30 Minutes to Fitness: Total Body Kickbox

From the time I heard about this DVD coming out, I was committed to getting it for the one premix I assumed she would have - the one that alternates the cardio segments with the strength segments. For some reason, I love using light weights with kickboxing. Don't know why, I just do.

When I got the DVD, I did what I always do with KCM DVDs. I tried Workout #1 (and liked it) and then did Workout #2 (and liked it) and then went exploring the premixes. I found and did the premix that alternates the cardio and strength and was hooked - that's all I've done from this DVD ever since.

I think both workouts are fun and move well. But, I just LOVE the premix.

Kelly Coffey-Meyer is one of my favorite video fitness instructions, and I particularly enjoy her past DVDs that feature kickboxing and boxing (e.g., 30 Minutes To Fitness: Kickboxing, 30 Minutes To Fitness: Circuit Burn, and Kelly Coffey-Meyer's 30-Minutes to Fitness TLC: Train Like a Contender). Given this, I was excited about Total Body Kickbox. Like all of the DVDs in Kelly's 30 Minutes to Fitness series, Total Body Kickbox features two main workouts (approximately a half-hour each) plus a variety of pre-mix options. Here, the second workouts uses light dumbbells, but that's the only necessary equipment.

The Main Menu for this DVD reads as follows: Introduction - Workout #1-Cardio Kickboxing - Workout #2-Kickbox Sculpting - Combos - Premixes - Credits - Music On/Off. I have broken down the two main workouts in greater detail below.

WORKOUT #1, CARDIO KICKBOXING

Kelly begins this workout by introducing her four background exercisers, Michele, Marcus, Lori, and Samantha. Michele performs modifications for some of the moves, but not necessarily all of the impact (e.g., she performs the single jacks, of which there are MANY in this routine). Kelly begins with a 2.5 minute warm-up. She starts right in with the punches, performing them in counts of eight, and then adding in a pulse squat and a hook/bob. Kelly then jumps right into Combo #1, which is a very short jab-jack-knee inversion sequence. The next combination starts with a step to the side, adding on punches and eventually a squat/front kick. The following sequence begins with a "body shot" (a low uppercut; this is different from what Kelly calls "body shot" in other workouts), high elbow (high uppercut), and eight crosses, adding a jab/jack and knee inversion. Combo #5 includes a single-single-double jab, jack, and knee to side kick (I usually don't have problems following Kelly, but this was confusing to me!). Moving to the fifth combination, Kelly performs a jab-cross-jab-cross, step out/punch down, and shuffle (very basic, and not much fun). The fun factor goes up a notch with a v-step to step/double jab, 1-2-3 punch, and then adding a step to hitch kick. The seventh combination is a simple hook-upper-double jab-knee, and finally, the last combo is a jab right-left and a bob with hook plus knee. Kelly concludes this routine with a brief (1.5 minute) cool-down stretch which includes tap and reach, hamstring stretch, and low back stretch.

WORKOUT #2, KICKBOXING SCULPTING

In her Introduction, Kelly describes this workout as "slower and more controlled." She and her background crew are holding 3-pound dumbbells for this routine. During the 2-minute warm-up, Kelly moves slowly, allowing time to get used to the feel of the weights. As with the first workout, Kelly incorporates short combinations, starting with a knee/side kick/jab, two twists, and four jabs; she performs these moves all on one side then switches to the second side. Next is a knee/front kick followed by a front/side/back lunge. The sequence which follows has punches in series of fours, including uppers, crosses, and hooks, moving forward and back with the punches. Kelly then performs eight crosses, a double uppercut, and a squat pop. The final two combinations involve 1) a step front with a cross, a step corner with a hook, and a back corner kick with a triceps press, and 2) alternating pulse squats with slow punches. Following this, Kelly performs a series of strength-based moves, including holding the dumbbells in one hand for a one-arm lawnmower row, chest press, side triceps press, and upright row. She also performs standing abs/core moves with a standing crunch/knee lift, knee with squat/hook, bent over abs contractions, abs contractions with uppercuts, fast rolling uppercuts, and side bends. The 2.5 minute stretch includes quick stretches for the hamstrings, shoulders, triceps, and neck. Be sure to watch the credits here--Kelly starts them with a few bloopers!

Selecting Premixes off the Main Menu brings up a submenu with the following additional choices:

*Combined Mix (Workout 1 & 2) (54:03)

*Interval Challenge (all combos alternated) (42:45)

*Split Mix (1st half of Workout 1 & 1st half of Workout 2) (34:01)

*Split Mix Two (2nd half of Workout 1 & 2nd half of Workout 2) (34:01)

*Just Punching Combos Mix (both workouts) (34:34)

*Just Kicking Combos Mix (Workouts One & Two) (30:10)

Although I though Kelly always does a nice job--i.e., her workouts are look great, being professionally produced and edited, and are well-cued--I was disappointed in Total Body Kickbox. First, I found that I struggled with getting my heart rate up until about halfway through each workout (for this reason, I did prefer the premix "Split Mix Two" to either of the main workouts). Second, I found that the combos--which were less distinct than in Kelly's other workouts and sometimes blended together--lacked the same "fun factor" that I usually expect from Kelly. And lastly, although I do enjoy Kelly's boxing-only workouts, I found it a huge letdown to discover that Workout #1 contained almost NO kicks. At this point, I will probably keep the DVD for the premixes, but I know I won't use it as often as Kelly's older workouts. I'm sure some people will still like this one, but it won't be one of my favorites.

Kelly's latest kickboxing DVD includes two workouts (cardio & toning), combos, and premixes.

Workout #1 starts with the sort of high energy punches I enjoy: jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts, then squats. She adds hooks to the squats, then moves to knee pulls, shuffles, and jabs & jacks. Then she does something she calls a knee inversion (where you turn your knee in); these didn't feel comfortable to me, so I followed the modifier doing squats. Next up was tap-outs with a jab, then a hook, then an uppercut; then a combination jab-jab/hook-hook/uppercut-uppercut, followed by squats with knee lifts, then shuffles. This was followed by a combination body shot (which feels like an uppercut to me) and elbow shot move (punching up & over our shoulder) and shuffles; then we add jabs, jacks, and that knee inversion move (again, I just did squats.) The next combination was single jab, double jab, jack, squat, knee lift and side kick; this was repeated several times. This was followed by a jab-cross with a hammer punch down to the floor, then we added a squat and a squat jump (I modified by doing a pulse squat.) Next up was a V-step with a double jab, then a quick triple jab, then a triple knee. This was done several times. The last combination was hook, uppercut, double-jab, knee, then jab-jab, bob-bob, and add hooks and knees. Finally, we did tap-outs and stretches. This was a decent workout, but some of the moves felt awkward to me; however, I was able to modify those moves.

Workout #2 starts with slow punches (crosses, hooks, uppercuts) using 3 to 5 pound weights. I started with 4-pound weights. Next came lunges (front, side, and rear) on one side, then the other. The lunges were a little fast for my taste, so I took out one of the lunges, doing front and side lunges, then rear and side lunges. Knee pulls were next, with added side kicks, then crosses, then quick jabs. My arms were really fried by this time, so I dropped down to 3-pound weights and carried on with alternating reverse lunges, adding a knee, then a kick; then more lunges followed by crosses and uppercuts with squats and jumps. Whew! I needed a breather! Next up was front steps with cross punches, side steps with hooks, and back kicks with tricep extensions. Squats, hooks, and uppercuts were followed by lunges, chest flies, tricep extensions, upright rows, and standing crunches. We did more squats, this time with hooks, uppercuts, and flurries, before ending with some quick stretches. I didn't really love this workout; I felt the reps were too quick for the weights we were using; but I was able to handle it better once I dropped the poundage.