Cathe Live: Step HIIT + Upper Body Weights

Step HIIT + Upper Body Weights is the second Cathe Live that Cathe created and this one was done much better than Kickbox Bootcamp (the first Cathe Live Cathe created)–which is a great workout but full of problems, IMHO. On the Cathe Live site this is just listed as Step HIIT; however, on her forum she called it Step HIIT + Upper Body Weights which is an accurate description. Just like Cardio & Weights (Upper Body), I was very excited about this one because it is rare to get a cardio + strength workout that focuses on the upper body. And this one is excellent. The workout starts with step cardio that escalates into an intense HIIT level cardio then moves into upper body strength work and ends with core. I really enjoyed it. The cardio was very intense but I do have to add the disclaimer that if you are accustomed to Cathe’s DVD HIIT level cardio blasts you will not get that here. Or not a lot. Some of it is that intense, but for the most part, the cardio blasts in this workout are intense but not HIIT level. Still it is a great workout and I loved it. The strength work is primarily endurance level. Not necessarily high rep for individual exercises but she does a lot of super-setting and giant-setting so (with the right weights) it does burn your muscles out with a lot of cumulative reps.

A few minor things happen. She leaves the power 15s off the end of one combo, but then realizes after a long break and makes you do them. And on some of the strength work, she works one side more than the other side.

Step HIIT + Upper Body Weights is 66 minutes long; 10:30 minute warm up, 21:30 minute HIIT/cardio, 24 minute upper body strength work, 5 minute core and 2 minute stretch. The first 45 seconds is Cathe prepping you for the workout (like she does in Kickbox Bootcamp). Equipment needed: a variety of dumbbells, a fitness mat, a resistance band w/ handles and a step. The step starts at 6 inches (one riser each side) but have 4 more risers on hand. You raise it to 8 inches near the end of the warm up and then you raise it to 10 inches for the strength work. It aired live on 5/15/14 and here is the video clip.

HIIT/Cardio:

1. Straddle hops on step (2 sets)
2. Jacks
3. Push up hops on side of step; 4 each side, then 2 each side then singles; for the singles you move forward and back w/ swim arms, then change the singles to low impact where you touch the step
4. Repeat 2 & 3
5. Fast feet (tapping toes to step); first in place then circle the step while doing fast feet (2 sets)
6. Scoot, scoot, drop (side scoots then drop into squat and touch the floor w/ finger tips)
7. Uneven Squats: holding one 10# DB in both hands, squat on side of step then hop over; so squat and hop, squat and hop; then you change to singles (while in squat, on top of step, tapping down to each side)
8. On the floor do wide squats, alternating sides (fast) while switching DB from hand to hand w/ each squat; the tempo is single, single, double (double is a pulse squat) then you just do all singles
9. Two straddle hops + one burpee (all on step) (2 sets)
10. Hop in a box pattern, one foot always on step (hop forward, hop to side (over step), hop back, hop to side) (2 sets)
11. Basic step, changes to run up, changes to jump up step down, changes to jump up jump down, ends w/ power 15 (2 sets)
12. Jacks, power 7, two power 3s (2 sets)
13. Power 7s + lateral ski hops (ski hops on floor) (4 sets)
14. Wide box jumps (onto step); this changes to wide box jump but while on step, jump feet together, step down and jack; ends w/ 8 jacks on the floor and 8 air jacks (2 sets)

Strength (add the last riser to step, bringing it to 10 inches):

1. Side leg raise w/ one arm upright row (one foot on step); Cathe uses one 10# DB, in the future I will use one 12# DB (she does 20 reps the first side and 16 reps the second side)
2. Rear delt fly and Overhead press super-set, 16 reps; 10# DBs
3. Repeat #2 for 10 reps, then repeat again for 8 reps
4. Side lateral raise, palms facing forward, elbows slightly bent, raise to just above the shoulders, 8 reps; 8# DBs
5. Front raise holding one DB in both hands, 10 reps; 10# DB, in the future I will use 15# DB
6. Repeat #4 for 10 reps; Cathe uses 5# DBs, in the future I will use 7# DBs
7. Shoulder circles (4 circles low, 4 medium, 4 high), 2 sets; 5# DBs
8. 32 tricep dips off step
9. Overhead tricep extensions w/ band; 8 reps to 2/2 count
10. Fold tube in half and hold in one hand right beneath handles, bring that hand to opposite shoulder and grab tubing w/ other hand; pull down 8 times then pulse 32 counts
11. Double arm tricep kickbacks, 16 reps; Cathe uses 10# DBs, I used 12# DBs
12. Tricep push ups off edge of step; 6 reps to 2/2 count (2 sets)
13. Chest flys, 3 reps to 4/4 count, 6 reps to 2/2 count, then lower arms to 4 count but hold at bottom and pulse for about 12 counts then raise to 4 counts; Cathe uses 15# DBs, I used 20# DBs
14. Concentration curls, 40 seconds each arm; 15# DB, I will use 17.5# DB in the future
15. Bicep curls w/ bands + 5# DBs, 6 reps to 2/2 count then pulse 32 times; in the future I will use 8 or 10# DBs
16. Hammer curls to 2/2 count, 10 reps; Cathe uses 10# DBs, I used 15# DBs, in the future I will use 17.5# DBs
17. Sit on ground w/ band wrapped around feet and criss-crossed, handle in each hand; pull out in a T for 10 single reps, then do 3 pulses 8 times
18. Uncross band and have band around one foot, grip both ends of the band below the handles in one hand; 41 pulsing pulls on first arm, 32 on other arm
19. Stand and hold band in the middle, about 12 inches between each hand, and pull wide at chest level (arms straight); 8 reps to 2/2 count, then hold open isometrically then bring hands in one inch and hold, another inch and hold, another inch and hold then open wide again and hold; repeat just the isometric hold sequence

Core:

1. Pulsing crunches w/ arms at side and feet on floor; raise heels and continue pulsing
2. Crunches with knees raised and hands behind head
3. 3 pulses (elbows to knees at pulse) then lower heels and head to floor; changes to extending arms out overhead and legs straight (but raised a few inches off ground) rather than tapping heels to floor; transitions into getting rid of the pulses and alternating between the heel taps and straight leg versions
4. Basic crunches (w/ feet on ground) at 3 levels (so to a 3 count raise higher each count)
5. Rope climb sit ups
6. Bicycle crunches
7. Roll hips side to side while in elbow plank