Athletic Training is for the advanced home exerciser.  If you’ve never done a Cathe Friedrich program before and you’re just getting starting with home workouts then don’t start with this program.  This workout could kill you.

But, on the other hand, if you’ve been working out at home for a while and consider yourself a bit of a pro (and you’re looking for a new challenge) then go buy this workout today!

 Here’s a peek:

Let me tell you exactly what you’re going to need and what you’ll be doing in Athletic Training with Cathe Friedrich...

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Instructor-Cathe Friedrich

Category-Cardio + Strength

Equipment–

aerobic step with 3 risers on each side

exercise loop (Cathe calls this a firewalker band)

discs

5 and 8 lb. dumbbells

exercise tubing (the kind with handles)

a mat

Length-56 minutes*

*I know the video says it’s 59 minutes but my watch says it’s 56 minutes

HRM-423 calories

Choreography-Simple

Remember this classification refers to the complexity of the choreography—not how intense the workout is (this workout is very intense/difficult).  Read what I mean by that here before you purchase this video.

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.

Important Stuff about Athletic Training with Cathe Friedrich

Athletic Training combines high intensity cardio with low-impact compound exercises to achieve a total body workout. 

You’ll be drenched in sweat like you just did two Insanity Max:30 workouts back to back.

Where’s Cedie?  Athletic Training has my favorite Cathe Friedrich crew except that Cedie isn’t there.  It’s weird without her keeping count for us.

At some point you’ll be asking yourself, ‘For the love of monkeys when do we get a water break?’ 

Keep 2 waters close by so you can grab a quick drink when you need it.  Cathe never really stops.

Athletic Training is arguably one of Cathe Friedrich’s hardest workouts.  That’s saying a LOT. 

Cathe has a ton of incredibly intense programs. If you love this workout then I recommend you try To The Max next (the Extreme premix is the hardest).

This is one of the only workouts I do where I’m dying to get to the leg segment.  You’ll see what I mean once you do the routine.  The upper body/cardio section is the hardest part.

Athletic Training uses the step as a tool to do circuit cycles of athletic moves.  This is different than classic step aerobics.

Here’s a great example of what I call classic step aerobics (notice all the intricate step patterns):

And here’s an example of the step aerobics from Athletic Training (note the absence of any complicated foot patterns, the aerobic step is just used as a tool to add intensity to each exercise):

There are 4 premix workouts on Athletic Training (Express, Leg Cardio Express, Upper Body Express, Athletic Step Extreme).  Each of them is shorter than the main workout.  So once you master the main program you can easily conquer any of the premixes.

What makes Athletic Training so difficult?  

The pace of the compound exercises in the first half of the routine.  Once you get through the compound moves then you’ve survived the hardest part.

I really like the green pop of color they chose for the outfits in this video.  Cathe needs to sell a line of workout attire featuring the outfits from her videos.

Warm-Up

The warm-up is about 6 minutes and you’ll be doing a few basic moves to wake up every muscle group.  This part is easy and you’ll be thinking ‘I got this’.  (Don’t get too confident.  You’re about to have your ass handed to you).

You’ll need your step with two risers during the warm-up.  Get ready for a lot of lunging.

Main Workout (The Exercises in Athletic Training)

Cardio

This first interval is pure cardio.  You’ll need an aerobic step with 2 risers (8 inch height) on each side.

32 knee-ups on each corner (you actually switch sides after 31)

Your supporting thigh will catch fire before you finish the first 2 sets of 8.  Make sure your palms are flat and arms are straight like Cathe tells you.

The next few exercises:

Low lunges over the step (32 each side)

Running Man (16 reps each side)

Knee up/Tap Back (8 reps each side)

Air Squats (32 reps)

Go back to the knee-ups and repeat the entire set starting with the other lead leg. 

The pace is really fast.  Try to keep up with the team.  Somehow Cathe manages to talk during this entire section and doesn’t even sound winded.  I work out 5-7 days a week and am winded like I’ve been sprinting for half an hour at this point.

At this point you’ve been working out for about 15 minutes.  It’ll seem like a LOT longer, though.

Compound Strength Training on the Step

Now go get another set of risers so that you have 3 on each side.  (If you don’t own enough risers you can get another set here.  You’ll also need an 8 lb. dumbbell.

Low pulse lunges and squats with an overhead press over the step

Squat lunges with an upright row

You’ll repeat these exercises on each side.  I know this doesn’t sound that hard but it is.  If this isn’t a challenge for you then you’re a beast.

Squats with an overhead press

You’ll need both 8 lb. dumbbells for this exercise.  There are 24 reps.

*Make time for a water break if you need it. 

You’ll need your set of 5 lb. dumbbells for the next exercise.

One-leg squats with a knee-up on the end of your step with a lateral raise

Repeat on the other side.

Get your 8 lb. dumbbells

16 plié squats with a front raise.

Try to control your weights on this.  You’ll be tempted to use momentum and just swing them up and down but that’s wrong.  Engage your core and shoulders and make the most of this exercise.

Next you’ll need one 8 lb. dumbbell

One-leg squats on the end of your step with a front arm raise

Repeat on both sides.

Push-Ups & Rear Delt Flys

The first time I did this program I nearly started crying when Cathe announced that push-ups were the next exercise.

Why is it so sad? 

Because Cathe can do more push-ups than any woman on earth and now you have to keep up with her.  Get ready.  This is how you get strong and sexy.

You’ll get happy because you see her position herself over the step to do the push-ups but it doesn’t help.  They’re still hard.

16 alternating shoulder-tap push-ups

No rest.  Cathe calls the next set a ‘bonus’ set.  Does this workout really need bonus reps??

8 regular push-ups

Rear delt flys with 8 lb. dumbbells.

There are 3 sets with decreasing reps.  Set one is 16 reps, 12 reps in set two and the last set has 8 reps.

Guess what?  More push-ups!

Two sets of 16 fast push-ups

So. Hard.  I start screaming out colorful words before this set ends.  And to be honest, sometimes I can’t get in all these reps.  Cathe is a beast when it comes to push-ups.

Legs and Biceps

Get one 8 lb. dumbbell and a disc.  Put one toe on the disc.

Rotational bicep curl with a lunge

The foot that slides back is the same hand that holds the weight.

Bicep curls with 5 lb. dumbbells and your tubing

Tip-Make sure you don’t select a tube that’s really tight for this or you won’t be able to do all the reps.  Sometimes I just grab 10 lb. DB’s for this, instead of using the tubing.  There are a LOT of reps.

Triceps

Get two 5 lb. DB’s, one disc, and your tubing

Tricep dips on the end of your step with one heel on a disc

12 reps x 2 sets (switch the heel that’s on the disc)

8 reps X 2 sets

Tip-This is hard.  Stay focused and don’t let your shoulders collapse.  Keep your torso tall.

Lying overhead tricep extensions with 5 lb. DB’s

Tip-There are a crap ton of reps here.  I know 5 lbs. isn’t a lot but your triceps are exhausted and your arms may start to shake and threaten to buckle before you finish all the reps.  You’ll be holding the weights over your face so don’t test your limits.

Tricep kickbacks with your tubing

Wth!?  More triceps?  I don’t know about you but that’s what I’m always thinking at this point.  My arms are barely functional by the time I pick up the tubing but I still do what I can on the tricep kickbacks.

Remember what I said at the beginning of this post about looking forward to getting to the leg section?  Now you know why.  You’re on the downhill side of this workout from here on out.  I know.  I know.  Most of the compound exercises incorporated legs so you’ve been doing legs since this thing started but this is where Cathe officially announces that ‘Legs’ are next.

Legs

Get your exercise loop out and put it around your ankles

One-leg angled lunges

Repeat on each side

Side to side steps (wide and narrow)

Go back to the one-leg angled lunges and repeat everything.

Standing hamstring pulses on one leg

Repeat for 2 sets on each leg

One-leg dead lifts

Cathe holds two 8 lb. DB’s in one hand.

Optional-Put one foot on a disc and slide it back when you go down.  I never do this version.

Tip-If you have a 15 lb. DB use it for this exercise.  It’s hard to switch two DB’s from hand to hand as quickly as you need to and not miss any reps.  Using one weight allows you to focus on your form instead of not dropping the two DB’s dangling in your hand.

Back/Shoulders

Get your tubing and mat.  Cathe shows you how to set up these exercises on the floor by positioning the tubing around your feet.

Seated one-arm rows

Grab the tubing way down near your feet.  You need a lot of resistance on this exercise.

One-arm cross body pulls

Repeat everything on both sides

Core

You need your loop and mat for this section.

Position the loop around your hands for the first exercise.  You won’t need it after the first exercise.

The series of crunches are done at a really fast tempo.

Tip-Keep the moves small and don’t pull on your head.  Really focus on the abs.  Don’t let your thoughts drift off to your next meal or what’s waiting in your Inbox.

The last core exercises are in plank.

Stretch

Don’t skip the stretch.  You worked every muscle in your body and you need this while your muscles are still warm.

Now What??

I love Athletic Training.  As much as I complain about how hard this program is that’s what I love about it. 

I’m always looking for a new (and tougher) workout.  When I found this routine I was excited.  It’s hard to find one workout that has everything I’m looking for—cardio, strength-training, abs, and a good stretch in under an hour.

I promise Athletic Training will challenge you.

You can find Athletic Training in a few places:

Cathe’s site

Amazon

Collage Video

And you can find every single Cathe Friedrich program (plus Live workouts) in a membership to Cathe Live or Cathe on Demand + Live (that’s what I have).  

I urge you to look into this membership.  Try it out for a month and do a new Cathe Friedrich workout Every. Single. Day.  It’s awesome.  

✔Get all the answers about the Cathe on Demand program right here.

Thanks for reading!