Cathe Live Review: Upper Body Challenge w Ball (#136)

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Cathe Live Review: Upper Body Challenge w Ball (#136)

Upper Body Challenge w Ball is a fantastic and challenging upper body strength workout that ends with a tough core section.

The workout is set up in groups of exercises by muscle group. So you start with chest then back, shoulders, triceps and biceps. You then finish off with a group of exercises for the core, using the stability ball. I loved this routine, it really works the muscles hard and yet there is not too much repetition, which I really like. This is also one of Cathe’s long workouts at 63 minutes so it’s really comprehensive too.

The upper body strength exercises use dumbbells, a stability ball, resistance tubing and your own bodyweight to really challenge the muscles in different ways. The reps are generally between 10 and 16 reps, although they are higher for the exercises using the tubing. However, you are often doing multiple sets, of a move, to really fatigue the muscles. By the time we got to biceps I was really feeling it, as all of the other assisting muscle groups are pretty fatigued so I really had to push through on that group. The resistance tubing and ball also provide nice variety to the moves. Cathe used moderate weights and I increased on several of the moves and got a great workout. Taking the time to get the right weights will really help you get the most out of this one.

The routine ends with a really good core section that you will definitely be feeling. You start with standing side bends and then move to the floor for a variety of moves, using the stability ball, before finishing the workout with a long elbow plank hold.

(One slightly odd thing to note with this routine - Cathe’s music runs out during the core section, which isn’t a problem as she just keeps the workout going while putting it back on. However, during the time she is gone, the camera moves to the class and then seems to forget about Cathe all together, as it stays on one person even once Cathe is back, which seemed a bit odd to me. Now one good point about this is that fortunately, the camera man chose Kate, from Cathe’s DVD workouts, to focus on so her form and technique are good but this may just have been chance! On that note though, both Kate and Al, from Cathe’s DVDs, are in this one).

Overall, this is tough strength workout for both the upper body and core, and with the right weights provides a seriously challenging routine to burn out each of the muscle groups.

(For more information about Cathe Live, how to sign up & to see all of my Cathe Live reviews, click HERE).

The Workout

Upper Body Challenge w Ball is a tough upper body and core workout. Cathe used light to moderate dumbbells, medium tension resistance tubing (I used a resistance band), a stability ball and a mat for this routine.

What You Need to Know

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

The Moves

Upper Body Challenge w Ball is 63 minutes long and originally aired on 9th February 2017 (#136). The workout starts with a 6 minute warm-up during which you pick up 8 pound dumbbells to simulate some of the moves to come. You then have a quick water break before moving into the first group of exercises for chest. You will need to ensure that you have all of your equipment handy for this routine.

Chest

• Chest press – two 15# Dbs (I used 20’s) & ball - 12 reps

• Chest press – two 15# Dbs (I used 20’s) & ball – 4 sets of 1x 2/2 & 2x singles

• Chest fly – two 15#Dbs (I used 20’s) & ball - 2 sets of 8 reps

• Decline push-ups (shins on ball) – ball - 6 reps (2/2 count)

• Decline push-ups (shins on ball) – ball – 4 sets (2x 2/2 count & 2x singles)

• Push-ups (on floor) - mat - 16 reps

• Chest fly & leg extensions – two 10# Dbs (I used 20’s) & mat – 8 reps

Back

• Pullovers – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 7x 4/4 & 5x 2/2 counts

• Pullovers – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball – 4x 4/4 & 4x 2/2 counts

• Seated rear delt flys – two 10# Dbs & ball - 3 sets of 8 reps

• 1 Arm rows - Cathe used one 15# & one 8# DB held in one hand. I used 1x 20) & ball – 10 reps each side

• 1 Arm horizontal rows - one 15# Db (I used 1x 20) & ball – 10 reps

• 1 Arm back fly – one 10# Db (I used 1x 12) - 10 reps

• Seated T- band pulls – resistance tubing & mat – 16x singles & 8x 3’s

• Seated Y pulls – resistance tubing & mat – 8 reps

Shoulders

• Seated overhead press – two 12# Dbs & ball - 12 reps

• Incline arc front raises – two 8# Dbs & ball - 9 reps

• Seated overhead press – two 12# Dbs & ball - 12 reps

• Incline alternating 1 arm front raise – two 8# Dbs & ball – 16 reps

• Seated overhead press – two 12# Dbs & ball - 12 reps

• Incline arc front raises – two 5# Dbs (I used 8’s) & ball - 8 reps

• Incline alternating 1 arm front raise – two 5# Dbs (I used 8’s) & ball – 16 reps

• Seated lateral raises – two 5# DBs & ball – 12 sets (1x both & 1x 1 arm)

• Bent over straight arm press backs – resistance tubing – 28 reps & 24 reps (standing more upright)

• Narrow grip band pulls – resistance tubing – 124 pulses

Triceps

• Narrow grip chest press – two 12# Dbs (I used 20’s) & ball - 16 reps

• Lying overhead tricep extensions – two 10# Dbs & ball - 12 reps

• Narrow grip chest press – two 15# Dbs (I used 20’s) & ball - 12 reps

• Lying overhead tricep extensions – two 10# Dbs & ball - 10 reps

• See saw tricep push-ups – ball & mat - 8 reps (2/2 count) & 6 reps (4/4 count)

• 1 Arm tricep pull downs – resistance tubing – 13x singles & 16x pulses (1st side) & 12x singles & 32x pulses (2nd side)

• Tricep kickbacks – resistance tubing – 12x singles & 16x pulses

Biceps

• W curls – two 12# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball - 12 reps

• Incline hammer curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball - 12 reps

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

• Incline hammer curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 15’s) & ball - 10 reps

• Preacher curls – two 10# Dbs (I used 12’s) & ball - 8 reps

• Single arm preacher curls – one 10# Db (I used 1x 12) & ball - 8 reps

• Standing bicep curls – two 5# Dbs & resistance tubing (I used 2x 15# Dbs only) – 10 reps, 8 reps & 6 reps

Quick water break & stretch at 50:05 minutes

Core

• Standing side bends (band under foot & held in same side hand along w/ Db, other hand behind head) – one 5# db & resistance tubing (I used 1x 20# Db only)

• Russian twists – ball & mat

• Crunches (feet/calves on ball) – ball & mat

• Sit-up & flutter kick legs – ball & mat

• Ball exchange – ball & mat

• Banana holds – ball & mat

• Reverse crunches (ball on shins) – ball & mat

• Elbow plank hold - mat

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 Ball-Tastic (#261) – HERE.

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