10 Minute Solution - High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

People have already broken down the exercises, so I'll just post my opinions..

I consider myself to be an intermediate exerciser, particularly when it comes to cardio. This workout was appropriately challenging for me. While some chapters were easier than others, I still found that overall I got a pretty good workout without killing myself. I could complete the workout and get a good sweat going. Granted, I did not do the workout all the way through; I completed it over two days by programming two 30 minute workouts.

I have to echo a lot of what already has been said by previous reviewers: I was looking forward to more plyometric work, and there was only one chapter that had a lot of plyo work. That was pretty disappointing. I wish that all the chapters had a mixture of plyo and non-plyo work. When I think HIIT, I think plyo, and was really looking forward to what 10 Minute Solution would do with a HIIT workout. Kinder did YELL, but it wasn't distracting to me. I found it motivating, because to me it seemed like she was yelling to keep herself motivated to keep moving (kind of in a "i'm tired but let's do this" kind of way). My favorite chapters were the HIIT 101 and HIIT Explosion, although I did enjoy the plank work in Ab HIIT. I wasn't sure why they called it Ab HIIT, as it didn't really feel high intensity to me.

What I Liked

I really liked the customizable format, of course! It's what you enjoy and expect from the 10MS format. I liked that each chapter was different with very little, if any, overlap between exercises. There were some new to me exercises (plank pendulums, surrenders to tuck jumps, down down plank slaps), and of course the striped socks! I enjoyed Kinder's enthusiam as well. Really liked the HIIT Explosion chapters and the plank work.

What I Didn't Like

As mentioned, I wish there had been more plyo. Not just plyo on top of plyo (my hips and knees couldn't handle it) but more than what there was. I wish that there had been a separate warm up and cool down chapter on the dvd. Particularly, if you are doing this dvd in the morning and are stringing several chapters together, a 30 second warm up isn't going to cut it for HIIT Explosion, for instance. I do NOT like the 20 second on, 10 second off format. Perhaps it was me, but it seemed that Kinder did not have enough time to explain the move before jumping to the next one in that 10 second break. You waste precious workout seconds, because she has to demo the move while she is into the 20 second round. Oh, and there were some times where you were up and down a LOT. Made me kind of light headed in some spots.

What You Will Want to Be Aware Of

Kinder does show modifications for high impact, but usually not until you are well into a move. So you are halfway through the 20 seconds before a mod is shown. I guess that won't be a problem if you are good at doing your own modifications or do this dvd a lot, but if you have a vast collection like me, you are not going to remember all the modifications until the next time you work out with Kinder. If you have wrist issues, don't even bother with this dvd! There is plank work, pushups, burpees, a down dog move or two, tricep dips, bear crawls, a crab move, donkey kicks, a move where you are in table top and kicking your legs (believe it shows up in two chapters), and some frog moves. No modifications shown for those with weak wrists. And most of the modifications that she shows to bring it down from low impact may bring it down so low that you are not really challenging yourself.

Although it might not sound like it, I like the workout and will use it when short on time, to build up wrist strength, and to build up my stamina for the 20/10 format.

Title: 10 Minute Solution: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Instructor: Lisa Kinder

Time: 50 Minutes

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate-High Intermediate

DVD menu: Play workout, chapter selection, play custom workout

Production quality: High

Equipment used: None

The workout has already been broken down so I'll just add my opinions.

A little about me: I consider myself to be an advanced exerciser and use workouts such as Dream Body and Tonique consistently (less frequently Horizontal Conditioning and Zuzka ZCut cardio). When I was a more intermediate exerciser I loved the 10MS series, and since I love HIIT I decided to try this one out. I knew it wouldn't be as tough as Zuzka but given the nature of the workout still expected quite a challenge, and good for add ons. Some chapters are harder than other but none of them are extremely challenging…good for add ons when I don't have the energy for something more intense.

I definitely found HIIT 101, HIIT Explosion, and Rock Bottom HIIT to be more challenging than the Upper Body or Ab HIIT. The former, when done together, are a fun drill style cardio workout for an easier day. The latter relied more on plank poses (heart rate does not stay high) but it wasn't very intense and it is just not enough for an advanced exerciser. With that said, TotalfitnessDVDs/Collage rated the workout as intermediate so I remind myself to reconsider my expectations! I actually thought it was a fun video for what it was, but I wasn't crazy about the instructor (see instructor comments). I still enjoyed the workout overall though and will keep it as less intense add ons. I would highly recommend the workout for intermediate exercisers.

This fully customizable dvd contains five 10 minute workouts. Lisa works out alone in a nice brick gym. You will not need any equipment for these cardio & body weight strength workouts. Each 10 min segment contains 8 exercises that are performed for 2 times for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest.

HiiT 101: Exercises include: a brief warm up,skater jumps, 1/2 burpees, plank moguls, crab kicks, bear crawl, box jump, surrenders to tuck jumps, and a brief cool down.

Ab HiiT: Exercises include: a brief warm up, knee pulls, plank side knee pull, reverse crunch, plank kick throughs, plank bear twist, plank moguls, and a brief cool down.

Upper Body HiiT: Exercises include: a brief warm up, walk out pushups, plank pendulums, tri dip & kick, tap out frogs, walking plank climbers, down down ankle slaps, travelling pushups, plank to side plank, and a brief cool down. Great cardio pace, also hits the core, challenging horizontal training.

HiiT Explosion: Exercises include: a brief warm up, hi knees, long jump & shuffle back, 1 legged burpees, fast feet & tuck jump, squat jacks- floor touch, shuffle floor touch, plank donkey kicks to kneeling, and a brief cool down.

Rock Bottom HiiT: Exercises include: a brief warm up, skaters, squat pendulum jumps, runners lunge hops, bridge kicks, sumo jacks, squat kicks, surfer burpees, and a brief cool down. You can easily add dumbbells to up the challenge.

Lisa provides tons of modification options making this workout great for most fitness levels. I rate it a high intermediate. Love the pace of this workout - really get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. Great instruction & tons of unique exercises. I received this dvd to review.

I received this workout as a preview copy. I loved the fact that it was customizable; that is, you can pick and choose which workouts you want to do, and the order in which you want to do them. The workout chapters are (1) HIIT 101; (2) HIIT Explosion; (3) Upper Body HIIT; (4) Rock Bottom HIIT; and (5) Ab HIIT. In each of the workout chapters, each exercise is repeated two times for 20 seconds each, with a quick 10-second break between sets.

HIIT 101: Warm-up with jump rope moves. Exercises include (1) side-to-side leaps; (2) place hands on mat and jump legs back and forward; (3) hands on mat, jump legs from side to side; (4) in seated position, place hands behind you, lift butt off the floor and kick legs up to ceiling; (5) crawl forward on hands, alternate toes, return; (6) "4 corner" jumps; (7) hands on mat, jump legs side to side; (8) lower to knees, stand up & jump. There is a short break in between each exercise (thank goodness!) She showed some good modifications for the more "jumpy" moves and does a nice, brief stretch after the set. Initial thoughts: good energy, good personality!

UPPER BODY HIIT: Warm-up with arms opened wide, then bring them across chest for a nice hug; repeat. Exercises include (1) lower hands to floor, walk out, pushup, walk back; (2) hands on mat, alternate swing-kicking legs from side-to-side; (3) on mat, triceps dips with alternating leg kicks; (4) from squatting position, lean forward and lower hands to mat, then push back to squat position; (5) lower onto mat for mountain climbers, return; (6) from downward-facing dog, push back and reach alternating hands toward opposite ankle; (7) push-up, then walk hands across mat, push-up, then walk hands to other side of mat, etc; (8) from plank position, turn and reach for alternating side planks. Time a brief stretch!

EXPLOSION: Warm up with jumping jacks. (For some reason, I noticed how really BUFF the instructor looked in this 10-minute section - really toned arms & nice, flat abs - and cute striped socks, by the way!) Exercises include (1) jogging in place with high knees; (2) big jumps forward, move back, big jump again; (3) lower hands to mat, extend one leg into the air, jump back and forth on the other leg; (4) same exercise, other leg; (5) high jumps with football runs (fast feet); (6) jump squats, alternating hands touching floor; (7) shuffle side-to-side with opposite arm touching floor; (8) with both hands on mat, "frog-kick" your legs up like you're kicking your butt, then stand and lift one knee then the other. Brief stretch! (I am also beginning to notice that she counts down "THREE-TWO-ONE!" A lot!!)

ROCK BOTTOM: Warm up with squats. Exercises include (1) skater jumps side-to-side; (2) squat jumps with alternating side leg lifts; (3) low lunge on one leg, return to standing with a jump; repeat same leg; (4) same exercise on other leg; (5) bridge lift with alternating leg lifts, kicking leg high with the buttocks lift; (6) plie jump squats; (7) squats with kicks when standing; (8) diagonal squat, crouch to plank, return. A much needed stretch.

AB WORKOUT: Warm-up with standing twist, arms in "genie" position. Exercises include (1) side knee pulls (oblique twists), both sides; (2) planks while bringing knee to same-side elbow; (3) lower body crunch while legs lift up; (4) planks with side jumps, bringing feet toward shoulders; (5) sit-ups with knees wide, overhead arms "hammer" floor between knees on the lift; (6) plank position, alternating legs under the body and touching floor with foot; (7) plank position, push back and side twist (it looked like she was actually struggling with this move - thank goodness!); (8) planks with wide legs, alternating front punches. Finally, a stretch.

I loved that the warm-up moves and the stretches were all different depending on the body exercises. The instructor seemed very friendly and showed good modifications for most of the moves.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this DVD to review for the web site Metapsychology Online Reviews; please see that web site for a more detailed version of my review.

In this DVD, certified fitness instructor Lisa Kinder utilizes the HIIT style of training: each of the five workouts offers just eight moves, with Kinder performing the exercise for 20 seconds, resting for 10 seconds, repeating the move a second time, resting again, and then continuing on to the next exercise. Not only is this program "high intensity," but many of the moves are high impact as well. In addition, there are numerous plank-based exercises throughout the workouts. For most exercises, Kinder shows lower intensity modifications.

HIIT 101

In this first workout, Kinder introduces a range of HIIT moves, with a significant amount of going from standing to down to the floor. The eight exercises here are as follows: 1) lateral hops, 2) frog jumps, 3) low skier plank, 4) kicking crab, 5) bear crawls, 6) four corner hop, 7) jump over plank (hopping from side to side), 8) knee tuck (moving from kneeling to a jump). Kinder concludes with a quick stretch.

UPPER BODY HIIT

Here Kinder warms up with some chest hugs (arm swings). Many of the exercises in this section are floor-based plank moves. This is the sequence: 1) walk out to push-up, 2) body pendulum (plank with leg swings), 3) triceps dip with alternating leg kicks, 4) tipping frogs, 5) walking plank, 6) down dog with calf slap, 7) travelling push-ups, 8) rotational plank. I found that these moves were not sufficient to keep my heart rate elevated.

HIIT EXPLOSION

This segment contains more plyometric moves. Kinder warms up briefly with jumping jacks and then goes into the following eight exercisers: 1) high/low jogs, 2) double jump/shuffle, 3) single leg Burpee (performed twice), 4) single leg Burpee (second leg), 5) fast feet/knee tuck, 6) squat jack touch, 7) "suicide" shuffle touch, 8) donkey kick with "hot feet" (half handstand position). Again, there are quick stretches to finish.

ROCK BOTTOM HIIT

Kinder starts this routine with small squats for the warm-up. She then moves into a lower body focused series that includes plyometric moves. Here are the exercises: 1) skater jumps, 2) squat jumps with pendulum, 3) low lunge to hop (performed twice), 4) low lunge to hop (second leg), 5) alternating bridge kicks, 6) low single jacks, 7) squat with turbo kick, 8) side Burpee. Kinder briefly stretches the hamstrings to finish.

AB HIIT

To warm up, Kinder starts with torso rotations. As with the upper body section, this segment includes many plank exercise on the floor–and, similar to the previous section, I had difficulties keeping my heart rate up with these moves. The eight exercises are as follows: 1) high knee pull, 2) reptiles (plank with knee tuck), 3) reverse crunch, 4) ski abs (virtually the same as the "jump over plank" from the first workout), 5) hammer crunch, 6) plank rotations, 7) plank air tucks (dropping hips side to side), 8) plank punches. Another brief stretch concludes the workout.

I enjoy plyometric work and was looking forward to trying plyos within 10 Minute Solution's patented format. Unfortunately, I found the routines on this DVD to be disappointing. First, the small amount of plyo moves was well outweighed by the overwhelming number of plank-based exercises. Not only did I find that my heart rate dropped significantly when executing the plank work, but also I simply did not like constantly going down to the floor and getting back up again. (These moves would also make the workouts contraindicated for those with wrist issues and/or very low blood pressure.) I did enjoy the HIIT EXPLOSION and ROCK BOTTOM HIIT routines; had the entire DVD been similar to these segments, I would have recommended it more highly.

In the end, this DVD may hold appeal for young, healthy, experienced exercisers (i.e., those similar to the instructor) who are time-crunched yet still wanting to shake up their fitness routine, but my personal rating is 3 1/2 stars.