Cathe Live Review: Metabolic Meltdown (#154)
Metabolic Meltdown is a fun metabolic strength workout. I really enjoyed this routine and it reminds me of Cathe’s ICE Metabolic Total Body DVD, which is one of my favourites.
The workout is a fun mix of lots of different compound exercises, many of which appear in the ICE workout but also a few new combinations to add to the variety. This workout just flew by as I was having so much fun! You also move quickly from one thing to the next and this keeps the heart rate up too. Therefore, the workout has a good cardio effect even though it does not actually have any cardio moves in it.
The strength moves are fairly high rep and use light to moderate weights. The rep patterns and tempos vary throughout the exercises, which also keeps it interesting. Cathe did sometimes use lighter weight than she normally does, when doing particular exercises. So I went heavier on a few of the moves but as you are moving quite quickly I am not sure I could have gone too much heavier, without slowing the moves down a little. The high reps also means that for certain exercises you will definitely be feeling the work.
The routine ends with a floor work section for upper body and core, including the infamous sit-up / push-up combo. However, as there are only three sets in this one it’s not too bad!
Overall, this was a fun and effective metabolic workout that’s packed full of variety. It will work all the major muscle groups, whilst giving you a nice cardio effect too. This is definitely one I will be returning to more often.
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The Workout
Metabolic Meltdown is a metabolic strength workout using a variety of compound moves to work all of the major muscle groups. Cathe used light to moderate weights for this workout.
What You Need to Know
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
Metabolic Meltdown is 42 minutes long and originally aired on 15th June 2017 (#154). The workout starts with a slightly slower 4 minute warm- up before a quick water break and moving into the first exercise. You will need your dumbbells nearby - as Cathe moves quickly from one thing to the next.
Squats with overhead press – one 10# dumbbell (held horizontally between the hands)
Squats with overhead press – two 10# dumbbells – 2 sets
Squats & deadlifts – two 15# dumbbells (I used 20’s)
Crossback lunges & bicep curls / overhead press – two 10# dumbbells then change to 12’s
Kettlebell front swing to double arm pull down – two 8# dumbbells (I used 10’s) – 2 sets
Forward lunge with knee up and lateral raise – two 3# dumbbells (I used 5’s)
Back lunge with bicep curls – two 10# dumbbells
Front lunge with lateral raise – two 5# dumbbells
Front lunge with lateral raise – two 8# dumbbells
Sumo squat to lunge &1 arm overhead press – one 10# dumbbell
Side lunge to upright row – two 10# dumbbells / change to two 12# for 2nd set (I used 12’s for both)
Deadlift to sweeping curls – two 15# dumbbells
Reverse lunge with overhead tricep press – one 10# dumbbell
Curl & press with 2 tricep extensions – two 12# dumbbells
Single leg deadlift to front raise – one 12# dumbbell (I used 1x15)
Sumo drop squat / tricep extension combo – two 10# dumbbells
Crossback lunges with overhead press – one 15# dumbbell
Squat & knee twist (alternate sides) – one 10# dumbbell
Get mat out for floorwork (at 29mins)
5 sit-ups / 5 push-up combo - 3 sets
Crab kicks
Side plank clam extension – one 5# dumbbell (Cathe goes back & forth between 8 & 5’s then settles on 5’s)
Sit-ups punching dumbbells forward at top – two 5# dumbbells
Pullovers with leg extensions – two 10# dumbbells (I used 15’s & did them on a step to give greater ROM)
Chest flys with leg extensions – two 10# dumbbells (I used 20’s & did them on a step)
Supermans (raise 1 leg & opposite arm at a time) – two 3# dumbbells
Prone total body complex (on all fours – do a 1 arm delt fly while raising opposite leg straight behind you) – one 5# dumbbell (Cathe starts with 8# then changes to 5# & says she should have done 5 all along)
The workout ends with a 2:30 minute cool down and stretch. I found this to be a little brief and for some reason Cathe didn’t really stretch out the upper body so I added a few more stretches on the end.
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If you enjoyed this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Metabolic Burn - HERE.
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A solid intermediate workout; a nice break though this is by no stretch a 'blow off' workout. It's about the same intensity as ICE Metabolic and easily as much fun. I liked the floor work at the end.
My Modifications: none, except to tweak weights. I didn't do the last full body complex move but rather just the long leg lift component. The move looked a little herky-jerky and I just wasn't feeling it.