The best glute exercises for women are in this workout! Learn everything you need to know BEFORE you try it right here.

Butts & Guts is a tough workout.  But, hey, getting a nice ass is hard work.

Try Butts & Guts because it’s hard.  You can do it.

Here’s what it looks like:

And I’m going to make it a little easier for you by telling you exactly what to expect in the Butts and Guts program with Cathe Friedrich.

Here we go…

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Instructor-Cathe Friedrich

Category-Strength

Equipment–

5 lb dumbbells

aerobic step with a few risers* (to make two different heights, if possible)

fitness band* (or loop)

2 lb. ankle weights*

stability ball

barbell with 35 lbs.

*ATTENTION: You can do Butts & Guts with your regular aerobics step.  If you only have one set of risers then you’ll be fine. 

Cathe uses an open exercise band and ties it around her ankles for one exercise (I use a closed loop exercise band.  Either is fine). 

Ankle weights aren’t mandatory.  You can do this video without them.

  The barbell is also optional for this program.  I don’t have a barbell, so depending on what exercise she’s doing, I use my 15 or 20 lb. dumbbells for those moves (instead of the barbell).

Length-78

HRM-382

Choreography-Simple

My rating- A

✔ Pro Tip: If you’re in the market to buy an aerobic step then this will help you: Your Expert Guide to Buying and Using an Aerobic Step

The Important Stuff about Butts & Guts 

I challenge you to try and keep a straight face the whole time you’re doing this workout.  Pretend like you’re one of the crew and there’s a camera in your face.  When you get to all those pulses let me know how you do.

Before you get started make sure your stability ball is aired up pretty tight.

The word ‘Pulse’ will make you run for the hills by the time this video ends.

There are four premix workouts on this video.  This review covers the main (and longest) workout.  The premixes are shorter versions of the main program. (That’s a total of 5 workouts on one video.  A great bargain.)

Don’t forget about Cathe on Demand.  You can access every single Cathe Friedrich workout (plus live workouts) with a membership.  You can learn more about Cathe on Demand (including pricing and what you get in your membership).

Read to the end for links to a few places you can compare prices for this video 🙂 

Now let me explain the exercises…

Warm-Up

Cathe uses the stability ball for a short aerobics warm-up.

Main Workout (The Exercises in Butts & Guts)

Standing Work

Walking Lunges with your 5 lb. dumbbells

This very first set of exercises immediately shows you how hard the rest of this program is going to be.

Good luck with those baby jumps.  Make sure the kids are out the room so you can use all the naughty words you’re going to want to say.

Next Cathe gets her 35 lb. BB (I use two 20’s) for a Deadlift

Your form is important here.  Don’t round your back.  You should feel this mostly in your hamstrings (and some lower back).

Static Lunges with one 5 lb. DB (with one leg on the aerobic step behind you)

She does this exercise twice on two different step heights.  Just repeat it both times on the same height if you don’t have more than one set of risers. 

Hammer-Thrust Lunges

You do 24 on each side.

This exercise raises your heart rate while working your legs.  You don’t need any equipment for this.  Make the move big.

Squats with a 35 lb. BB 

I use two 15’s on my shoulders for this exercise

Make the pulses as deep as you can.

(More) Walking Lunges with your 5 lb. DB’s

You’ll want to b*!ch-slap Cathe when she tells you to get your 5’s for another round of walking lunges with those baby jumps.  My legs are trembling, too.  But this is how you sculpt your legs, girls.  Just do it.

Dead Lifts with your toes raised (use a set of small DB’s to raise your toes)

I use my 20’s again

Listen to the form pointers.

Repeat Static Lunges with one 5 lb. (and your one foot raised on the step behind you)

Cathe lowers her step for this round of static lunges

Side Lunge Thrust

You’ll never be so happy to put down your weights

She does this for a while but it still feels like a break.

This next exercise will bring tears to your eyes.

Lunge Squats

There are about a thousand of these so just settle in for a painful ride

There are no weights involved but your lower body is so spent at this point that these are a real challenge.  Do not give up.  It takes a lot of work to change the shape of your lower body.

Squats

I use my 15’s for the next set of squats.  Cathe gets her barbell again.

Side Steps with a band (or loop)

The next move uses that band (or loop).  You tie the band around your ankles for side steps.  Your hips will feel like they’re gonna lock up on you but they won’t.

Low Pulse Lunges

This is your last standing exercise!  Get one 5 lb. DB

Make sure you’re bending your legs on the pulses, not just folding at the hips.  If you have bad knees you may not want to do this one.  This exercise hurts so good in your butt and thighs.

Floor Work

You’ll need your stability ball for this section.

Side Leg Raises

If feels so good to lean in to that ball, but try not to completely collapse your torso.  Now Cathe will tell you not to touch your toe/foot between reps but I’m pretty happy if my foot doesn’t slam to the floor like a bowling ball at this point.

Hamstring Exercises

Keep your ball

Try to keep your butt off the floor.  If your hamstrings threaten to freeze up then for crying out loud stop and stretch.  You do not want that muscle group cramping up on you.  Your ball has to be aired up tight to do these.

(More) Hamstring Work

The next round of exercises is where those ankle weights get used.  She also uses a low platform (step).

Inner Thigh (Adductor) Exercises

Keep your ankle weights on for the adductor work followed by a flashback to Buns of Steel where you do some moves on all fours.  Your inner thighs and butt will be sizzling.  Remember that challenge from earlier?  You still smiling?

Core Work

You forgot about ‘Guts’ in the title didn’t you?

You need your 5’s for this last section of exercises.  Settle in for a bunch of moves.  This goes on for a while but you won’t get bored.  There’s a lot of variety in this core section.  Just be thankful you’re not doing another leg exercise.

Cool Down/Stretch

For the love of monkeys don’t skip this part.  You must stretch your lower body out while it’s still warm.  You’re going to be sore later and wish that you’d stretched so just do it. 

I add a hip flexor stretch to this part.  My right adductors (inner thigh muscles) like to give me fits so I always throw in some inner thigh stretches, too.

Now What?

We all want a perky butt and Butts & Guts is how you get it. 

Everything good in life comes from hard work.  Be proud of yourself for doing this advanced exercise program.  And remember, you have 4 other workouts on this video!

You can find Butts & Guts on:

Cathe’s site

Amazon

Collage Video

A Cathe on Demand membership

Thanks for reading! Have a great workout!