Cathe Live Review: Arms & Abs On The Ball (#284)

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Cathe Live Review: Arms & Abs On The Ball (#284)

Arms & Abs On The Ball is a pure strength workout for the upper body and core.

For some reason I didn’t really love this workout as much as I expected to. I am not quite sure why that is, although I know I didn’t really like the core work, but, to me, it just felt a little more disjointed and without the usual flow of Cathe’s ball workouts. There are definitely others in the archive that I like more.

This workout uses the stability ball for every single exercise, including the core work. You start with groups of upper body exercises, by muscle group, so biceps, shoulders, chest, triceps and then back. There are several exercises for each muscle group and you usually then repeat them again before moving onto something else. The rep counts are not too high but as you are doing multiple sets the work does start to add up. Cathe sometimes used slightly lighter weights, than usual, so I did increase on several and would probably do so a little more in future. This one definitely did not feel as tough as most of Cathe’s upper body workouts. Don’t get me wrong it was effective and I felt well worked by the end but I just didn’t get the muscle fatigue / burn out I sometimes do with Cathe’s strength routines.

The workout ends with a core section using the ball. I found some of the exercises a little awkward and so didn’t always feel like I got the best core work from it. The prone tap downs were definitely an interesting move, as the core has to work hard to stabilise you so you can maintain your balance on this one. However, with the side bends, for example, I found I couldn’t get a good range of motion, as my dumbbell kept hitting the ball, so I did these standing instead.

Overall, an effective upper body and core strength workout using the stability ball. I am not sure if I would return to this one though, as Cathe has so many other really excellent upper body workouts in the archive.

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The Workout

Arms & Abs On The Ball is an upper body and core strength workout using the stability ball and various weighted dumbbells.

What You Need to Know

(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).

The Moves

Arms & Abs On The Ball is 55 minutes long and originally aired on 13thFebruary 2020 (#284). The workout starts with a 5 minute warm-up, including using 5 pound dumbbells towards the end, before moving into the first upper body on the ball. You will need to ensure that all of your equipment is handy for this routine.

Biceps

• Seated bicep curls – two 12# dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 15 reps

• Incline bicep curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) & ball – 17 reps

• Incline sweeper curls – two 12# Dbs & ball– 8 reps

• Seated bicep curls (2/6 count) – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 6 sets

• Seated bicep curls – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) – 8 reps

• Incline bicep curls / hammer curls / sweeper curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) & ball – 16 reps

• Seated bicep curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 3 sets (2/6 count) & 2 sets (hold half way)

Shoulders

• Seated overhead press – two 10# Dbs & ball – 20 reps (fast)

• Seated overhead press (goal post position w/ arms) – two 10# Dbs & ball – 8 sets (1x 1 arm & 1x both)

• Seated overhead press – two 10# Dbs & ball– 4x 1.5’s. 4x 1.5’s & 3x 1.5’s

• Seated lateral raise – two 5# Dbs & ball– 4x singles, 3 sets (3x 1.5’s) & 1 set (4x 1.5’s)

• Incline front arc raise / 1 arm incline front raise – two 8# Dbs & ball – 2 sets (1x arc & 2x 1 arm front) & 4 sets (1x arc & 1x 1 arm front)

• Incline double arm front raise & bicep curl – two 5# Dbs & ball – 5x front, 1x bicep, 7x front, 1x bicep & 4 sets (1 of each)

Chest

• Chest flys – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 12 reps

• Bench press – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 16 reps

• 1 Chest fly & 2 bench press – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 6 sets

• Decline push-ups – ball – 7 sets (1x 2/2 & 2x singles)

• 1 Arm chest fly – one 12# Db (I used 1x 15) & ball – 12 reps (1st side) & 14 reps (2nd side)

• 1 Chest fly & 2 bench press – two 15# Dbs & ball – 8 sets

• Decline push-ups – ball – 8 reps (singles)

Triceps

• Lying tricep extensions – two 8# Dbs (I used 10’s) & ball – 12 reps (2/2 & partials)

• Seated overhead tricep extensions – two 12# Dbs & ball – 8 reps (2/2 count)

• Narrow grip chest press – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 12 sets (1x both arms & 1x 1 arm)

• Lying tricep extensions – two 10# Dbs & ball – 8 reps (2/2 & partials)

• Seated overhead tricep extensions – two 12# Dbs & ball – 8 reps (2/2 count)

• See saw push-ups – ball – 8 reps (2/2 count) & 4x 1.5’s

Back

• 1 Arm row – Cathe used two 12# Dbs in one hand (I used 1x 22) & ball – 16 reps each side

• Pullovers – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 13 reps

• 1 Arm row – Cathe used two 12# Dbs in one hand (I used 1x 22) & ball – 12 reps each side

• Pullovers – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 8 reps

• 1 Arm rear delt fly (leaning over the ball, 1 hand on floor in front of ball & fly other arm out to side) – one 8# Db & ball – 2 sets of 8 reps each side

Core at 44:45 minutes

• Supermans (leaning over ball with hands resting below you on ball; raise & lower torso) / 1 arm salute supermans (holding 1 hand to forehead in a salute; lift & lower torso) / supermans (both arms lifted) – ball - 8x hands on ball, 4x 1 arm & 4x 1 arm (other side) & 4x both arms

• Prone tap downs (shins on ball & hands on floor in front of ball; tap 1 foot down to floor & back up) – ball – 10 reps each side

• Lying 1 leg tap downs (lying on back w/ both legs straight in air & ball held against shins; lower & lift 1 leg towards the mat & up) – ball & mat – 10 reps each side

• Boxer & reverse hip lift (ball held between feet; w/ straight legs lower legs towards the floor & back up into reverse hip lift) – ball & mat – 11 reps

• Seated side bends – two 5# Dbs (I used 1x 20 & stood up) & ball – 16 reps each side

The workout ends with a 2 minute cool down and stretch.

Take Action

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If you liked this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Upper Body Challenge w Ball (#136) – HERE.

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