Customer Reviews

Karen Voight - Ultimate Circuit Training

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love Karen Voight's exercise vids and DVDs. She is intelligent, professional and motivating without being patronizing or cutesy. But make no mistake--her workouts can be really tough! This is one of the easier ones with lots of mix n' match possibilies. The step cardio sections are fun without being too complicated. However, the circuits are longer than what you might expect--this is NOT one of those 2 minutes of cardio, then two minutes of strength workouts. The circuits are longer and there are fewer of them.

You need a exercise or Swiss ball for the BLT segment, which is fun. Using a ball can really enhance your toning since you have to spend the additional effort to maintain your balance. Just make sure you get the right sized ball!

The DVD interface is easy to use and allows you to choose what you want to do for that day with some preprogrammed combination workouts and some choices that focus on just a single area (upper body, cardio etc.)

Of all my exercise videos, I always come back to this one. This DVD has everything you need for your short or long workout preferences: you can choose to do the lon 1 hr. circuits with weights and step (fit ball option as well), or you can do them individually as a purely "strength" or "cardio" routines. The fitball option BLT (butt legs and thighs) is also a great addition to this DVD when you're not in the mood for something quite so strenuous. Karen's choreography is wonderful and the music is fun as well, which is hard to find for me-- I'm pretty picky, as I usually like modern, techno- hip-hop influenced routines.
The weight routines are also challenging and effective, however, at first you might feel like she doesn't do enough lower body-- but just wait for the last portion on the ball or step-- it's a killer!
Overall, this is the essential workout for me when I want to get a whole body, efficient program in 1hr-- I have yet to find a DVD that can match it!

This DVD is awesome. I exercise to it every morning. I love the ab work on the incline bench, I feel it everytime. I like to choose from different workouts so I never get bored. It makes me sweat so I know I'm getting a workout. Karen is so easy to follow, her cueing is great. I would not change a thing.

This video contains 2 workouts BLT on the Ball and Cardio/Strength. The BLT is a short 20 minute stability ball workout that focus on the butt, legs and abs. It isn't a tough workout by any means, but a nice little program when you are in the mood for some ball work. The shortness of the workout appeals to me as I rarely use it on it's own but in addition to other workouts or before my yoga.

Cardio/Strength is a circuit workout that alternates between step aerobic segments and weight work, there are 9 total circuits. There are 3 aerobic segments, which are very good, the combinations are fun and interesting while they really get the heartrate up, I really feel like I have worked after they are over. I think that the aerobic segments are tougher than the weight work. For the weight work you will need 2 sets of dumbells, light (3-5 lb), and heavier (5-10 lb). The weight work is short and sweet but you will hit all the muscle groups.

The DVD is well chaptered, you can choose to do the entire workout, a combo workout using the BLT segment, just the cardio, or just the strength. Lots of options, including a Circuits A La Carte where you can pick from any of the individual circuits which is a nice feature.

All in all, I highly recommend this video. Karen does a great job in this one, and the music is good too.

This is a great dvd-lots of options for your workout. Karen is easy to follow and personable.I like that some workouts use step,some use the ball and some with no equipment-I like that because I'm not a huge fan of step. Each segment is well laid out and complete, its an effective fun workout that gives you the option to create your own plan depending on how much time you've got and I like that!

Excellent workout. Really gets the heart rate up. I love the step routines and the ball routines.

The step part of this workout is FANTASTIC and I program my dvd to play just the cardio segment twice so I get a 60 min full cardio workout. I prefer to do my cardio in one session and my weights separately - just a personal preference - and this dvd allows this as you can program any/all of the cardio and toning sections with Karen's usual great menu system.
Karen is a favourite instructor of mine but if you are looking for the 'rah rah' cutesy cheerleader type you've come to the wrong place - Karen is serious but always professional and motivating.
The ball workout is light - don't get the dvd just for the ball exercises as they are brief (about 20 mins), but good as a change in muscle focus when you do all the ball toning together with the weights.
Another great workout from Karen - always top quality with the dvd menu system and her cueing and instruction are faultless.

This DVD will give you a very good workout. I like the way you can customize what exercises you want to do. It is a nice variety.

The down side is Karen's calls, you need to do this a few times to know what you will be doing next. Some of the steps took me many tries to finally get correct. Even now if I don't do the workout for a while i get confused on some of the moves on the step.

I actually didn't know this dvd exsisted until I was browsing. I actually bought the BLT stability ball segment on a dvd all by itself at Best Buy for cheap. I love this segment or on my dvd that is all that is on it. It is fun and I feel SOOOO good after doing it!!! My muscles scream with pure pleasure!!! Some of the moves makes the muscles a little sore but mostly it is such a wonderful stretch! I love the feeling it gives! ;-)

this is a goofy attempt at cross training, i can't stand the lisp of the instructor, i don't care if she is a trainer to the stars, i wouldn't hire her. the music is bland and the moves are not very coordinated, i would prefer a leisa hart type circuit video, this is weak and not worth it