Perfect 30 is a new home workout series created by Cathe Friedrich. This program has a little bit of everything–from cardio to total body strength training as well as yoga and extended stretching routines. As the title promises, each main workout is about 30 minutes long. In this quick and thorough review I’ll tell you the equipment you’ll need, which workout requires more space than the others, what level exerciser these routines are ideal for, how many calories I burned doing them and more.

The Perfect 30 Videos and Workouts

There are 6 main workouts on 3 videos in the Perfect 30 program.

The videos can be used independently (or together) but aren’t created to be used in any specific order.

On her website the creator (Cathe Friedrich) describes the workouts this way:

“(Perfect 30) is a perfect fit for your fitness schedule when you’re tight on time but you still want a solid, intense workout…Each workout in this series can be used as a stand-alone exercise routine or all three can be used in conjunction with one another for your own perfect workout. The routines are time-efficient, but don’t let that fool you, we’ll be sweating and burning the whole time.”

Here’s a breakdown of each video (and my thoughts after doing each workout several times)…

Perfect Pump

Perfect Pump is all about strength training and has 2 workouts, Perfect Pump Upper Body and Perfect Pump Lower Body.

Here’s a peek at each of the workouts:

These 2 workouts are definitely advanced if you plan to use the same dumbbells that Cathe uses (but are easily modified to any level by going down in weight and reps as needed).

There’s no choreography to worry about but the routines are fast-paced. (You don’t get much recovery time between exercises so make sure your water is close by because you won’t have time to walk across the room to pull it out of the refrigerator.)

Cathe makes up for the fact that the HiiT videos don’t require any equipment by using quite a few toys in these workouts (I’ll get to the full list of equipment in just a minute).

There are 2 bonus routines in each main workout in Perfect Pump, Upper Body Bonus (5 minutes) and Lower Body Bonus (7 minutes). 

I was convinced that 5 minutes couldn’t possibly accomplish anything worth mentioning but I was wrong.

The 5-minute Upper Body Bonus workout has one set of exercises for every major muscle group in the upper body and is the perfect routine to pair with any of the others.

My favorite routine in the entire series was Pump Lower Body.

The workout is really thorough and challenging but has the perfect amount of variety so that you never hit that miserable stage of leg burn that so many advanced lower body workouts seem to be created to do.

This video also includes a 9-minute ab routine (Perfect Pump Core) and an extended stretch option that’s 8 minutes long (the same extended stretch that’s on the Perfect 30 HiiT Cardio video).

Perfect HiiT (High Intensity Interval Training)

Perfect HiiT focuses on cardio and has two main 30-minute workouts, Low Impact HiiT and High Impact HiiT.

Here’s a look at both of the main workouts in Perfect HiiT:

If you’re looking for a low impact workout that’s the ‘easiest’ one of the 3 videos then this one (Perfect 30 Low Impact HiiT) is it.

The other thing you need to know about the low impact workout is that the combinations in this routine will have you traveling over a lot more ground than any of the other routines. (Plan on moving some furniture out of the way to do this one.)

There’s no real choreography to worry about in either of the workouts.

The high impact workout is on another level from its partner.

This routine has a lot of jumping and SO. MANY. BURPEES! (I like to know about that kind of stuff so I wanted to let you know.)

I don’t burn nearly as many calories on the high impact routine (I’ll give you the exact numbers below) as I feel like I’m burning but my heartrate stays at a nice medium to high steady state calorie-burning zone during the low impact workout (and I burn more calories with this routine).

The Perfect 30 HiiT video includes 2 bonus workouts.

One is a 12-minute cardio ‘blast’ routine called Pyramid Bonus. I really like this workout. But take note that you’ll need equipment (an aerobic step with 2 risers per side) to do this workout (unlike the 2 main workouts on this video that don’t use any equipment).

The second bonus workout on the HiiT video is an 8-minute extended stretch workout (the same routine that’s in the Pump video).

Perfect Flow

There are 2 main workouts on the Perfect Flow video, Mobility Basics and Yoga Strength and Flexibility.

Here’s a look at some of what you’ll find in the workouts:

Cathe describes these workouts as ‘active yoga-based’ routines on her website.

I’d describe Mobility Basics as a flexibility and/or intense stretching routine. While the other title (Strength and Flexibility) is definitely a yoga flow routine.

However you describe them, they’re completely different (but both are good).

The yoga routine was my favorite of the two.

This video includes a bonus 9-minute core workout (Flow Core).

The Perfect 30 instructor and team of exercisers

I love it when Cathe Friedrich comes out with a new program because I get to see some of my favorite exercisers that have been in her videos for years.

This series didn’t let me down.

You’ll recognize Jai and Brenda (who’ve been making videos with Cathe for over 15 years) and then two other girls (both named Jen) who have both been in several of her videos as well. (One of the Jen’s is a regular in Cathe’s home studio. You’ll see her working out with Cathe if you have a Cathe live membership.)

This workout series did not have a modifier in the workouts.

I don’t think that’s a big deal but sometimes there is one so I thought I’d mention it.

Equipment you’ll need to do the workouts in Perfect 30

PERFECT PUMP

Upper Body– health club sized aerobic step with 4 risers per side, 5, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, and 35 lb. dumbbells, tubing with handles (light to medium resistance), a mat

Lower Body– aerobic step* with up to 4 risers, 12, 15, 25, 30 and 40 lb. dumbbells, 2 weight plates*
*Cathe uses a square aerobic step during this workout but you can use a standard health club sized aerobic step for all of the moves where she uses the step, the weight plates are used to elevate your toes and heels for squat exercises. They’re optional.

Upper Body Bonus– health club sized aerobic step with 4 risers per side, 5, 8, 12, and 20 lb. dumbbells, and tubing with handles (light to medium resistance)

Lower Body Bonus– aerobic step with 3 risers per side (or a square step with 3 risers), 10 lb. dumbbell, light to medium tubing with handles

Extended Stretch Bonus– a mat

Perfect Pump Core– a mat

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PERFECT HIIT

Low Impact– none
High Impact– none
Pyramid Bonus– aerobic step with 2 risers per side
Extended Stretch– a mat

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PERFECT FLOW

Mobility Basics– a mat
Yoga Strength and Flexibility– a mat
Perfect Flow Core– a mat

Cathe uses a round mat in the Flow videos. I like it but the shape of the mat isn’t important in the routine so use whatever mat you have.

Does Perfect 30 come with a nutrition plan?

No, the Perfect 30 program doesn’t come with a nutrition plan.

How much space do you need to do the Perfect 30 workouts?

The Low Impact HiiT Cardio workout uses more space than a typical home workout, but the rest of the routines won’t require any additional space.

How many calories will you burn* doing the Perfect 30 workouts?

HiiT Low Impact– 284 calories
HiiT High Impact– 273 calories

Pump Upper Body– 198 calories
Pump Lower Body– 238 calories

*This is the average amount of calories I burned after doing each workout 3 times and recording my calories using a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. The amount of calories you burn will be different. This number is meant to be used as a reference for you.

I didn’t record my calorie burn for the short bonus workouts or the flow routines.

My favorite routines in Perfect 30

My favorite workouts in this series…

Pump Lower Body

Lower Body Bonus

Perfect Flow Yoga Strength and Flexibility

Who will love the Perfect 30 workouts? Should a beginner buy these workouts?

If you’re an intermediate or advanced home exerciser you’ll love all of the workouts in Perfect 30.

If you’re just getting started with strength training I wouldn’t recommend the Perfect Pump routine (try this workout, instead) but the other 2 videos would be a great addition to your workout library as a beginner.

What’s the best thing about the Perfect 30 program?

There are several things that I absolutely love about Perfect 30.

I really love a good workout that doesn’t make me pull out a room full of equipment. So, I really appreciate that about this program (with the exception of the Perfect Pump routines).

Something else that I really loved about this series is that there’s very little repetition and Cathe introduces new moves that I’d never done in any of her other workouts before. (Which is saying a LOT! She has a TON of workout videos.)

And something that I always appreciate about Cathe Friedrich is that she makes combinations that flow together naturally, rather than being forced into a grouping that’s unique (but doesn’t really fit together).

We’ve all seen programs that do this and it can really mess up a good workout.

And one more thing that I love about these videos (and almost all of Cathe’s videos) are the premix routines she includes in her new programs. (A premix workout is a combination of different parts of the main workouts into a new routine.)

It’s such a genius feature that Cathe puts in almost every video.

Here’s a look at the premix workouts on the Perfect HiiT video:

How much does Perfect 30 cost?

Right now you can find the individual videos on Amazon.

And the bundle is on Cathe’s website (which is priced at $59.97 at the time I’m writing this)

*Click through the links to see the current pricing. The prices change over time.

The best way to get the Perfect 30 workouts is through a membership to Cathe on Demand.

The membership is less than $20/month and gives you access to every single routine on these videos as well as hundreds of others.

Here’s what the videos look like inside the Cathe on Demand library:

The premix videos are all found under the workout blender tab in your membership:

And with a membership you can access the workout rotation calendar that Cathe adds every month using all of her programs.

I really love the workout rotation calendars. (It’s one way to do program stacking using one instructor.)

Click here to read a full review of the Cathe on Demand membership.

What would make the Perfect 30 program even better?

I wish there was a cardio bonus on the Pump video!

And a core segment on the HiiT video would have been amazing.

But if you sign up for Cathe on Demand you won’t have to worry about this because you’ll have tons of core and cardio workout combinations to choose from.

If you love Perfect 30 then you’ll most likely love these workouts, too…

If you like Perfect Pump you should try PHA Training

And if you like the HiiT videos then try these other HiiT workouts by Cathe Friedrich:

Plyo HiiT Two

HiiT 30/30

Low Impact HiiT One

And if you like Perfect Flow then you might like this:

Piyo