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Post by Karla on Dec 22, 2023 16:46:06 GMT
21 Day Fix Cardio
Autumn Calabrese
Year Released: 2014
Autumn works out with a group of backgrounders, one provides beginner modifications. You will not need any equipment for this 32 minute all cardio workout.
After a warm up, 4 rounds of 2 exercises done 2 times each are performed for 1 min each followed by 20 seconds rest. Exercises include: criss cross jacks, hi knees, skater jumps with floor touches, mt. climbers, dips, burpees, walking squats, oblique knee pulls, elevator planks, and a stretch.
This is a high intermediate routine that is easy to modify up or dodwn. All straight forward athletic cardio that gets the job done! I like that it includes some abs work and gets you sweating in a short amount of time. Autumn is an excellent instructor- great demeanor, and has very motivating physique! I received this DVD to review.
lindseylu8
07/23/2015
The 21 Day Fix system is a series of seven workouts (plus several optional routines) plus a nutrition plan designed to change your body when followed as specified for 21 days. The workouts are led by Autumn Calabrese, who teaches each routine live with a group of approximately six background exercisers. In general, Calabrese sets up each move and then walks around the room, offering words of encouragement and pushing the class members to perform.
Cardio Fix comes up on Day 5 in the rotation, and the theme (each workout has a theme) is "When You Feel Like Quitting, Think About Why You Started." It is a cardio workout that is VERY high impact, although there is a modifier, Cat, who keeps the impact lower. The workout is performed in four rounds, with each round consisting of two exercises. You will perform each exercise for one minute, then go back and repeat the round once before moving on to the next round. There is a brief (20 seconds) rest between exercises/rounds. The Warm-Up is EXACTLY the same on ALL 21 Day Fix workouts: Calabrese starts with a light jog and then moves through jumping jacks, side reaches, "windmills" (large alternating arm circles front and back), overhead reaches to either side, and alternating toe touches (about 3 minutes total).
The rounds for Cardio Fix are as follows:
ROUND 1
*Cross Jacks
*High Knees
ROUND 2
*Skater Jumps
*Mountain Climbers
ROUND 3
*Reverse Lunges
*Burpees
ROUND 4
*Lateral Squats
*Oblique Knee Pulls
BONUS ROUND
*Down & Ups (aka spider push-ups)
All of the cool-downs for the 21 Day Fix are basically the same as well. This one is about 3 minutes and starts on the floor with an abs stretch and then moves into child's pose (L-R), butterfly forward bend, wide-leg forward, and finish standing; the entire workout clocks in over 30 minutes (32:51).
This was my LEAST favorite of all the 21 Day Fix workouts. I admit, I'm not a big fan of cardio, but I liked both the Total Body Cardio and the Plyo Fix workouts better than this one. Here, Calabrese included exercises that many people will list as their most-hated fitness moves, such as mountain climbers and burpees. Plus, she combines these with too many other high impact moves AND insufficient rest periods. After doing this workout just once, I skipped it for the remainder of the 21 Day Fix rotation.
Instructor Comments:
I find Autumn's instructor to be just okay. She does mirror cue, which is nice, and she offers decent form pointers at times. But I'm not a fan of the walk around the room style of instructing, which comes across more like a drill sergeant to me; I find it much more motivating when the instructor does the workout right along with me the entire time. Also, I don't like the ways in which Autumn says things that could unnecessarily lead you to push yourself to injury, such as "you can do anything for 60 seconds!" (no, sometimes you can't) and suggesting that you should be getting "all the way down to the ground" when stretching.
Beth C (aka toaster)
04/01/2015
This is a review of 21 Day Fix, the Cardio Fix workout.
This workout is led by Autumn Calabrese. She is a personal trainer and bikini competitor. With Beachbody, she created a system utilizing color coded containers to use for portion control and workouts to be done in conjunction. The review is for the workout only.
Autumn is instructing a crew of 6 background exercisers (4 women, 2 men), one of which demonstrate modifications that make the exercises less intense. Autumn is wearing a sports bra top and workout shorts and the other backgrounders are also wearing athletic clothing. None of the background exercisers does anything distracting during the workout.
Set & Music: The set is brightly lit and is meant to resemble a gym. The music is typical of Beachbody and is pretty non-descript and is not noticeably good or bad. There is a music off option.
Equipment: A water and towel. An exercise of yoga mat is optional.
The workout starts with a warm up, then goes into 4 different rounds of 2 exercises, a bonus exercise, and ends with a brief cool down/stretch. With the exception of the cool down/stretch, everything is repeated twice before moving on. The total workout time is right around 30 minutes.
The warm up consists of jogging in place, jumping jacks, windmill arms (both forward and back), side reaches (both right and left), and alternating toe touches. The moves in the warm up are repeated again.
Each exercise in a round is done for one minute with 20 or so seconds rest to transition to the next exercise. The rounds are as follows:
Round 1: cross jacks, high knees. This round is repeated.
Round 2: skater jumps, mountain climbers. This round is repeated.
Round 3: alternating reverse lunges, burpees. This round is repeated.
Round 4: lateral squats, oblique knee pulls. This round is repeated.
Bonus Exercise: down & ups (high plank to low plank, 30 seconds right lead, 30 second left lead). This exercise is repeated.
Cool down/stretch: childās pose (forward, right, then left) forward fold, straddle stretch (center, right, then left), butterfly stretch, and standing quad stretch (right, then left). There are also very brief stretches for the shoulders and chest as well.
Overall Impressions: Itās difficult to rate this workout as the intensity of each round varies quite a bit. Rounds 1 & 2 are the most challenging and I consider them low advanced as demonstrated by Autumn. Rounds 3 & 4 are more towards the intermediate range. The bonus exercise is very core intensive and feels a bit out of place in a cardio workout. Because of the inconsistent feel of the rounds I didnāt enjoy this workout as much as I did Plyo Fix. While the modifier does a great job taking out the impact, the modifications shown donāt offer relief for someone who has wrist or knee issues. So those people with these particular joint issues will probably not like this workout. This is a decent cardio workout but not one I would reach for outside of the structured rotation. If I was doing the rotation for a considerable length of time, Iād probably wind up subbing this one out.
Instructor Comments:
Autumn is a pleasant instructor and she is very encouraging in this workout.
Sabine R
02/02/2015
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Post by Karla on Dec 22, 2023 16:46:56 GMT
3-2-1 Dance
Petra Kolber
Year Released: 2007
Note: Itās a bit hard to transcribe the title, which on the DVD cover has dots in between the 3, 2, and 1 (but not quite 3.2.1), so to be consistent with Collage and TotalFitnessDVDs Iāll use 3-2-1. You may also see this written as 321 Dance or 3, 2, 1 Dance.
Iām reviewing this workout after doing it once.
General workout breakdown: This almost 52-min. dance aerobics workout is an approachable, fun routine for those who want to dance but arenāt sure if they have those dancing genes.
The warm-up (6 min.) takes you through some basic cardio steps and some dynamic stretches for the lower and upper body.
The main workout (31.5 min.) consists of three sections (each of which is about 10.5 min.), during each of which you learn 2 separate combinations, for a total of 6 combinations. Petra builds up the combinations from basic moves, adding layers during subsequent run-throughs. All combos are symmetrical (meaning you do them on both the right and left leads), and Petra spends pretty much the same amount of time on each side as sheās building things up. Although Petra repeats the blocks and full combos multiple times before moving on, she never combines any of the combinations here.
The take it from the top segment (just over 7 min.) is in a separate chapter, so if you donāt like TIFTing, you can skip this. Petra first runs through each combo on both sides individually, with marches in between, and then youāll do two full TIFTs without breaks between the combos. (Personally I wouldnāt have minded seeing Petra weaving the combos for two more run-throughs to extend this out closer to a full hour, but thatās by no means a deal breaker for me.)
The cool-down (6.5 min.) leads you through a short cardio combo to bring your heartrate down and repeats many of the stretches from the warm-up, only this time holding some of them, and adding in a few more ones for the lower body and torso. Petra takes her time here, and itās really a nice little cool-down, IMHO.
On the cover and in the warm-up Petra says you only need to learn 3 easy moves to dance, but she doesnāt really continue the theme in the workout. So this isnāt like Leslie Sansoneās 4 basic steps that get repeated over and over. I can see why some would be very frustrated if they thought everything was built up off of just 3 steps, because the choreography is more complicated than that, and Petra moves rather quickly through it for those who arenāt as comfortable with learning choreography. (Conversely, if you love the current āadvancedā instructor trend of throwing out whole blocks at once this will be built up too slowly and have too much repetition for you.)
Petraās style is more dance aerobics than pure dance, as she incorporates all sorts of different elements from different styles of dance: mambos and cha chas from Latin, box steps and rock steps from jazz, grapevines and v-steps from hi/lo or floor aerobics, throw downs from disco, and āOh no she diānātā from, well, Petraās take on street. (Petraās too sweet to pull that last move off convincingly!) Thereās quite a bit of hip shaking, including a sassy hips move, but I wouldnāt consider this too provocative, especially since Petra never once mentions being sexy or anything like.
There is minimal impact here, and if the few little jumps arenāt for you theyāre easy enough to leave out. There are some pivots, although the quicker full turns are optional.
Level: Iād recommend this to beginner / intermediate to intermediate exercisers who preferably have a little bit of dance and/or aerobics experience under their belt, although you donāt have to be a good dancer at all. Petra says if you can do three simple steps (march, step touch, tap out) you can do this workout, but I think it might be a bit of a jump for pairs of left feet, so Iād recommend trying out something like Petraās Cardio for Beginners first before making the leap from pure walking workouts to this. The overall intensity isnāt particularly high, so intermediate exercisers might need to put a little oomph into their moves to get this up to a moderate workout for them.
I consider myself an int./adv. exerciser. This workout is on the easy side for me; itās just a hair more intense than many of my walking workouts. But I donāt mind that at all, because I like having workouts like this on my shelf for all of those times I want an interesting little routine that gets me moving without threatening to wipe me out. For me Petraās dance workouts are great for lighter cardio days, active recovery days, and sick or otherwise off days.
I happen to like and consider myself pretty good at picking up choreography. I found this workout doable this first time through, although I have to admit that Petraās choreography will have a few moments where things donāt flow smoothly or intuitively to me, but fortunately in this one most of those moments were just during the optional extra turns.
Class: 2 women join Petra, who instructs live. (I like that the background exercisers look more like happy, healthy, normal women who are fitness enthusiasts rather than professional size 0 fitness models.) Petra is actually the one who leaves out the turns.
Music: upbeat mix of instrumentals and vocals. The back cover claims this has āa chart topping sound track [sic],ā but curiously little sounded familiar, either from pop culture (although Iām the first to admit Iām not on top of pop music) or from other videos. I found the music better than average, but itās not exactly something Iād want a copy of to play whenever I felt inspired to dance.
Set: bright, neutral-colored interior space with a doorway framed by gauzy curtains and potted plants along the back.
Production: clear picture and sound, with Petraās voice audible over the music, which is still audible without having to crank the volume up too high. There are quite a few close-ups, and although the editor tried to get back to the full shots or feet-only shots during the introduction of new moves or the start of another run-through, there were more than a few times when I wish they had cut back two seconds sooner.
Equipment: shoes that can pivot on your workout roomās flooring, although if you have thick carpet and donāt have dance sneakers / donāt want to put tape over the toebox of your sneakers you can leave out the turns.
Space Requirements: You should be able to take 2-3 good-sized steps to each side and take at least 4 steps from the back to the front of your space. I had little trouble in my workout space (8ā wide by 6ā deep), but because Iām taller (and not always the most coordinated) I wouldnāt want to try to squeeze it in a significantly smaller space.
DVD Notes: Your chapter options are Intro, Play All, Warm Up, Dance Party 1, Dance Party 2, Dance Party 3, From the Top, and Cool Down.
Comments: I can NOT believe there are no reviews of this one. This doesnāt have a rabid, vocal following, but it sure has its fans. Once one person recommends Petraās dance workouts on a thread quite a few more jump in to second and third that recommendation, almost always citing this one as the one to get. I had this on my wish list for several years, during which time I managed to trade for many of Petraās other workouts, but I never could get anyone even to think about parting with their copy of this one. I finally had to buy it for myself, and Iām so glad I did.
How does this compare to Petraās other dance workouts, PK Grooves: Doable Dance (or is it PK Doable Dance Grooves?) and Just Dance? Just Dance is actually quite a bit like 3-2-1; they are very close in terms of intensity, complexity, length, and fun level. (They even seem to use the same set, although the accessories are different, and at least one of the same background exercisers.) If you love one, like me, youāre probably going to love the other, again like me. Personally I prefer the cool-down and stretch in 3-2-1, as Just Dance launches into a yoga-inspired stretch immediately after the last TIFT (still, not a dealbreaker for me). While Iām learning the routine I appreciate that Petra goes through each block separately in the final TIFT in 3-2-1, but I suspect once I know the routine well Iāll prefer Just Danceās launching right into all of them together. I found PK Grooves slightly less intense but slightly more complex than either 3-2-1 or Just Dance, and for some reason ā the set? the soundtrack? the choreography? something else? - it just lacks the sparkle that the other two have.
Itās worth noting that Petra has another dance workout of about the same length, 10 Minute Solution Blast off Belly Fat, which has 5 10-min. segments. If you are struggling with the choreography in 3-2-1 Dance, it might be worth picking up that, because I think itās a good bridge to what Petra does here. If youāre really struggling with the choreography, pick up Petraās Cardio for Beginners, where she breaks down many of the same basic moves she includes here more carefully and with less stuff in each combo.
Instructor Comments:
Petra cues consistently and well here. As usual, she cues just ahead of the move. She not only mirror cues but also provides helpful directional hints, saying things like āthe leg closest to the televisionā and āto the outside.ā She often teaches the next layer via the āwatch meā method.
Petra is upbeat, encouraging, and very natural on camera. Iām usually not the biggest fan of peppy personalities, but I like Petra; in fact, I find her endearing and charming and even funny. Sheās about making exercise fun, and she wants see you happy and healthy, which are among my main exercise goals, too.
KathAL79
02/07/2011
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Post by Karla on Dec 22, 2023 16:47:37 GMT
60's Blast Off
Richard Simmons
Year Released: 2003
I have kept only two Richard Simmonsā workouts over the years ā Disco Sweat and Broadway Sweat. They are both great on days I just do NOT want to work out. I had an interest in this workout for awhile and I got it at Ross in a three-pack with some other videos.
As usual, Richard has a fairly large group of background exercisers of different ages, shapes, etc. They seem to have a good time with this workout. And, the songs are all from the 60s ā fun music. Whoever was filming this workout took artistic license and added off-center camera angles and visual effects (putting them in slow motion, etc.) at times. To me, it was distracting and annoying and these effects impeded the workout. There were times Richard was saying, āDo this,ā obviously doing something with his feet, but they werenāt in the picture. The colors seemed garish. There were times the audio seemed āoffā ā Richard seemed hard to hear over the music.
Richard goes through a fairly long warm-up, several minutes. Then, the cardio portion of the workout ends at the 22-minute mark. I felt like I was just getting started and he was ending.
OK. Can you tell my bottom line on this workout? I HATED it. Absolutely despised it. Save your money.
Instructor Comments:
His usual positive personality just doesn't come through on this workout. He says the words and, when I can hear them over the music, they just don't ring true like in other workouts of his.
Laura S.
03/04/2006
This DVD is not chaptered. The workout is 30 mins long including warm up and cool down.
Richard leads a class of very diverse exercisers in a bright, airy room. The clothes are colorful and the music is great. The songs, including Runaway, Cool Jerk, and It's In His Kiss, are not by the original artists.
Everyone's having fun doing moves from the 1960s - the Jerk, the Monkey, etc. Cool Jerk is the most energetic of the routines.
This workout is a lot of fun, and a sentimental favorite since my husband bought it for me as a birthday gift.
Instructor Comments:
Richard is very enthusiastic and silly. He's having a great time with the group.
Suzette
10/11/2005
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Post by Karla on Dec 22, 2023 16:48:25 GMT
Aerobic Dance Workout
Patrick Goudeau
Year Released: 2003
Iām reviewing this workout after doing it several times in the year or two that Iāve had it.
General workout breakdown: This dance-inspired floor aerobics video lasts almost 39 minutes. It includes a separate warm-up (which includes a short combo, some dynamic stretches, and then a repeat of that combo) and cool down (which includes a few dance moves and static stretches), but the bulk of the video is spent building up the main routine.
Patrick doesnāt really do traditional hi/lo aerobics (grapevines, hamstring curls, repeaters, etc.). When people call him dancey, they donāt mean he does only Latin dance moves (mambo, cha cha, salsa, etc.) or bellydance or anything like that. Rather, Patrick borrows most of his moves from cheerleaders, dance teams, music videos, etc.; this is most obvious in his combos called āJanet Jacksonā and āLaker Girlsā and in his manner of teaching in 8-counts rather than building up combos from base moves.
Level: Iād recommend this to someone whoās at least an intermediate in terms of cardiovascular activity and who feels comfortable with complex choreography. I consider myself at least at a high intermediate level in terms of cardio; this video got my heartrate up but didnāt wipe me out. I can pick up any Christi Taylor, Marcus Irwin, Rob Glick, etc. hi/lo choreography within a couple of times, but Patrickās combinations and manner of instruction are different enough to require multiple concentrated efforts before I feel comfortable with them. I personally need more of a break down, no more than 3 moves at once, whereas Patrick has no qualms throwing out 6 at a time. I was able to conquer this video, more or less, after a couple of weeks of trying, but I certainly wouldnāt want anyone to see me doing this because my footwork and arm movements are nowhere near as crisp as Patrickās.
Class: 4 āpink ladiesā (young women wearing pink shirts who are probably members of a dance team) join Patrick.
Music: pulsing dance club-type music.
Set: dark interior set with white panels with lights on top. (I donāt care for the low lights; the camera will catch them and almost blind the viewer.)
Production: good picture and sound. The camera angles are usually helpful, with small inserts of Patrick doing the routine with his back to you during the slow portions. But, as seems par for the course for many complex choreography videos, sometimes the camera manages to focus on the wrong half of the body just when you need it not to. Also, there are a couple of shots which show the TV monitor being used during the filming. I think this is supposed to be cool, but itās a bit much for a simple fitness videoā¦
Equipment: sneakers (make sure you can pivot).
Space Requirements: Youāll need quite a bit of space for this: something like three decent sized steps to each side, front, and back.
DVD Notes: The menu lets you play the whole workout or select your chapter. The workout is divided only into warm-up, two halves, and cool down, which is too bad because Iād love to have been able to skip all the way back to the beginning of a combo to practice it again. Patrick addresses you with the game plan for the main workout in between the warm up and main workout, which I couldnāt figure out how to skip.
Conclusion: Patrickās energy and creativity are evident in this routine, which will delight choreography nuts. If youāll scream if you have to do another grapevine or hamstring curl, definitely check this out. Also, if you want to be (or to have been), are, or were a cheerleader, dance or drill team member, back-up dancer, etc., youāll probably find this video right up your alley. Teenagers will probably enjoy this video, as Patrick exudes a youthful vibe. I likeābut donāt loveāthis video, and since I overwork my brain and have enough stress as my life now stands, I think Iāll pass this along.
Instructor Comments:
Patrick is energetic, enthusiastic, and encouraging. He mirror cues and cues moves well, although heāll ease up on cueing the more times you do a combo. Patrickās method of teaching is to throw whole 8-counts at you; heāll do each combination at a slow pace, then at a medium pace, and finally at the final quick pace. (He says this will give you an interval workout.) He will put them together in blocks and of course TIFT (take it from the top). While Patrick teaches you the steps as they will be done in the final version, except for maybe adding in more turns, he does do some slicing and dicing (i.e. doing combo 1 on the right and then combo 2 on the left instead of combo 1 on the right and left, then combo 2 on the right and left). A few times you end up with your back to the TV.
KathAL79
03/17/2006
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 20:48:24 GMT
30 Minutes to Fitness: Cardio Quick Fix
Kelly Coffey-Meyer
Year Released: 2012
Despite not clicking with KCM on one of her early workouts, she's since grown to become a favorite of mine. She doesn't do that many strictly cardio workouts, so I was interested in this one.
As usual, there are lots of options here. There are two workouts, plus a "bonus" toning segment for hips/abs/glutes. And there are lots of premixes. If you have done KCM workouts before, the selections will look familiar: half of one workout with half of another, et cetera.
Kelly is working out with three exercisers, unlike some of her newer videos where she is alone. One of them, Noelle, shows modified versions of the workouts. In both workouts, she gives great options for modifying that allow you to stay in tempo with the higher impact versions.
The choreography level is not complicated for either workout. I never know how to rate the intensity accurately, but I'd guess it at intermediates and up.
Workout 1: 25 minutes. After a nearly 4 minute warm-up, Kelly leads you thru a series of two cardio sequences, taught in add-on fashion. The choreography is simple, but still fun and engaging. It includes some basic boxing moves. Lots of upper and lower body action. Noelle displays low impact moves that include some modified moves for the upper body if you need them. I liked this workout the best.
Workout 2: 29 minutes. March it out, heels in front....this looks familiar. Ah, same warm-up as in workout 1. This workout is a series of athletic drills that move from lower to higher impact, then repeat. They include a marching/jogging sequence, a squat/pop squat sequence, a opposite knee/arm raise march/jog, a side step/skater sequence and so on. Like workout 1, there is lots of upper and lower body integration. I think Noelle does a great job of demonstrating low impact options in this.
Between the two, I preferred workout 1 much more. It took me longer to get my heart rate up in the second one, as some of the low impact moves just couldn't mimic the intensity of the high impact moves (I hate to complain, as I greatly appreciate KCM having a modifier and my knee issues are certainly not her problem.) I didn't really start feeling it until around halfway thru, when they moved to some boxing combinations, which definitely did get my heart rate up. Also, while I find drills effective, I also find them a little monotonous. I found myself eyeballing my watch during the second workout, despite KCM's cheery personality and motivational demeanor.
Just to make sure you get your money's worth, Kelly throws in a "bonus" workout on the menu that is 15 minutes long. You will need a single weight (I think 8 pounds max, 5 is what I used) and a mat, if desired. Modifications are provided by Noelle in this segment as well. This segment includes reverse lunges which get combined with an oblique-focused rowing move and a warrior two sequence (both of these will get repeated with weights.) Kelly said our love handles would be burning in the warrior sequence, but I felt the burn pretty much in the butt and hamstrings. You then go to the floor for knee crunch/one legged down dogs and a move Kelly calls the "ugly runner", which is probably my favorite exercise name of all time. You basically lie on one side and duplicate a running movement. As she says, if you are just watching it looks easy but your hips BURN on this one. Finally, there is a one-legged bridge you combine with some lateral knee drops to work your inner thighs. This is followed by a brief stretch. Despite the short time, this segment is no joke. I was sweating buckets. When Kelly laughingly asks at one point if we were glad we turned the bonus on, I was like, "No...but yes....but, no."
Other incidentals: Kelly uses vocal music here. It's good and effective. She and her team are in coordinated black and green. They stand out well against the background. Kelly's cuing is, as always, first class.
This is a fantastic workout to do as a stand alone (particularly if you do the bonus too), or combine with a toning workout. Even though I'll probably reach for workout 1 more, I love this DVD. And I can always chose from the premixes to do some of workout 2.
Instructor Comments:
What can I say? Kelly is awesome. She looks phenomenal, she's down to earth, her cuing is excellent and her low key humor and encouragement will keep you going. She really has a twinkle in her eyes during the bonus segment, and I love when she admits that a move that was killing me was tough for her.
vanessakm
04/05/2014
NOTE: I received a free review copy of this DVD from the instructor.
Kelly Coffey-Meyer has become perhaps my very favorite instructor. Not only does she now teach in the town where I grow up, but also she's about my same age (mid-40s), and I just really click with her low-key, down-to-earth style. That being said, I DON'T always click with all of Kelly's workouts, nor do I own all of her DVDs. Furthermore, I'm not a huge fan of cardio. However, after I saw the clips of CARDIO QUICK FIX, I thought it looked like fun, and I was interested in trying it.
Kelly works out here with two of her usual background exercisers, Sam and Laurie, plus a new modifier, Noelle. The Main Menu offers options for Introduction - Workout 1 - Workout 2 - Bonus Abs/Hips & Glutes - Premixes and a Music On/Off option. (I found the music to be fun; it's mostly vocal and very upbeat.) Other than an optional mat for the Bonus segment, no equipment is necessary for these workouts. I have broken down each in detail below.
WORKOUT 1
This workout starts with an approximately 5-minute warm-up. Kelly runs through moves such as marches, heels front, squats right and left, toe taps, front cross, knee hops, and body lifts. She does not do any stretches. She then moves right into the cardio portion of the workout. This basically consists of two long sequences--e.g., she teaches a series of moves in add-on fashion, running through this several times, then moves on to the second series. The first sequence is significantly longer than the second at about 10 minutes. Moves include marches, hip dips to either side, body lifts, insole tapes (adding a bit of impact), shuffle with arms in/out, step/grapevine with jab/cross and flurry, and a softball pitch and catch. Although Kelly does repeat the sequence (a.k.a. "take it from the top"), I found the moves to be fun, different, and engaging. The second series is shorter at about 6 minutes. Here the moves are more standard--e.g., side shuffle, jog, 3-knee repeater, step heel, jump rope, side-to-side, and curtsey push--but Kelly ups the intensity with a bit more impact. At the conclusion of this workout, Kelly moves quickly through approximately 2 minutes of all-standing stretches, bringing the total workout time in right around 25 minutes.
WORKOUT #2
For this 29.5 minute workout, Kelly ups the intensity somewhat by performing higher impact drills. (Viewers always have the option of staying low impact with Noelle.) Following the same warm-up as Workout #1, there are an additional few minutes of low-intensity moves (e.g., squats right-left, marches, jogs) which feel like sort of an extended warm-up. Kelly then begins the drills. She starts with a lower impact move, then she switches over to a more intense version of this move for about 30 seconds. The movement pairs included marches to jogs, pop squat knee lifts to knee pops, side-to-side steps to skaters, elbow smash to elbow smash with hop, bob & weave to front punch with side leg lift, jacks to jack with jump, side-to-side step to chasse with floor touch, squat to squat pop, and back lunge to squat. As usual, Kelly finishes with a quick (<2 minutes) stretch, moving through hip flexor, quad, and hamstring stretches.
BONUS: Abs/Hips & Glutes
Here Kelly and crew start standing with their mats nearby. Kelly begins with a shallow reverse lunge, adding in a Figure 8 arm motion. Next comes a "lunge with pull" move standing with he legs in Warrior position. Both of these moves work the abs, hips, and glutes, especially in the second round, when Kelly repeats both moves holding a light dumbbell. She then moves to the floor for a core move which begins from a hovering table position and moves out to a 3-legged down dog. Coming onto her side, she performs what she calls "ugly runner," a sort of running legs move to work the hips. The final exercise is performed in an elevated reverse table position (or optional on the floor) dropping the knees to either side. Kelly finishes with some quick seated stretches. I loved the standing portion of this Bonus in particular; it even kept my heart rate up!
As always, Kelly includes a wealth of Premixes on this DVD. These are really a great addition, as they make you feel like you are getting 10+ workouts on one DVD! Here is the list of Premixes from that menu:
*Quick Fix 1 (1st set workout 1 and 1st set workout 2) - 27 min
*Quick Fix 2 (2nd set workout 1 and 2nd set workout 2) - 23 min
*Quick Fix 3 (1st set workout 1 and all of workout 2) - 36 min
*Quick Fix 4 (2nd set workout 1 and all of workout 2) - 34 min
*Quick Fix 5 (both workouts) - 44 min
*Quick Fix 6 (workout 1 1st set and bonus) - 29 min
*Quick Fix 7 (workout 1 2nd set and bonus) - 27 min
*Quick Fix 8 (workout 2 1st set and bonus) - 29 min
*Quick Fix 9 (workout 2 2nd set and bonus) - 27 min
*Bonus Workout with Abs, Hips, and Glutes - 15 min
Overall, I really enjoyed these workouts. Although I consider myself a high intermediate exerciser, as noted above, I don't really like cardio, and so I don't tend to seek out high-intensity cardio workouts. For that reason, I provided Workout #1 on this DVD, which was probably more at an Advanced Beginner/Low Intermediate Level. I definitely found Workout #2 to be a solid Intermediate workout and one that is definitely modifiable to different levels depending on how much impact you choose to do.
So, I would definitely recommend this DVD, but it is probably most ideally suited to exercisers who are at the low- to mid-intermediate level.
Instructor Comments:
I just love Kelly's style--I find her enthusiastic without being over-the-top and completely warm and relatable. I've never had any problems whatsoever following her excellent mirrored cuing.
Beth C (aka toaster)
09/17/2012
Below are three separate posts that I put on the forum about this DVD. I figured if I combined them, it would make a review. Hopefully, this information will help you decide if you want this DVD.
I did Workout 1 from Cardio Quick Fix. It was a good workout for this morning, but I'm not sure of what I think of the workout for the long term. It has fresh moves and combinations - you haven't done this workout before. BUT, she does two combinations in it, building each one a move at a time. In other words, there is a lot of TIFTing.
I thought the music was really good. Much of it was vocal and it seemed to fit the workout really well. For me, music is "good" as long as it goes beyond the standard techno beat stuff that is used so much and as long as it fits the workout. I don't expect "good" music to be stuff I listen to in real life.
The set was kind of forgettable to me. It was bright and it was easy to see; I didn't like it particularly, but I didn't dislike it either.
The only background exerciser I really noticed was Noelle, the new modifier. There wasn't a whole lot for her to do in this workout in terms of modification because most of the moves were low impact. She didn't put in hops when the others did and that was about it. I imagine there will be more call for modifications in the second workout.
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This morning, I did Workout 2 from KCM's Cardio Quick Fix. It is basically pairs of moves, one easier and one drill oriented. So, you do the warm up. Then, you do these pairs of moves. Usually, she starts out with what I call an easy move - marching, side steps, basic squats or lunges, jumping jacks, etc. - and then she morphs it into a more high-impact and more intense version of the move. So, side steps went into skaters. Double side steps went into a chasse with a reach to the floor. Jumping jacks went into one jumping jack and one air jack. Squats went into pop squats. Etc., etc. She would do the combination one time and then repeat it. Then, she would move on to the next set of moves. There was no TIFTing or putting the moves together beyond repeating the pair of moves.
I thought Noelle did a good job of leading with a low impact move. I pretty much did the workout with her. Kelly cracked me up. At one point, she points out that if you want to up the ante, you can keep doing the harder version when she repeats the pair and starts with the easier move. Then, she says, "I'm not the boss of you, right? Do what you gotta do!"
I thought the music was good. Remember, my definition of "good music" is any music with vocals that match the workout well. So few instructors these days do anything beyond the techno-beat music, that I think those that do more should be applauded.
Overall,I thought it was a good workout that I wonder if I would ever do again. It's basically sets of drills. That's not my cup of tea usually. But, I wonder if the premixes won't give some really good options where the two workouts are intermingled. This workout is the kind that could give a really good oomph when combined with segments of Workout 1. We'll see.
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Quick Fix Premixes:
-Quick Fix 1 (1st set workout 1 and 1st set workout 2) - 27 min
-Quick Fix 2 (2nd set workout 1 and 2nd set workout 2) - 23 min
-Quick Fix 3 (1st set workout 1 and all of workout 2) - 36 min
-Quick Fix 4 (2nd set workout 1 and all of workout 2) - 34 min
-Quick Fix 5 (both workouts) - 44 min
-Quick Fix 6 (workout 1 1st set and bonus) - 29 min
-Quick Fix 7 (workout 1 2nd set and bonus) - 27 min
-Quick Fix 8 (workout 2 1st set and bonus) - 29 min
-Quick Fix 9 (workout 2 2nd set and bonus) - 27 min
-Bonus Workout with Abs, Hips, and Glutes - 15 min (this is actually on the main menu)
This morning, I tried out a couple of the premixes. It seems like a lot of the power of Kelly's workouts these days is in the premixes because they give you so many options. Plus, I wanted to see how they were structured. I really like some of Kelly's other DVDs where she gives premixes that intermingle the two workouts and I wanted to see if that was done here.
First, I tried the Workout 2 1st set and bonus. This was my chance to do the bonus as well. And, I really, really liked it. Much of it was standing and I could actually do the floor moves (following Noelle on one or two of the moves where my knees wouldn't do what Kelly was doing). Abs workouts are not my thing and I enjoy finding one that works for me periodically - most of the time those have standing moves in at least part of them.
Then, I tried Quick Fix 1 (1st set workout 1 and 1st set workout 2) because I wanted to see if the workouts were intermingled; and, they weren't. It's exactly as it says. You do all of the first set of workout 1 followed by all the first set of workout 2. I quit at the beginning of the segment from workout 2 because I was ready to be done.
I am torn about this DVD. I had hoped to love, love, love it. Instead, I like parts of it. I can see myself pullilng it out to do the premix with the 1st set of workout 1 with the abs bonus. That one would be fun. I can also see doing a premix with one segment of each workout.
Some people will absolutely love this DVD. Others will be disappointed by it. I really think it goes to personality and whether you click with it. It is a solidly intermediate workout. I imagine some advanced exercisers will click with it and just modify up while others won't think it's worth their time. With the modifier, people who aren't up for the full impact and/or intensity have options.
Instructor Comments:
Kelly is great in this workout. She's relaxed. She's funny. She's motivating. I can see why so many people love her workouts. She is fun to work out with!
Laura S.
09/08/2012
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 20:49:51 GMT
Alive
Misty Tripoli
Year Released: 2008
This is one of the three discs from Mistyās Body Groove series (Alive, Strong, Calm). They are all DVD-R.
The disc is very well chaptered. You can listen to a little intro by Misty, or go right to the workout, which has nine sections. The entire workout from beginning to end is 62 minutes and 26 seconds long (not including the intro). I don't see a way to program it to play the chapters in an order of your own choosing, but you can skip around. As each chapter starts, the title flashes on the screen (the titles relate to the music and dances in each section). I really enjoy the music, which was developed by Mistyās friend Benjamin Black specifically for this project. There are a lot of different styles represented and the sound seems to work well with the moves.
There is no choreographed routine to learn. Misty shows a move and you do it and put your own spin on it. That move then morphs into another move and so on; eventually you repeat some of the moves, but there is no TIFTing. Some chapters are fast, some are slow, some are a combination. It is kind of like intervals; some parts get my heart rate up and others will allow it to come back down (I am probably at a low intermediate exercise level). There are a couple of sections that include a move she calls "drop and pop" which is kind of a bouncy squat thrust. There are also some jumping moves, although everyone is working barefoot.
There are several women grooving with Misty (more than 5, less than 10) and they are all shapes and sizes, some are buff and some are not, some are very limber, some less so, and they are each bringing their own unique flavor to the moves. The background exercisers are not lined up and do not stay in one place, everyone moves all around the room as they cha-cha, swing, twist and groove through the moves Misty calls out. Sometimes Misty stops dancing for a second or two to talk or offer encouragement, but the women all keep moving.
Misty has a lot of energy, likes to express herself and is very spontaneous and unscripted. She tells you to shake your boo- tay, strut your stuff, pump your chest and be proud of your curves. I enjoy her workouts.
Instructor Comments:
LAC
02/25/2009
Chapters:
Exotic Road 8:10 minutes
Latina 7:11 minutes
Love Set Me Free 6:23 minutes
Tailswitcher 7:01 minutes
Swing Boogie 7:25 minutes
Take A Ride 6:56 minutes
Happy House 7:39 minutes
Super Funk 6:04 minutes
Blues Piano 6:57 minutes
The class consists of many women all shapes and sizes. They all move around in their own unique way. There is no structured area to stand and there is no mirror cuing. If you have a lot of room to work out in thatās great you can move around even more. If you donāt have a lot of space then modify all the walking and turning around moves. Misty will show the dances and then allows you to do it your way. There is no right or wrong way. It is all up to you as to how far and deep you go into a specific move. It is also up to you as to how much energy you will put into each dance. This has been said about other workouts also, it is all up to you how hard you want to work out on any given day.
Misty adds many moves. From cha, chas, twists, hamstring curls, walking in all directions, shaking every part of you that can, knees up, rock steps and turns. There are some dance segments that are more intense than others. Which after doing the ādrop and popā which is killer you will want a break. The āTailswitcherā segment is an intense segment because it introduces the ādrop and popā move. This ādrop and popā move is like a burpee and Misty does these repeatedly. She starts out slowly so you get all the moves involved and then she has you do it to tempo many, many times. I personally hate and avoid burpees like the plague but for some reason these didnāt bother or annoy me as much. Maybe Iām just delirious from all the dancing.
The āSwing Boogieā segment was fun and involved a lot of twisting and shaking moves. Misty was having so much fun she wanted everyone to āhave a party in your own pantsā. Really all the exercisers seemed to be into every crazy move Misty threw at them.
In āHappy Houseā Misty surprises us by bringing back the ādrop and popā. It was done very briefly so even being tired it was OK.
I couldnāt believe that Misty in the āSuper Funkā segment had us do the ādrop and popā. This segment is the cool down. Even though this segment is the cool down Misty introduces a new move. The āfunky chickenā and has everyone express themselves fully doing this move. (Warning clothes your blinds). However in this segment Misty does bring almost all the moves āthat she can rememberā back. So there really is no āTIFTINGā until this segment when she just calls out all the moves and you do them.
Finally the āBlues Pianoā segment is the stretch. You might want a mat for the floor stretching. Misty style stretch which means your own unique stretching style. She does instruct some, and then you add in your own way of stretching that area. It starts out standing and then moves onto the floor. By this time you should be extremely limber from all the dancing. Misty does move you around from head to toe throughout the whole workout. Then after you have sufficiently stretched out side to side on the floor she has you sit up and you end in seated prayer pose. Misty adds some positive words to end your workout.
The set:
The set is the same as āCalmā. Dark wood floors almost black wood. Lighter wood on half of the walls with the upper half in brick. There are windows in the room with real outdoor views ācity likeā (by this I mean you could see another building).
The Music:
The music is by Benjamin Black.com. He also does vocals on one of the songs in this workout. The music is very nice and appropriate for each segment. Lots of musical variety in this workout.
Comments:
I love āSoul Sweatā. āAliveā is not like āSoul Sweatā. āAliveā is not choreographed dancing like āSoul Sweatā. āSoul Sweatā included very brief free form sections at the end of each dance. āAliveā allows for more creativity on your part. Also for those who are inhibited and feel funny expressing themselves in creative free form dance this workout is not for you. Everyone doing this workout might not want to be watched expecially while doing the āfunky chickenā in the āSuper Funkā segment. I for one donāt want to be seen doing this. As far as the music I loved the music in āSoul Sweatā better. But I like that kind of stuff sometimes. The music in āAliveā is good and interesting and fits each segment well. It will also appeal to those who like a lot of variety in their workouts. Each segment is different so there will be no boredom from a repeated soundtrack.
Instructor Comments:
Misty is friendly and encouraging. She very much emphasizes that you do what you can do and own it.
Misty's 3 Box Set: Alive, Strong & Calm are all DVD-r.
Sundari
10/06/2008
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 20:50:36 GMT
Barefoot Cardio
Ellen Barrett
Year Released: 2009
I had this workout shortly after it came out and gave it up because of some of the repetitive moves. Then, I reacquired it and will keep it this time, because I've learned to modify it so that it works for me.
Ellen is in a bright open studio, backed up by two exercisers, one of whom is the modifier. This workout is comprised of several long combinations during which you do moves on one side and then the other with additional moves thrown in. You are supposed to do it barefoot - sometimes I do, sometimes I wear shoes.
I really like the combinations and I find that I really enjoy the moves that she does. My heartrate gets up there some, but it is not an intense workout. The two things that I don't enjoy about the workout are the happy feet/ponies (there are a LOT of them) and how much you hold your arms outstretched (most of the workout). So, I have learned to modify. I just do side steps while they do happy feet/ponies - this is kinder to my knees. And, I put my arms down during moves I don't feel like I need them. I either have my arms by my sides or my hands on my hips.
Instructor Comments:
Ellen is in a class by herself, I think. Beyond the encouragement she does to do the workout, she so believes in the mind/body workout method. It's hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm.
Laura S.
02/12/2015
I love this workout for a variety of reasons, one of them being that I find sneakers restrictive. Her low intense moves make it easy to sweat and stay involved in the workout. I hate workouts that focus solely on overworking you. I find that low intensity workouts are great for keeping up endurance , keeping away from torn muscles and ligaments and also keeping up with every day activity. I find this workout peaceful, comfortable and easy to follow. Her cues are often on time and the CONSTANT arm movement had me going OW, which is how I know my muscles are working. I like that she doesn't keep telling you to keep going. I really find that belittling when instructors do that. She motivates by moving into the next routine and explaining it thoroughly so that there would be no reason to give up or turn it off. Her moves are original and upbeat and I would gladly do them over and over again.
Instructor Comments:
She is upbeat and easy to follow. Her voice is less shrill than others which makes it easy to listen too.
AmandaHart90
02/21/2012
I just did this workout for the first time, and I was very impressed. I tend to be very finicky about workouts, and I don't like doing cardio at home, so this is saying a lot. This workout delivered everything I was hoping for: heart-pumping low impact cardio that I was able to follow even with my two left feet. What impressed me the most is that it did not make me dizzy like so many cardio workouts that involve a lot of head movements, and the movements flowed and were not jerky. I enjoyed being barefoot and it helped me to stay cool. I also like that several of the arm movements doubled as stretches for the shoulders and back that spend so much time hunched over at the office or in other aspects of daily life. Note: this is a particularly good workout for apartment dwellers like me who have downstairs neighbors, because the absence of shoes and high impact make the WO quieter.
Instructor Comments:
I really like Ellen Barrett. Aside from some make-up (which brings out her truly stunning facial features), she has an all-natural-healthy-woman kind of look and attitude that most women will be able to relate to. She's not too hyper and she's not too low key. She has a very pleasant, likable personality, and she does a great job of explaining the moves and what they accomplish. Her emphasis is on getting strong, counter-acting stress, and feeling good, along with burning fat. I love that I don't think she mentioned "weight loss" even once during the WO. I would definitely purchase another Ellen Barrett WO.
FancyNancy
05/15/2011
This was my first Ellen Barrett video. I had been going to the gym for years and hadn't worked out at home much so I was pleasantly surprised by how many options there are now. I really enjoyed this workout which is deceptively difficult (if you just watch it, it probably won't seem challenging.) Ellen gives lots of form advice to make it harder--mainly Pilates based stuff like standing up straight, tightening your quads and holding in your abs. I have a tendency to slouch and never realized the collection of muscles engaged in a simple knee raise until done with correct posture. The ballet moves also make me feel very graceful.
I am kind of over the notion of hot, inflexible aerobic shoes so I really enjoy any workout I can do barefoot. On this one, Ellen points out the benefits of doing the moves barefoot (that's the only way to do a proper releve-the ballet move where you rise up to your toes.) There is some good balance work. She also has an exerciser demonstrating modified versions of the moves for people who can't do high impact or have back problems. Nothing is terribly high impact on this DVD though. At most there is a modified pony type of move she does as a transition between exercises to keep your heart rate up. I have cartilage damage to both knees (chondromalacia if you want to get all technical) so I can't do high impact any more but I didn't have trouble with anything on this DVD. I was surprised by how sweaty I was at the end.
I liked her reminding me to lower my shoulders (another thing slouchers do) and reminding me to enjoy the workout. It sounds silly but I like a smidgen of mind/body woo in my exercise. Don't worry-she doesn't start talking about The Secret or anything. And you don't need a lot of space which I appreciate. You can do this in an average living room without moving large pieces of furniture.
My only complaint might be that she gives the advice for proper form sometimes when you are already in the middle of an exercise so you'll need to do the workout a few times to learn and remember how to maximize some of the moves. I much prefer that however to workouts that continually come to a stop so the instructor can explain how they want you to do the next exercise. I just would prefer to get the critical form advice as the move is starting. Overall, this is a keeper. I ordered several more of her DVD's (do try to preview before you buy though. Some of them seem quite similar.)
Instructor Comments:
An upbeat (but not caffeinated and perky) instructor who provides good cuing and excellent form advice. You should check her out, particularly if you enjoy pilates, dance and/or yoga.
vanessakm
12/01/2010
I am reviewing this workout after having done it twice in the past week. Barefoot Cardio by Ellen Barrett is a fun, low impact, cardio workout. Ellen is an engaging and affable instructor. This workout is one of the ones that makes me ask "Why did I wait so long?"
What I enjoy most about this workout is that I can get my heart pumping without too much effort or impact. Ellen strings together a few moves on the right side and then repeats the moves on the left side. Then between each combo she does her signature 'happy feet' move from other workouts which is a plie squat out to the side and then feet together. But in Barefoot Cardio, you can do happy feet or step it up a notch and do ponies (a sort of triple step side to side). Returning to the pony move between each combo might irritate some, but I don't mind it. I guess I like the idea that a new combo is coming.
One detraction for me in Barefoot Cardio is the amount of instruction. Ellen is a friendly instructor but if I'm going to keep this workout, I'm going to learn the moves better and turn down the volume. After about a half hour, it's just too much of a good thing.
If you are deciding on whether or not to get this workout, don't let the amount of talking be the deciding factor. Barefoot Cardio is a great workout. An advanced exerciser can use it on a light day, a beginning exerciser can use it any time and an intermediate exerciser can modify it by taking the moves up a notch.
Instructor Comments:
Ellen is great. I love that she designs her workouts to make exercise accessible to everyone. She is inspiring.
Nat
07/19/2010
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 20:52:15 GMT
Cardio Interval Training
Petra Kolber
Year Released: 2004
This workout is 38 minutes long. It has a bonus section workout with Baron Baptiste of 10 minutes of yoga. I am only reviewing the cardio section with Petra after doing this workout several times.
There are two exercisers one does modifications the other advanced. Petra works in between these levels.
This workout should be labeled Floor Aerobics only. If you want a circuit with weights get Kelly Coffey's "The Shape Of Things To Come. Petra is motivating and cues exceptionally well. The aerobics are athletic and easy to learn. This workout has intensity but you can modify. The weight section is less than 1 min. and comes right after the third intensity blast of each aerobic interval. So I use the weight time to march, step touch or grapevine to lower my heartrate to get ready for the next aerobic session.
The set is white concrete walls w/wood flooring. Nothing special. The music was really good and motivating. The workout is such a great cardio routine that kept me in my training zone and spiked it up w/the blasts that I didn't mine the drab setting.
Conclusion:
If done as I did excluding the weight sections and continuing the aerobics straight through this workout is a great floor aerobic routine w/lots of variety. Worth getting and keeping. Its great as a short workout for the time crunched or as a follow up after a strength training routine.
Instructor Comments:
Pleasant, energetic and uplifting instructor. Petra cues exceptionally well.
Sundari
09/10/2006
This has been well reviewed, so I will just ad my impressions.
Set is so bland I wanted to go in and paint the walls, put up a poster, something.
I like the interval concept and found this workout to be pretty challenging. I'm kind of on the fence about whether I would like to do it on a regular basis, though. I picked the moves up okay (for me) and I didn't think they were boring at all. I don't know what it was about this, but I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I might throw it on once in a while when I want to up my intensity level and work up a little bit of a sweat. I may never pick it up again, I'm not sure.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend it, I guess. I think there are probably better workouts out there.
Instructor Comments:
Petra is great. Very motivating, doesn't say stupid stuff (Which gets old after many times of doing a workout).
Krista (benemma)
09/25/2005
This isnt a bad workout, yet it isnt a great one either. it is OK.
i didnt like the music much, which seemed like a hyper electronic beat.
weighted sections in between the
cardio intervals were a waste of time.... i dont know why she just didnt do some sort of light cardio activity to bring the heartrate down instead.
i found it hard to follow what petra was doing for a couple of
the cardio intervals, even though the choreography was basic... that makes me think that she didnt cue it right or teach it properly.
actually, i thought that the best part of the workout was the cooldown and stretch...LOL!
the music was the same sort of thing as in the workout but
with a slower beat and i liked that better. she took about 5 minutes to cooldown and i enjoyed the moves that she did during this
part.
Instructor Comments:
petra... eeehh... i could take her or leave her in this one. I enjoy petra much more in her walking workouts with george foreman.
Carolyn Visser
11/07/2004
I loved this video. It is about 35 minutes long. It is floor aerobics, very basic, combined with some kickboxing, light weights, and plyo drills. It can be fairly high impact in places but easy to modify. Petra is great. She says things like "push yourself, that is how you see results" during the high intensity interval bursts and she is never goofy or silly. I think this will be one of my top five for a long time!
Instructor Comments:
Very motivating and down to earth.
Emilie
10/21/2004
I'm a high-intermediate exerciser who does a lot of Kickboxing, Cathe , Fitprime, Firm (post-classic, pre-gt), Mindi, spinning, etc.
I also like dancy workouts like Bhangra, Salsa, etc... and don't require those types of workouts to be cardio-intensive - if they are challenging from a choreo point of view.
I also lift weights.
This all being said, I did not like this workout. It was boring. There were three or four cardio segments with weights. The intervals were supposed to get your heart rate up, and then, you'd go down again.
But this didn't really do that for me in a way that would ever make me want to do this again. Why do this when I have bootcamp, or hardcore kickbox circuit, etc.
The last cardio segment did have some fun kickboxing stuff in it, and that fun move that i've first seen in the hollywood trainer set, where you do a kick and then touch the ground.
But that wasn't enough to induce me to ever do this workout again.
Not worth the money, I'm sorry to say, and I only paid about 7-8 dollars for it, when you divide what I paid for the full set by 4.
There was a 10 minute Baron Baptiste yoga segment which I didn't do.
Instructor Comments:
Petra is friendly and encouraging.
Leela
09/16/2004
On cardio work, I am an intermediate exerciser who is playing with advanced choreography. I use interval tapes as a way of upping the intensity my body can handle. I was sorely disappointed by this workout.
As I understand intervals, they have cardio and then bursts of higher intensity to raise the heart rate and then a return to the lower intensity to allow the heart rate to come down some. This workout alternated cardio segments with sections with weights, sections during which my heart rate plunged. Most of the cardio segments were easily followed and Petraās cueing was very good. However, I had a very difficult time following one or two of them, especially the first kickboxing combination.
Petra leads this workout with two background exercisers and modifications are shown by one of them. The set is basic, but appealing.
Instructor Comments:
She is warm and supportive throughout the workout. She is clear in most of the workout, although one or two segments I had trouble following.
Laura S.
09/11/2004
I must admit I didnāt finish this workout due to a severe case of boredom. This makes a great experienced beginner or intermediate workout, but it was just too non-interesting to me. There are 5 cardio/strength cycles: each starts with general cardio, followed with a 1-minute cardio interval (power blast), and then a few minutes of strength training. I like this format, but the cardio was very basic choreographically and not all that intense. The power blasts were okay ā from what I saw of them, anyway. I only did the first two cycles before quitting. The strength training concentrates on one muscle group at a time, for example triceps, back, etc. Nothing real innovative here ā just standard exercises. There is also a 10-minute bonus yoga workout with Baron Baptiste on the DVD. I did this as well, and it was geared toward beginners. But it makes a nice after-workout stretch. Although this review might sound negative, I really do think itās a good workout ā for the right person (not me). Beginners and intermediates would find a lot of value in it, plus Petraās personality and ability to motivate is excellent.
Instructor Comments:
Annie S.
02/23/2004
I pretty much agree with Annie's review on this except I wasn't bored at all. I like having workouts without complicated choreography from time to time and no, it's not for the advanced, but like Annie said, beginners and intermediates would find a lot to like in this workout. I also like Petra's calm encouraging manner as an instructor. The strength training is almost non-existent - just three VERY short segments. Also, some may not care for the very stark set, but that didn't bother me, either. All in all, I was very pleased with this one.
Instructor Comments:
Tammy
02/23/2004
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 20:53:27 GMT
Breakthru Cardio Dance
Tracy York, Michelle Dozois
Year Released: 2000
Please note that I wrote this review about 4 years ago; I've copied and pasted the review as originally written. At the time of the review I had done the workout several times.
Although I kept this for a bit after writing about it, it hasn't been a part of my collection for a while. I just found other cardio videos I enjoyed doing more, so I passed it on.
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General workout breakdown: This workout has two parts.
1. The cardio segment lasts about 40 minutes. It consists of very dancy hi/lo (along the lines of Patrick Goudeau rather than Christi Taylor, Marcus Irwin, etc.). You begin with a warm up (5-6 minutes), mixed dynamic and static stretches (2 minutes), the routine broken into 3 large sections to be taught TIFT style and eventually added together (29 minutes), and cool down with stretching (3-4 minutes). There are many little hops, pivots, and twists. Itās not very high impact, though; Iād say itās āmid impact.ā
2. The Pilates segment lasts about 30 minutes. Michelle and Tracy lead you through breathing and other preparation (e.g. various crunches), ātoe dipsā that become scissors, knee drop series, bridge, single leg stretch, bridge again, heel beats combined with breaststroke, cat stretch, cat pose with opposite leg and arm extended (series with contractions and triceps push ups), downward dog, another series for the back, childās pose with arms extended, side leg series (front & back, bicycle, passĆ©, circles, side lifts), push ups to childās pose, elbow planks with leg lifts, chest stretch, rolling like a ball, reverse plank with leg lifts, side plank series, modified spinal twist / spine stretch forward series, half rollback, one-legged teaser prep, and teaser #1. Thereās not much of a final stretch afterwards. They include a decent number of repetitions (definitely never too many) and move at a decent pace (not too fast, not too slow).
Level: Iād recommend the cardio portion to an intermediate exerciser. Itād be too intense for a true beginner, and the steps are tricky, particularly for someone new to exercising. At the same time an advanced exerciser might find this the equivalent of a walk in the park. I consider myself mid-to-high intermediate, and I find this workout appropriate for my level. I donāt feel wiped out afterwards, but I do sweat. I had been working out to Christi Taylor for a few months before getting this, but it took me a couple of times to feel comfortable with the moves. Oh, youāll definitely need some coordination, as there are some quick and tricky rhythms.
Iād recommend the Pilates portion to an experienced beginner through an intermediate. Michelle and Tracy have very little instruction here, so anyone new to Pilates might find this portion challenging for the wrong reasons. I consider myself a low intermediate. I have about two years of Pilates experience but still have limited strength and flexibility. When I first got this it was challenging; now itās at a more appropriate level.
Class: Michelle and Tracy join another woman and two men for the cardio; the women alone perform the Pilates. For some Pilates moves a modification is shown; a few more are suggested.
Music / Set / Other Production Notes: The music for the cardio portion has a beat; sometimes itās clubby, sometimes itās jazzy. The Pilates section features softer music, including one song with vocals (āOoh ooh ooh, ah ah ahā type stuff). In both sections the instrumental music is appropriate and pleasant but not memorable. The class is in a brightly lit studio with hardwood floors and a minty green background with an abstract design on one side and a close up of a gorgeous Ionic column on the other. The picture and sound quality are good considering this is a rather no frills VHS to DVD copy.
Equipment: sneakers for cardio; mat (or equivalent) and towel (or strap) for Pilates segment.
Comments: The cardio portion is a real space hog. Today I used all of my 6ā by 6ā space for my feetānot including the kicks and arms, which needed another foot to each sideāwhile doing this diagonally. (Iām 5ā8ā, for comparisonās sake.)
In addition, the cardio has a lot of leg twists and pivots. I got it from a VFer whose knees did not like a number of the moves. I had some trouble with my knees, too, the first couple of times when I did it with regular crosstrainers on carpet. Once I started using dance sneakers the achy knees went away. So the moral of the story is to make sure you can pivot freely and unload your knees, especially if youāre on carpet. Avoid this one if you have major knees issues.
DVD Notes: The DVD is called āWork it Off! Cardio Dance.ā As far as I can tell from reviews, itās the exact same workout as the VHS Breakthru Cardio Dance.
The DVD has NO chapters. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Not even one for the Pilates routine.
Conclusion: Iām keeping this one for now. Itās not perfect (the last combo is a bit uninspired, for example), but this is the most intense cardio ādanceā workout Iāve tried (including Quick Fix Cardio Hip Hop, The Method Dynamic Cardio, The Method Dance to Fitness, and the Bellydance twinsā Slim Down). Itās good for something different.
The Pilates portion is similar to the Breakthru Core Conditioning video. I personally prefer the sequence here because thereās less pausing for instruction and set up, so the workout is about 10-15 minutes faster.
Instructor Comments:
Michelle and Tracy obviously have a good rapport and are serious about exercising. The two alternate leading segments. They work both sides of the body evenly. Both intend for you to mirror their movements and give decent form pointers. Tracy is a little better about explaining the moves and cueing them each time through, but her lack of dance experience helps her understand the need for those things. Michelle isnāt bad, but sheād rather encourage or praise you then cue the move once sheās taught it. Both exhibit enthusiasm, but itās low key rather than over the top. Michelle appears to be almost shouting during the cardio; sheās calmer in the Pilates portion, though.
KathAL79
09/01/2009
This is a 40-minute dancy cardio routine followed by a 30-minute bonus Pilates section (times taken from the DVD cover). Tracy and Michelle take turns leading. While one leads, the other is part of the class, which also includes one other female and two male dancers.
Tracy leads both the warm-up and the first combination. I found the warm-up to progress to jumping a bit too fast for my taste, and a little hard on the knees. The combinations are all taught add-on style, so thereās a fair amount of TIFTing.
It turns out I just donāt care for Tracy York all that much. I found her combination to be difficult to catch on to, in part because she doesnāt cue well (if at allāat one point she actually says āwhat was that?ā as if she really didnāt know), in part because a good chunk of the combination faces the side. Maybe it was the choreography, but I doubt Iāll be spending enough time with this workout to figure that out. The second combination was led by Michelle, and I like her much better. The combination was a lot more fun, and I was able to follow along with no problems.
The third section puts Tracyās and Michelleās combinations togetherāitās led by Tracy, and I fast-forwarded because she bugs me so. (I almost turned off the workout before Michelle took over, and I was glad I didnāt, but I wasnāt going to deal with Tracy a second time around.) Michelle leads the cool down, which is just long enough and still a little dancy. Thereās not much stretching.
The bonus Pilates section is titled āHardcore Conditioningā and is led, at least at first, by Tracy (or the fact that she was tapping her feet during her Pilates warm-up). I didnāt care for Tracy or for the music (80ās-type sythesizer music), so I turned the DVD off and did my own Pilates routine. I canāt comment on the rest of it, but there are about four variations on the roll-up.
As half of a 2-pack that retailed for under $6 at Wal-Mart, this was a bargain. An intermediate who likes Tracy York, doesnāt mind moderate choreography, doesnāt have knee problems, and doesnāt care that the DVD has absolutely NO chaptering (no, not even to get you to the beginning of the Pilates section) might like this. As for myself, I prefer Crunchās Fat Burning Dance Party and Tamileeās Motown Moves for dancy cardio.
Instructor Comments:
I disliked Tracy York, mostly because of her poor cueing. Michelle Dozois does a much better job. If the DVD were led by just her, my review would most likely be much more positive.
KerryF
12/29/2005
On cardio work, I am an intermediate exerciser who is playing with advanced choreography. I have fallen in love with all the Breakthru workouts; this one seemed to be the exception for me. However, it seemed to be less the workout itself than the fact that this is the workout which convinced me once and for all that although I love _dancey_ choreography, I just donāt like DANCE workouts.
Michelle and Tracy seemed to be their usual selves in this workout and they led a group of several exercises, other dancers. The moves werenāt very hard to follow, although there was a few times that I stood and watched them a few seconds in order to be able to translate what they had cued into what they were doing.
The workout does take some room forward and backward and side to side. The music didnāt even register with me.
Instructor Comments:
They seemed to be encouraging and peppy.
Laura S.
09/02/2004
This is a good video that got off on the wrong foot, so to speak. CIA touted it as very complex and advanced, and Collage also continues to list it as such - up there with Christi Taylor and Kari Anderson - which only reinforces my opinion that they no longer actually do every video they sell, or test them with experienced exercisers. The main routine consists of mambos, cha-chas, twirls and other Latin/hip-hop inspired moves done to a lively Crunch soundtrack. It is taught very slowly, though, and with lots of in-between marching. This is a big drawback for advanced exercisers trying to keep their heartrates up, but for intermediates who have trouble catching on to dancy moves, this type of instruction could be very helpful. I'm not into "core conditioning" so I can't comment on that part. But I'd like to see more intermediate "klutzes" give BCD a try, and give their thoughts. It doesn't deserve to be forgotten just because of a marketing misfire.
Instructor Comments:
Tracy and Michelle are fun, laid-back "Crunch types". Their cueing isn't the greatest, but they should get better as they continue to work together.
Sue B
12/29/2000
I'm happy because this video is one of the few truly purely "dancy" hi-lo videos that have come out in a few years. And let me take a minute to define my terms. When I say dancy, I mean, whirly twirly, modern dance moves or hip-hop moves like you see on music videos. Kari Anderson and Christi Taylor (who are both complex and "dancy") would be on the dancy spectrum (in my mind), but towards the middle of the range, since they weave in "dancy" moves like box steps, ponies, and a few funk and hip-hop moves, while still filling out the majority of their routines with traditional aerobics moves like hamstring curls, knee-ups, grapevines, and hoppy moves, which, thankfully, keep the intensity high.
Even though I'm happy to get my hands on a new dance video, I'm of two minds about this tape. It's a fairly creative, well put together little routine. You move around your space alot, do big, sweeping arm movements, sayshay, and move your hips. That's the good part. It feels good to do something totally different every now and then.
On the other hand, this video's strength --the dance element -- is it's own undoing. Michelle and Tracy place too much emphasis on the "dance" element and not enough on the fitness part of the equation. I posted one thread here at VF asking, "Where's the cardio in Breakthru Cardio.?"
I sometimes don't mind a lot of marches (ala Patrick Goudeau), but I do want to have some sweat to show for my troubles. Didn't get that here. I think I can get more of a workout with Donnamite. I'm really disappointed in the intensity.
But you know, even if I said, "Forget the intensity, let's just dance," I still have other dancer-videos I prefer more, such as Calvin Wiley's and Barry Joyce's, even Paula Abdul. I feel like this routine is cute, but it doesn't have that "umph" of flowing together seamlessly and perfectly, and having the polish and finesse of the very best dance tapes.
Finally, I think Tracy York cues slightly better than Michelle, but they're about even. The tape is not terribly complex. If you listen carefully, and have done the likes of Christi Taylor, you should have no
problem doing it. I didn't do the Pilates section at the end, so I can't comment on that. Looks interesting enough, though, but I'm sort of a "exercise and move on" type of person. Rolling around on the floor and doing up and down dog and cobra has never captivated me, but this one doesn't look as boring as some of the other "yoga/pilates" routines I've seen before.
The music, I can't recall, so it's fairly forgettable, I suppose.
Sorry about this disjointed review. I still can't make up my mind about this video. Given my limited time to workout and my current fitness and vanity goals (fitting into my pre-preg jeans), I don't have time to waste on just prancing around my house for fun. Every minute has to count. I think this tape my find a happier home, and I'm considering putting it on the exchange soon.
Eulonda Skyles
08/26/2000
I did not like the aerobics portion of this workout at all. It is very dancy, which I have no talent for. Dance-lovers will have a blast with this. The intensity, if you manage to learn the routines, looks to be intermediate. I did, however, like the 30-minute ending segment, "Hard-Core Conditioning." It's core strengthening using Pilates/Method-type exercises. I liked the flow of it, the personality of the instructors, and the "laid-backness" as compared to the Method tapes and the Stott tapes. I recently bought Breakthru Core Conditioning as well, and I thought that tape would replace this one. However, I've decided to keep both. While the two tapes are very similar in the exercises taught, this one is a little easier and a little shorter also. I'll use this one when I don't want to get too "hard-core" but still want a great core workout. I'm also a big fan of the Method tapes, but I really don't feel I'm wasting my money/time by having these as well, because the whole atmosphere and the flow of the exercises are different. Anyway, I've said a lot more about the toning part than the main part of this video, but that's the part that I think stands out here. Grade A-
Instructor Commments: Both instructors are very personable and work well together in this video. They come across as being "fun" people.
Annie S.
07/09/2000
I was very excited about this being an advanced tape, and was so disappointed when I previewed it. When I hear "march in place" or "hold it," I know I will not get my heartrate up. I have to compare this tape to Calvin Wiley and Patrick Goudeau on other CIAs. This totally is not my style (being a Franny and Greg fan), and even on a day when I want a lower intensity, there are many other tapes I can use like Kari Anderson, Candace Copeland, Tim Culwell, and numerous other CIA segments. I actually tried it this morning, and after ten minutes, said "no way." The Pilates conditioning is also not for me, so this tape goes into the "dud" bin. Tracy was great on Fitness Pros where she did some nice high intensity stuff, and Michelle was much better on NAC working with intervals. There is only one plus on this tape: Jeff Vandiver from Fitness Pros is a background exerciser, but he is not enough to let me pull this out of the bin.
Instructor Comments:
maryann parker
03/15/2000
I am new to cardio dance dvd's, and this was my first purchase. I found it very fun, 40 minutes where they break down four halves of a continuous dance routine. It was a little hard to follow my first pass at it, but I know with a few runs I will improve. I personally rather that then it being so easy I master it on my first attempt. It kept my heart rate up in the lower threshold, not intense cardio but a great pick me up workout. the dvd has a bonus 16 minute pilates workout that was a great way to end the workout. It does abs, back, arms, and legs, all mild easy moves but it felt nice after all that dancing. All in all I would definitely keep this tape and do it again.
Instructor Comments:
The instructors are easy to watch with nice instruction and are not annoying. They switch between who leads a certain excerise which is a fun element
Brooke
11/30/-0001
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 20:58:04 GMT
Aerobic Striptease Carmen Electra Year Released: 2004 Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: Vegas Strip (2003) This is an additional workout from the Aerobic Striptease series, but not numbered like discs 1-5. This one is filmed in a Studio 54 set. You are learning a sexy routine, but it's more like music video choreography, not stripping. There are no "take your shirt off" type moves in this one. First Carmen and her 2 background dancers go through a segment of the routine slowly, with Carmen cueing and explaining the moves. Then you learn it "with counts," with Carmen counting off 8 counts. Then you do it "with music" : they run through the segment with the music on, no cueing. After this, as you add on more segments, you will run through all the segments you've learned from the top with music. At first I thought it wasn't going to be much of a workout, because you have to wait for the music to come on to do it "with music." I'm high intermediate, and I thought it was going to be too much time standing around doing nothing. But I was sweating throughout the workout. I ended up really liking this approach, it was just like learning a routine in a real dance class. Some people might not like it, if they prefer to just keep moving non-stop, and if they are bothered by TIFTing. One thing I didn't like, the very last run-through is shot like a music video, with lots of close ups of the face, and lots of slow motion shots. I can't follow along because half of it is in slow motion. So I have to end the workout with the run-through before last. Instructor Comments: Good instruction, professional demeanor, no silliness. I like her! PeakFitness 11/24/2010 Disk 1: I bought the 5 disk set but have only completed the 1st one so far. I wouldn't use this as a "workout". It's great for a rest day or something 'extra'. After the warmup, Carmen teaches each series of moves a couple of times through (very, very easy to pick up) and then you go through them as if you are performing with the music, no voice. I liked the style in which it was taught. I consider myself a little awkward and offbeat regularly but after this, I actually felt like I was moving right to the music and the beat. Not sure if I'd ever feel bold enough to 'perform' this for my SO but you just never know. If you are like me and just like variety and collecting workouts, I recommend it for your collection. Instructor Comments: I think Carmen is very likable and encouraging. She reassures you to feel good about yourself and add attitude, and not be shy, etc. I did notice a giggle or two but nothing obnoxious, I found it more or less an attempt to be somewhat modest. Papaya 12/22/2004 Disk 1: This is the only DVD in the set that I'm keeping. It has 3 routines, and isn't much of a cardio /strength workout when all is said and done. But if you enjoy learning different dance styles, and want to learn some sensual moves - this is a decent dvd for that. I also liked the music. I don't recommend buying it to someone who doesn't have it - try sfactor, which got good reviews here, or maybe Jeff Costa's cardio striptease. Instructor Comments: Well... Carmen is a celeb - known for being a bit extreme. But she did a decent job - she could have giggled less, and I wouldn't have complained :-) But she does seem to know the moves well. Leela 12/10/2004 I have only tried Dvd 1, 3, and 4 Disc 1 and 3 are the four aerobic striptease routines with 2 on each dvd. These were pretty fun. The routines on the first disc are basic and cute, I think more for fun than to perform for a special someone. The routines on DVD 3 were role playing, one as a librarian and the other a lapdance with a hat, tie, and "your man's shirt" I think the first dvd was much better than the 3rd because I didn't really like the role playing dances at all. I thought they were cheesy and hard to follow because Carmen wasn't very specific about each move. She also said "ass" instead of butt which I guess I didn't mind, but could be bothersome to someone else. She didn't cue from the viewer's side either, she said left when she was on her left side, so that was alittle confusing for me to follow. DVD 4, The Lapdance, was really fun. I enjoyed the routine, and will definatly try this one out on my bf. It was easy to follow and very sensual. Instructor Comments: A few people felt that Carmen seemed self conscious and giggled a lot, so I was expecting to be rather annoyed. Much to my surprise I really didn't find Carmen to seem shy or giddy because of her laughing. I thought that she seemed very poised and cute. This could just be me though, so be warned!  tough cookie 12/24/2003 All the dvds take place in a small dance studio with good lighting, a beautiful view thru the windows and mirrors. For all of the dvds, during the instruction there is a "heads-up display" which is a light blue banner at mid-bottom of the screen showing you a timer and important tips. After the instruction sections, you will perform the routine as a run-through without instruction, no voices, just the music and no heads up display or timer. Each dvd (except Fit 2 Strip) contains chapters of instruction and run through/routine. You can also preview a clip of each when you are in select chapter mode. The dvds have 3 choices of music which you can change anytime in the workout and the routines flow very well and always on beat to the music. You can choose: techno beats, hip hop beats or rock beats. No vocals. The beats sound good and some of the discs have different beats for those 3 genres. None of the beats are familiar except on the Hip Hop disc 5, the hip hop beat is great, an oldie from the Queens, NY rap group Mobb Deep (I think, but it's been a while since i heard the song and I forgot the name of it) Disc 1 - Aeorbic Striptease I sure am disappointed in Disc 1, which is an introduction to Aerobic Striptease. It starts with Carmen and 2 girls instructing a warmup/stretch routine. After the instruction, I expected to jump right into the choreography but Carmen then repeats the entire warmup as a run-through, no instruction just instrumental music. This lasted at least 10 minutes. Carmen does a good job teaching and knows her moves well, no mistakes,but after the routine run through in the instruction chapter she giggles a bit. There is no giggling during the run through chapter so that shouldn't be a problem. Like usual dance routines, there is constant counting, the good thing is there's no couting during the run-throughs (you don't hear Carmen's voice at all). Then Carmen instructs 2 routines with run-throughs separately. First you do the routine slowly. She'll show you a sequence of 1-3 moves and then you will repeat it from the top, and then she'll add-on and you repeat from the top. The first routine is standing, kinda cute and contains hip sways called dips (which is Carmen's favorite move, to me it doesn't look that sexy) and hip bumps, freaky head/neck spins (which look sexy when a real stripper does it but the way Carmen and her girls do it, it looks awkward). The routine was fun, but only lasted 2 minutes when you did the runthrough. Routine #2 you learn floor moves and uses some core strength and flexibility. It was quite fun. There is some butt slapping and she puts her finger in her mouth for part of the routine. The routine run through is 2 minutes, you repeat each routine twice and it's done. My heartrate reached 55-60% during the run-through although it was short. Disc 4 The LapDance: The Lap Dance was fun and sexy!! My pulse was starting to rise a bit about 60% for a few minutes. I felt it in my abs when we lay on the chair and raise up slowly. You have to use your abs to balance so u don't fall off the chair. Unfortunately, the routine is short and when you do the run through of the routine it is only about 2 minutes (she repeats it 2x). Disc 2 Fit 2 Strip: I felt like I got a good workout. Michael carson is a good trainer and it was circuit like, had some creative exercises and was very pleasant to do. Michael instructed the whole routine, while Carmen did the moves with him and occasionally she'll do modifications. It worked the whole body and had 3 additional chapters which featured 5 minute isolations of lower body, abs, and upper body. The next day my buns were sore, i sure felt it in the area between the butt and the upper thigh. I felt like I had my own trainer and watching Carmen along with him gave me some serious motivation! There is a slight problem which is easy to correct, you do a one leg squat on the right leg, but after a few reps they somehow end up finishing the set on the left leg then he moves on to a new move - so i did the set on the right leg and while he was introducing the next move, I did the set on the left to make up for it. Overall, I believe it is a good intermediate lower body workout (standing & floor), but the upper body isolations didn't fatigue the upper body well since he used no weight (shoulder presses, rear delt flys, push ups, tricep dips,etc) so you would need an additional upper body workout. Disc 3 - Advanced Aerobic Striptease: This disc includes the moves you already learned in disc 1 & 4, and are role-play routines. The first routine, Carmen is in a librarian outfit and you do a striptease removing your tie, glasses, and shaking out your hair. The lapdance routine, Carmen is dressed in a man's hat, tie, button down shirt and dancer underwear w/ stockings. It was fun, not a real workout but more like a sexy cooldown. Similar to the Lapdance disc but had a few different moves. You strip off the hat, tie, and shirt. In my opinion, this is the only routine besides the Lapdance disc that is sensual enough to perform for somebody. Disc 5 Hip Hop: It was fun and Hot! There are a few sexy moves, but the rest is fun, doable, easy, intense hip hop choreography that is not corny, outdated or complex. This is the kind of routine I can see J Lo doing. She teaches a move, you repeat it, and then she adds on. My heartrate stayed up to 75-85% for 10 minutes. This is the only disc in the series that was a real aerobic workout, it was really intense w/ running in place turns, kicks and hops. Mostly low impact and definitely modifiable. I like the feature where you can select techno, hip hop or rock beats. The whole instruction is 15 minutes, the first 2 minutes of the dvd starts out with Carmen's intro and clips of the other dvds in this set. After the routine, at 17:01 you perform the run through with music and no instruction. You repeat the routine 2x, which only lasts about 1.5 minutes. I repeat the routine 3 times so I get a complete 20 minute workout. There is no warmup, but you have the option to choose the warmup from disc 1 which is included somewhere in the chapters. I think hip hop, fit 2 strip and lapdance are a keeper. The other 2 I don't need (Aeorbic stiptease disc 1 & 3) because it's mostly slow instruction, no intensity, and the moves aren't fun enough to consider keeping, especially since the whole routine is only 2 minutes. I waited 4 weeks from the time they shipped it for it to arrive to the east coast via media mail and there is no customer service # only email. Instructor Comments: I was surprised by her professionalism (she covered her chest with shirts over her sports bra, and did not flaunt her body or show skin, no crotch shots or other sleazy shots), she was very straight forward, friendly, and instructed well. Her voice is not annoying. She looks great doing the moves, especially the Hip Hop routine. Chulisima 12/17/2003 Disk 5 Hip Hop: The actual workout is only 2 minutes long! The instruction is 15 minutes and she stops between each routine. There's only boring instrumental music. I am so disappointed that I wasted money on this. Instructor Comments: She smiles, looks friendly, and dressed in pants. Anna 02/03/2003 |
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 20:59:54 GMT
Balletone Center Moves
Jody Hoegstedt
Year Released: 2004
In general I like this tape. I had ballet as a child and loved it. I have a lot of ballet toning tapes (so I don't have the Balletone toning tape by the same instructor).
What I like about this one is that it is dancing. The other ballet tapes I have seem to have forgotten that that's why some of us like ballet to begin with (and therefore tack on a dance segment (if any) at the end of a long toning session.
The moves are very balletic but I don't think they'd be difficult for a ballet beginner. She only uses three ballet terms(fondue, arabesque and one other term that I can't think of right now.) She doesn't even use the word "plie", a ballet term that I think most of us know, that's how easy the terminology is. (I was amused by a "fifth" ballet term she used: As it was going into the final run-through she said, "in ballet, we call this a grand finale".
The set was pretty: pastel gauzy curtains with globe-shaped lighting behind it. The music was good too: instrumental New Agey stuff with samples of other styles, including classical. It worked well with the routine.
The instructor is accompanied by two others. All are dressed in fitness capris or leggings and a simple top. All are barefoot, as I recall.
The dance itself is enjoyable and the dancers move like ballet dancers but in relatively simple steps (for a ballet routine, that is). The only problems I had with the tape are 1. the camera did not show the feet at some critical moments and 2. the cuing was less than ideal, coming right at a change, rather than having a slight warning.
Once I learn the routine, which should be fairly easy, I think this one will be a fun one to do.
Instructor Comments:
She is very professional, friendly but down-to-business. However, I do not like her cuing. She cues right at a change in step or tempo with no warning. It may not be a big deal once I have the routine, but it makes learning the routine more difficult.
Laura
09/09/2004
This workout features the same set and background exercisers from the first Balletone workout. (I haven't done the first one in awhile, so I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure.) The workout is also very similar to the first workout, although this one is billed as the "Cardio-Balletone Workout" because it's slightly faster paced with lots of flowing movements. This would be a good workout for someone who wants to work on their balance. I heard a few complaints about the original workout that the moves were too easy, but I would like to see the arabesques of those people that complained. (Anyone can do an arabesque, but not everyone can do them well.) I think this workout takes considerable effort if you are going to do the movements well. The workout is about 34 minutes long with a 4 minute stretch at the end. There are no bonuses or add-ons on the DVD.
Instructor Comments:
Tammy
07/22/2004
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Post by Karla on Dec 26, 2023 21:01:06 GMT
CIA 2605: Cardio Camp Workout
Kimberly Spreen
Year Released: 2006
Iām reviewing this workout after doing this a few times (although Iāve only done the lower body segment once, IIRC).
General workout breakdown: This approximately 70-min. cardio workout alternates between simple hi/lo aerobics with kickboxing, with a special focus on engaging the core and working the lower body; itās followed by a short lower body strength / drill segment.
*The warm-up (3.5 min.) begins with simple moves like step touch, lunges side to side, and arm reaches to get the body moving and stretch you more dynamically.
*The main cardio portion (46.5 min.) mixes aerobics and kickboxing, but theyāre not really blended together. For most of this segment ( min.) you alternate learning 3 hi/lo combos and 3 kickboxing routines, with drills of more athletic moves drawn from or related to those in the combos in between. After youāve gone through these 6 pieces, Kimberly focuses just on the more athletic moves. You then run through the three hi/lo combos, once as you learned them, then a couple times sliced and diced (e.g. combo 1 on right, combo 2 on left, and combo 3 on right). Finally, you run through the three kickboxing combos, which are done as you learned them.
The front cover describes this as an interval workout, which it is if by āintervalā you mean āsegment featuring drills in between more choreographed routines which might get your heartrate up a little bit more.ā
IMO, the choreography transitions very smoothly. For example, Kimberly uses the ending move of the hi/lo combo as a drill, then transforms it into something else, which then becomes the starting move for the kickboxing workout.
Kickboxing moves include jab, rib shot, duck, front kick chamber (knee lift), front snap kick, hook, twist side to side w/ arms on guard, body roll, shin block, roundhouse kick, cross, slip, and bob and weave. Hi/lo moves include grapevine, L step (at one point called a āflip flopā), mambo, chasse, step pivot, shuffle, repeater knee, and a few others. Examples of the drill moves are jog, jumping jack, and jumping rope.
*The lower body segment (13 min.) uses these moves: forward lunge, forward & reverse lunge (first tap, then knee up for a āfloating lungeā), squat (side to side; later in the workout, Kimberly does narrow squats), front kick, side leg lift, roundhouse chamber, roundhouse, curtsy lunge / dip, abduction (leg lift), knee lift, forward lunge w/ reach forward (& then hip raise), and plie squat (w/ pulses and holds).
*The stretch (7 min.) is done all standing and touches upon the inner thighs, side torso, hip flexor & quadriceps, hamstrings & calves, periformis, shoulders, and low back.
Level: Iād recommend this to exercisers at the intermediate through intermediate / advanced level. You need prior kickboxing experience, as Kimberly doesnāt teach the moves and doesnāt have much in the way of form instruction or even tips there. Ditto for the hi/lo aerobics, although most of the moves there are pretty basic.
I consider myself an int. / adv. in cardio. I love hi/lo aerobics and kickboxing, and I like choreography of any level, as I am pretty good at picking up pretty much anything. This workout gives me a good workout without leaving me feeling absolutely wiped out. Itās surprisingly challenging, because it doesnāt look on preview like it would be more than solidly intermediate, yet by the end of the workout my heart is definitely pounding, thanks in no small part to those athletic moves and drills, some of which have a fair number of high impact (i.e. both feet off of the floor) drills. That said, I havenāt found the impact particularly jarring on my joints; Iām not a high impact junkie, and I find this workout within my realm of tolerance.
Class: 2 women join Kimberly, who instructs live.
Music: upbeat instrumentals that work well for this workout. Iāve heard some of the tunes before (a number appear on newer Evolution workouts, for example), as this is kind of your average ābetter than averageā exercise video soundtrack.
Set: the 2006 CIA set (brownish walls with window-like cases displaying assorted objects, furniture and weight benches scattered around the back, etc.).
Production: crisp picture and sound, good balance between the instructorās voice and the music, nothing too crazy in terms of camera angles or quick shifts or too many close-ups or whatever. Itās what youād expect from CIA.
Equipment: sneakers. The lower body segment is done unweighted, but if you have trouble with balance, you might want to be near something like a wall, chair, etc., to keep yourself upright.
Space Requirements: Youāll need more space side to side than front and back for this. You should be able at least to step and kick to the front; you will also need to be able to do a full grapevine to the side and still have room to move at the end. When I did this the other day, I used a space that was about 6ā deep by maybe a little over 8ā wide, and Iām 5ā8ā.
DVD Notes: The main menu offers these options: Intro to Workout, Start Workout, Workout Options (Warm-up to Cardio Sections, 34 min.; Warm-up to Kickbox Sections, 32 min.; Butt & Legs, Stretch), Bio and Content, and Credits. Although the workout is chaptered, there is no way to access chapters from the main menu, except for the Options feature which will take you straight to the legs portion or the stretch. The only premixes are also in the Options menu, with the hi/lo-only premix and the kickbox-only premix.
Comments: The closest comparisons to this workout might be Amy Bentoās All Cardio Hi-Low Knockout, which has mostly athletic hi/lo segments punctuated by kickboxing and bootcamp-type drills (although Amyās is even more athletic and intense), and Kelly Coffey-Meyerās Step-Boxing workouts, which mix kickboxing combos with step aerobics (although Kelly blends the two disciplines together more).
Instructor Comments:
Kimberly cues well and gives a good number of form pointers / reminders. She mirror cues (i.e. when she says āright,ā she means the viewerās). She builds up things evenly on both sides. I like her upbeat (but not too perky or chipper), super encouraging (āYou can give me one more, yes?ā), girl next door personality; sheās always struck me as a great little fitness instructor from a real neighborhood gym who couldnāt be kept a secret and thus was discovered by video producers. She is much more straightforward in her on screen persona here than in some of her other workouts, where she spends more time trying to talk to the viewer directly or throws in some folksy or cutesy habits like repeating things twice; some people might lament the lack of her usual personality, but to me she comes off as more professional and polished here.
KathAL79
10/13/2008
The workout consists of:
CARDIO: 34 MIN.
KICKBOX 32 MIN.
BUTT/LEGS 13 MIN.
STRETCH 7 MIN.
This DVD is well chaptered for you to customize your workout. Whether a long workout or short or just lower body work.
I found this workout to be on the high intensity side. I would rate this intermediate to advanced. I say this due to the amount of high impact you could do here. The whole workout flowed beautifully. I kept my heartrate up the whole time. There are areas where you are able to modify high impact moves.
The music was great! It was also loud enough to keep you moving. It worked great with both the aerobics portion and the kickbox segment. The music did get lower for the stretch segment which was letting you know to wind down now.
The aerobics segment had uncomplicated moves. Which allow you to just flow with the music. However if you are not used to high/low impact aerobics you might find this challenging. But by the end you will have learned it and be sweating buckets. It is a sweatfest. It was so much fun. Definitely a workout I will do often. The time just flew by.
The kickbox segment was great. Easy to follow but intense. I felt as though I was toning my whole body. This was a very empowering workout. I loved all the moves every inch of me felt this workout. I was having so much fun, the time just went by without me noticing I was working hard. This workout as well, I can see doing often because there is no dread factor just fun fun fun!!!
The butt/legs section was a good quick toner. It consisted of many lunges, squats and balancing poses. These balancing poses I found to be very good. This is because I rarely do them in any other workouts so I did enjoy them.
I however, would not use this lower body quick workout on a regular basis as my main lower body strength routine. I prefer weighted lower body workouts as my main source. But it was a nice quickie after the other two workouts. Not that I felt like doing this after the other two workouts. I was so exhausted by then.
COMMENTS:
I loved this whole workout. I can see doing the two cardio workouts very often. They are so much fun and energizing. The music and Kimberly made the time fly by. The workouts really flowed well with smooth transitions. I would do this everyday if I didn't like step workouts so much. This is a great addition to my step workouts.
The lower body segment I don't see myself doing that often. Only because I prefer weighted strength workouts by Cathe, Jari and others. This is definitely a KEEPER for me. This workout kept my heartrate up the whole time. I will be working out with this DVD for quite some time. I am so glad I bought this workout.
Instructor Comments:
Kimberly is very motivating and energetic. She instructs flawlessly. As an observation: she looks like a young Geena Davis as well as Jennifer Garner.
Sundari
05/23/2006
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