Body Blast: Push & Pull

Cathe Friedrich
Year Released: 2003

Categories: Balance/Medicine/Mini/Stability Ball, Total Body Workouts


This workout could be also titled Supersets. Cathe does supersets in between different push and pull muscle groups. Then for bicep and tricep work, she supersets within the same muscle group. You do only 1 set for each exercise.

The warmup is low impact and involves some pushups. No stretching. The first exercise works the legs. You will work the two opposing muscle groups. The quads and hamstrings. For the quadracep muscle, you do squats. They are done nice and slow so you can use your heaviest weight. She does do low ends..you know Cathe..lol! For hamstrings, you will do deadlifts. Nice and slow for 20 two count lifts. Then you move on to leg press and Cathe holds a dumbbell in her hand(I think it is 15 lbs). You do 16 reps per leg.

Next you move to chest/ back supersets. The first exercise is bench press on the floor w/ dumbbells and Cathe looks like she is using 20lbs. Then you stand up and get your barbell and do dead rows for 8 counts and then 15 reps.

The next superset is Chest flies on the ball. Cathe says, " I hope your getting your balls out!" and right at that time my husband was walking by and he looked at the tv really weird. I was laughing. Anyway the next exercise is back work on the ball with no weight. It looks like a rear delt exercise.

Then you move on to shoulder/back supersets. For shoulders, Cathe does this incredible exercise called the inverted shoulder press. IT looks like doing a pushup in a handstand position. Your feet are on the step and your head is pointing down. Thankfully, Cedie shows overhead press modifications so I did just that. For back, you do 1 arm rows(12 reps so make sure you use a heavy weight!). The last shouler exercise is front raises sitting on the ball and for back work, you do rear delt raises on the ball.

For bicep and tricep work. You do supersets within the same muscle group. So for biceps. You do hammer curls(1 set) balancing on one leg. The other leg is on the ball. Then switch legs and do regular bicep curls(1 set). The the tricep supersets are tricep dips(you can always modify to double arm French press like Cathe says to do in Pure Strength) and kickbacks.

Then its back to leg work with side leg raises on the ball. Just 1 set on each side. For inner thigh, you put the stability ball in between your legs and squeeze really hard.

Cathe then moves on to a lower back exercise using the ball. You balance and lift your legs up. This worked my butt too.

For abs, you will use your ball for resistance,lifting it up as well as up and transfering it to your feet. This was challenging. There is no oblique work.

Cathe ends the workout with 1 set of calf work using the tall step. She uses a stick for balance. You can use a body bar or barbell or the Firm sculpting stick for substitution. She also does shin work where you sit on your tall step and put the ball on top of your feet and pull so your shin muscles are working.

The cool down is wonderful the music is nice too.

This workout really uses the stability ball in an excellent way. Its also a shorter workout about 45 minutes. The music is instrumental in the warmup but during the entire workout and stretch, its vocal upbeat songs. Like "Walking in Memphis" or "I miss you" during the stretch.

Instructor Comments:
Cathe gives good tip on form as well as shows perfect form herself.

anonymous

11/01/2003