Katami 2x4 Workout Review

In the Katami 4x4 system are two shorter workouts, aptly named 2x4 Upper & Lower Body and 2x4 Cardio & Core. Instead of the 4 quads in the regular 4x4 workouts, these workouts only have 2 quads that are each done twice. Because there are fewer quads, these workouts clock in at under 30 minutes each.

Amy Dixon, not Paul Katami, leads the 2 2x4 workouts. She demonstrates the Power of 2 or moderate intensity level. She works out with one woman (Sarah) who demonstrates the Power of 1 or less intensity/beginner level and one man (Brendan) who demonstrates the Power of 3 or advanced level. Amy and the background exercisers are wearing shorts and/or leggings and tank tops.

Main Menu – 2x4 Upper & Lower Body, 2x4 Cardio & Core. Once you choose a workout you’re taken to a sub-menu where you can choose which power you want to view the workout in and a music off option.

2x4 Cardio & Core (26:02)

Equipment needed: a yoga mat, towel and water are required. A single dumbbell is needed if you are following the Power of 2 or 3 exerciser.

Warm Up – Like the other Katami 4x4 workouts, the warm up consists of moves you’ll see later on in the quads done at a less intense pace. The moves are swing & slam, barriers 1 & 4, push through push-up, and a quick chest stretch.

Main Workout

Quad 1 – heel kicks, swing & slam, 2 jacks/squat, barriers 1 &4. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Quad 2 – push through push-up, 4x4 hurdle crunch, twisting frog, warrior twist. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Cool down/stretch – 4 4x4 breaths. Just like the 4x4 workouts, it is assumed that you’ll immediate go to one of the repair workouts to continue cooling down and stretching.

Overall Impressions – This was more body part specific than a 4x4 workout which makes sense given the shorter workout time. This workout was a great combination of core moves and cardio. Quad one felt more cardio intensive and quad 2 felt more core intensive. I was a sweaty mess by the end and my core felt really worked out from all angles. If I have one criticism, it is the lack of a longer cool down and stretch as part of the workout. Since this workout clocks in at just over 26 minutes it would have been easy to add 3 to 4 minutes of stretching and still have it meet the requirements of a time crunched workout. As done by Amy this is a high intermediate workout. Depending on which person you follow, this workout can appeal to the high beginner to advanced exerciser.

2x4 Upper & Lower Body (26:17)

Equipment needed: a yoga mat, towel and water are required. Two sets of dumbbells (light & medium) is needed if you are following the Power of 2 or 3 exerciser and one set of light dumbbells if you are following the Power of 1 exerciser.

Warm Up – Like the other Katami 4x4 workouts, the warm up consists of moves you’ll see later on in the quads done at a less intense pace and/or without weights. The moves are squat knee/curtsy knee, tire flip, 4x4 scoop.

Main Workout

Quad 1 – squat knee/curtsy knee (30 seconds right, then left), single leg dead lift (30 second right, then left), tire flip, you jerk back lunge. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Quad 2 – 4x4 scoop, raise & rotate, 4x4 high low curls, in & out renegade. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Cool down/stretch – 4 4x4 breaths. Just like the 4x4 workouts, it is assumed that you’ll immediate go to one of the repair workouts to continue cooling down and stretching.

Overall Impressions – This workout feels much more like a pure strength workout vs. a metabolic workout, which makes it unique in the Katami 4x4 system. That’s not to say that there isn’t a cardio effect or you won’t sweat, because there is and you will. Quad one focused more on the lower body and quad two focused more on the upper body/core. In addition to the criticism of lack of stretch (as I mentioned above), another peeve is that it’s hard to go really heavy with the weights in this workout. As done by Amy, this is a high intermediate workout. Depending on which person you follow, this workout can appeal to the high beginner to advanced exerciser.

Instructor Comments:
Amy is a very motivating and encouraging instructor. She's great about offering form pointers and showing how each exerciser is modifying the move to make it either more beginner or advanced. I love that she focuses on doing your personal best rather than body image talk. I enjoy her immensely as an instructor.

Sabine Reuter