Cathe Live: Bootcamp Heavy Weights

I treasure these new Cathe Live workouts where Cathe is lifting heavy. I have one more to try (next week) unless she creates more, which I hope she does. This morning was #303 Bootcamp Heavy Weights. It is a cardio + strength total body workout. There is so much I loved about this workout. My favorite part is that Cathe hits the two muscle groups I like to work the most the hardest–lower body and back. Here is the structure. There are 6 circuits and each circuit is made up of 4 exercises: one cardio, one lower body, one upper body and one core, in that order. The core move is almost always a compound move that incorporates upper body strength work. This workout is a major winner! And Cathe is lifting heavy! That is my favorite part. Although I have always loved Cathe’s live workouts, one of my biggest gripes is that they are always endurance workouts where high reps make up for the lighter weights that are always used. There is place for endurance workouts and I do like them, but I also love challenging myself with heavy weights. Since I am working to rebuild the strength in my left arm, I did my best to lift heavier in this workout. My left arm is still limiting me but I did lift heavier with it today. So yay! It is getting stronger. I think, for me at least, the most challenging part of this workout was box jumps on a 12 inch step right out of the gate–the very first exercise after the warm up. I did it, but my feet did not feel sufficiently warmed up for that exercise. For me, they would have felt better in circuit 2 or 3. But that is due to my own foot issues. If you do not have any foot or joint issues that require more warming up, then at least you are getting the hardest cardio exercise out of the way immediately. The other cardio moves are not as challenging (at least not for me).

Because the object of this workout is to lift heavy, Cathe does not rep you out with the strength exercises. You will do 12 reps for most of the exercises. So grab those heavier dumbbells! I do plan to create a rotation for myself using this workout, Cathe’s Burn Sets Live workouts and the workout I plan to try next week (Live Push Pull Total Body Heavy Weight). I will probably throw some of her other live and DVD workouts in, too. I’ve been thinking a lot about my favorite Cathe workout–STS Total Body, so that will definitely be included. So I will be posting a new rotation in the future. However, I won’t post it until I complete it myself so I can give my thoughts on the rotation as a whole.

Bootcamp Heavy Weights is 47 minutes; 8 minute warm up (you need 5 pound dumbbells for the warm up) and 3:45 minute stretch. Equipment: full step at 12 inches, fitness mat and various dumbbells. I lifted the same as Cathe unless otherwise noted below.

Circuit #1:

1. Box jumps
2. Squats (25# DBs)
3. Chest press (Cathe is using 30# DBs; I used 18# DBs)
4. Push ups with hands on step, after each push up bring one knee in under chest toward opposite elbow, alternate knees after each push up

Circuit #2:

1. (remove step topper and set it on floor) Do straddle taps on step topper, travel forward and back the length the step topper
2. Stationary lunges (20# DBs)
3. Overhead tricep extensions (French press) (Cathe is using one 35# DB; I used one 25# DB)
4. Tripod kickbacks (tricep kickbacks while in straight arm plank) (one 10# DB)

Circuit #3:

1. 8 power hops (one foot on step, lift back leg while step foot also hops, you are also circling arms) + 8 side to side lateral hops
2. Deadlifts (30# DBs)
3. Pullovers (Cathe is using one 35# DB; I used one 30# DB)
4. Full sit up with one cross punch at top of sit up, alternate arms (Cathe is using 8# DBs; I used 5# DBs)

Circuit #4:

1. (remove risers so that step is 8 inches) Straddle burpees on step
2. Side lunge (Cathe used one 20# DB; I used one 25# DB)
3. Deadrows (25# DBs)
4. Supine leg raises (lay on back with arms/DBs raised to ceiling and held isometrically, raise and lower straight legs) (8# DBs)

Circuit #5:

1. (step is still at 8 inches) Power turning squats (180 jump squats with one foot on the step)
2. Alternating cross-back/curtsy lunge (swap DB from hand to hand as you alternate sides) (Cathe used one 20# DB; I used one 25# DB)
3. Overhead press (Cathe is using 20# DBs; I used 13# DBs)
4. Standing side bends (one hand holds DB, other hand is behind head, bend toward side where elbow is behind head) (one 20# DB)

Circuit #6:

1. (step is back @ 12 aches) Step knee down tap on step, 12 reps + 12 jumping jacks before you change to other side then end with another 12 jumping jacks
2. Wide stance deadlift (30# DBs)
3. Bicep curls (Cathe is using 20# DBs; I used 15# DBs)
4. Renegade rows (you are in straight arm plank with hand on step while other rows) (one 25# DB)