Cathe Live Review: Stepped Up Bootcamp (#295)

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Cathe Live Review: Stepped Up Bootcamp (#295)

Stepped Up Bootcamp is a cardio and strength circuit workout using the step. As I am not usually a big fan of step bootcamp workouts, as they often include lots of jumping on and off the step, I was quite pleased that I rather liked this one, as apart from the first interval, straddle jumps, there is no direct jumping on and off the step.

The workout consists of five rounds of four exercises – a cardio, lower body, upper body and core move. The whole workout is pretty metabolic, as it moves at a reasonable pace and the tempo is a little faster, for some of the moves, than usual. However, it is not all out crazy fast so you can still use reasonably heavy weights, if you want to.

The cardio intervals all use the step, although Cathe demonstrates modifications if you don’t want to use the step or if you want to take it down a level in terms of intensity. That is one of the real benefits of the one-on-one approach, with Cathe Live at the moment, as you actually get to see all of the modifications that Cathe demonstrates. With the normal Live classes, this often isn’t the case as the camera is often focusing on someone else at that point. The cardio intervals are all very straight forward moves so no choreography to learn here and if you have done any of Cathe’s other step bootcamps they will all look familiar. It also includes the ‘over the top burpees’ from Cathe’s STEP BOSS: IMAX 4 DVD (review HERE) and again Cathe shows lots of modifications if you don’t want to do them on the step or don’t want to do the burpee. The intervals are reasonably high rep though so you will start breathing heavier during these but you do get a little rest before moving into the strength work.

The strength moves are all traditional moves. Again as this is just Cathe, she uses 20 pound dumbbells for some of the lower body moves, such as, deadlifts and plie squats. She does go a little lighter on some of the other moves though, as she says the tempo is faster. I did increase on a few moves and would probably do so more in the future. However, some of the upper body moves are quite high rep, such as, the bicep curls to overhead press. I used 12’s for these and was definitely feeling the last few rounds. The core moves are mainly using the step for planks, reverse crunches etc and these worked my core nicely.

Overall, an effective and pretty metabolic total body workout that hits a little bit of everything.

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The Workout

Stepped Up Bootcamp is a cardio and strength workout using the step. The routine consists of five rounds of one cardio, lower body, upper body and core move.

What You Need to Know

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

The Moves

Stepped Up Bootcamp is 43 minutes long and originally aired on 30th April 2020 (#295). The workout starts with a 4 minute warm-up, before a quick water break, a few calf stretches and then moving into the first cardio interval on the step. The step, with two risers, is set up horizontally in front of you at the start of the workout. The step height does not change during the routine. Cardio moves shown in bold italics below.

Round 1

• Straddle Jumps – step – 2 sets of 16 reps

• Crossback lunge – two 8# Dbs & step – 40 reps

• Decline push-ups (feet on step & hands on floor) – step – 16 reps, 8 reps & 8 reps

• C-Curve leg lifts (sitting on step, lean back & w legs out wide on floor bring then up together & back down) – step – 24 reps

Round 2

• Knee off side (of step) & 6 lateral hops across – step – 6 sets

• Step-ups – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & step – 16 reps each side

• 4 Bicep curls / 3 overhead press – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) – 8 sets

• Plank knee in / knee to elbow / knee in / plank jack (in plank (hands on step) bring 1 knee under body; then same knee to outside elbow; then under the body again & plank jack) – step – 10 sets (1st 4 sets without jack)

Round 3

• Power 7 & box lunges (turn & lunge off front & back, turn & lunge off the back x2, turn & lunge back & front & then off the front) – step – 6 sets

• Deadlifts – two 20# Dbs – 16 reps (2/2 & 3/1 counts)

• Tricep push-ups (hands on edge of step) – step – 16 reps

• Side bends (w/ arms straight overhead) – one 10# Db – 18 reps

Round 4

• Lateral hop over & 2 jacks (modification) / over the top burpees (shoot over step laterally then squat thrust on floor; standing at the top; alternate sides) – step - 6 sets modified & 16 sets burpees

• Elevated lunges (back foot on step) – two 15# Dbs & step – 24 reps each side

• Reverse crunches – step & mat – 48 reps

• Pullovers – two 15# Dbs & step – 8x 2/2 count & 7x 1.5’s

Round 5

• Fast feet or straddle taps – step – 2 sets

• Plie squats (Dbs between legs) – two 20# Dbs – 24 reps

• 8 Point bicep curl (going a little further down each count) / bicep curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) – 5 sets (8 point) & 8x bicep curl only

• Straddle planks (lower body - starting in straight arm plank position with feet on step & hands on floor in front of step, then walk feet down to the floor & back up) – mat & step – 16 reps

The workout ends with a 3 minute cool down and stretch.

Take Action

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If you liked this workout, check out my review of Cathe Live: Total Body Step Circuit Plus Core (#202) – HERE.

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