Most Helpful Customer Reviews
246 of 253 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best retail video on the market for cardio kickboxing, April 23, 1999
By A Customer
WOW! I love this tape. I usually don't do a review after one workout, but I really enjoyed this. It went by so fast too. This is probably the best retail tape you can find and I am usually not a Kathy Smith fan (although I like her book) at all (Aerobox is the only tape I like and she doesn't lead it). Also surprisingly Keli Roberts, who recently released a kickboxing video, is in the tape with Keli and actual leads a little segment (as well as her co-star Keith Cooke). First there is an instructional section that explains the different kicks and punches, but if you've kickboxed before there are also pointers in windows throughout the video by the Kickbox expert she got, Keith Cooke, who is kinda like a Keanu Reeves looking guy. Then you have a ten minute warm-up/stretch (yes Billy Blanks could take a few lessons here). The warm up does the punches and knees in mini combos with a pretty good stretch. She also includes elbows up over the head which is one of my favorite upper body moves. You then have a 25 minute aerobic section with lots of simple, but fun combos. Keli and Keith each teach a little segment. There are jabs, crosses, elbows, hooks, front kicks, side kicks, roundhouse AND back kicks in various combinations. She also does boxer's weaves and shuffles. Then there is a brief cooldown and onto drills. The drill section utilizes a straight back chair and you do a lunge front kick combo on each side. These are controlled and more for flexibility and strength. Then a back kick. Switch legs and do the same thing. Onto side kicks and round house, and then other side. She then does a pretty thorough stretch utilizing the chair. Now I have only done the tape once but it seems she forgot to stretch one hip flexor, but I could be wrong (like I said only done it once). Then she has a "bonus" five minute segment of back/ab stabilization strengthening. Very much like Abs and More by Keli Roberts and similar to the plank in Power Kicks. Then it's onto your hip and you do these side kick crunch things on each side, and it gets tougher when you extend your arm. The music is pretty good. The set is a boxing ring with the ropes missing, but not dark like in Aerobox or Kick Butt with Kristoff St. John. I think this video is great for beginner through intermediate, advanced would probably need to do more power or tack this onto another tape. For the low-cost this is a great intro to kickboxing or a great addition to any collection IMO.
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66 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent high-energy workout, June 12, 2001
I have never done kickboxing-style workouts before this, so I cannot compare it to Tae-Bo, etc. but I absolutely love this tape. It really motivates me to keep going and I actually look forward to doing it. Kathy is quite motivational and doesn't make stupid jokes. Contrary to what other people say, I kind of like the woman on the left (forget her name now), she gets really into it. The music isn't great but it's pretty good and goes with the workout. You should know that although it is a "25-minute workout" it takes 55 minutes: 10-minute warm up, 25-min actual workout, kicking drill of about 10 minutes, a cool-down stretch of about 3 minutes , and about 5-minutes of back and stomach exercises. In the beginning it was a little difficult to get some of the combinations, but not too hard. This requires you to have a little bit of coordination and be at least somewhat in shape. At the beginning I couldn't get through the whole video, I was too tired, but each time after I did it I would get through a couple more minutes. You will really sweat, I highly recommend this.
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62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So THIS is why people love kickboxing!, April 15, 2004
This was my first kickboxing video, and I really enjoyed it. I was a bit hesitant to try it because I don't generally like aerobics videos--I find all that "take it from the top" really boring--but I'm glad I gave this workout a chance. At the start of the video, Ketih Cooke, a well-known kickboxer, provides main instructor Kathy Smith with simple explanations of each of the punches and kicks that will be used in the workout. This brief overview was helpful, but once you learn the moves, you can skip over this part. Following the instructive segment, Kathy Smith takes over. The workout begins with a warmup which lasts about 10 minutes. This provides the opportunity for you to get used to the movements, but don't be fooled by the "warmup" label--your heart rate will definitely be elevated during this section, and you will sweat! Next comes the 25-minute kickboxing workout. During this section, you will practice punches and kicks, starting slowly and then building up to a faster pace. Kathy was easy to follow, and she gradually worked up to basic punch-kick combinations which were simple to learn yet to fun to do. I did find myself getting pretty tired during this segment, but I was able to keep up by modifying the intensity slightly (eg, keeping my feet on the ground during the hops from side to side). At the end of this section, two short combinations are presented by Keith Cooke and another well-known instructor, Keli Roberts. I liked that these combinations were a bit different yet still easy to learn and that the repetitions of each were kept to a minimum. Throughout the workout, there were times when I felt like I might not be doing the moves exactly right, but I still enjoyed myself--all that punching and kicking felt GOOD! After the kickboxing workout ends, there is a 5-minute section focusing on the legs and glutes. In this segment, you practice the kicks more slowly, combining them with squats and holding on to a chair for balance. This was a nice way to reinforce what you learned during the workout, and I think that continued practice of this section will help to improve my kickboxing skills. Finally, the workout ends with a 5-minute cool down performed seated in a chair. These moves provided nice stretches for the thighs and glutes (although at one point, Kathy forgets to perform a squat stretch on the opposite side), and when they were over, I felt thoroughly stretched. I can't compare this video to Tae Bo, as I've never tried those workouts. However, I CAN say that this was a fun, high-energy video that left me feeling strong and powerful rather than exhausted. It was perfect for a kickboxing beginner like me, but it was also challenging enough to provide even non-beginners with a great workout. Kathy Smith has a nice, easygoing style and provides good overall instruction. There were a few times when I thought she failed to adequately cue a change in movement, but the workout was so easy to follow along that it wasn't hard to replicate the movements after the first repetition or two. I'm thrilled to have finally found a cardio video that is truly enjoyable, and I look forward to doing this video as part of my regular rotation.
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