Cathe Live: Drill Max

Drill Max Live is based on Cathe‘s DVD Drill Max which I love but haven’t done in years. It is a long workout–77 minutes, so it used to be reserved for my Saturday workout. In fact, for a long time (2012-2013 time frame) Drill Max and Body Max 1 & 2 were my Saturday workouts. But like I said, I haven’t done any of them in years. So I was pretty excited to see this as a Cathe Live workout–especially since it is shorter (64 minutes) so I can actually do this one on a work-day morning. First, it is hard for me to do anything more than give a general comparison. My fitness level is different now than it was just a few years ago. So what was very hard for me in 2012-2013 isn’t as hard for me now. Well, I found Drill Max very challenging when I used to do it regularly. I did not find Drill Max Live super challenging this morning. It was a great workout and I loved it, but there are a lot of tweaks I will need to do to make it more challenging. But I still got a great workout, just not the intensity I am accustomed to. As an aside, I just read over my review of Drill Max written in 2012 and just comparing the exercises, it does seem to be a more challenging workout than the Live version. But I can’t confirm that until I revisit it.

Cathe did retain the spirit of Drill Max in this live workout. It was definitely reminiscent of it. The step cardio is not complicated–very athletic-type cardio, and the cardio itself isn’t as intense as many of Cathe’s other workouts. However, I do think that is easily remedied by raising my step height from 6 inches to 8 inches. Every cardio step segment, as I was doing it, I felt that my step should have been at 8 inches rather than 6. So in the future I will do that. Also, the obvious lifting heavier weights. There is a lot of shoulder work in this workout and for the most part the weights Cathe used for shoulders were appropriate, but for almost every other muscle group I needed something heavier.

The spirit of Drill Max Live, like the DVD version, is a bootcamp style workout. Cardio alternated with some conditioning strength work alternated with some more focused strength workout. Overall an excellent and fun workout with a lot of potential once you get the step height and your dumbbell weights on target. My triceps and shoulders definitely felt it just how it is. BTW–no dumbbells are used for tricep work, but she burns them out!

Drill Max Live is 64 minutes long; 6 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment needed: a step at 6 or 8 inches, a dynaband, a firewalker loop, a stability ball and a variety of dumbbells; Cathe used 5s, 8s and 10s. I also used 12s. In the future I will also use 15s for at least one exercise. It aired live on 8/13/15 and here is the video clip. I broke the workout down into 4 circuits but I have no clue if that is how Cathe intended. It just makes it look neater in the break down. At the very end she even states that the workout is a collection of “random exercises” so there probably isn’t any actual circuit-like structure to it.

Circuit #1:

1. Cardio using 5# DB (I will use an 8# DB in the future)
2. Basic step cardio
3. Lunge series using stability ball
4. Overhead press while sitting on stability ball, 12 reps (Cathe used 8# DBs, I used 10# DBs)
5. Incline bicep curls on stability ball, 8 reps (Cathe used 8# DBs, I used 12# DBs, in  the future I will use 15# DBs)
6. Repeat 4 & 5 two more times

Circuit #2:

1. Cardio w/ stability ball
2. Curtsy lunges off step (no DBs)
3. Step cardio
4. Lateral plie walks (10# DBs)
5. Plie squats w/ Arnold presses (10# DBs)
6. Put firewalker on ankles and hold dynaband in the middle with about 12 inches between hands (palms facing ceiling); first just do fast pulls on the band (keeping elbows next to ribs) then it changes to stepping to the side while pulling band in time with steps, then you just step (no arm work) then do wide pulls on band (like a chest fly, this time palms face down when gripping band), add side squat walks with this arm movement; it ends with the pulls while stepping to the side w/ palms facing ceiling again
7. Side plank on stability ball w/ bottom knee on ground and holding on 5# DB in top arm/hand; raise and lower straight arm

Circuit #3:

1. Cardio w/ step
2. Reverse lunges w/ bicep curls (Cathe uses 10# DBs, I used 12# DBs); this will end w/ isolation holds (holding DBs at 90 degrees while marching in place) then two slow traditional bicep curls and two slow hammer curls; repeat entire series starting w/ reverse lunges
3. Cardio on step
4. Tricep dips on step
5. Seesaw push ups on stability ball (tricep push ups)
6. Repeat 4 & 5
7. Plie squats w/ upright rows (10# DBs)

Circuit #4:

1. Step cardio
2. Front swings (like a kettlebell swing) w/ one DB, then add one arm pull downs; Cathe uses 10# DB, I used 12# DB
3. Hamstring work w/ firewalker around ankles
4. Lateral raises while sitting on stability ball; roll down into an incline on ball and do front raises; this changes to front raise w/ arc over thighs (5# DBs); repeat series starting w/ lateral raises while sitting on ball
5. Roll outs on stability ball (core work)
6. Sit on bottom and place ball between thighs/knees and squeeze knees against ball
7. Wrap dynaband around feet, criss-cross band and hold an end in each hand w/ underhand grip; pull back, arms straight in a “T”
8. 16 push ups
9. Banana holds holding ball overhead
10. Still holding ball overhead, do sit ups while raising one straight leg to tap ball; alternate legs
11. Russian twists w/ ball