CIA 2603: Criss Cross Cardio

This is a fast paced, cardio kickboxing workout led by Sherri Jacquelyn. Following the 9 minute warm up and 40 minute kickboxing is a short, 20 minute capoeira inspired drill workout. This workout has been broken down extensively, so I won't go into detail. Overall, I really liked this workout and will use it as a lighter (although definitely not light) cardio kickbox workout day. I would rank myself as an advanced intermediate, and at this stage I felt that this workout left me worked out but not wiped out. I really put my all into the short plyo bursts, punches, and kicks. I didn't need to use my weighted gloves, which is my test of a good, cardio kickbox workout for my level of intensity! This workout can easily be modified up or down by taking out turns, jumps, and shuffles and adding weighted gloves. There is not a lot of downtime for explanations, so it is best to have some previous kickbox experience under your belt.

What I Liked

The combinations were simple yet varied enough to not be boring. I could definitely see doing this as a morning workout. The cardio bursts kept the routine interesting. I liked that the movements were quick and that there wasn't much downtime between drills. The music is pretty good, although not really memorable, and a little low. Loved the warm up and cool down, although I wish the stretches had been held a little longer.

What I Didn't Like

I felt that Sherri could have cued a little more. I wish she had said more throughout the workout like, "you should be feeling this here" or "remember to breathe". I need those cues, because some moves I'm thinking to myself, "okay, I don't feel anything, should I be feeling something?" I especially felt that way in the capoeira section. As for the capoeira section, I enjoyed it, but wish that she had done all the moves together once, and then repeated them, rather than stringing together three moves, repeating them, and doing the fourth move by itself.

What To Be Aware Of

If you are pretty new to kickboxing or it's been awhile since you've done it, there is not much in the way of explanation. This workout consists mostly of upper body punches, so if you are looking for mostly kicks, this workout isn't for you. There is some plyo work, so if you have tweaky knees, prepare yourself. Lastly, the last capoeira move has you balance on one hand while you shoot your leg out under you and to the opposite side. Hard to explain, but it could put some stress on your wrists if you have problem wrists.

I’m reviewing this workout after doing it twice.

General workout breakdown: This 63.5-min. video combines a kickboxing workout with capoeira drills.

*Warm-up (8.5 min.) starts right in with basic athletic and kickboxing movements, running through the basic punches (jabs, crosses, hooks, and upper cuts) and kicks as well as knee strikes, and slowly building up into a combo (which includes a turn kick). It ends with mostly dynamic stretches, moving from the wrists and arms down the body and then quickly back up again.

*Kickboxing (35 min.) runs through some drills, for lack of a better term, before building up three more extensive combos, which are added together somewhat. In between segments come quick plyo intervals (usually 30 sec. to 1 min. each). Sherri mixes more athletic aerobics moves (jumping jack, hamstring curl, repeater), with kickboxing (jab, cross, knee strike, front snap kick, bob & weave, shuffle, hook, upper cut, side kick, front jumping kick, ridge). Plyo / interval moves include squat jumps, shuffle w/ knee raise, leap to the side, step rock, high knees, jack jumps, jumping rope, knee crossover, side lateral jump rope, ski, squats, side pumping kick, and standing side crunches & rotations into jabs & crosses in horse stance. The segment ends with a couple of quick dynamic stretches (low back roll-ups, shoulder rolls).

*Standing Exercises (17.25 min.) is also called Balance, Leg & Core Work; it features exercises from capoeira (a Brazilian martial arts) which Sherri does in 8-10 reps per side before moving onto the next one. She does three circuits of the same four exercises, which she doesn’t name (one is a kind of reverse curtsy lunge, which I think is ginga; the next one is a squat into a front push kick; then comes a side lunge with a look to the side; and finally there’s a back kick). Sherri then ends with another exercise to bring in some upper body work; this one, involving squatting down and sending the one leg through the space between the hand on the floor and the other leg, is tough!

*Stretch (3.5 min.) begins with some hip rolls, lower back roll-ups, and shoulder rolls. Sherri then runs through some brief mostly static stretches for the hip flexor, outer hips (including the periformis), obliques, hamstrings, inner thighs, quadriceps, shoulders (back), triceps, and chest. It’s too bad Sherri moves so quickly through the stretches, because the stretch selection is thorough, especially for the lower body.

Level: I’d recommend this to someone exercising at the very least at a solidly intermediate level through low advanced with previous kickboxing experience. I think exercisers around the intermediate / advanced level who do kickboxing or martial arts with some regularity would get the most out of it; at least, that was my level when I did this workout, and I got a good challenge that didn’t wipe me out.

Class: 2 women join Sherri, who instructs live. For some intervals one shows lower impact modifications.

People mention how they don’t like forced, plastic smiles and how tough faces seem more appropriate for a kickboxing workout, but Sherri’s crew looks as if they were dragged into doing this. At least pretend you’re enjoying this experience at some level, ladies!

Music: mostly instrumental with a driving beat that work well for this workout, with some changes between segments (i.e. the capoeira part has more of a Brazilian flavor, the stretch is more, well, upbeat elevator music). I’ve heard some of the tunes before (a number appear on newer Evolution workouts, for example), as this is kind of your average “better than average” exercise video soundtrack.

Set: the 2006 CIA set featuring brownish walls with window-like cases displaying assorted objects, furniture placed along the back wall, etc.

Production: crisp picture and sound, good balance between the instructor’s voice and the music, nothing too crazy in terms of camera angles or quick shifts or close-ups. It’s what you’d expect from CIA.

Equipment: sneakers.

Space Requirements: Although Sherri offers the option of cutting out some traveling to make this more compact, you should be able at least to step and kick in all directions (front, back, left, and right).

DVD Notes: The main menu has these options: Intro to Workout, Start Workout, Workout Options (Stretch to Workouts; Warm-up, Kickboxing, Cool-down/Abs and Stretch; Warm-up, Standing Exercises and Stretch; Cool-Down/Abs; Standing Exercises; Stretch), Bio and Content, and Credits. There are chapters within each of the segments, but there isn’t really any way to access these from the main menu.

Comments: Definitely pay attention to the quick pivots and squats and lunges if you have knee issues. Sherri suggests doing the capoeira moves barefoot if you’re on carpet, for example. Also, I took out the turn kicks and just stayed front.

Like a few others, I’m on the fence with this workout. I enjoy Sherri’s personality, I find the intervals tough but not killer, and I appreciate Sherri’s more straightforward approach to kickboxing and capoeira. But I can’t quite figure out what this workout wants to be or how I want to use it. At times it feels like Sherri got a call a few weeks before filming saying, “Come on down to the studio and we’ll put your latest class on tape.” But at other times it feels well structured and designed with the home exerciser clearly in mind. As a whole, this workout has a little bit o"this, a little bit o"that feel with its mix of cardio, drills, plyometrics, and strengthwork. The many little changes make the time go faster, but at the same time they leave me wanting more (well, maybe not the plyos ;-)).

This could be a nice alternative to those who like the idea of Turbo Jam, with a kickboxing cardio portion followed by capoeira moves, but who aren’t into getting their funk on, facing Chalene & co.’s hyper energy and mugging for the camera, and/or ordering from BeachBody. Although kickboxing workouts are pretty easy to modify up or down, I think I would rank Criss Cross Cardio a hair more intense than the average Turbo Jam, especially since CCC has more plyo drills spaced throughout the workout rather than bunched in the middle.

Criss Cross cardio has left me on the fence. I cant decide if i like this workout or not. I am an advanced exerciser, who works out to Cathe and Mindy. I love their athletic style and how they kick my butt. Criss Cross Cardio had potential but didnt get quite where it could have been to make it really advanced. The warm up is decieving because its really fast paced and gets your heart rate going. Its about 8 minutes long and then you start the actual workout.The kick box cardio portion clocks in , together with the warm up, under 45 minutes so its a pretty short cardio workout. She starts off with basic punches and jacks and moves on to build up more punch combinations and turns them into combo's. There isnt a lot of kicking and she talks and makes you march for long counts in between. This made my heart rate drop and took away from the workout. Her cueing was a little off at times, but there are moves that everyone has seen before in kickboxing workouts. Overall its an ok workout - I like Sherri. She has two exercisers with her who keep up with what she is doing. The choreography is not hard to follow at all and the music is pretty good. Nothing memorable, but not as bad as some workouts i've done before.

After the cardio portion comes the Brazilian martial arts inspired caoperia. Its about 20 minutes long. She teaches you four moveswhich are done on each side and then you do them all together three times. At the end she does a challenging move that is pretty fun and made my arms shake a little.

I guess i'll hang on to this workout and use it for my light effort days. I would recommend Cathe's kick punch crunch for a great overall kickbox workout.