Kickbox Underground

I’m reviewing this workout after doing it about a dozen times in the year and a half or so that I’ve had this.

General workout breakdown: This kickboxing workout lasts about a little over 35 minutes. The warm up includes some static stretches and push ups, and the cool down includes Tai Chi-inspired stretching moves. The kickboxing moves include bob and weave, boxer’s shuffle, jab, cross, hook, upper cut, front kick, crescent kick, side kick, roundhouse, and back kick. Guillermo teaches this in combinations, which he eventually combines into one big combination. In other words, this is a kickboxing workout with TIFTing (taking it from the top). There isn’t a lot of impact, which is primarily found in the form of jumping jacks, but there are a couple of half pivots.

Level: I’d recommend this to a high beginning through intermediate exerciser with prior kickboxing experience. Guillermo assumes you know what you’re doing, so he offers little kickboxing instruction and only a few form tips. I consider myself at least at the high intermediate stage with respect to floor aerobics and a solid intermediate with respect to kickboxing (although pretty much all of my instruction in kickboxing has come from videos). I wear 2 lb. hand weights and get a decent workout from this.

Class: two women join Guillermo.

Music: upbeat instrumental stuff. (If you have Janis Saffell’s Quick Fix Total Cardio Kick or Janis and Guillermo’s Hardcore Kickbox Circuit, you’ve heard most of this.)

Set: muted interior set with what appears to be a climbing wall behind.

Production: decent picture and sound. The camera almost always shows all of the three exercisers (often from a distance), although there is a handheld camera that moves in closer and throws in some effects (e.g. black & white).

Equipment: sneakers.

Space Requirements: You should be able to take two big steps to each side as well as step and kick to the front and back.

DVD Notes: The menu allows you to play the whole routine, select your chapter (Intro, Warm-up, Workout, Cool Down, or Credits), or watch Guillermo’s Aikido demo.

Conclusion: This isn’t a bad workout. I don’t mind the TIFTing because I normally do aerobics. I don’t find myself reaching for it often, though, since it’s not as intense or as high energy as my other kickboxing workouts.

I LOVED THIS WORKOUT!!

Are you sure it was only 30 minutes of cardio? It kicked my butt! I felt that this was the kickboxing equivalent to Gin's Simply step. The moves are very basic, and it is easy to follow...no complex combinations. Jabs, uppercuts, hooks. Front, side, back and crescent kicks, shuffles, jacks...nothing out of the ordinary. It was simple and easy to pick up the first time through, but my heart was racing and I was sweating buckets. I consider myself to be advanced at cardio, and I felt I was worked thoroughly. (Though I wish it was longer.) Although the workout is very intense, the moves are introduced gradually and become more advanced, so it would be easy to modify to any fitness level. Those of you who enjoy dancy, complex choreography may not enjoy this DVD. But if you want a short, intense, no nonsense full body workout I would highly recommend it.

There were a few times when I felt the cueing and the music were a little off, but this did not bother me. Since the workout is more drill-based rather than dancy, it was still easy to follow the routine.