Review of LITE: Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower from Cathe Friedrich - an all lower body strength routine that will torch your legs and glutes utilizing giant sets.
Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower is part of Cathe Friedrich’s new Low Impact Training Extreme (LITE) workout series, which consists of 7 dvds plus numerous bonus add-ons and 100’s of premixes. The series is aimed at intermediate exercisers. However, Cathe states that it will also provide a solid challenge for the advanced exerciser through ramped up bonus segments, higher weight options, and premixes. For more details on the full LITE program, click HERE or check out my blog post – Your Ultimate Guide to Cathe’s New LITE Workout Series.
The workout moves fairly quickly, with little rest within each giant set, and means that your heart rate stays elevated throughout. This is a very metabolic workout and I was, in places, breathing hard. Again the exercises, as in Strong Body Stacked Sets: Upper, are all fairly traditional lower body exercises – squats, lunges, deadlifts etc but are very effective when using the right weights. The workout is a combination of more static moves and more dynamic moves, where you are combining a number of exercises and rapidly alternating between them. Some of the exercises are quite high rep, particularly the squats, plie squats and lunges.
I really liked this workout – it worked the legs well and the time flew by. I was definitely feeling the work, particularly on that second set of lunges! Obviously, I automatically increased the weights on all of the exercises to increase the intensity. I would suggest you may wish to do the same, to take the workout up another level, as the weights Cathe is using are definitely lighter than she normally uses (the heaviest she uses is a total 30#). So if you are more advanced you will need to modify upwards. However, for the more intermediate exerciser the weights used will provide a good challenge and work all of the lower body very well.
The one thing I was a slightly disappointed about was the premixes for this DVD. Unlike Strong Body Stacked Sets: Upper there is no chance to make this a total body workout - as there is only the Pyramid Pump Shoulders section included. In addition, I would have loved for it to include a Calorie Crush High Intensity Blast – so that you could make a version of XTrain’s Cardio Leg Blast – alternating strength and cardio rounds. However, I know this is asking a lot considering the huge number of premixes Cathe offers already (and so many more than any other trainer) – so I know I am spoilt..! Obviously what I can do is use the Workout Blender to make my own version of this so this is not really a complaint but a girl can only hope!
The Workout
Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower is a metabolic strength workout focusing on standing lower body exercises using both dumbbells and a barbell. In addition, incorporating both static and more dynamic moves provides even more of a challenge. If you don’t have a barbell - don’t worry – I did all of this workout using dumbbells (as that is just my preference) and had no issues at all.
The workout consists of two giant sets of 5 exercises that are repeated before moving onto the next giant set.
What You Need To Know
(The information below is based on how I did the workout, using heavier weights, but not including any of the bonus add-ons).
(Rating scale – 1= lowest & 5 = highest).
The Moves
(The weights listed below are what Cathe is using)
Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower is 38 minutes long. The routine starts with a thorough 4 minute warm up and then moves straight in to the first giant set. The workout ends with a 4 minute stretch.
Giant Set 1
1. Barbell squats – 25# barbell (I used 20# dbs) - 8 singles, 4x 1/3 count, 8 singles 4x 1/3 count
2. Rear lunge, cross back & tap - two 8# dbs (I used 12's) - 6 reps on each side (alternating)
3. Barbell plie squats – 25# barbell (I used 35# db) - 8 singles, 4x 1/3 count, 8 singles 4x 1/3 count
4. Alternating rear lunge (x2) then deadlifts (2/2 count) - two 10# dbs (I used 15's) - 10 reps
5. Side to side pivoting squats – side to side then back one side then other - one 12# db (I used 15) - 24 reps
(Repeat Giant Set)
Giant Set 2
1. Static lunges – one 10# db (I used 15) - 8 singles, 4x 1/3 count, 8 singles 4x 1/3 count
2. Wide stance deadlifts - 30# barbell (I used 20# dbs) - 2/2 count 1st set & 3/1 count 2nd set - 10 reps
3. Wide squat to side lunge (start with db in outside hand for wide squat then switch hands for side lunge reaching db to outside foot) - one 8# db (I used 12) - 12 reps each side
4. Forward - diagonal lunge combo (alternate forward lunge then alternate diagonal lunge) - two 8# dbs (I used 12's) - 12 reps
5. Side lunge, crossback lunge, side lunge – one 10# db (I used 15) - 12 reps
(Repeat Giant Set)
Bonus Add-Ons
Pyramid Pump Shoulders Bonus is 6 minutes long. Pyramid training is a stepped approach to sets and repetitions. In this case you start with a lighter weight and gradually increase the weight, whilst decreasing the reps, for 3 sets of each exercise (pyramid up) then you reverse that starting heavy and going lighter, whilst increasing the reps, for 2 sets of each exercise (pyramid down). The rep pattern is as follows - 12 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps, 10 reps, 12 reps. This bonus is focused on one body part – Shoulders and goes both up and down the Pyramid for two different exercises listed below (5 sets per exercise). The exercises for upper body are supersets so, for the shoulders you do both standing overhead press and incline front raise on the ball. You start with your light weights and do set one of overhead press and one set of incline front raise before you move up to your moderate weight for set two and so on.
You will need dumbbells and a stability ball for this segment. With the right weights you will feel these exercises and this makes a nice little add-on for any workout.
Shoulders
Standing overhead press - two 5, 8, 10# dbs
Incline front raise on the ball - two 3, 5, 8# dbs & stability ball
6 Pack Abs #1 is also included on this dvd. This bonus core section is 10 minutes long and does not include a warm-up (as Cathe is assuming you are adding it on to another workout) but does include a quick stretch at the end. You will just need a mat for this core bonus.
This is a good little bonus that works the core pretty well and finishes off any workout nicely. The routine is boxing inspired and includes some new moves and some more familiar moves with a new twist. The moves flow from one to the next with little rest. This is a nice, fun routine that isn’t too tough. I found this easier than 6 Pack Abs # 2.
Alternating sit outs (starting in beast position, pull the leg through and tap to the ground whilst tapping hand to opposite shoulder. These are done at a nice slow pace)
Triangle choke reverse lift (lying on back with one leg hooked behind the other lift up the hips)
Guard block crunches (lying on back with hands in guard position, crunch up & slip to one side then down & repeat to other side)
Body shot sit ups (lying on back then sit up & body shot one side, lie back down & repeat on other side)
Boxer sit ups (starting in seated position leaning back, lie back down, come up & alternate punches at the top – 2 high & 2 middle)
Hip thrusts with upstrike (start lying on your back with knees bent then raise hips & punch over the body to one side then the other)
V planks (in straight arm plank, tap foot to outside of hand – one side then other)
W planks (in straight arm plank, tap one foot to outside of hand & back, then same foot taps straight in & out, then other foot taps straight in & out then taps to outside of other hand)
Supermans (lying on your stomach with hands out in ‘W’ position, raise & lower arms / legs at same time)
Extended Stretch #1 – is 13 minutes long and only requires a mat. This is a really relaxing stretch routine that is done on the floor. The routine starts with Cathe and crew sitting cross-legged on their mats. The moves are all familiar stretches (childs pose, down dogs, pidgeon pose etc) and flow from one move to the next. None of the moves are held too long but are just enough to stretch out the body nicely. I really enjoyed this add-on and will definitely be incorporating it into my weekly routine. It provides a nice relaxing way to end any workout or even as a standalone segment, when you want a little more stretching. The moves do tend to focus a little more on the lower body though, I would have liked a few more targeted upper body stretches to really round out the routine but overall I really liked it.
Premixes
Strong Body Stacked Sets: Lower features 18 premixes.
(Premixes are extra bonus workouts included on the dvds that use the main workout as the backbone and then add, remove or change the order of elements to create a new routine).
Basic Premixes
1. Main Workout + Extended Stretch #1: 47:21
2. Main Workout + 6 Pack Abs #1: 48:17
4. Main Workout + Pyramid Pump Shoulders: 44:38
5. Main Workout + Pyramid Pump Shoulders + 6 Pack Abs #1: 54:35
Timesaver Premixes
1. Timesaver #1: First Half Only: 21:18
2. Timesaver #1: Last Half Only: 24:54
3. Timesaver #3: 2 Segments Mixed (1A + 2B): 23:19
4. Timesaver #4: 3 Segments Only (1A + 1B + 2B): 30:08
5. Timesaver #5: 3 Segments Only (1A + 2A + 2B): 31:31
6. Timesaver #6: (Pyramid Pump Shoulders): 14:12
Mish Mosh Premixes
1. Scrambled #1: 38:19
2. Scrambled #2 (Abs Mixed In After Rounds 1B and 2B): 48:17
3. Scrambled #3 (Abs Mixed In After Every Round): 48:17
4. Extreme #1: 6 Rounds: 53:38
5. Extreme #2: Double it-8 Rounds: 68:15
Take Action
These workouts are available as a bundle or individually on dvd, download or through Cathe’s On Demand streaming service ($19.99 per month, which also includes access to all of the Cathe Live archived classes).
Check out my reviews of each of the other workouts in this series by visiting my Recent Posts Page HERE.
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