Jump Force

WOW -- this one was tough. I alternate Cathe workouts with gym workouts and consider myself on the low end of advanced these days. I turned on this workout with a "This workout will probably be easy" attitude, and even started out with 5's, even though Anni tells you that 3's the max she recommends. I was pleasantly surprised! This workout was tough. I quickly dropped to 3's. At the 25 minute mark, I was already pretty tired. As others have mentioned, there is pretty much no choreography, the movements are very basic. I don't own a jump rope and even if I did, my low ceilings wouldn't allow me to use one. But that was no big deal, you don't really need one to do this workout. The production quality isn't fabulous, but it isn't the worst I've seen either.

I'm looking forward to getting 2 more forces, this one was a really great workout.

I have done all of the "Forces" at least once at this point (except for the newest one) and I still have to say that Life Force remains my favorite by far. Here are my thoughts on each one:

Core Force: If she had stuck with doing only standing core work, I would have been happier. Same simple moves, one minute each as usual, but every 2-3 minutes or so, she moves down to the floor for some core work and then back up again. I would have loved if she could have put premixes on this one, where you could do all the core work in one shot and then all the cardio in another. Now THAT one I would repurchase!

Cardio Force: Her newest one. I've only does this once, but it definitely felt (to me anyway!) the toughest of the ones I've done so far. The only thing I was NOT happy about was she showed no modifier, and since I'm a low impact woman, I found myself having to figure out modifications on my own (something I'm not generally so good at unfortunately!).

Jump Force: This is the one where she uses the jump rope. I don't have one, nor am I planning to get one in my little basement room I'm working out in with the low ceilings, but I modify down to low impact anyway so it didn't make a difference. My negatives about this one is her screaming into the microphone twice at the end of the workout (REALLY annoying!), and her lack of any cooldown. She does provide 3 different stretches to choose from at the end (2 minute, 5 minute and 10 minute - I think???), but you're basically left to cool down on your own.

Life Force: MY FAVORITE!!! I have NOTHING bad to say about this one. I have done it numerous times, and each time I love it as much as the first time! I'm not even sure why ??? I know she calls this one her "mid-life cardio" workout, and since I'm 49 maybe that's why I enjoy it so much ?? I have no clue!

I just acquired Jump Force. I already had Anni's other workouts and loved them. I did Jump Force this morning and WOW! What a great workout! I think this one actually is my new favorite.

I did the jump rope intervals without a jump rope and still got a great workout. For those concerned about impact, no worries, you really don't have to jump. Just skip, or do fast heel digs, fast toe taps or boxers shuffle type moves while your hands mimic the jump rope motion. I just love the one minute interval format of Anni's workouts. There is absolutely no dread factor and each interval is so fun.

My one complaint, and I hesitate to even complain about it because it really didn't bother me much at all, is that there is no cool down, you are basically on your own for the cool down. It was fine though, I cooled down and stretched on my own.

I'm really looking forward to the release of Cardio Force

Ok I got this one last night and did it this morning. WHAT A WORKOUT! The choreo is simple but because each segment is only one minute long you never get bored. You have the option of a 10 or 45 workout and there is a 2, 5, or 10 minute cooldown option. During the workout she tells you the 25, 30, 35, & 40 minute mark, so you could easily stop at any time. There are:

*step segments -which were always low impact-high intensity, even following the advanced modifier

*jump rope variations

*light weight work-high rep, low weight. She says max 3# for women, 6# for men. I would agree that 3# is probably enough because some of the moves go very quickly. The toning segments are more like a cardio break-while keeping your heart rate up. I won't be sore tomorrow.

*some hi-lo moves on the ground, such as side to side shuffle, tire run, etc.

I thought some of the moves were unique while still being very basic choreo, which is a definate plus in my book. Most of the moves had a very athletic feel.

I did the 45 minute cardio, my own cooldown/stretch (10 min) and a seperate ab routine (10 min). I followed the advanced modifier the whole time. According to my HR monitor I burned a 607 calories in 65 minutes. I typically consider 500+ a GREAT workout in 65 minutes so I am super happy w/ this workout. For working that hard I didnt feel like I was going to die like I sometimes do after an intense workout. It may be because many of the moves are low impact. I give this workout an A.

This was a tough workout! There is literally NO CHOREOGRAPHY. Anni shows you a move at intermediate level, another woman shows beginner and another shows advanced. THere's lots of hi impact but there is always a lower modification shown. It was a good balance of strength moves & cardio with some 4-limb movements. More sport-type drill cardio...very basic & easy to follow but I worked up a great sweat! Those of you who prefer complex choreography will probably be bored with this. I prefer no-brainer advanced cardio workouts, so this was great me. Also, those who prefer to go heavier will probably not like this either. THere are certain moves that Anni indicated that you could raise up to 2-3 lb weights. When I tried 3's it was too hard for me due to the fast pace. I think the weights were more effective in upping the cardio output rather than actually building muscle, though I am guessing that they will help keep the muscles tight! Also, I think I counted 7 jump rope sements, though I didn't use a rope due to my ceiling restrictions. :)

Ok, now for the negatives.. The workout takes place in what looks like the entry hallway of a mansion with I winding staircase behind the class. What's so bad about this, you ask? The sound echoes slightly, so it is a little annoying. Not bad enough to make me not do the workout, but if you are sensitive to sound quality you may be disappointed. In the body of the workout, the picture quality was better than what I was expecting from the clip at collage. NOT perfect, though. The lighting is a bit dark. No biggie though. I did the 5-min cooldown. (there is a 3, 5 and 10 min. to choose from, which is nice!) The picture got a little hazy for a few seconds, but nothing terrible. And one more thing that is very important to note. Anni yells alot...in more of a "whooping" kind of way. I know this will bother some people, but it didn't bother me. It seemed more genuine to me than in some other "whoopy" workouts. What I mean by this is that I think Anni has a natural enthusiasm for what she does, and she can't help herself! It seemed more natural and not like what I would call "artificial enthusiasm". SHe does talk through almost the entire workout, giving form pointers and explaining whch muscles are being worked. I don't see this as a bad thing but I know others might find it annoying.

The music is non-descript instrumental but upbeat. THe class consisted of about 15-20 (?) exercisers. I liked that thet all looked like real people. No ritzy workout attire or "artificially enhanced" bodies!

There is a 10 and a 45 min. cardio & 3 cool-downs. During the 45 min cardio, she lets you know when you hit the 25, 30, 35, 40 & 45 min mark. SHe just mentions it breifly so it doesn't interrupt the flow of the workout. I think this would be good for those with limited time to workout because you won't have to "watch the clock". To me, clock-watching can make a workout seem to drag on forever.

I enjoyed this and don't think the production values are not much worse than a sara city workout. If you don't like complex footwork and dancy moves on the step, and enjoy athletic type moves, you might want to consider this!