Legs & Glutes is a Live workout based on the DVD version of Legs & Glutes. So in order to prepare for this workout, I did the DVD Legs & Glutes. I had forgotten how much I love that workout. It is part of her Body Blast Series, which contain some my absolute favorite Cathe workouts. They are not her most advanced workouts, but they have great music, they are fun and well put together, and they work you hard but leave you energized afterwards–not wrung out! One thing I really love about the DVD Legs & Glutes is the ankle weight work. It is tough! Because she has you wearing 2 pound ankle weights, she doesn’t do a zillion reps (like she usually does when you’re not using ankle weights) but you definitely feel it!
The Live version is very similar to the DVD version except, IMHO, harder. I loved it just as much and felt it was different enough to be unique from the DVD version. I thought I would be unhappy about the lack of ankle weights but she does a lot more reps than she does in the DVD workout, so she makes up for the lack of ankle weights by really repping you out. And of course, you can always add ankle weights if you want. Another thing that is slightly different is the step is only at 10 inches. In the DVD version it is used as high as 14 inches. Not a big deal for most of the exercises–in fact, 10 inches was appropriate for almost every exercise in the live workout, except high steps. For high steps, your step has to be high and I’m sorry, 10 inches isn’t high. She does try to make up for it in speed–you are doing the high steps pretty fast in the live version. I started the workout with my step at 14 inches and did the high steps at 14 inches. But then I lowered it to 10 inches and kept it at the same height as Cathe for the rest of the workout.
The biggest difference was that there are more cardio blasts in the Live version than in the DVD version, making this a solid cardio + strength workout. This was an excellent workout. It worked my lower body hard and I really enjoyed it.
Legs & Glutes Live is 55 minutes long; 5 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment needed: high step (square step) at 10 inches, 15 and 12 pound dumbbells, a barbell bar for balance and a fitness mat. It aired live on 8/20/15 and here is the video clip. As I noted above, I started my step at 14 inches but after the high steps (#3 below) I lowered my step to 10 inches. I used the same weight as Cathe for most exercises but the few I used a different weight on I will note below.
- Cardio: Jump forward straddling high step, jump back and do a plyo jack
- Cardio: Just jump forward and back, straddling high step
- High steps, lunge off on 10 inch step, 16 reps; 2 sets each leg (one 15# DB)
- Hover squats over step; 8 regular squats then pulse 15x four times then end w/ another 8 single squats (one 15# DB)
- Cardio: Knee pulls off top of step; alternate sides
- Plie squats, stepping out to side and alternating sides; various tempos–singles, pulses and low ends (12# DBs)
- Elevated lunges (one foot on step behind you); singles and pulses (one 15# DB)
- Cardio: 180 jump squats w/ one foot always on the step
- Starting on top of step, side squats off step in pattern: pulse 3x then 2 singles; 8 reps of this pattern each leg (Cathe used one 15# DB, I used one 20# DB)
- Reverse lunges w/ knee raise in pattern: pulse 3x then 3 singles; 8 reps of this pattern (Cathe uses 12# DBs, I used 15# DBs)
- Cardio: Straddle step w/ knee ups; this changes to straddle step w/ leg abduction (step lowered to 8 inches)
- Alternating curtsy lunges, singles and pulses (one 15# DB)
- Sculpting drills w/ genie arms on 10 inch step
- Cardio: Pendulum lunges in a pattern: forward lunge and pulse 4x, reverse lunge (same leg) and pulse 4x, forward lunge (same leg) and pulse 4x, end with 5 alternating jump lunges
- Heel raises on step platform (4 inches) using barbell rod for balance; different foot positions
- Raise and lower leg to side holding barbell rod for balance; both singles and pulses
- Alternate side leg raising holding the bar horizontally in both hands in front of you
- Pulsing leg raises to front holding bar for balance
- Hip raises w/ one heel on 4 inch platform and other leg raised to ceiling
- Lay on side and do inner thigh raises (raise bottom leg)
- Raise top leg and hold stationary (still laying on side/hip) and bringing bottom leg up to meet top leg
- Repeat 20 & 21 on other leg
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