Customer Reviews

Gilad Elite Forces, Fat Burning Workout

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This cool dvd workout has been filmed on an actual US Navy aircraft carrier. That's a first I think. Anyway, this is the second dvd of Gilad's that I've bought and I'm very impressed with it.
It's a bootcamp kickboxing workout. The exercisers are civillians and Navy sailors and Marines. It's easy to follow, but it's no nonsense either just like you'd expect in a bootcamp workout. There is the classic kickboxing type moves and a good amount of core workout too. The moves are taught as basically as possible, and then he adds layers to these moves to make them more challenging. All you really need is some weights and energy and you're good to go.
The change of scenery is refreshing and Gilad's friendly (but very motivating) approach is just enough to push you through to the end. He's a great instructor and based on this dvd, I'd go out and get more of his workouts. I really like this one a lot.

I absolutely love this dvd; it is very challenging and seriously fun. Gilad builds on the complex moves slowly, adding a piece at a time so that you can keep up with the changes (I especially love how he points his index-finger up--grinning--when he adds the "uppercut"...I guess he's really really excited about uppercuts!).

The workout is really intense, and I had to pause a lot the first 2 or 3 times I did it, but after a few weeks, I can make it through the whole thing. It's also quite exhilirating/addicting....must be the endorphins rushing around in my head. My only complaint (tiny) is that the cool down should be a bit longer.

I first try out workout DVDs through Netflix. And that has saved me a ton of money. Even though it was Gilad, and I've got a couple of his already, I put it on my list to 'try before I buy.'
Good warm-up, great cardio, 40+ minutes of mostly kick-boxing stuff. But not a very good strength or cool-down segment which is why I gave it four stars. Another ten minutes or so of strength and a cool-down to equal the warm-up and I would have gone for 5 stars.
Still, I felt this one in my legs for a couple days because, although it doesn't feel like it during the workout, your quads, calves and inner thighs are working hard. And that is where you really need a good stretching segment.
So, I'll put this on my list and probably get it in a few weeks, as the holiday season nears and I need the variety to get motivated to stick to my workouts.

This is the best kickboxing cardio dvd I have in my collection. This dvd is fun and rewarding if you can get to the end! Seriously, this man knows how to get your body sweating and in serious shape. I bought this video when I was just getting back into working out, and I couldn't get past the first 15 minutes. This is for those who have been working out for a while, and looking for high intense cardio. Not for newbies, though I would suggest getting it now, and then poping it in once your old cardio dvds get too easy. I love it!

This is a pretty good cardio workout. Not too strenuous. Low impact (except for the jumping jacks which you can always modify). It's basically 35 minutes of punching and kicking with some jumping jacks interspersed to keep the heart rate up. This is a good workout for someone looking for a relatively low impact cardio workout that doesn't involve traditional aerobic or heavily choreographed movements. I'm thinking that males in particular would favor this workout over other cardio workouts on the market. You can add some hand weights to increase the cardio intensity.

I work out about 30 minutes to an hour every day, and Gilad is my favorite fitness instructor and the hour-long (45 minutes w/o commercials) Total Body Sculpt episodes are a staple for me. I got this DVD because after years of the same workouts, I'm looking for something new to challenge my body and keep things from being so repetitive.

The workout consists of a 9 minute warm-up, a 35 minute cardio segment, and a 9 minute strength training/stretch/cool down segment. The cardio is mostly kickboxing with some plyometrics thrown in as well.

PROs:
Overall Gilad delivers in this one. While the majority of the workout consists of pretty basic moves, there were a few moves that were new and interesting to me. The workout itself is challenging and intense. I was dripping sweat and feeling great by the end. There's 35 minutes of straight cardio, which is kind of the opposite of his show which is more sculpting and only intervals of short, but intense cardio. And it's almost all cardio kickboxing, which is my favorite. I give this DVD 5 stars because it was overall a very good workout and makes for a nice change from his show.

CONs:
While I enjoyed seeing a familiar face (the first thing I noticed was red-headed Arthur in the front row), there's not as much of the banter and interaction with the other people as there is on his show, so it's less entertaining. My girlfriend and I still can't help but chuckle out loud when we workout to Total Body Sculpt and Gilad picks his team members . Fans of TBS will also notice a lot of familiar moves. The stretches in the warm-up, the cardio moves, and the strength moves are very similar if not exactly the same as moves used in his show. The cardio segment feels almost like they just took 3 or 4 TBS cardio segments and stitched the routines together with a few small twists and additions. If you love TBS and want more, then great. If you're really looking for something altogether new, look elsewhere.

In addition, don't expect much strength/resistance training. You do some bicep curls, some shoulder presses, and a few lunges, but that's it (it's 10 minutes long and that INCLUDES the stretch and cool down). Depending on what you want, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. Also, if you don't like cardio kickboxing, you'll be disappointed. Still, it's effective and something a little new and different for me.

THE BIGGEST CON: THERE IS NO AB WORKOUT AT ALL.
Yup, Gilad completely skips your core. Some will be very happy not to have to do a single crunch or sit-up, but ab work is vital to my workout routine. There's plenty of engaging the abs with the twisting and punching, but it's by no means equivalent to what you'd get from even 5 minutes of focused core work such as at the end of every other Gilad program I've seen. Big minus.

BOTTOM LINE:

I give this 5 stars because I'm more than happy to keep this one in my collection. But, I would strongly recommend first setting your VCR or DVR to record TBS on FitTV for FREE before you go dropping this much money on a single 55minute workout. If you're already a Gilad fan then see if this meets your needs and expectations. If you want more cardio kickboxing, then this is it. If you are looking more for sculpting or strength training, move on. If you want more of the same with some fresh twists, this is just what you need. If you want brand new moves, then you might want to keep looking.

I LOVE Total Body Sculpt on fittv, and I was hoping this DVD would be just like it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is very similar. The main reason I gave this DVD 4 and not 5 stars is that there is no ab work on it. However, the moves are simple, yet effective, and Gilad is easy to follow and very motivating. I would definitely recommend this workout.

Man you can't beat Gilad...22 years on tv and still pumping out hot DVDs. Liked this one too!

I work out 5 times a week and have been working out to Gilad for almost a decade. I usually like his pace and location choices... however, I felt this video was a fast paced martial arts lesson that was too complicated to be fun and does not feel like very much of a workout. I think this one will be collecting dust on my CD shelf.

I own Gilad's quick fit system and I like it. His cardio workouts are pretty effective and always have me work up a sweat. However, I've always thought his sequences are too repetitive and can get boring over time. When I saw this one I thought this might be an improved version of his old workouts, but sadly no. I would say this one is even more repetitive and really borders on being tedious. It's basically the same move over and over again. I think it's important to keep people interested with a variety of moves and this one fails on that aspect. It's still a decent workout but only if you're not opposed to doing the same move repeatedly.