#274 Power Legs is an excellent and fun cardio + strength lower body workout. I absolutely love this workout! It is fast paced but not too fast paced like Fit Legs. Cathe gives you time to swap dumbbells and and get into position without missing any reps–but she keeps your heart rate elevated throughout. This is a high impact workout. There are even plyometrics, but nothing crazy like tuck jumps. The level of plyo and impact in this workout is perfect for where I am fitness-wise. I love workouts like this where I get a great strength workout and great cardio all rolled up in one fun workout–I burned nearly 400 calories in 47 minutes. Not bad at all! The class was much smaller than it normally is and Cathe said she thinks she scared them away. This was a tough workout so I understand! But it was a fun workout, too. I really enjoyed it. Cathe was super pumped at the end. She seemed very excited we survived such a tough workout (seriously though, it wasn’t that tough). I used the same weight as Cathe did for most of the exercises but in the future I can definitely lift heavier for the majority of them. 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.
Power Legs is 47 minutes; 6 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness loop and various dumbbells. This is a high rep workout. For the cardio blasts, I list each move the first time it appears, but Cathe actually rotates between several cardio moves during the cardio blasts so know that during that particular blast you will probably do some (or all) of the moves more than once.
- Cardio: Jumping jacks with loop around ankles; changes to a shuffle with a side jab; changes to scissor runs; changes to double heel tap/hops to each side
- (remove loop) March in place; march wide; changes to “quicksand marches”–lower into wide squat while marching and bringing knees up as high as you can; changes to squat hops
- Stationary lunges (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Side lunges holding one DB, when you lunge, place DB on floor and when you lunge again pick up the DB (Cathe is using one 10# DB)
- Cardio: Squat abductions (wide sumo squats, after each squat, lift one leg out to side, alternate legs, you are also punching arms down then overhead)
- Step out sumo squats, alternate sides; add 3 pulses to each sumo squat; pulses change to partial reps (Cathe is using one 15# DB)
- (put loop around ankles) 4 side steps; lower into a squat and continue taking 4 steps to side
- Alternating pulsing cross-back/curtsy lunges; changes to alternating single curtsy lunges (no pulses) (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Cardio: Split jacks (sumo squat jacks with a little hop between each jack as you turn 180 degrees)
- Alternating rear lunges (pulse every 3rd lunge 3x) (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
- Deadlifts (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 25# DBs)
- Walking lunges, 3 lunge steps (pulse 4x with each step) then pivot into plie squat and pulse 4x (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
- Cardio: Jumping jacks; In stationary lunge, do small hops while pulling arms down and punching one arm down
- Warrior side lunges (in Warrior 2 pose, push up on front bent leg, lifting into a knee lift then dropping back into Warrior 2 pose)
- Squat Toss (transfer one DB from hand to hand as you pulse squat) (Cathe is using one 10# DB)
- 4 alternating front lunges + 4 alternating diagonal lunges (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
- Cardio: Jumping jacks with loop around ankles; changes to hopping hip twists; changes to touch down jacks, tapping fingertips to floor when in squat; changes to quarter turn squat jumps; changes to jump rope
- Wide plie squat walks, 4 to each side (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
- Side/Crossback/Side Lunge Combo, alternate legs (Cathe uses one 15# DB)
- Calf raises (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Cardio: Squat lunge hop-pivot (staying low, squat, side lunge w/ punch, squat, side lunge w/ punch (other side)–hop-pivot as you change positions)
- Stationary pulsing lunges (Cathe is using one 15# DB)
- Place loop around ankles and tap one leg in and out to side, arms are raised in goal post and they are opening and closing in a chest press move in time with leg tapping out; you will continue the tap outs but Cathe will vary the arm movements; eventually the leg movement changes to alternating tap outs
- Marching sumo squats; she adds directional changes but you never stop marching in sumo squat (Cathe is using one 15# DB)
