#292 Low Impact Cardio Muscle is another awesome total body metabolic strength workout from Cathe Live. This one is a cardio + strength workout in which Cathe alternates several compound strength exercises with a cardio exercise. Though the title says the workout is low impact that is just Cathe-speak for no plyometrics. True it is not high impact but there is jumping all through this workout–even in some of the strength work. Sometimes Cathe shows a no impact modification and sometimes she doesn’t. Luckily I do not need low impact so the hopping in this workout didn’t bother me at all. I actually loved this workout. This isn’t one of her killer workouts but it is a lot of fun and it worked me well. I also loved how she managed to hit every muscle group in the body. Plus, unlike a lot of her other live workouts, she gives you a decent stretch. So you are getting it all in this workout!
A little aside about this workout. In Cathe’s live workouts with a class behind her she will stop exercising sometimes and walk around the room, sometimes starting up the exercise again next to a class member or sometimes just cheering them on (never to correct improper form tho, which drives me insane). She currently does not have a class due to the pandemic but she still sometimes stops the exercise to cheer you, the home exerciser, on. It’s pretty funny and cute when she does it and she always tells you not to stop so you never mistake it for the exercise being over. When she rejoins the exercise she somehow always manages to keep the count and the the tempo of the exercise, so as long as you are staying on count and tempo, she is right there with you. Except in this workout! This workout is the first time she has rejoined an exercise and been on the wrong lead. #13 below–it was okay because she was still on tempo but it was a little weird because when she rejoined the exercise I felt like I was on the wrong lead–but it wasn’t me, it was her!
Low Impact Cardio Muscle is 48:30 minutes; 5:30 minute warm up and 3:30 minute stretch. Equipment: various dumbbells and a fitness mat. I used the same weight as Cathe did unless otherwise noted below.
- Line taps (side to side squat hop, reaching fingertips to the ground when in squat)
- Side lunge, swinging DB past knee when lunging then swinging DB up overhead to other side of body at top of lunge (one 10# DB)
- Squat toss (wide squat pulse, passing DB from hand to hand, hand holding DB is in front of chest, extend other arm straight in front of you when not holding DB) (one 10# DB)
- Side to side lunges with a hop in the middle, when in lunge, reaching hands toward floor, when hopping to change sides, reach arms overhead
- 2 deadlifts + 2 dead rows; continue this combo but rows change to wide rows (still deadlifting into row); changes to 3 bent over wide rows; changes to 7 bent over wide rows (15# DBs)
- Alternating forward lunges, when lunging, do a rowing move over front leg (one 10# DB)
- High/low jabs with hops (single arm jabs to side, squat during low portion of jab)
- Alternating single arm back flys (in split stance, do a single arm back fly then pass the DB to other hand while swapping leg position) (one 10# DB)
- Double arm front swing while doing a wide pile squat (DBs are held together when swinging), raise DBs overhead then open them into a goal post (Cathe is using 8# DBs; I used 10# DBs)
- Puddle jumpers (wide low side to side steps)
- Stationary lunges with bicep curls (hammer down and traditional curl up) (10# DBs)
- 3 wide hop squats + one rear lunge, alternate legs when lunging (one 10# DB)
- Wide squats with side leg lift, push arms down when squatting and push arms overhead when lifting leg to side, alternate legs when doing side lift (this is a cardio move, so it’s done fast)
- Singe arm front raise while also doing a single arm side raise with other arm, alternate arms while keeping both arms straight, you are also doing calf raises. (5# DBs)
- Single arm snatch with squat jacks (start with DB on floor in front of you, jump out into squat, pick up DB with one hand, do a snatch overhead, place DB on floor, squat jack in and out and repeat on other arm) (one 10# DB)
- Lateral skaters
- Sumo squats with bicep curls (bicep curl while in squat and also at top of squat–so the curls are done to a brisk pace) (10# DBs)
- Step one foot out to side while doing an Arnold press then step other foot out to other side while doing a bicep curl (8# DBs)
- Plank jacks, tap hand to opposite shoulder when jacking, alternate hands
- Tricep push ups on knees
- Skull crushers with hips raised and held isometrically in bridge (you are doing full and partial reps) (one 12# DB)
- Crab kicks (in crab, lift one leg while reaching opposite hand to touch foot, alternate sides)
- Sit on mat, torso leaned back partially, legs extended in front of you with knees slightly bent, arms/DBs are held at chest level in guard, raise torso to sit up straight while also doing an overhead press, lean torso back and hold while doing a cross punch with each arm (5# DBs)
- Start in wide squat straddling end of mat, bear crawl out to plank, do 2 push ups, walk hands back to start (in wide squat) and do one bear crawl press (fall forward until hands catch you on mat and you are lowering body so forehead almost touches the mat then push body back up into wide squat–legs remain in wide squat position throughout)
- Straight arm side plank with single arm snatch (Cathe uses one 10# DB; I used one 8# DB)
- Elbow plank hold, bring knee of one leg up toward outside elbow and tap toe to floor, repeat on other leg then bring knee to elbow outside of body (but higher this time so toe doesn’t tap floor) and repeat on other leg
- Release push ups (start in straight arm plank, lower like doing a push up but lower all the way to mat, raise both arms and legs off mat, put hands and toes back on mat and push back up to plank keeping body straight)
