Kickbox - Core Cross Train
Gaiam - Gaiam
Release date: 2008-03-25
DVD
Director:Rebecca Stetson
Actors: Patricia Moreno
Aerobic Exercise, Color, English, Exercise, Exercise/Fitness, Fitness, Fitness/Self-Help, Health & Fitness, Instructional, Movie, USA
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Kickbox - Core Cross Train
Date undefinedPatricia Moreno is a great instructor - she keeps reminding one of the proper form. I have done kickboxing before and this is a good workout, but it would also be good for beginners.
Kickbox - Core Cross Train
Date undefinedThe moves she does feel awkward and like they are bad form. Patricia is the only one who looks like she knows what she's doing, but she wasn't even in sync with the music, which was very distracting! I'll admit I only did the first 15 minutes of the workout, but it was so bad I didn't want to try anymore. If you want real kickboxing, try Kathy Smith. Much better.
Kickbox - Core Cross Train
Date undefinedHow intense you find this workout will depend a lot on your current fitness level and how hard you prefer to work out. As a basis for comparison, I am 55, overweight and just getting back into better shape again after a 5-month "fall off the exercise wagon" due to a move and an illness. I have experience with kickboxing workouts and enjoy kickboxing quite a lot. I prefer moderate workouts most of the time with occasional intense workouts. For me, as an example, Tae-bo is relatively intense.
I found this workout relatively intense because it uses the large muscle groups so much--there is a lot of lunging, kicking and squatting. It is not a cardio workout in the traditional sense, but it most definitely had me sweating. I also found it intense in terms of my knees--and that isn't a good thing (hence 4 stars vs. 5). There is an incredible amount of foot twisting in this workout and, with older knees and a carpeted surface, that can make for a really punishing workout. If you're young, you probably won't notice or care. If you're older or have had knee injuries, you'll probably want to rent this first and give it a try to see whether/how much it bothers you.
Patricia Moreno is a good and inspirational leader (she also has amazing arms and shoulders). She cues relatively well and does a slow breakdown of some of the more complicated moves before she actually starts doing them at full speed--I liked that a LOT because I get easily frustrated if I can't catch something on the first try.
The workout, which is filmed with a beautiful Utah mountain/canyon backdrop, includes four main segments plus a bonus power workout:
Punches: Concentrates on punching (upper body) but still uses the lower body.
Core Energizer: Focuses on your core, but still features both the upper and lower body with punching and squatting. Even though this segment is focused on the core, it is all done standing (i.e., not traditional crunches and such).
Kicks: Concentrates on kicking (lower body). Having done a LOT of kickboxing workouts, I appreciated Patricia's method of teaching kicks. She does a good job of giving you a foundation for kicking.
Combinations: In this segment, you take what you've learned and put it all together--punching and kicking at the same time while keeping your core engaged.
Bonus Power Workout: I haven't tried this one yet. I'd read a review that said it was tough. I watched it and thought "Yikes!" This workout is on the mat and features some positions that I'm pretty sure I couldn't get into. :) I think this is more the territory of the advanced exercisor just from watching it.
I wouldn't say it's the best kickboxing workout I've done, but it is clear that I not only worked hard during the workout but felt it the next day (and sometimes longer).
P.S. Edited to add that I wanted to ditto another reviewer's comment that this workout could have included modifications for beginners or those with knee injuries, etc., but did not. That is a disappointment.
