Elite Forces

This is a kickboxing bootcamp inspired workout led by hottie fitness veteran Gilad. The workout takes place on a Navy ship. All the workout exercisers are Marines, Navy folks, and civilians. All are at various physiques and ages. The DVD starts off with an intro to the history of the ship on which the workout takes place.

Although collage rates the workout as intermediate, I found the choreography very easy to pickup. Luckily for me, this workout is mostly punches and calisthenics (jumping jacks and jumping rope). Not a lot of kicking, so if you are looking for that this may not be the workout for you.

This is the breakdown: Gilad shows a drill sequence (lots of jabs, uppercuts, strikes, crosses, hooks, etc.), you do them for some minutes, do some jumping jacks, and then repeat on the other side. So it's pretty repetitive. Luckily, I like drills LOL!

Next, there's a short toning segment using light weights. Since it's so short, I didn't do it, but they were your standard exercises (squats, lunges, bicep curls, etc.). Finally, it ends with a stretch that I felt was way too short.

PROS: this is a great workout for a day that you don't feel like thinking too much. I really put my all into the punches and wore weighted gloves. I burned 300 calories in 35 minutes, which I felt wasn't bad. I also enjoyed the military atmosphere, which was hardcore without being condenscending. And Gilad has a great butt, so that's a definite plus!

CONS: if you have weak knees, this may not be the workout for you. There are lots of jumping jacks and rope jumping, plus a few plyo squat moves. Can be very hard on the knees. I had to modify a bit near the end. If you are looking for more kicking than punching, this is not the DVD for you either. I felt that the stretch could have been longer, and it would have been nice if the strength section were 30 minutes. In some sections, the noise in the background can be too loud and distracting (what with the planes landing and taking off on the ship).

I like it! This workout is dedicated to the U.S. troops and filmed on the deck (runway? flight deck?) of an assault ship called the Bonhomme Richard. Gilad’s background exercisers include Navy Seals and Marines. Everyone looks very fit and keeps up well. I feel a little sorry for them having to work out in the sun on a hard surface. Speaking of hard surfaces, this workout has considerable impact, so I double up my puzzle mats. You do not need much room.

As for sound, the workout is of course outside and in a noisy area. Aircraft frequently land and take off during the workout. The camera occasionally leaves Gilad for a glimpse of ships, a nearby memorial, and other sights. You also see the camera guy every now and then. The music is a bit of a frantic synthesizer/drum machine mix. You won’t find yourself humming it later, but DH did say he found it motivating.

The 8:20 minute warm-up gets started right away with squats but then settles in for stretches and twists. The cardio segment is 35 minutes. I’d put this workout in a high intermediate to solid advanced work. The default move -- hope you like it! -- is fake jump-roping. Gilad does not point it out, but you can easily modify by doing step-taps whenever he jumps rope, which would make this a high-beginner to solid intermediate workout, as well as friendlier to joints and feet. I should point out there is very little kicking in this kickboxing video. You don’t need to be familiar with kickboxing to catch on either. Gilad is very good at setting up the routines; you’ll catch on quickly. There is also no TIFTing, and the routines are basic and relatively short.

The jump rope aspect can’t be understated. In between learning the kickboxing routines, you jump rope. If there is a lull or if Gilad wants you to hold the beat before introducing a new move in a routine, you jump rope. At one point, Gilad seems flustered and seems to stall for time before instructing slightly differently for one side than he did the first side. Anyway in this time, you jump rope. Other impact moves include jumping jacks and a small amount of plyo work including some gentle speed skaters.

The kickboxing moves include blocks, uppercuts, jabs, etc. When the cardio portion winds down, you perform some lunges.

Next is a 9:30 segment of strength training and cool down. You’ll need only one set of dumbbells, probably 8-12 #’s. There’s not a lot of strength work. Because it is mostly compound exercises, it’s not a waste, especially for your shoulders. Still, you may prefer to use this as a cardio only DVD (you’ll miss out on some pushups but I won’t tell).

A word of warning, like another VF’er, I had a glitch with my DVD. Actually, it’s several glitches that occur near the very end. I bought it super cheap from DD and didn’t get around to doing it for a month or I would consider returning it. My cooldown is virtually un-useable, so I won’t review that. I can see that, as in so many Gilad workouts, everybody goes running with Gilad during the credits.

The short Behind the Scenes portion shows Gilad taking a tour of the ship, making jokes about the food, talking about the admiral’s cap they let him wear, and training the crew for the workout. He also blows you a kiss at the end. (Secret Confession, I toyed with making that image a screen saver.)