Cathe Friedrich Reviews

A Review of 4-Day Split Cardio and Weights by Cathe Friedrich

April 20, 2019

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4 Day Split Cardio & Weights by Cathe Friedrich is a great way to integrate calorie-killing cardio exercise with light-moderate weight lifting to slim and sculpt your entire physique.

I challenge you to try this A+ total body workout!

Attention: Your body is a complex machine.  You can’t do one type of exercise every day and get all your parts shiny and tight.  You have to do cardio AND resistance training to target every bell and whistle under the hood.

I’m not generous with the A+ rating. It’s a big deal when I hand out that score.  That means you can bet this program is thorough and challenging.

There’s a lot of equipment to contend with (a negative, for me) in 4 day split but I’m overlooking that because Boot Camp Circuit Upper Body is so complete.

Here’s a peek at this routine:

4-Day Split Cardio + Weights has two disks with 4 main workouts (Higher Intensity Step & Lower Intensity Step on one DVD, and Boot Camp & Kickbox on another DVD) and 27 premix workouts (11 on this disk and 12 on the other disk).

This post is a review of 4 Day Split Cardio & Weights, Premix #10, Boot Camp Circuit Upper Body.

This review will help you know if the 4 Day Split program is what you’re looking for (or not).

Let me explain to you why it’s awesome…

This post may contain Amazon (or other) affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. You can get more information about that here.

the cover art from 4 Day Split Cardio and Weights

Instructor-Cathe Friedrich

Category-Cardio + Strength

Equipment

aerobic step with 2 risers

high step

5 dixie cups*

dumbbells (5, 8, 12, 25, 30)

stability ball*

exercise band* (you can use a scarf or string for this if you don’t have an exercise band)

mat

*optional equipment

Length-62 minutes

HRM-380 calories*

*My HRM (heart rate monitor) recorded 430 calories on another  day that I did this routine.  HRM’s aren’t perfect and this value is going to be individual/unique for each person.  I like to tell you what I got because it’ll help you prepare for the level of cardiovascular intensity the workout may/may not be.

Choreography-Simple

My rating-A+

✔ 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

If you don’t own any dumbbells and don’t know where to start then read this, A Woman’s Guide to Buying Dumbbells.

The Important Stuff about Boot Camp Circuit Upper Body

This routine, Premix #10, Boot Camp Circuit Upper Body has 12 aerobic drills with sections of upper body weight training sprinkled in between.

You have to do a lot of moving around of equipment (which is kind of annoying) but I’ll give you all that information so you can be prepared.

There’s no countdown clock during the aerobic intervals. Each segment is 30 seconds to a minute long.

There are a lot of lateral movements. Wear shoes that have good support, like a cross-trainer, if you have them.

To do all these drills, you’ll need more space than I normally recommend.  An area about 8 x 10 will be enough.  If you don’t have it then use the space you’ve got (don’t miss out on this workout because you think you need more room).

Cathe Friedrich is as strong as an ox.  Sometimes she uses very heavy weights to do the exercises.  If you haven’t lifted anything heavier than your purse in a few years then don’t try to use the weight she uses.  

I’ll tell you below what weights I use to modify this program for me.  Your focus should always be on form.  (Once you can do every rep in a set with perfect form then you should go up in weight the next time you do the routine.)

I’ve also posted a review of one of the main workouts in the 4 Day Split program, Higher Intensity Step, and another premix, Premix #8 Kickbox & Upper Body.

Remember to read to the end of this post for tips on every exercise and section in this routine as well as links to a few places you can compare prices on this video 🙂

Warm-Up

There’s a short aerobic warm-up with no equipment.  There are push-ups in this section.  I know it’s sad but there’s only a few so just do them and don’t start complaining, there’s a lot more to go.

The warm-up has a nice stretch.  Enjoy it.

Main Workout (The Exercises in Boot Camp Circuit Upper Body)

Drill 1

The first drill is a side shuffle (12 of them) with two jumps in place.

Drill 2

Now you’ll need to get out your step with just 1 riser.  You run 2 laps around your step and then stop at the corner and do seven power-7’s.  You repeat this going the other way around the step.  There are 6 reps.

Drill 3

Cathe tells you to get out 5 weights/dumbbells to use as ‘landmarkers’You can use dixie cups, lint in the carpet, or imaginary lines, too.  I get out 5 weights if I forgot to pull out my dixie cups before I hit Play.

The move is a lateral skate.  You jump wider when Cathe tells you to, using your markers to keep you honest.

Drill 4

Now you pull your step with one riser back out for fast feet shuffles.  You’re not going around your step but straddling it for this interval. Keep up with Cathe’s crew.

Weight Segment (Back & Chest)

You’ll need dumbbells (25 or 30 lb’s) and an aerobic step with 2 risers

Underhand Rows

Cathe uses a 62 lb. barbell.  I use 25 or 30 lb. dumbbells (depending on how strong I feel).  Try to use the same underhand grip (whether you’re using a barbell or dumbbells).  There are 7 in the first set and then 8 in the second.

Inclined Fly

Cathe puts 3 risers on one side of the step (no risers on the other end).  I use 25’s for this exercise.  There are 12 reps.

Repeat Underhand Rows and Inclined Flys using the same weights and doing the same number of reps.

Now you’ll continue with your cardio drills.

Drill 5

You need something to use as place holders, again.  I get 5 dixie cups (or dumbbells), but you can use dumbbells, too.

Space them evenly.  You do 2-footed lateral hops down the line using those cups/weights as markers in front of you.  Jump high if you placed the markers close together.

Drill 6

Suicides using 4 markers.  I use light weights for this drill because it forces me to engage my core.  I use two 5 lb. dumbbells and two 8’s.

In case you aren’t familiar with a suicide, you’re going to place all the weights together at one end of the room and place yourself at the other end. 

When the clock starts you run as fast as you can and grab a weight and run and put it back where you started.  Then you run back and get another weight until you’ve gotten them all.  If the clock is still going, you start running to put them back.  This interval is less than a minute in length.

Drill 7

Cathe throws in a short recovery exercise after the suicides where you run back and forth with high knees while you catch your breath.

Drill 8

You need 2 weights (or dixie cups) for this drill.  Place the markers about 4 paces apart.  You’re going to do low shuffle touch downs side to side.  Go as fast as you can at your own pace.  The interval is about 40 seconds.

Weight Segment (Triceps & Biceps)

You’ll need a stability ball, high step (both optional), and 12 lb. dumbbells for this section.

Tricep Dips

Cathe uses a stability ball in the section.  The exercise is tricep dips with your feet elevated on the ball and your hands on your high step.  You can do the exercise with the same set up or just put your feet up on your step and do the dips on the floor (that’s what I do).

Tricep Push-Ups

Cathe does these on the high step.  You can do this exercise just as well on the floor, if you don’t have a high step.

Seated Incline Hammer/Rotation Curls

Use your stability ball if you have one.  If you don’t, then do the exercise standing or sitting on your high step.  I use 12 lb. dumbbells.  There are 12 reps.

Hammer Curls

Keep your 12 lb. weights.  Notice the arms don’t rotate on this exercise.  There are 8 reps.

Repeat that strengthening segment (starting with the dips).  This second set is tough.

Now you go back to cardio drills.

Drill 9

Get out a band for the next drill.  You can also use a string, grout line in your tile, a scarf, your imagination…(you get the idea) for this exercise.  Don’t let Cathe’s explanation of the move intimidate you.  You’re just going to do hops back and forth over the object.

Drill 10

Get out your step with 1 riser.  You’ll put your hands on the step and do butt-kicks over the step.  For some reason I can’t seem to copy Cathe’s count on this exercise.  Don’t worry about it if you have the same problem.  Just keep going until the interval is over.

Drill 11

You’ll need 2 markers (dixie cups, or dumbbells) for this drill.  You do zig zags between the markers.  This is the hardest drill for me.

Drill 12

Football/Push Up Drills

You do a quick-feet run in place and Cathe shouts out how many push-ups to do.  You build up to four push-ups and then she starts counting back down.  Warning: the last set is 8 push-ups, not 1.  It’s a dirty trick but now you know it’s coming.  You’re welcome.

Weight Segment (Shoulders)

Get out 5, 8, and 10 lb. dumbbells, and your high step.

Standing Lateral Raise

Try this with your 10’s but drop down in weight if you can’t keep your form.  There are 2 sets of 8.

Bent Arm Lateral Raise

There are 8 of these, too.  Use your 10’s.

Front Raise With a Back Pull

Sit down on your high step (or stand) and use your 8 lb. dumbbells.  There are 8 reps.

Bent Over Side Raise

Use your 5 lb. dumbbells for 8 reps.

Repeat those last 2 exercises (same weights and reps).

Core

Next is a challenging ab segment.  You’ll need a mat.  Cathe does original exercises that promise to sculpt your mid-section.  Take mini breaks when your abs, hip flexors, or neck start to spasm but jump back in.  Don’t give up.

Cool Down/Stretch

You’ll think you just walked into your favorite Chinese buffet when this section starts.  Do not skip it.  No one is allowed to skip the stretch.

Now What?

You can’t beat how many amazing workouts you get for your money with 4-Day Split Cardio + Weights.  If you have the equipment to pull off these workouts, it’s a great investment.

You can find 4 Day Split Cardio + Weights at Cathes’s site and on Amazon.

And you can find ALL of Cathe’s workouts inside of her workout membership library, Cathe on Demand.

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

Looking for another A+ workout?  Try this one.

Thanks for reading!

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