This workout was given to us free from Cathe on Valentines Day 2025. I snagged it, of course, but had just started a 10 month rotation so I am just now getting to it.
I was immediately excited to see it is a pandemic video! I loved those Cathe Lives–when it was just Cathe leading your workout, alone in her gym. When the workout begins Cathe is wearing a heart antenna headband. Cathe shows lower impact alternatives to moves with impact. You don’t get much of a stretch because Cathe is having a little contest. The first 3 people to post a picture of themselves on Facebook all sweaty from this workout got a bag of candy hearts autographed by Cathe plus another surprise. But that was obviously years ago!
This is a cardio + strength workout. It is also a high rep endurance workout and you cannot lift heavy weights. Since I had already done a full body strength workout yesterday, I used the same weights as Cathe and considered this more of a cardio workout since it is so metabolic. You alternate strength exercises with cardio exercises. There are 5 circuits. Each circuit consists of a lower body exercise, a cardio exercise, an upper body exercise, a cardio exercise then ends with a core exercises. The exercises are all done in that order. Here is a trailer for this workout.
I found this workout to be pretty intense. I burned 379 calories. I do have to add two caveats to me finding this workout intense. Though I have always loved cardio + strength workouts, due to the 10 month rotation I just completed, I haven’t done one in a long time. So I found it more challenging than I used to. An second, I haven’t done step cardio in a long, long time. With my step at 8 inches, I found it harder than than I remembered! Anyway you slice it (as Cathe likes to say), it was a great total body workout that gives you cardio and strength work.
Candy Hearts Circuit is 53:25 minutes; one minute intro, 5 minute warm up and 1:50 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, full step at 8 inches and fitness mat. Cathe is using 10 and 15 pound dumbbells. I used the same weights as Cathe. During the warm up Cathe uses one 10 pound dumbbell, but for the rest of the workout, she uses 15 pound dumbbells for everything.
Circuit 1:
- Start standing on top of step holding one DB in both hands at chest, do alternating reverse lunge off step; changes to pulsing 3x when in lunge
- Cardio step (L step into lateral steps across step 2x)
- Alternating narrow chest press (laying on step, palms face each other and arms are kept close to sides)
- (no rest) Starts as a double arm narrow chest press but at top of press wrists rotate to bring thumbs close together so palms face toward feet, the next time you press DBs up wrists rotate the opposite direction to bring pinkies close to each other so palms face behind you, continue alternating
- (no rest) Repeat #3 & 4
- (no rest) One single arm narrow press + one double arm narrow press + one single arm narrow press (other arm)
- (no rest) Repeat #4
- Cardio (grapevine + 2 jacks; instead of grapevine do a lateral step over the step + 2 jacks; jacks change to burpees)
- Place mat partially on step and on the floor, modified side plank with bottom bent leg on floor mat and bottom bend arm on step mat, extend top leg straight and lifted and top arm extended overhead, lower hip while bending knee and bringing it into chest while also bringing top elbow to knee then extend arm and leg straight again while lifting hip
- Repeat #9 on other side of body
Circuit 2:
- Holding one DB in both hands in front of chest, alternate one front lunge with one side lunge
- Repeat #1 on other leg
- Cardio (3 jumping jacks + one hop; hop changes to a front kick; front kick changes to tuck jump)
- Alternating sweeper curls (starts as a hammer curl, but rotate DBs so palms face upward at top of curl); changes to alternating upright rows; continue alternating sweeper curls with upright rows doing 4 reps of each; changes to 2 reps of each
- Cardio (squat digs–squat hops but squat is shallow, reaching arms overhead and pulling them down to sides; add traveling to side laterally and doing quarter turns when hopping)
- Sit up combo (lay on back on mat with legs extended and arms overhead, do a sit up bringing one knee into chest and tapping heel with hands, repeat on other leg then do one full sit up keeping legs extended while upper body does speed bag arms)
Circuit 3:
- Stand on one end of the step holding one DB in both hands at chest, step one foot off step into a sumo squat then leg crosses back into a curtsy lunge, leg steps back into sumo then returns to step
- Repeat #1 on other leg
- Cardio step (stand on step facing the side, step each foot down to straddle the step, step one foot back on the step and do a knee raise with other leg; knee raise changes to side leg lift)
- Decline push ups (knees or toes rest on step and hands on floor)
- Cardio step (stand at one end of the step with one foot on the step and one on the floor, squat then shuffle step across to other end of step and squat)
- Get into plank with hands on step, alternate bringing knee under chest 3x then do one plank jack; knees change so that you bring knee under body toward opposite elbow (still 3 alternating knees + one plank jack)
Circuit 4:
- Stand holding a DB in each hand, step out to side into sumo squat, step feet back together and do one calf raise, repeat stepping out to other side
- (no rest) Fast calf raises
- (no rest) Repeat #1 & 2
- Cardio (jump, reaching arms overhead)
- Tricep push ups with hands holding DBs (Cathe is on her knees)
- Tricep dips off step; extend one leg out straight
- Repeat #5
- Cardio (shuffle step 3x to one side + knee raise (heisman), repeat then do 4 wide leg high knee runs)
- Lay on back on mat with arms overhead, lift upper body while pulling knees into chest with feet elevated off mat and touch hands to heels
Circuit 5:
- Start standing on step with a DB in one hand, step opposite leg back off step into lunge, lowering to bottom of the lunge, raising halfway, lowering to bottom of lunge then raising out of lunge bringing foot back to step, pass DB to other hand and repeat on other leg
- (no rest) Still standing on step, hold DB in both hands and do a straight leg deadlift
- (no rest) Still standing on step holding DB in both hands in front of chest, step one foot back into lunge and pulse 3x
- (no rest) Repeat #3 on other leg
- (no rest) Repeat #2
- Cardio (stand behind step with legs wide, jump on top of step, jump backwards off step then do one quarter turn jump, jump back onto step then jump backward off step then do one 180 degree jump)
- Lay on back holding one DB in each hand pressed together, do pullovers lowering DBs back behind you slowly to count of 4, raise DBs partway, lower back to bottom of pullover then raise all the way
- Cardio step (corner to corner knee raises; changes to knee raise to one corner with a hop + step back off step while hinging forward and tapping step 6x + power 3 and repeat on other side/leg)
- Lay back on mat with arms overhead, do a full sit up while pulling one knee into chest and twisting torso and both arms toward knee, alternate sides
