Cathe Live: Fit ‘N’ Firm

Fit ‘N’ Firm is a total body metabolic strength workout. It is a very good workout but for some reason I didn’t love it as much as I love most of Cathe‘s other Cathe Live workouts. However, I did feel thoroughly worked out. Though it is total body, I feel it hits the upper body much harder than the lower body. I don’t have a problem with that tho since Cathe has so many lower body workouts. She states during the workout that it is not a hypertrophy workout but an endurance workout. I agree with that–it definitely burned my upper body muscles out several times. She uses relatively light weights that I felt were appropriate for almost every exercise. Only one exercise did I lift heavier dumbbells–and not much heavier!

Fit ‘N’ Firm aired live on 9/03/15 and here is the video clip. Equipment needed: A set of 5’s, 8’s, 10’s for handweights, a 6ft medium tension band and a fitness mat. I also used 12 pound dumbbells for one exercise.

Fit ‘N’ Firm is 48 minutes long; 6:30 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. The end of the warm up transitions into some unweighted metabolic lower body work consisting of alternating front leaning lunges, squat into alternating front kicks, lean back lunges and ends w/ side lunge into curtsy lunges.

Exercises:

1. Squat w/ knee raise and alternating jab (5# DBs)
2. Squats w/ overhead presses (10# DBs)
3. Side lunge w/ knee raise and jab at the top (5# DBs)
4. Reverse lunges w/ bicep curls (10# DBs)
5. Posture pulls w/ walking side squats using band (posture pull is a standing chest fly using the band)
6. Isolated band pulls (arms at side, elbows kept close to sides, holding band w/ about a foot between hands, palms facing the ceiling)–lots and lots of reps
7. Bicep curls w/ bands and 5 pound DBs
8. Plie squats w/ upright rows; this transitions to one arm snatch alternated w/ upright row; ends w/ just upright rows (you are doing plie squats the entire time) (10# DBs)
9. Forward leaning lunges w/ rear delt flies (8# DBs)
10. Superset 10 overhead presses w/ 10 rear delt flies; 3 supersets (10# DBs)
11. Hammer curls (Cathe uses 10# DBs, I used 12# DBs); this transitions into alternating hammer curls that turn into traditional curls at the top
12. Isolated wood chops w/ band (one foot on band, ends of band in each hand; alternate pulling band up to opposite side while twisting hip)
13. Isometric lunge w/ one arm front raise using band
14. Double arm tricep kickbacks w/ band
15. Standing oblique work (one hand behind head, other hand holding one 10# DB; tilt body to side holding DB)
16. Push ups (first set is to 2/2 count on toes, second set is singles on knees–lots of reps on second set)
17. Seated T-pulls w/ band wrapped around feet
18. W/ band wrapped around one foot, do one arm band rows
19. Wrap band both feet; sit ups w/ T-band pull at top
20. Lay on your back, wrap band around shins, cross band underneath and holding ends to floor; lift hips/legs
21. In high plank bring knee to same side elbow (on outside of body), then bring foot under body and tap floor on opposite side
22. Raise and lower from high plank to elbow plank
23. Soldier planks (raise arm and opposite leg at same time; alternate sides)