Lift, Move & Restore: Functional Lower Body

This workout is part of Cathe Friedrich’s Lift, Move & Restore program. This program contains workouts for people who are fit but aging and want to take things down a notch but also want to age well. She notes that these workouts can also be used as recovery workouts for advanced exercisers.

Functional Lower Body contains the main lower body strength workout and a Bonus balance disk/barre workout. The first time I did this workout I did the 71:30 minute premix that combines the main workout with the bonus. The two workouts are very different. The main workout is very metabolic. But by the time I finished the 20 minute bonus, most of the sweat I had created during the main workout had dried up and I was completely “cooled” down. The main workout was very enjoyable and active. Though I do think the bonus is very beneficial, it was not very enjoyable.

Let’s talk more about the main workout first. Like Functional Upper Body, Cathe is using very light dumbbells. You use what works best for you but I had to lift heavier to get the most out of this workout. And because of that I do feel I got a solid and enjoyable workout. Plus cardio! In 71 minutes I burned over 500 calories but the real calorie burn happened during the main workout. There is a lot going on this workout and Cathe hits your lower body from all angles and with lots of modalities. You do not repeat many of the exercises so there is no boredom. The reps are all over the place. Some exercises are high rep and others low rep. One thing I like about the two workouts I’ve done so far is that Cathe previews the exercises before you do them. Maybe she is taking notes from some of YouTubes most popular trainers who preview all exercises before you do them? It not only gives you the opportunity to mentally prepare for an exercise but (most importantly) to choose the appropriate dumbbell weight beforehand. The stretch at the end is wonderful. Cathe did all of my favorite feel good lower body stretches.

The bonus was very challenging. Like the bonus on Functional Upper Body it is balance based. But because you are standing on the balance disks, your feet get a serious workout. And if your feet are not used to that kind of work they start getting very tired. Because I have plates and screws in my heels I experience severe pain when I spend hours on my feet but I am wondering if this workout will give me a different kind of foot pain–DOMS! We shall see. All I know is my feet were getting seriously worked and worn out during the bonus.

***12/17/24 update: I returned to this workout this morning. I increased my weight for many of the exercises and I also raised my step height to 10 inches. These two changes made a big difference for me. I felt the exercises more with the step height increased and I feel like I got even more out of the workout with heavier dumbbells.***

Functional Lower Body is 52:38 minutes; 3 minute warm up and 5:10 minute stretch. Equipment: medium tension glute band, medium tension firewalker loop, dumbbells, one barbell plate, high step with 2 risers and fitness mat. Below I listed both the weights Cathe used and the weights I used. If only the weight is listed, I used the same weight as Cathe.

1. Side to side sumo squat (place glute band around thighs above knees, step out into sumo squat, alternate sides)
2. Squat lunge combo (band is still around thighs, step one leg out into squat, pivot into lunge, pivot back into squat then step feet back together, alternate sides)
3. Lunge knee lunge stand (band is still around thighs, step back into reverse lunge, bring leg forward into a knee raise, step foot back into lunge then bring feet together, alternate sides)
4. Squat & pop (band is still around thighs, lower into squat and when you raise out of squat, “pop” up with force, raising onto toes)
5. Suitcase squat (basic squats w/ a DB in each hand) (Cathe is using 12# DBs, I used 25# DBs)
6. Single arm suitcase squat (same as #5 holding one DB in one hand, do 4 squats then pass DB to other hand and do 4 squats, changes to 2 squats then singles, passing DB hand to hand with each squat) (Cathe is using one 12# DB, I used one 25# DB)
7. Deadlift (Cathe is using 12# DBs, I used 25# DBs)
8. Sumo squats (hold one DB in both hands at chest level) (Cathe is using one 12# DB, I used one 30# DB)
9. Pulsing sumo squats (start pulsing at bottom of squat then raise one heel; changes to alternating heels) (Cathe is using one 12# DB, I used one 30# DB)
10. Single leg deadlift (back/non-working leg is in kickstand, hold one DB in opposite hand) (Cathe used one 12# DB, I used one 25# DB)
11. Repeat #10 on other leg
12. Static lunge halo circle (hold barbell plate in both hands, do stationary lunges, when you lower into lunge, chop plate down beside on hip, as you raise out of lunge circle/halo plate around head) (one 15# barbell plate)
13. Repeat #12 on other side of body
14. Side lunge to crossback (side lunge into crossback/curtsy lunge into side lunge into side leg lift w/ an overhead press) (Cathe is using 3# DBs, I used 12# DBs)
15. Repeat #14 on other side of body
16. Forward leaning lunge (hold one DB in one hand, step back onto reverse lunge while hinging torso forward and reach DB toward floor beside foot, bring foot back in and pass DB to other hand, repeat on other side) (Cathe is using one 12# DB, I used one 25# DB)
17. Cossack lunge (hold one DB in both hands, take a wide step out to side and lower into side lunge, do a static/stationary side lunges, staying low the entire time and raising toe of straight leg when in lunge) (Cathe is using one 10# DB, I used one 30# DB)
18. Drop squat to crossback (get square step @ 8 inches (2 risers), stand on step holding one DB in both hands, step one foot off step onto floor into squat, step foot back into crossback lunge then step foot back into squat then bring foot back into step) (Cathe is using one 10# DB, I used one 15# DB, I used one 20# DB and my step was @ 10 inches)
19. Repeat #18 on other side of body
20. Step ups (stand on 8 inch square step, hold one DB in both hands at chest level, do reverse lunges stepping one foot off step) (Cathe is using one 12# DB, I used one 20# DB and my step was @ 10 inches)
21. Repeat #20 on other leg
22. Lateral step downs (no DBs, start standing on top of square step, step one foot off into a partial squat then back on step)
23. Repeat #22 on other leg
24. Lunge knee lift (no DBs, start standing on square step, step one leg back into reverse lunge reaching hands down toward step, bring back leg forward into a front knee raise when you raise out of lunge)
25. Repeat #24 on other leg
26. Firewalker ladder (place firewalker loop around ankles, take one step to side and back, then 2 steps to side and back, then 3 steps to side and back, continue doing this until you’ve done 7 steps to side and 7 steps back to start)
27. Firewalker crab walk (lower into a partial squat, take 4 steps to one side and back)
28. Firewalker zig zag walk (walk 4 steps forward on a diagonal then 4 steps back on a diagonal, you will alternate between upright and crab walk when zig zagging)
29. Half circle crossover (firewalker is still around ankles, place on DB on floor in front of you, extend arms to sides in a T, lift one leg and circle it over DB, alternate legs)
30. Rapid running man (lower firewalker so it is wrapped around feet, do 8 fast knee raises on one leg, repeat on other leg, then do 4 knee raises on one leg, repeat on other leg then do 2 on one leg, repeat on other leg, then do alternating knee raises)
31. Clamshell (place firewalker loop around thighs above knees, lay on one hip and elbow with both knees bent, raise hip while pushing top leg out straight and reaching one arm overhead, lower hip while pulling knee in and tapping top elbow to knee) (I  used my glute band instead of the firewalker)
32. Repeat #31 on other side of body
33. Glute bridge (band is still around thighs, lay on back w/ knees bent and feet close to glutes, lift one leg to ceiling, raise hips/glutes and pulse them upward) (I used my glute band instead of the firewalker)
34. Repeat #33 w/ other leg raised
35. Repeat #33 & 34
36. Inner thigh lift (lay on one hip and bottom elbow, firewalker starts above knee, keep it there on bottom leg, on top leg, bend knee and place foot on floor behind bottom leg, lower loop and place under foot, in this position, lift bottom leg and pulse upward; continue this move but lift hips off floor)
37. Repeat #36 on other leg

Lower Body Balance Disk Bonus is 20:30 minutes; 40 second stretch. Equipment: 2 balance disks and STS bar (or fit tower or chair). I used my Fit Tower.

1. Calf rock (stand behind bar or chair, each foot is on a disk, hands rest on bar, rock forward and back, rolling from toes to heels on disks)
2. Ankle mobility circles (same position as #1, but now circle ankles while keeping feet on disks)
3. Squats (same position as #1, feet still on disks, do squats with hands resting on bar)
4. Squats arms crossed (same as #3 but remove hands from bar and cross them over chest)
5. Squats arms front (same as #2 except arms are extended straight in front of you)
6. Single leg balance challenge (remove one balance disk, stand on one leg on remaining disk, other leg is raised, lift hands off bar)
7. Repeat #6 on other leg
8. Single leg knee lift (turn so you are standing beside bar, one foot is on disk, other foot taps floor then knee raises; changes to doing it w/out holding bar)
9. Single leg outer thigh lift (same starting position as #8, lift outside leg out straight to side; changes to doing it w/out holding bar; changes to circling one arm when leg raises)
10. Single leg hamstring lift (face the bar again, one foot is on disk, place both hands on bar and hinge forward, raise and lower other leg behind you; changes to pulsing leg at top of lift; changes to full range lifts w/out hands on bar)
11. Repeat #8-10 on other leg

Premixes:

Main workout + Bonus 71:37 minutes

Timesaver #1 – No step 35:51 minutes

Timesaver #2 – No firewalkers 37:08 minutes

Timesaver #3 – All loops 28:56

Timesaver #4 – All loops + step 37:31 minutes

Mish Mosh: Fabric loop + balance disk bonus 33:39 minutes