CatheFriedrich Cardio Core Circuit Exercise DVD

If you need low impact skip this video, otherwise great purchase.

I have been working out to Cathe DVDs since the late 90s and as such, have grown used to her various styles. That is why this workout was such a tasty surprise - it is like no other Cathe workout I have ever done. The cardio work is dominant in this workout so if you are looking for a traditional "ab workout," you might be disappointed. That said, if you engage your core throughout the cardio moves, you will feel your core working! And she closes out each of the 5 circuits with a pure core move, as a nice little cherry on top.Cathe is sometimes criticized for having redundant moves from workout to workout. I don't really agree; but yes, she definitely has certain moves she likes to use again and again. With this workout, it all seemed brand-new and fresh, including the warm up. I will caution you that some of the core moves are very tough and if you have back issues or joint restrictions, you will likely need to modify. That is another reason this workout seemed very different to me - Cathe very rarely offers modifications in her workouts, but in this one she offers many. And the cardio is very high impact - it is basically like a plyo HIIT workout with a core focus, as far as I am concerned. I burned a ton of calories (over 500 in just over 50 minutes of work). Just know your limitations and do your best. Thanks Cathe, for always finding new and innovative ways to kick me in the rear!

This is a great workout. It's for sure a cardio challenge. I had ulnar neuropathy (messed up my funny bone nerve) so i needed something that kept me off my hands and didn't involve weights. I did have to modify a few things (there's some pushups and mountain climbers) but otherwise was perfect for me. The 1st time through i yelled out "you b--" several times at the instructor, it's a workout. I wasnt super keen on the music but it served it's purpose and wasnt the worst. I needed to add an ankle warmup since it was troubling my ankle and she gets into stretching at the end with almost no cooling down. I wouldn't take away a star for those though. I would say I'm intermediate, exercise level-wise. I might not recommend to a beginner but she does have modifications for the really hard stuff.All in all you cant go wrong with this.

I adore Cathe and I feel she can do no wrong. Her cuing is mostly excellent and she's personable, not annoying. I also like that she sweats--strange to note, I know, but it shows me she's working hard and is human like me.These cardio circuits are not for the faint of heart and they will work you. I am an advanced exerciser--I work out pretty hard every day of the week. My normal daily workout is a 60-minute run, and I also do at least an 30 minutes to an hour of Pilates and weights a day, as well. This workout had me sweating and I was sore the next day. (I loved it.)However, as an avid Pilates devotee, I found the core work extremely lacking. Cathe, first of all, went way too fast to reap any benefits. Some of the moves were, I felt, almost damaging to the spine (neck). I would skip the core moves and just focus on the cardio...the core moves do not take up much of the workout time, anyway.

I have seen Cathe's workouts on fit TV, and read her reviews. Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment needed for her other workouts. I was looking for a challenging workout with little to no equipment and this workout delivers. My fitness level is advanced and this is a great workout. It's about 50 minutes in length consisting of 5 cardio circuits of 3 moves, each circuit is performed twice, then there are core movements separating the different circuits. There are modifications in this as well. Cathe's cuing is good and she is pleasant to workout to. The heart rate was up throughout the workout and this workout requires endurance and water nearby.There is lots of jumping. So,if you live in apt. you will want to do this during the day to avoid disturbing your neighbors. This workout is definitely in my rotation, along with Rock Hard Body by Jake workouts with Marco Reed and Steve Maresca, Jillian Michaels-BFBM and NMTZ, 30 day Shred, & 6 week 6pack. So glad I bought it!

I consider myself at an intermediate level of fitness.Pros: Very tough workout. I prefer a challenge. Instructor not annoying, good cues and counting.Cons: Personally, I prefer not having to get down on the mat, then get up, down, up, down. This had a lot more of those moves than I wanted. I understand this kind of thing is usually what helps add intensity and makes the workout as tough as it is (the roll back on mat, straight up to standing jump up was horribly hard) so for most people this would probably be a pro. Some people may not like the high impact aspect (lots and lots of jumping) which was ok with me (also not loving it, but ok.) Lastly, the mix of moves was, well, awkward --- MMA moves mixed in with more traditional aerobic dancey/prancey moves.My reasons for not liking this are more subjective and personal so I think most people looking for an advanced workout will like this.

This is an advanced workout, period. The moves during the cardio segment does work your core and most of the moves are not hard, but doable, it is the pace that Cathe keeps up. Your heart rate will stay in the zone, high end and you will burn maximum calories. For the floor workouts, modifications are given if you can not do the full workout. Believe me, I used some of the modifications. Clocked in at 51 minutes, it will fly by and you won't be unsatisfied at the end. I was disappointed in her kickbox workout in this STS Cardio group, but not this one. This is a permanent keeper for my workout rotation.