I love Cathe Live’s split series workouts–especially the upper body ones, and this one is no exception. The upper body strength work is excellent, as usual. However, I do have a few nitpicks. What I don’t love about this workout is the very long core section. It is a very good core section, but it is really long. I would prefer more upper body work. Specifically, back work. The back didn’t get as much work as I’d like, so that would have been a better use of my time, I think. I do like this workout a lot, so IMHO a great way to remedy this problem is to do additional back work first and, to keep the workout at an hour, skip the core work at the end. Here are a few examples how that could play out: do ICE‘s Muscle Meltdown for the back (21 minutes, or 27 minutes if you include Low Impact Sweat’s warm up). Follow it up with this workout’s upper body work (25 minutes) and the stretch at the end (3 minutes). This would equal 49 minutes (or 55 if you include Low Impact Sweat’s warm up). Another option? Swap out the ICE portion for Xtrain‘s Burn Sets back work–with the Burn Sets warm up that equals 18 minutes; total workout time would be 46 minutes. Cathe does a great job with every other upper body muscle group in this workout and has a great “finisher” at the end–a total body complex, but I really would prefer more back work. The core work is great, but again, it’s longer than I wanted. That is the beauty of add on workouts/segments. They can round a workout out and make it just what you are looking for.
Upper Body w/ Ball is 49 minutes long; 4:30 minute warm up, 25 minutes upper body work, 14:30 minutes core work, 3 minute stretch. It aired live on 5/21/15 and here is the video clip. Equipment needed: stability ball, mat and a variety of dumbbells. I used 5-20 pound dumbbells.
Chest/Back: repeat this triset 3x; all exercises are done on ball
- Chest Flies, 12 reps; Cathe uses 15# DBs, I used 20# DBs (2nd & 3rd set she used 12# DBs)
- Pull overs, 10 reps; Cathe uses 15# DBs, I used 20# DBs (2nd & 3rd set she used 12# DBs; 3rd set I dropped to 15# DBs)
- Push ups w/ feet on ball, 12 reps
Shoulders: repeat giant set 3x; all exercises are done on ball
- Overhead press, 12 reps; Cathe used 12# DBs, I used 15# DBs
- Front raise w/ arc over thighs (using the ball like an incline), Cathe uses 8# DBs, I used 7# DBs (2nd & 3rd set Cathe uses 5# DBs)
- Side lateral raise, 12 reps; 5#DB
- Rear flys, 12 reps; Cathe used 8# DBs, I used 7# DBs
Biceps & Triceps: repeat superset 3x; all exercises are done on the ball
- Incline bicep curls, 12 reps; Cathe uses 12# DBs, I used 15# DBs (2nd & 3rd set Cathe drops to 10# DBs)
- Overhead tricep extensions, 12 reps; 12# DBs
- On final set of superset instead of Overhead tricep extensions, you do one arm tricep kickbacks; Cathe uses 10# DBs, I used 12# DB
Total Body Complex (no stability ball): Start standing; squat, jump feet back to plank, do one push up, one renegade row each arm, jump feet in and stand, bicep curl to overhead press to overhead tricep extension; repeat 8x; Cathe used 10# DBs, I used 12# DBs (she adds a “bonus” onto the end, so you actually do it 9 times, but there is a very short break between 8 and 9)
Core:
Superset (no stability ball); repeat 3x:
- Standing w/ DBs in one hand and other hand behind head, do side bends, 12 reps each side; one 20# DB (Cathe actually used one 15# DB + one 5# DB)
- Set 15# DB on its end on floor, lay on back w/ feet on one side of DB; with feet together and legs straight, raise them up and over DB to tap ground on other side, then return to start; 12 reps first time, 10 reps second time and 8 reps 3rd times
Triset w/ stability ball; repeat 3x:
- Flutter kick sit ups (lay on back holding ball overhead; sit up bringing ball toward feet and flutter kick feet toward ball), 12 reps
- Get into side plank but w/ waist/hip on ball and arms raised overhead; lift arms/torso; 12 reps each side
- Reverse crunches w/ ball sitting on shins and hands pressing against ball; lots of reps
