Cross Train Express: Leaner Legs

Cathe Friedrich
Year Released: 2000

Categories: Lower Body Strength


Volume six of the Cross-train Express series packs a serious punch in a short amount of time. Legs…Legs…and more Legs! An ever ending cycle of serious lower body work. If you think for a minute that you’re going to get a chance to rest during this tape, you are sorely mistaken. Never stopping, never taking the focus off the legs is the name of the game. This maybe a workout that you’ll want to do when the kids are gone though, because I can almost guarantee that a few choice adjectives will be flying out of you mouth when you here the words “Low End”. How can two little words strike such fear?

The first time I did this tape my legs were talking to me for days and days, but each time I do it gets a little bit more fun (did I just call a leg tape fun?)

If lean legs are what your looking for then this tape will deliver. This tape is all standing leg work, no floor work or lying leg work. You’re going to need a barbell and at least two sets of dumbbells and a step up box as well as a mat for the ending ab work.

A really short warm up begins the workout. Lots of body weight squats. Then be prepared to work hard. Starting out with barbell squats of varying tempo you’re legs will be feeling it from the get go. A new curse word is then added to your vocabulary. Low End Squats. This is a killer move for the quads. Doing a squatting motion your utilize only the low end of the movement. Talk about fire in the thighs!

After than killer squat combo instead of resting you move right into deadlifts and calf raises. Then if your ready for it 3 sets of tall box work using dumbbells. I really think Cathe is rivaling Tracy Long as queen of the tall box. I started off using the 40 lb barbell, but after the first set I had to move to lighter dumbbells. Even tall box queens have to be humbled sometimes.

One Leg squats are there. Elevating on leg on the step in a static lunge position you’re going to find one more way to torture your legs! I found the first time it was hard to find just the right position for my leg/feet spacing but each time it get better and more comfortable. Be prepared to work the low end again!

Then your back to more squats and those Low Ends. If your legs aren’t toasted yet, then good thing there’s still more to come.

Static lunges, and piles are coming up. A couple sets of piles with the barbell (though I prefer to use dumbbells for pile work) varying the tempo and count and utilizing that dratted low end you’re sure to be quivering.

In between each set of major leg work you’re going to get a chance to “rest” while doing dead lifts and calf raises. Not that dead lifts are much rest!

Once your legs can no longer hold your bodyweight up, you move into some nice traditional ab work. Standard crunches, reverse curls, oblique work there all there. This ab work is a continual movement of crunches….no time to waste. And to build on the theme of torture, working the High End of the crunch. Talk about a nice burn in the abs!

Finally a nice stretch and cool down!

The only beef that I have is the short warm up. I wish there was a bit more. Compared to the intensity of the tape the warm up was a little bit paltry. More stretches to loosen you up before the heavy weight work began would have been really nice.

With that in mind I’m so in love with this tape. I wasn’t as thrilled with the PS Legs tape for reasons I could never put my thumb on. But this tape is a keeper. For all of you who loved standing legs and wanted more this is for you. This is at least 5 notches above Standing Legs in intensity. This tape is worth its weight in gold. If leaner legs is what you want then this tape will deliver!

Susie F.

09/27/2000