I love Ripped w/ HIIT workouts. So when I saw this “scrambler” I had to try it. I was hoping for a total body strength + HIIT workout. I didn’t quite get it here. Here is Cathe‘s description of this workout:
Ripped With Hiit Scrambler With Step LIVE is a mix of RWH Lower Body Circuit, RWH Upper Body Circuit and Plyo Hiit 2 to keep things “burning”.
And it was those things. So you do get upper body + lower body + HIIT. It was a great workout and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely return to it. But it wasn’t total body. The chest and back were completely neglected. Cathe’s rep count was off in this workout so, for the lower body, one leg will get more work than the other. She also does a lot of jumping jacks between exercises to keep the heart rate elevated. And finally, this was not as hard as the DVD versions. That does not mean it wasn’t challenging–it was; however, in the DVD version you do not get water breaks. I won’t lie–that is one thing I really appreciate about the Live workouts. When a workout is super intense, I appreciate a bit of time to get some water and wipe the sweat out of my eyes. So that isn’t a negative for me.
Equipment Needed: A full size step at 6 or 8 inches in height. A set of 8, a set of 10 and a set of 15 pound dumbbells. That is what Cathe listed in the forum post about this workout. I had to grab my 25 pound dumbbells for the deadlifts, but I could have gone heavier. I also could have lifted heavier on several of the other exercises. Cathe urges you to pay attention to the weights you are lifting and to make note of when you can lift heavier so you can get the most out of the workout. That is what I always do and one of the reasons for this blog. Because I will come back to this workout, but not right away. So in the breakdown below I will not only note the dumbbells Cathe uses, but what I used and if I feel I can lift heavier the next time I return to it. I also use the break down below to create my own workout cards so that the next time I do this workout I will already have every exercise and what dumbbells I plan to use listed on a piece of paper nearby–no guesswork. That’s how you challenge yourself. Not by using the same weight as the trainer every time you return to a workout. Increase your weights and get a better workout every time. I also have a pen next to my workout cards to write “up” arrows when it is time to increase my weights again. Just a tip for people who haven’t started doing this yet. You should start!
Ripped w/ HIIT Scrambler is 45 minutes long; warm up 6 minutes and stretch 3 minutes. It aired live on 1/15/15, here is video clip. The warm up is step cardio.
- Push/hop up on side of step for 4 counts then shoot over and do 4 on other side, then 2, then singles
- Ice Breakers
- Pulse squat w/ on foot on step then jump laterally over step and pulse squat on other side; one 10# DB (I will use 12# next time)
- Alternating reverse lunges off step, pulsing 3x (two 10# DBs); this changes to reverse lunge w/ bicep curls (I will use 12s or 15s next time)
- 4 step jumps w/ down taps on corner of step followed by power 7s
- Jump onto step then over to other side, then jump back
- Squats w/ two 15# DBs (I will use 20# next time)
- Curtsy lunges off step w/ one 15# DB; you will be both pulsing and doing singles
- Overhead press to one side then pivot to other side and lunge, lowering DBs to ankle level; two 10# DBs
- Front swing (like a kettlebell swing) then one arm lat pull down (pull down happens at top of swing); alternate sides (one 10# DB) (for this I use two 12# DB in the future)
- Straddle jump jump on step
- Line taps (on floor, using step as marker)
- Plie squats w/ 3 snatches and one upright row; do this series 4 times then do 8 plie squats w/ snatches only; one 10# DB (between sides and after the second side you do plie marches) (I will use 12# DB in the future)
- Alternating reverse lunges with W bicep curls into V overhead presses; you will do alternate singles w/ remaining in lunge and doing 3 V overhead presses (two 10# DBs)
- Wide leg deadlifts w/ 15# DBs (I used 25# DBs, in the future I will use 30# DBs)
- Straddle step and jump forward and back 3x then jump on and off step; this changes to one forward and back jump then jump on and off step
- Snow angel jacks
- Grab two 10# DBs; squat jump, bringing DBs down between legs, when standing again bicep curl to overhead press to two overhead tricep extensions (I will use 12# DBs next time)
- Overhead press to 3 overhead tricep extensions; two 10# DBs
- Forward leans w/ rear delt flys, alternate legs; two 8# DBs
- Alternating rear lunges while circling DBs from side to overhead; two 8# DBs
- Elevated lunges (one foot on step behind you); two 15# DBs
- Single leg deadlifts w/ front raise; two 8# DBs (I will use 10# DBs next time)
