Cathe Live: Totally Toned Legs

Holy $hit. This workout was brutal. I did not expect this workout to be so effing hard when I decided to try it. In fact, I had some mixed feelings about it. After watching the video clip, I didn’t even really know if I was interested in it or not then decided–what the heck. I am so glad I did. But O.M.G. Way harder than I expected. Excellent, excellent workout. There is no actual cardio in this workout, but you will get a cardio workout. My Fitbit even said I went into my peak heart rate a few times! All from intense metabolic strength work. My legs were done. Gone. Fried by the end of this workout. This is one of the many Cathe Lives I will definitely be returning to many times.

A few notes–the music seemed a little different in this workout. I generally don’t pay a lot of attention to Cathe‘s Live workout music because it always fits the workouts well, but she called attention to it at the beginning of the workout, so I noticed it more. And I liked it. Finally, she works each leg evenly. Even when she isn’t keeping count well, her class is, so both legs get equally fried.

Totally Toned Legs is 56 minutes long; 8 minute warm up and 3:30 minute stretch. Equipment needed: a full size step w/ 3 risers on each side (10 inches), dumbbells (10s, 12s and 15s), sliding disk (or paper plate) and a fitness mat. I used 15 pound dumbbells for everything. So below, I am just listing Cathe’s weight. But I found 15s appropriate for everything. The first two exercises appear to be a bit of an extension of the warm up, both from things Cathe said and from the fact they aren’t as brutal as the rest of the workout. It aired live on 6/18/15 and here is the video clip.

Exercises:

1. Marching Sumos; one 10# DB
2. Calf raises, 15# DBs
3. Reverse pulsing lunges off top of step, alternate legs (no DBs)
4. Lunge kicks off step, 20 reps each leg (no DBs)
5. Put disk under one foot, bend knees and place palms on step; slide one leg in and out; raise arms overhead so you are in a lunge, pulse w/ different arm variations; this changes to sliding warrior lunges; it ends the same as it begins: w/ hands on step, knees bent and sliding same leg in and out; repeat on other leg
6. Step out pulsing plie squats; 12# DBs
7. Side sliding lunges w/ disk
8. Drop squats off side of step, 3 sets of 7 reps on each leg; one 15# DB
9. Pulsing static lunges; one 15# DB (you keep alternating legs and the amount you pulse decreases each time–you start w/ 32 pulses–and it ends w/ singles)
10. Step ups (onto step); 10# DBs
11. Elevated lunges (one foot elevated on step behind you), 24 reps each leg; 10# DBs
12. Pulsing curtsy lunges off step (15 pulses once, 7 pulses 4x, 3 pulses 8x); one 12# DB
13. Hold in chair pose (feet together) for 60 seconds; repeat w/ legs wider but this time you hold for 45 seconds
14. Standing pulsing straight leg raise (balance move); two sets each leg
15. Inner thigh raise (get fitness mat out, sit on mat, one leg bent, the other straight in front of you with foot flexed and turned out to side)
16. Lay on side and lift and lower top (straight) leg; changes to raising leg and tapping floor in front of bottom leg, raising then tapping floor behind bottom leg; changes to pulsing high; changes to bending knee and tapping knee to floor in front of you then pushing heel to sky; changes to circling leg (hold leg straight again); repeat on other leg
17. Glute presses (place one heel on 4 inch step topper, lift hips and raise other leg to ceiling; pulse