CIA 2605: Cardio Camp Workout
Reviews from VideoFitness
I’m reviewing this workout after doing this a few times (although I’ve 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; it’s 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 they’re 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 you’ve 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 “interval” you mean “segment featuring drills in between more choreographed routines which might get your heartrate up a little bit more.”
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 “flip flop”), 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 “floating lunge”), 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: I’d recommend this to exercisers at the intermediate through intermediate / advanced level. You need prior kickboxing experience, as Kimberly doesn’t teach the moves and doesn’t 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. It’s surprisingly challenging, because it doesn’t 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 haven’t found the impact particularly jarring on my joints; I’m 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. 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 (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 instructor’s voice and the music, nothing too crazy in terms of camera angles or quick shifts or too many close-ups or whatever. It’s what you’d 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: You’ll 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 6"deep by maybe a little over 8"wide, and I’m 5’8”.
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 Bento’s All Cardio Hi-Low Knockout, which has mostly athletic hi/lo segments punctuated by kickboxing and bootcamp-type drills (although Amy’s is even more athletic and intense), and Kelly Coffey-Meyer’s Step-Boxing workouts, which mix kickboxing combos with step aerobics (although Kelly blends the two disciplines together more).
Kimberly cues well and gives a good number of form pointers / reminders. She mirror cues (i.e. when she says “right,” she means the viewer’s). She builds up things evenly on both sides. I like her upbeat (but not too perky or chipper), super encouraging (“You can give me one more, yes?”), girl next door personality; she’s always struck me as a great little fitness instructor from a real neighborhood gym who couldn’t 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.
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.
Kimberly is very motivating and energetic. She instructs flawlessly. As an observation: she looks like a young Geena Davis as well as Jennifer Garner.