Cathe Live: Total Body Giant Sets 3

#251 Total Body Giant Sets 3 is another excellent Live total body strength workout. I love Cathe‘s giant set workouts! With that said, this is not my favorite of her 3 Live Giant Sets workouts. And since my current plan is to subscribe to Cathe Live for 2 months, do as many of the new-to-me Live workouts as I can during that period (workouts from 2018 to present) then purchase the downloads of the ones I love, this one does not go on the “to buy” list. But it is a very good and thorough workout. Very metabolic so you will get cardio with your strength work, too. During the second lower body circuit Cathe had to lower the weight she was lifting on a few of the exercises because it was getting too intense cardio-wise. A great workout. And who knows? I’ve set aside a certain amount of money to purchase downloads. If I don’t spend it all with what ends up being on my list, then I might buy this one anyway. I am really enjoying the burn in my upper back right now.

This workout is comprised of 5 circuits: 2 lower body circuits, 2 upper body circuits and one core circuit. Each circuit is repeated once before you move on to the next circuit. I know I have been making form comments in my recent reviews but I cannot unsee these things! And as a home exerciser we need good form examples. That is the problem with live classes. Cathe is always the best form example and there are a few others that do a good job, too (in this workout a tall blond had excellent form throughout). Unfortunately, the camera will pan away from Cathe and I really hope the home exerciser does not see the way other people are doing the exercises and decide that’s okay. It’s not. For example, the form during one of the core exercises was so bad it was humorous. After Cathe previewed the exercise, the camera focused on the class rather than Cathe and no one–NO ONE–in the camera’s purview was doing the exercise properly. In fact, it looked like everyone was doing an entirely different exercise.

You can do Cathe’s live workouts by subscribing to her streaming site or purchasing the individual downloads. Here is a video clip of this workout.

Total Body Giant Sets 3 is 60 minutes; 5:30 minute warm up, 9:30 minutes of core work and 3 minute stretch. Equipment: full step at 10 inches (3 risers on each side) and various dumbbells. Cathe and class are using 5-15 pound dumbbells. I used the same dumbbells as Cathe except on a few exercises and those are noted below.

Circuit 1:

1. Stationary lunges, 16 reps each leg (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
2. Side to side sumo squats, 16 reps (Cathe is using one 15# DB; I used one 20# DB)
3. Squats, 16 reps (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 20# DBs)
4. Deadlifts, 16 reps to different tempos (Cathe uses 15# DBs; I used 30# DBs)
5. Repeat #1-4

Circuit 2:

1. Pullovers, 4 reps to 4/4 count; do the first part of the pullover, lift DBs halfway, lower back to bottom of pullover then lift DBs back to start, 6 reps (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
2. Rear delt flys, one set of 10 reps + 2 sets of 5 reps (Cathe is using 12# DBs; I used 10# DBs)
3. Close grip bench press, 20 reps, start laying on step with knees bent and feet flat on floor, after 4 reps you raise both feet off ground, keeping knees bent, after 4 more reps you extend one leg straight (still raised) while the other leg is bent in to chest, after 4 more reps, swap legs, after 4 more reps, bring both knees back into chest, feet still raised off ground for last 4 reps (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
4. Push ups with hands on step, 3 sets of 8 reps
5. Repeat #1-4

Circuit 3:

1. Start standing on top of step, 1 pulsing rear lunge off step + 2 single rear lunges off step, 6 reps of this combo each leg (I think she did 8 reps the second time through this circuit) (Cathe uses 12# DBs the first set and 10# DBs the second set)
2. Lateral wide plie squat walks, 4 steps to each side, 8 reps (Cathe uses 12# DBs the first circuit and 10# DBs the second circuit)
3. Alternating side lunges, when you lunge, set one DB down by each foot and when you lunge again, pick the DBs up, 10 reps (Cathe uses 10# DBs the first set and 12# DBs the second set)
4. Push Dips, 16 reps each leg (remove platform from risers, in stationary lunge with back foot on platform behind you, hinge torso forward and do partial reps–DBs will lower to ankles and only raise to knee height) (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
5. Repeat #1-4

Circuit 4:

1. One double arm bicep curl + one single arm bicep curl + one double arm bicep curl + one single arm bicep curl (other arm), 3 reps of this combo; changes to double arm bicep curls to a 2/2 count, 4 reps; ends with 8 double arm bicep curls to a single count (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
2. Overhead tricep extensions (French Press), 10 reps to 2/2 count (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
3. W (wide) curls, do double arm curls to 2/2 count + one set off alternating single arm curls to a single count, 8 reps of this pattern (Cathe uses 12# DBs)
4. Straight arm side raises, 24 reps (Cathe is using 5# DBs)
5. Upright rows, 16 reps (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
6. Repeat #1-5 but when repeating #1 and #3, you do all double arm curls

The class breaks down their steps to get them out of the way and lays out their fitness mats.

Circuit 5 (core, starts @ 47:30; 9:30 minutes):

1. 5 full ankle grabber sit ups + 5 push ups, repeat
2. Resting on ne hip and leaning on elbow, do V-ups with straight legs , top arm is straight, bring fingertips to foot at top of V, 12 reps
3. High plank to low plank (straight arm plank to elbow plank), 8 reps (I think Cathe does 10 reps the second time through this circuit)
4. 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 rep)
5. W Plank (in straight arm plank, bring foot up outside of same side hand then bring same foot up under body, knee toward chest, alternate sides)
6. Repeat #1-5