34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice variety of previously released footage on one versatile DVD, November 10, 2005
This review is from: Kathy Smith - The Rules of Fat Burning (DVD)
In this video, instructor Kathy Smith has taken portions of her previously released workouts, chaptered them, and organized them on one nice, programmable DVD. The excellent chapter menu allows you to choose amongst each of the six workouts offered, and you can program them to play in any order you would like, doing just one workout or all six; you can even select the same workout more than once. The six workouts are comprised of two "long slow" cardio segments, two interval cardio segments, and two weight training workouts. Full descriptions are provided below.
1) Long Slow 1, Low Impact (20 minutes). This workout comes from the Timesaver Cardio Fat Burner video. Kathy uses mostly basic steps--eg, v-step, knee lift, hamstring curls, grapevines, etc.--but the choreography becomes a bit more complicated as the segment continues, and Kathy frequently takes it from the top. However, the moves are fun, and it's a high-energy workout.
2) Long Slow 2, Kickboxing (15 minutes). This segment is taken from the first half of Kathy's Kickboxing Workout. She leads simple drills using the jab and cross punches plus front and side kicks. Some jump kicks are included, and there's also an easy combination towards the end.
3) Interval 1, Functional Fitness (20 minutes). This workout comes from Functionally Fit Peak Fat Burning, and it alternates two minute high intensity intervals with lower intensity recovery periods. During the latter, you get in a bit of lower body strengthening with moves such as squats and lunges. Overall, this program is more athletic-like, less fun.
4) Interval 2, Jump Rope (17 minutes). This segment comes from Aerobox, a video Kathy did with boxer Michael Olijade, who leads the workout. Michael takes you through progressively more difficult jump rope variations; one of the background exercisers follows along without the jump rope. Simple boxing punches/footwork segments come in-between the jumping segments.
5) Weights, Upper Body (20 minutes). This segment comes from Timersaver Lift Weights to Lose Weight. Here Kathy uses a dual track system which allows you to lift lighter with more repetitions or lift heavier with breaks between sets. Kathy begins with back work, moves on to chest, biceps, tricpes, and finally shoulders.
6) Weights, Lower Body (20 minutes). This segment is also from Timesaver Lift Weights to Lose Weight. Most of the exercises are performed in a standing position (squats, lunges, side/front extensions, etc.) to work your legs, but it also includes some lying hamstring/glute work using a chair.
Overall, this is a very versatile DVD providing a variety of workout options. However, there are a few minor flaws: 1) there are no warm-ups or cool-downs, so you'll have do some light cardio before as well as some stretching after, and 2) there is no abs work--the 7-minute abs segment from Lift Weights to Lose Weights is excellent, and it's a shame it wasn't included here. Otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this DVD for advanced beginner to intermediate exercisers.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ONE OF MY FAVE FUN WORKOUTS! A MUST-BUY!, February 12, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Kathy Smith - The Rules of Fat Burning (DVD)
A programmable DVD that lets you create your own custom workout. Just choose the segments you want and they'll play in the exact order you selected. Includes six 15-20 minute sections: low-impact aerobics, higher-impact kickboxing, cardio intervals, jump-rope intervals, upper-body toning and lower-body toning. To make designing your workout easy, Kathy starts with an easy-to-understand explanation of how to choose and sequence your personal workout (to match your fitness goals). This DVD is carefully re-edited using segments from Kathy's "Aerobox," "Peak Fat Burning," "Lift Weights to Lose Weight," "Kickboxing" and "Cardio Fat Burner" videos. A great addition to my exercise video collection.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thorough Coverage Outweighs Flaws, November 3, 2005
This review is from: Kathy Smith - The Rules of Fat Burning (DVD)
If I were to recommend any DVD to someone just starting out exercising, it would be this one. Kathy Smith doesn't just give you cardio workouts, high intensity workouts, or weight lifting. She gives you two sessions of each, allowing you to build your week. I have used this DVD five days a week for six months, and still find it effective. I like that I have the choice to pick and choose, and yet I also have the structure of something I am familiar with. I will agree with the other reviewers that the cardio workout is hard to learn at first, that the warm-ups are missing, and that there is no section that works out your abs. But you can easily overcome these flaws (take a little time to learn the routine, warm up yourself, and substitute your own ab workout). Rarely do you find such a good mix of workouts on one DVD. It's worth every cent.
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