High Intensity Cardio Step Live is a high-impact step workout and a great example of the quality of routines inside the Cathe Live library.

There are 11 short step aerobic intervals followed by an upper body weight segment using light dumbbells in this routine.

Here’s a peek at this Live Cathe Friedrich workout:

If you’ve been thinking about signing up for Cathe Friedrich’s on demand service then keep reading to get a good idea of the kinds of workouts you’ll get access to with your membership.

✔ All you need is an aerobic step with one riser on each side, a pair of 3 or 5 lb. DB’s, and 45 minutes to do this fun program.

Let me tell give you all the details…

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High Intensity Cardio Step Live

Instructor-Cathe Friedrich

Category-Cardio (Step aerobics)

Equipment–Aerobic Step with 1 riser (per side), 5 lb dumbbells (or lighter)

Length-45 minutes

HRM-372 calories

Choreography-Simple+

My rating– B+

✔ Pro Tip: This guide will be helpful if you’re in the market for an aerobic step: Your Expert Guide to Buying and Using an Aerobic Step

The Important Stuff about High Intensity Cardio Step Live

Cathe mentions several times that you can raise your step height.  I don’t suggest that you do.  One riser is the perfect height for safety and effectiveness for the moves you’ll be doing.

This is a high-impact workout.  Be prepared to travel over the step.

I’m giving this routine a Simple+ choreography rating because it’s slightly harder than the most basic step choreography.  But if you’ve ever done any step aerobics at all then you’ll have no problem with the moves.  And even if this is your first step class you’ll be fine.  Listen to Cathe.  She’s a pro at cuing and she stays on the beat of the music, which always helps.

The body of this workout is done in intervals.  You repeat each section a few times and then move on.  You won’t be bored.

Cathe does a great job with breaks on these live workouts.  You get plenty of chances to take a sip of water.

Why do I give this routine a B+ (and not an A)?  This is a fun workout but Cathe has so many workouts that are fun and more effective than this one (in my opinion).  Check out this and this to see Cathe Friedrich Live programs that I give an A.

This is a workout from a live taping of a Cathe Friedrich step class.  If you’ve never done any of these (Cathe Friedrich Live workouts) then there are a few things to point out:

I don’t think the camera person actually does any exercise classes because he/she would know we want to see the instructor—not the other people who are NOT leading the class. When Cathe introduces a new move the camera person is frequently off filming some random corner of the room instead of Cathe.  I find that annoying but it’s not a big deal.  Eventually they get back to filming Cathe and you find out what just happened.

Also, since this is a live class at a real gym it’s nothing like the exercise videos you’re used to seeing. There’s no matching outfits or flashy set, no one has their hair fixed or looks made up, and most importantly there’s no editing.  None of these are bad things.  It’s just different than an exercise video you purchase that’s been edited and polished to perfection. It’s actually kinda awesome. I LOVE these workouts.

For more details about Cathe Friedrich’s on demand program read, Everything You Need to Know About Cathe Live and Cathe on Demand + Live.

Warm-Up

Cathe starts the workout immediately.  The warm-up is a step routine. There are some high-impact moves in the warm-up.  You’ll think she’s started the workout but it’s still the warm-up.

Main Workout (The Exercises in High Intensity Cardio Step Live)

Inverval I

This first interval has a lot of lateral movements over the step.  I don’t recommend you raise your step any higher. You’ll see a few people in her class have their steps up higher but I never use more than one riser on this workout.

Water Break

Interval II

For this interval you’ll do a double feet jump with a step down.  After you do a bunch of them you do a power 15 and some jumping jacks before moving to the other side to do the whole thing again.  You repeat both sides again with less reps.

Interval III

Step knee on the corner with a power scissor on the floor.  You do several on each side with a power three in between sets.

Water Break

Inverval IV

This interval is a ricochet with a jumping jack.  She shows you a modified move you can do if you can’t do the ricochet for some reason.  You do the whole set on both sides.  In between sets she does an intensity move on the step.

Water Break

Interval V

Power Box around the step is next.  You’ve probably done these before.  They aren’t hard but will really raise your heart rate.  Listen to Cathe.  Her prompts will help you.  She does this around the step both ways.

Interval VI

She goes right into this interval with no warning about the air jacks that are coming.  I like to know about those.  You have to do two jumping jacks and 2 air jacks.  You do several sets on one lead leg and then switch to the other.

Water Break

Interval VII

Now it’s power turns on the step.  You do three sets of three power turns and then one set of 7 before you switch to the other side.  There’s a power 7 in there, too.  These are good.  You’ll be out-of-breath.

Water Break

Interval VIII

Now you do forward and back jumps with your feet straddled over the step.  You go back and forth three times and jump up on the step on the 4^th.  You may not be able to touch your step with your fingertips.  It’s ok.  Just do your best and keep moving.

Intermission/Active Recovery

Just listen to Cathe.  She does a few easy moves to get your heart rate a little lower before you go on to the next interval.

Interval IX

This is a knee up with a jump.  You do 8 on each corner around the step.  Cathe starts walking around the room and decides the class isn’t enthusiastic enough so she does the whole thing again going the other direction.  This time when Cathe walks around the room she loses count some of the time.  I usually keep count on my own because I’m a little compulsive about doing the same number of reps on each side.  Cathe isn’t as perfect in her live workouts as she is in her videos.  I like that.

Interval X

Fast-feet Shuffle on the step is next.

Interval XI

For the last interval you go over the top of the step like you did in the warm-up.  There are a lot of these.

Water Break

Now the intervals are over and she moves on to a short step section using a light set of weights. You can use 3 or 5 lb dumbbells.  I use 5’s.  She does an easy foot pattern with changing arms.  You’ll go through hammer curls, bent arm lateral raises, bicep curls, overhead presses, straight arm side raises, and front arm raises.

Cool Down/Stretch

You’ll already be cooled down from that last section with the light weights.  The stretch is short but a good one.  Don’t skip it.

Now What?

High Intensity Cardio Step Live is a good step aerobics workout.  You’ll burn a decent amount of calories and you won’t be bored.  You can find it among the Live Streaming workouts* on Cathe Friedrich’s website.

*You have to pay for access to these ($9.97/month) but I think it’s worth it.  There are a ton of videos in the collection (and I review many of them on this site).  Try it out for a month and see what you think.

Cathe Friedrich also has a Cathe on Demand (+Live) membership.  It’s slightly more expensive but gives you access to every single Cathe Friedrich video PLUS all of her live routines.  (Cathe on Demand + Live is the membership I have and recommend most often). 

✔ If you want to find out more then check out, Everything You Need to Know About Cathe Live and Cathe on Demand.