Perfect 30: Perfect Pump

Perfect Pump is the strength portion of Cathe‘s new Perfect 30 Series. It contains a 30 minute upper body workout and a 30 minute lower body workout. It also contains several bonuses. An upper body bonus and a lower body bonus that are used in the premixes, as well as the core bonus that is also included in Perfect Flow and the extended stretch bonus that is also included in Perfect HIIT. Cathe has also created a Perfect 30 Users Guide that includes info on all 3 of the workouts in the series as well as rotations.

I have been really jonesing to do these workouts but I had already started my 6 week Cathe Live Heavy Weight Rotation so I had to wait to finish it before finally doing these workouts. Having now done them, they are actually an excellent way to finish off my 6 weeks since these are primarily heavy lifting workouts. Short but heavy! I love these workouts! When I did both of the workouts I also did them with their bonuses. For only 30 minutes (or 36 & 39 with the bonuses included), Cathe delivers superb strength workouts in a short amount of time. Plus she keeps it interesting. Though some exercises are repeated, not many. These workouts will definitely be returned to frequently.

A note on the premixes. The first time I did the Upper Body workout, I started to do the premix: Upper Body + Upper Body Bonus + Extended Stretch and ran into a snag. It ended up being my mistake but it still messed me up. I had created a workout card prior to this workout and I assumed the bonus would just follow the workout (tacked onto the end as a finisher). So after #4 on the Upper Body break down below, Cathe goes to another exercise that was not in my break down. I thought in creating the premix, an exercise has been left out. This has happened before (but usually with other trainers), so I backed out and went to the main workout (non-premix), skipped to #5 and carried on my workout from there. Then I did the upper body bonus and the extended stretch. But as I was doing the upper body bonus, I realized that the exercise she did after #4 was one of the bonus exercises. After some investigation, I discovered that what she did in that premix is intersperse the bonuses into the main workout–inserting them in with the appropriate muscle group! So the second time I did the upper body workout I did the premix and liked it much better than just having the bonus tacked onto the end. The lower body workout does tack the bonus onto the end but due to the nature of the exercises, that is appropriate. It is an excellent finisher that fried my legs.

My only real criticism with these workouts is the same criticism I have for many of Cathe’s other workouts. I feel like the premix offerings could have been better. Why isn’t there a premix that only adds in the upper and lower body bonuses? Though I love the extended stretch, why does it have to be added into every single basic premixes? Why isn’t there a premix that adds everything to the splits (i.e., upper body + bonus + core + extended stretch)? I love the idea of premixes, but the majority of the time, Cathe’s premixes do not fit my needs. I am looking forward to premixes #9 & 10 (below). Total body premixes that include everything. They both appear to fit my needs, but due to their length, they will have to be reserved for a weekend or day off workout.

Upper Body is 31 minutes; 4 minute warm up and 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: full step at 12 inches, fitness mat, dumbbells and a resistance band with handles. You use 3 pound dumbbells and the resistance band for the warm up. Below I list the weights Cathe used and the weights I used. If only the weight is listed with no weight attributed to it, then I used the same weight as Cathe.

1. Pullovers (2 sets of 10 reps) (Cathe uses 15# DBs for the first set and 20# DBs for the second set; I used 15# DBs for both sets)
2. One arm row (2 sets of 12 reps) (Cathe uses one 35# DB for the first set and one 30# DB for the second set; I used one 30# DB for both sets)
3. Bent over clutch row (10 reps) (hinge forward with legs wide and DBs close together) (20# DBs)
4. Posture pulls (double your band and hold one end in each hand, arms extended straight in front of you, do chest fly move, but full and partial reps)
5. Rapid row toss (hinge forward, do one single arm row then toss/pass DB to other hand and do a single arm row with other hand, continue alternating single arm rows) (28 reps) (one 25# DB)
6. Standing sweeper curls, 8 reps (Cathe is using 20# DBs; I used 15# DBs)
7. Clutch curls, 10 reps (start with DBs at sides, do a bicep curl, bringing DBs together in front of you at top of curl) (15# DBs)
8. Drop set bicep curls (3 sets of 10 reps) (15# DBs for first set, 12# DBs for 2nd set, and 10# DBs for 3rd set)
9. Incline front V lat raise combo (lay on incline step, do one front raise with arms close to sides, open arms out into a V and do another front raise, raise up to sitting and do 2 straight arm side raises–this equals one set, do 6 sets) (5# DBs)
10. Seated straight arm lateral raises (8 reps) (5# DBs)
11. Scarecrow, 12 reps (Cathe is using 5# DBs; I used 3# DBs)
12. Push press (do a swinging hammer curl, bringing DBs to shoulders then do 3 overhead presses=1 set, do 5 sets) (15# DBs)
13. Battle ropes (stand in split stance, resistance band under back foot and holding a handle in each hand, with palms facing ceiling, alternate raising straight arms in front of you; changes to still doing alternating raises but bring arms across body)
14. Incline bench press, 16 reps (Cathe is using 25# DBs; I used 20# DBs)
15. Incline clutch press, 10 reps (narrow chest press, holding DBs close together over chest) (Cathe is using 20# DBs; I used 15# DBs)
16. Flat bench dead bug fly, 10 reps (lay on back on step, knees bent and raised, as you do a chest fly you extend one leg straight, alternate legs) (Cathe is using 25# DBs; I used 18# DBs)
17. Leg lift push ups, 10 reps
18. Overhead extension, 12 reps (Cathe is using one 35# DB; I used one 30# DB)
19. Banded kickbacks (stand on resistance band, hinge forward and do pulsing kickbacks)
20. Kickbacks, 10 reps (Cathe is using 10# DBs; I used 12# DBs)
21. Tricep push ups, 10 reps (remove step platform, do push ups on knees with hands on edges of platform)
22. Drop set tricep dips (one set of 24 reps, one set of 18 reps and one set of 12 reps) (Cathe has one 12# DB on her lap; I used one 18# DB)

Lower Body is 31 minutes; 5 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, high/square step at 12 inches (4 risers), and 2 barbell plates to elevate toes. You use 12 and 15 pound dumbbells during the warm up. Below I list the weights Cathe used and the weights I used. If only the weight is listed with no name attributed to it, then I used the same weight as Cathe.

1. Squats, 12 reps (25# DBs)
2. Static lunges, 12 reps each leg (20# DBs)
3. Deadlifts, 12 reps (Cathe is using 30# DBs; I used 35# DBs)
4. Pick up squats, 12 reps (wide sumo squats–holding DB in one hand, squat and place DB on the floor then pick it up with other hand and stand) (Cathe is using one 40# DB; I used one 45# DB)
5. Elevated lunges, 12 reps (lunges with back leg elevated on on 12 inch high step) (15# DBs)
6. Explosive lunges, 16 reps (set DBs aside and get back into same position as #5, do lunges with small hops with front leg)
7. Repeat #5 & 6 on other leg
8. Deadlifts with toes elevated on barbell plates, 12 reps (Cathe is using 30# DBs; I used 35# DBs)
9. Heels elevated front squats, 12 reps (heels elevated on barbell plates, DBs are held in front of you at chest level) (15# DBs)
10. Step ups on 12 inch high/square step, 12 reps each leg (15# DBs)
11. Single leg deadlift, 10 reps (one 30# DB)
12. Front lunges holding one DB in both hands, 10 reps each leg (Cathe is using one 15# DB; I used one 20# DB)
13. Close grip squat, 12 reps (sumo squat holding one DB on both hands) (Cathe is using one 40# DB; I used one 45# DB)
14. Squat crossover lunges, 10 reps (stand on step @ 6 inches, keeping one foot on step, squat to side into rear cross-back/curtsy lunge) (one 15# DB)
15. Forward leaning glute lunges, 10 reps each leg (stand on 6 inch step, do rear lunges off step) (one 15# DB)
16. Cassack squat, 12 reps (holding one DB in both hands, shift side to side in stationary lunges, except you push glutes back while raising toe of straight leg like you would in a stretch) (Cathe is using one 12# DB; I used one 15# DB)
17. Drop sets of calf raises (one set of 25 reps, one set of 20 reps and one set of 15 reps) (25# DBs)

Bonuses:

Upper Body Bonus is is 5 minutes. Equipment: dumbbells, resistance band, full step at 12 inches and a fitness mat. Cathe say she is using a medium resistance band.

1. Upright row single-double / single-double (single arm upright row + double arm upright row + single arm upright row (other arm) + double arm upright row = one set), 5 sets (Cathe is using 12# DBs; I used 10# DBs)
2. Single arm rear delt fly combo grip, 5 reps (combo grip means one traditional fly alternated with one fly with palm facing behind you, one combo = one rep) (one 8# DB)
3. Bench press fly combo, 8 reps (alternate a chest press with a chest fly, one of each = one rep) (Cathe is using 20# DBs; I used 18# DBs)
4. Banded curl 1.5s, 8 reps (resistance band + 5# DBs) (stand on band with both feet holding a handle and a DB in each hand, one rep = one bicep curl, lower halfway, raise DBs back to shoulders then lower all the way)
5. Banded overhead tricep extensions, 8 single reps + 4 triple pulse reps + 4 single reps + 2 triple pulse reps (stand with one foot on band, holding a handle in each hand, raise bands overhead behind you–do overhead tricep extensions in this position)

Lower Body Bonus is 7:30 minutes. Equipment: square/high step at 10 inches, fitness mat, one dumbbell and resistance band.

1. Hamstring presses, 8 reps + 32 pulses at top of move (get on hands and knees, place DB behind knee, raise and lower that leg, pressing foot to ceiling) (one 10# DB)
2. Outer thigh presses, 4 reps + 24 pulses + 4 reps + 24 pulses (lay on back, legs raised straight to ceiling, band is looped over the soles of both feet, cross the band and hold a handle in each hand, pull back so elbows are pressed into the mat, open and close legs in this position)
3. Banded glute squeezes 8 singles + 16 pulses at top of move + 8 singles + 16 pulses at top of move (lay on back with glutes close to high step, place one heel on step and wrap band around the sole of other foot, cross the band and hold onto the band above the handles, extend banded leg straight to ceiling, raise hips into single leg glute bridge)

Core Bonus is 9 minutes. This bonus starts with Cathe and crew laying on the mat. Cathe shows modifications for some of the exercises. Wow! What an awesome core workout! Every exercise in this workout is done to a very controlled pace and Cathe works the entire core, front, back and sides in unique and effective ways. I found it challenging and I felt every exercise but it was all doable.

1. Banana hold, while in banana hold raise one leg and touch foot with opposite hand, repeat on other hand/leg
2. Rotating piston planks (start in straight arm plank, rotate hip to side and bend knees lowering hips toward heels, alternate sides returning to plank between each side)
3. T raise superman (lay on stomach, arms out to sides, thumbs pointing toward ceiling, raise and lower arms and chest, feet/legs remain on mat)
4. Glute bridge leg drops (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, raise hips and hold, lift one leg toward ceiling, open and close leg out to side)
5. Side plank angle extension (knee side elbow plank, reach top arm overhead and extend top leg straight, pull top knee into chest and bring top elbow to meet knee, extend leg and arm straight again while turning and lowering palm toward floor, Cathe says not to lower your chest to the floor but it sure looks like that’s what she’s doing)

Extended Stretch is 8 minutes. There is nothing new in this extended stretch but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. I always love it when Cathe adds an extended stretch to her workouts and this is another feel good way to end one of her workouts. The stretch begins with Cathe and crew already sitting on the fitness mat. Roll onto back, pull knees into chest and hold; add small hip circles. Extend one leg to ceiling and hold calf. Figure 4 stretch (also called reclining pigeon). Lying spinal stretch (bent knees tilted to one side while arms reach to opposite side). Side lying quad stretch. Sit cross-leg on mat and hinge forward, stretching arms in front of you on floor/mat. Still seated, extend one leg straight in front of you, bend other knee and place foot on floor on outside of straight knee, twist torso to bent knee side, placing elbow against knee and other hand on floor behind you to deepen the strength. Seated straight leg forward fold. Cat/cow stretch. Child’s pose. Upward facing dog. Downward facing dog; add pedaling feet. Standing forward fold, hands clasping opposite elbow. Standing side stretches with arms extended overhead. Cross body shoulder stretch. Tricep stretch. Clasp hands behind back, reaching hands down toward glutes and bending neck forward. It ends with deep breath while reaching arms overhead.

Premixes:

1. Lower Body + Extended Stretch   36:47
2. Upper Body + Extended Stretch   37:39
3. Lower Body + Upper Body + Extended Stretch   61:49
4. Lower Body + Core Bonus + Extended Stretch   46:06
5. Upper Body + Core Bonus + Extended Stretch   46:58
6. Lower Body + Upper Body + Core Bonus + Extended Stretch   71:08
7. Upper Body + Upper Body Bonus + Extended Stretch   42:16
8. Lower Body + Lower Body Bonus + Extended Stretch   44:26
9. Lower Body + Upper Body + Lower Body Bonus + Upper Body Bonus + Extended Stretch   74:06
10. Lower Body + Upper Body + Lower Body Bonus + Upper Body Bonus + Core Bonus + Extended Stretch   83:41
11. Back & Biceps   16:38
12. Back, Biceps & Shoulders   21:10
13. Chest & Triceps   15:00
14. Shoulder, Chest & Triceps   19:32
15. Total Body Express   31:36
16. Upper & Lower Body   54:37
17. No Step   39:21
18. No Step + Core   48:39
19. Upper Body Light Weights & Bands + Core Bonus Express   32:06
20. Lower Body Light Weights & Bands + Core Bonus Express   36:53