Cathe Live: Lower Body – Upper Body Dumbbell Challenge

#220 Lower Body – Upper Body Dumbbell Challenge is a super tough and intense total body strength workout. The first half of the workout is metabolic lower body, so you will get cardio with your strength work, then you move to upper body which is still intense and fast paced. Your heart rate will still be elevated, just not as high as it was during the lower body exercises. But man does Cathe burn your muscles out! My arms are still burning. She ends the workout with some intense core work. This is another Cathe Live workout with little to no breaks between many of the exercises which really affects your ability to lift heavier. The warm up, too, gets pretty aggressive. It is a long warm up but she hits your lower body hard starting in the warm up so the first 28 minutes (including the warm up) is all lower body work. 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.

As a side note–what is up with all the screaming people are doing? I haven’t done Cathe Live since 2017 and I do not remember people screaming all of the time back then. But these newer (2018 to present) people are screaming in every workout. I thought it was the music at first then realized it happens in nearly every single workout–someone(s) screaming on and off throughout the workouts. Cathe seems to like it so I guess the screams are feedback, letting her know they are liking the workout?

Lower Body – Upper Body Dumbbell Challenge is 62 minutes; 9 minute warm up, first 28 minutes (including warm up) is lower body, the next 24 minutes is upper body, 6:30 core and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, sliding device and a fitness mat. I used the same weight as Cathe unless otherwise noted below.

Lower Body:

1. Stationary lunges (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
2. Squats (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 20# DBs)
3. Sliding reverse lunges (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
4. Repeat #1-3
5. Pulsing rear curtsy/cross-back lunges (pulse 3x); changes to singles; ends with 15 pulses (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
6. Holding one DB in both hands, do 2 fast side slide lunges + one slow side slide lunge (Cathe is using one 15# DB)
7. Front lunges (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
8. Repeat #5-7

Upper Body (starts @ 28:30; 24 minutes):

1. Upright rows (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 12# DBs)
2. Overhead press (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
3. Straight arm side raises; changes to raising arms to side then bringing straight arms together in front of you and lowering to thighs, do a front raise then open arms out to sides in a T and lower; ends with 4 straight arm side raises (Cathe is using 5# DBs)
4. Repeat #1 & 2
5. Straight arm side raises; changes to raising arms to side, bringing arms together in front of you, opening arms out to side again then lowering; ends with 4 side raises (Cathe is using 5# DBs)
6. Traditional bicep curls (Cathe is using 15# DBs the first set and 12# DBs the second set)
7. Sweeper/supination curls (Cathe is using 15# DBs the first set and 12# DBs the second set)
8. Crazy 8s (8 reps of partial bicep curls lifting halfway, 8 reps partial bicep curls lowering halfway, 8 reps full bicep curls) (Cathe is using 10# DBs the first set and 8# DBs the second set)
9. Repeat #6-8
10. Single arm bent over row (Cathe is holding one 15# DB and one 5# DB in one hand; I used one 25# DB)
11. Bent over rear delt flys (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
12. Repeat #10 & 11
13. Overhead tricep extensions (French press) (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
14. Bent over tricep kickbacks (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
15. Push ups
16. Repeat #13-14
17. Tricep push ups on knees, full and partial reps
18. Close grip chest press (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
19. Chest flys (lay on mat with knees bent and feet raised off mat); add extending legs straight and bringing knees back into chest with each fly (Cathe is using 12# DBs the first set and 15# DBs the second set)
20. Repeat #18-19

Core: (starts at 52:45; 6:30 minutes)

1. Lay on back with legs straight, arms are extended straight to ceiling holding 5# DBs, keep arms stationary while raising and lowering straight legs
2. Lay on back, legs raised, knees bent and ankles crossed, hands behind head, head/neck and shoulders raised off mat, in this position, do reverse crunches
3. Lay on back, one leg is extended straight a few inches off the floor, the other leg is extended straight to ceiling, arms extended beside body, head/neck raised, in his position to pulsing crunches, first 1 pulse then 2 pulses then 3 pulses the 4 pulses–then swap leg positions
4. Bicycle maneuver
5. Repeat #1-4