LITE: Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower

Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower  is part of Cathe‘s LITE series. LITE stands for Low Impact Training Extreme and Cathe created it as intermediate level workout series. For more information on the LITE series as a whole, please see the LITE Series review. Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower contains 3 bonuses that are included in premixes and can also be done on their own: 6 Pack Abs #1, Pyramid Pump Shoulders and Extended Stretch #1. They are all broken down below the workout breakdown.

First, I loved this workout. Second, Cathe lifts very light weights in this workout. And third–wow! What a cardio factor! This workout is very metabolic. Unlike Strong Body Stacked Sets: Upper, I lifted heavier than Cathe on everything. And Cathe worked me very hard! My legs were actually aching on my drive to work after I did it the first time. Cathe was working hard, too–she was getting out of breath! I found this to be a very comprehensive lower body workout. Lots of compound moves so I got cardio out of this workout, too. I loved it! It really challenged me and pushed me hard. It is intermediate level like all of the other LITE workouts I’ve done so far but, with the right weights, this could be considered a more advanced intermediate. The first time I did this workout, I did Basic Premix 1 which adds on Extended Stretch #1. This is a perfect way to end this workout. It has some nice yoga flows to start cooling you down then stretches out your lower body very well. **The next day–my glutes were sore!** The second time I did this workout I did Extreme Premix #1 and wow–that wore me out! I burned 500 calories in 54 minutes! I was working very hard and my legs felt like jelly by the end.

Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower is 39 minutes; 4 minute warm up and 3:30 minute stretch. Equipment: barbell (Cathe uses the barbell @ 25 & 30 pounds), dumbbells and a fitness mat. After the warm up the workout starts with the barbell at 25 pounds on the floor in front of Cathe and crew.

Circuit 1:

1. Barbell squats to various tempos (Cathe is using 25# BB; I used 40# BB)
2. Alternating Cross Tap Lunges (reverse lunge then tap foot over into curtsy lunge, back to reverse lunge then step in), alternate legs (Cathe is using 8# DBs; I used 15# DBs)
3. Plie Barbell Squats to various tempos (Cathe is using 25# BB; I used 40# BB)
4. Alternating Rear Lunges + Deadlift (Cathe is using 10# DBs; I used 18# DBs)
5. Side to Side Pivoting Squats (squat side to side once each way then pivot into a sumo squat to the back on each side) (Cathe is using one 12# DB; I used one 15# DB)
6. Repeat #1-5

Circuit 2:

1. Static Lunges to various tempos (Cathe uses one 10# DB; I used one 18# DB)
2. Wide Squat to Side Lunge (Cathe uses one 8# DB; I used one 15# DB)
3. Wide Stance Deadlift (Cathe uses 30# BB; I used 60# BB)
4. Forward-Diagonal Lunge Combo (2 alternating forward lunges + 2 alternating diagonal lunges) (Cathe uses 8# DBs; I used 13# DBs)
5. Side/Crossback/Side Lunge Combo, alternate legs (Cathe uses one 10# DB; I used one 15# DB)
6. Repeat #1-5

6 Pack Abs #1 is 10 minutes; 30 second stretch. Equipment: fitness mat. This was an impressive core bonus! I love it and it did an excellent job working my entire core, front to back. It has a lot of boxing inspired moves. I always have a pair of boxing grips near by and used them for any core move that included a boxing arm movement. I definitely think this is intermediate level–maybe even high intermediate level. It really challenged me but I was able to do every exercise as presented by Cathe, so it isn’t advanced. I loved it!

1. Alternating Sit Outs (lower into bear crawl position, place one hand on ground and extend same side leg out underneath you and straight out to side while tapping shoulder with opposite hand, alternate sides)
2. Triangle Choke Reverse Lift (lay on back, extend one leg straight to ceiling, other leg is bent with foot behind other knee, hands are on mat beside hips, do a reverse crunch in this position; do 8 reps then swap legs and do 8 more reps, do 8 more reps alternating legs)
3. Guard Block Punches (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, hands are on guard, crunch up then lean to side, return to center then lower (Cathe calls it “slip side”, alternate sides)
4. Body Shot Sit Ups (do a full sit up then do a body shot punch, alternate arms)
5. Boxer Sit Ups (full sit ups w/ 4 cross punches at top of sit up–two high and two low)
6. Hip Thrusts w/ Upstrike (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, do hip raise and punch arm across body toward floor at head level, alternate sides)
7. V Plank (in straight arm plank, bring foot up outside of same side hand, alternate sides; changes to bringing foot up to outside of same side hand then bring same foot up under body, knee toward chest, alternate sides)
8. Supermans
9. Repeat #7 & 8

Extended Stretch #1 is 13 minutes. These Extended Stretches are an excellent way to end a workout. Cathe takes you through some very basic and relaxing flows to cool you down after you finish your workout then starts stretching you out. This one stretches out your entire body but there is a lot of focus on the lower body so it is a nice one to use at the end of a cardio or lower body workout.

Starts sitting cross-leg on mat w/ backs of hands on knees and palms facing ceiling (where Extended Stretch #2 ends, actually) with eyes closed, taking deep breaths. Still sitting cross-leg, twist torso placing one hand on floor behind you and other on knee to stretch spine. Get on hands and knees and do cat/cow. Child’s pose; while in child’s pose, walk hands out to one side and continue stretching. Down dog. Lower body down to mat so you are laying on belly, push back to child’s pose then back into down dog. In down dog, bend one knee and hold then switch legs and hold; continue pedaling feet. Walk hands back to feet and hang down in forward fold, hands gripping opposite elbows. Still in forward fold, lower hands to floor and rotate head side to side. Walk hands out to down dog, lower down to mat and back into child’s pose. Up dog. Pigeon pose. Lay on back and hug knees into chest; circle hips to massage spine. Lay on back, one knee bent with foot on floor, other leg extended to ceiling, hands pulling calf to stretch leg. Place ankle over bent knee then pull leg/knee into chest (reclining pigeon); close gap between thighs so they are crossed and grip feet, gently pulling down on feet. Happy baby pose. Corpse pose. Return to cross-leg position with backs of hands on knees and palms facing ceiling.

Pyramid Pump Shoulders (6:30 minutes) Each exercise is done for 5 sets and each set increases in reps then decreases back down the pyramid in this fashion: 1 set of 12 reps, 1 set of 10 reps, 1 set of 8 reps, 1 set of 10 reps, 1 set of 12. Equipment: dumbbells and stability ball.

Since I did not do any of the Pyramid Pump Bonuses as add ons to the main workout, I cannot accurately review them that way. I did the Pyramid Pumps using the bonus DVD that collects them all together. See the Pyramid Pump review if you want more information.

Standing Overhead Press (DBs) + Incline Front Raise (stability ball + DBs)

(For standing overhead press Cathe used 5# DBs for 1st set, 8# DBs for 2nd set, 10# DBs for 3rd set, 8# DBs for 4th set, 5# DBs for 5th set; for incline front raise Cathe used 3# DBs for 1st set, 5# DBs for 2nd set, 8# DBs for 3rd set, 5# DBs for 4th set, 3# DBs for 5th set)

Premixes:

Basic Premixes:

Main Workout + Extended Stretch #1 (47:21 minutes)

Main Workout + 6 Pack Abs #1 (48:17 minutes)

Main Workout + 6 Pack Abs #1 + Extended Stretch #1 (57:18 minutes)

Main Workout + Pyramid Pump Shoulders (44:38 minutes)

Main Workout + Pyramid Pump Shoulders + 6 Pack Abs #1 (54:35 minutes)

Main Workout + Pyramid Pump Shoulders + 6 Pack Abs #1 + Extended Stretch #1 (63:37 minutes)

Timesaver Premixes:

Timesaver #1 (first half only) (21:18 minutes)

Timesaver #2 (last half only) (24:54 minutes)

Timesaver #3 (2 circuits mixed 1A + 2B) (23:19 minutes)

Timesaver #4 (3 circuits only 1A + 1B + 2B) (30:08 minutes)

Timesaver #5 (3 circuits only 1A + 2A + 2B) (31:30 minutes)

Timesaver #6 (Pyramid Pump Shoulders) (14:12 minutes)

MishMosh Premixes:

Scrambled #1 (38:19 minutes)

Scrambled #2 (Abs mixed in) (48:17 minutes)

Scrambled #3 (Abs mixed in differently) (48:17 minutes)

Extreme #1 (6 rounds 1A +1B + 2A + 2B + 1B + 2 B) (53:38 minutes)

Extreme #2 (double it) (68:15 minutes)