Cathe Live Review: Cardio Circuit Challenge Express (#66)

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Cathe Live Review: Cardio Circuit Challenge Express (#66)

Cardio Circuit Challenge Express is a really fun and fast, cardio and metabolic strength workout. I absolutely loved this routine – it has so much variety and just flies by. I was pretty soaked by the end and felt nicely worked.

The workout is a random mix of cardio intervals and metabolic strength exercises. The pace of the routine is pretty fast throughout so your heart rate stays nicely elevated. The cardio intervals are a mix of steady state cardio and higher intensity blasts. It is all high impact but you could modify to lower impact, if you prefer, and Cathe does show the odd modification along the way. For the cardio intervals you are often doing two or more, one after the other, with little or no breaks in between. However, most of the intervals are not repeated unless they need to be done on the other side. I love this approach, as there is no dread factor, so once those lateral shoot burpees are done you don’t have to do them again! One thing to note though, when you are doing jacks / fast scissors at the end, Cathe says that it is your last cardio but that’s not true as you then do two sets of snow angel jacks… So just so you are prepared!

The metabolic exercises are all compound moves and have a good cardio effect too. I would not class this as real strength training though and that’s not the way it is designed – it has much more of a cardio focus. For me, I would use this on a cardio day as there are not enough reps of the strength work to provide anything other than light toning. Those exercises are really there to give you a break from the cardio blasts but still keep the heart rate up. Cathe used 8 to 12 pound dumbbells and these worked well for me, given the pace. Also as you often go from one strength move to the next, without a break, it would be difficult to trade out dumbbells quickly enough for some of the moves where you could go heavier, such as, deadlifts.

The routine ends with Cathe’s beloved sit-up / push-up combo just to give you that final push before cooling down. Cathe does say its only four sets but then adds on another one set at the end.

Overall, this is a time efficient cardio and metabolic workout that really got my heart rate up and provided a fun total body challenge. This is definitely one I will be returning to.

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The Workout

Cardio Circuit Challenge Express is a cardio and metabolic strength workout. Cathe used light to moderate dumbbells and a mat for this routine.

What You Need to Know

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

The Moves

Cardio Circuit Challenge Express is 38 minutes long and originally aired on 27th August 2015 (#66). The workout starts with a 5 minute warm-up, before going straight into the first cardio interval. You will need to ensure you have your dumbbells handy for this routine. Cardio intervals shown in bold italics below.

• Jacks – 16 reps

• X jacks (jack forward in an X pattern & jack back) – 16 reps

• Quarter turn jump squats – 20 reps

• Static lunges & overhead tricep extensions – two 8# Dbs – 8 reps each side

• 3 Leaps to side & jack – 12 reps

• Long reach lunges – 32 reps

• Squat & overhead press – two 10# Dbs – 4x 3’s, 8x singles, 2x 3’s, 4x singles, 2x 3’s & 4x singles

• Jog in place / jog x3 & hike knee / rocking horse / pendulums / jacks (then repeat starting on other side)

• Front lunge & rear delt fly - two 8# Dbs – 10 reps

• Straight arm lateral raises – two 8# Dbs – 2 sets (1x 2/2 & 2x singles)

• Front lunge & rear delt fly - two 8# Dbs – 4 reps

• Straight arm lateral raises – two 8# Dbs – 8 reps (singles)

• Apple picker jumps – 44 reps

• Travel twist & 4 jacks – 6 sets

• 4 Jacks / 4 air jacks – 4 sets

• Rear lunges & hammer curls – two 10# Dbs – 12 sets (3 curls)

• 4 Power hops forward & 4 block jacks back – 8 sets

• Lateral shoot burpees (on a diagonal) – 10 reps

• Plie squats & upright row – two 12# Dbs – 29 reps

• 2 Knees (hopping) / 2 knees & speedbag arms (hopping) / 1 knee & 1 kick x2 (hopping) / insoles up (hopping) / straight leg kicks (hopping)

• Squats in a box – 6 reps (1st side) & 8 reps (2nd side)

• 2 Lateral plie squats & bicep curl (2/2 count) - two 12# Dbs – 4 sets

• Lateral plie squats - two 12# Dbs – 4 sets

• 2 Lateral plie squats & bicep curl (2/2 count) - two 12# Dbs – 4 sets

• Hammer curls – two 12# Dbs – 4 reps

• Deadlifts – two 12# Dbs – 7 reps

• 16 Jacks / 8 fast scissors – 4 sets

• Snow angel jacks - 2 sets of 10 reps

• Kettlebell swing & 1 arm lat pulldown – one 10# Db (I used 1x 12) – 8x swing, 4x 3’s & 4x singles

• Tricep push-up w/ leg lift – mat – 8 reps (on knees) & 8 reps (on toes)

• 5 Ankle grabber sit-ups / 5 push-ups – mat - 5 sets

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: Twenty Five (#230) – HERE.

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