Cathe Live: Touch Up Training Upper Body

This week is Touch Up Training! Cathe created 3 Touch Up Training workouts–an upper body workout, a lower body workout and a total body workout. Today I did #296 Touch Up Training: Upper Body. I know I’ve said it before in other reviews, but I so enjoy Cathe’s pandemic live workouts so much more than her workouts with a class behind her. It’s just you and Cathe, working out together. This was an excellent upper body strength workout. It was not a heavy weight workout but a moderate, higher rep workout. Cathe does an excellent job hitting every muscle group and working them well. You even get core work and she makes sure she hits the core from front to back. Since this workout is only 44 minutes, I ended this workout with one of Cathe’s extended stretches from her LITE series. Between the thorough upper body workout and long wonderful stretch, I got an excellent workout this morning.

Touch Up Training: Upper Body is 44 minutes; 3:30 minute warm up and 1:45 minute stretch. Equipment: stability ball, various dumbbells and fitness mat. I used the same weight as Cathe unless otherwise noted below.

1. Push ups with shins on stability ball
2. Incline shoulder press, double and single arm (you use the ball to incline) (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 12# DBs)
3. Lying tricep extensions on ball, done to different tempos (8# DBs)
4. Cross over push ups (cross one foot over opposite ankle as you do a push up, tapping toe to floor, alternate sides)
5. Incline front raise (use the ball to incline), arc DBs at top of raise so ends of DBs come together; changes so at top of raise, you pull DBs back to shoulders; return to incline front raises only (5# DBs)
6. Tripod kickbacks (straight arm plank, do single arm tricep kickbacks) (one 10# DB)
7. Alternating chest flys on ball (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 13# DBs)
8. Standing straight arm lateral raises (5# DBs)
9. Side leaning lateral raise (modified side plank with side of body on ball and legs separated for stability, top arm is holding one DB, raise and lower DB with straight arm) (one 5# DB)
10. Seesaw push ups (this is a tricep push up, hips are on ball, hands are on ground directly under shoulders, as you lower upper body you keep body straight so legs raise like a seesaw and as you push your body back up your legs lower)
11. Pullovers on ball (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 13# DBs)
12. Incline bicep curls using the ball (12# DBs)
13. Weighted ball crunches (hold one DB on both hands overhead, arms straight, do crunches in this position) (one 10# DB)
14. Single arm row w/ leg lift (other hand is on the ball, row with other hand while lifting opposite straight leg behind you) (one 20# DB)
15. Preacher curls on ball (lean forward on ball, triceps/elbows on ball, do bicep curls in this position) (Cathe is using 12# DBs; I used 10# DBs but I could have lifted heavier–so I will in the future!)
16. Salute supermans on the ball (stomach is on ball, feet on ground, keep elbows bent, raise one bent arm as you raise upper body, alternate arms–back of hand is close to forehead when you raise torso, as if you are saluting)
17. Hip huggers (stand with DBs at sides, pulls shoulders back, bend elbows behind you as you raise DBs as if you were pulling your pants up) (Cathe is using 15# DBs; I used 13# DBs)
18. Double arm bent over rows (20# DBs)
19. Concentration curls sitting on ball (Cathe is using one 15# DB; I used one 13# DB)
20. Reverse crunches (lay on back, knees bent and feet raised off floor, ball is resting on shins and hands are pressed against the ball, raise hips while pressing hands against ball for additional resistance)