
22. Cardio: Lateral Skates

Blizzard Blast (17:30 minutes): This Blizzard Blast is set up the same as the main workout, alternating cardio blasts with strength work. However, it is definitely more intense. The strength work is more of the metabolic variety and the cardio blasts are more intense–frequently HIIT level. She also seems to give you shorter rest periods between exercises. This is the longest of all of the Blizzard Blasts in ICE but at the end she does give you a 1:30 minute cool down before you move on to the next thing (another bonus if you are doing a premix that has something after the blast or on to the stretch). Overall, a very intense little blast!

1. Strength: Lateral walks (plie walk 4x to each side holding DBs under chin) Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 12# DB
2. Cardio: One legged burpees (10 each side)
3. Strength: Squat w/ overhead press; Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 12# DB
4.  Cardio: Snow angel jacks
5.  Strength: Side lunge to curtsy lunge; Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 15# DB
6. Cardio: Lateral frog hops (the same as #6 in the main workout, except this time you are holding one 8#DB in both hands)
7. Strength: Side lunge w/ one arm overhead press; Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 12# DB
8. Cardio: Side to side bunny hop (holding one 8# DB in both hands)
9. Strength: Rotational lunges (start turned to one side and do overhead press, pivot to other side and do a lunge, bringing DBs down to either side of front foot) Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 12# DB
10. Cardio: Pivoting apple pickers
11. Strength: Squat abduction front swing (kettlebell-type move) 12# DB
12. Cardio: Forward back attack (squat jump forward, squat jump back then squat jump in place twice while doing kettlebell type arms–slamming hands together between legs)

Muscle Meltdown/Shoulders (15:30 minutes): One round = 5 exercises listed below; do the round 3 times total; do each exercise 12 reps. Equipment needed is a stability ball and a variety of dumbbells. Cathe used 5 and 10 pound dumbbells and I used heavier–15, 8 and 7 pound dumbbells. Use the weight that challenges you. My shoulders were burning by the final round. I was eyeing that 5 pound dumbbell for the rear delt raises! But I stuck w/ my 7 and pushed through.

1. Overhead press
2. Upright row
3. Standing side lateral raise
4. Front raise (using one dumbbell held in both hands)
5. Rear delt raise on stability ball

Icy Core #2 (14 minutes) For this you need a dumbbell (Cathe uses a 5# DB) and a flat resistance band. This was more challenging than Icy Core #1. Another excellent core bonus and harder than I was expecting it to be for an “intermediate” workout!

1. Weighted V-sits (lay on back, legs straight and raised to ceiling; reach DB toward toes) (Cathe uses 5# DB, I used 8# DB)
2. Pullover heel tap/extensions (bring the dumbbell overhead in a pullover while tapping heels to mat then extended arms overhead and legs straight (a few inches from the ground); alternate these two moves) (Cathe uses a 5# DB, I used an 8# DB)
3. 45 degree toe to heel taps (still on back, raise straight legs to ceiling; lower one leg to 45 degrees then raise it to tap the straight leg heel)
4. Side oblique reaches (still on back, hands behind head; raise shoulders/head and reach one arm toward same side heel; alternate sides)
5. C curve crunches (wrap flat resistance band around base of feet, cross band and hold end in each hand; C curve down until back is on floor, then roll up, opening hands/arms)
6. Saw (pilates move; use flat band held in both hands, about a foot between hands, sitting up, lets in a V; reach hand toward opposite foot)
7. Side to side oblique twist (fold band in half and hold an end in each hand; sit up with legs extended in front of you, extend arms in front of you, raise one leg and twist band/torso toward raised leg)
8. Side plank clam extension
9. Rotating side to side plank (in elbow plank)
10. Prone plank/marching plank

• #1 Warm Up + Main Routine + Icy Core 2 + Stretch – 61:43
• #2 Warm Up + Main Routine + Muscle Meltdown – Shoulders + Stretch – 63:38
• #3 Warm Up + Main Routine + Muscle Meltdown – Shoulders + Icy Core 2 + Stretch – 77:22
• #4 Warm Up + Main Routine + Blizzard Blast + Stretch – 65:29
• #5 Warm Up + Main Routine + Blizzard Blast + Icy Core 2 + Stretch – 79:13
• #6 Warm Up + Main Routine + Blizzard Blast + Muscle Meltdown – Shoulders + Icy Core 2 + Stretch – 94:51
• #7 Muscle Meltdown (4 rounds): Warm Up + Muscle Meltdown – Shoulders Rounds 1-3 + Round 3 Repeated + Stretch – 34:24