Product Details

• Actors: Kathy Smith
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony
• VHS Release Date: November 3, 1998
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (143 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1573303585
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,194 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

That scuttling sound you hear is the last of your exercise excuses running out. Exercise vet Kathy Smith has introduced her Timesaver: Cardio Fat Burner video, which presents the terminally busy with a 20-minute option as well as a more well-rounded 40-minute full cardio workout in this complete, varied program. On those days when you can only manage 20 minutes, this will still get you off to a great start. And on days you can go the distance, you'll get a thought-out, well-rounded routine that's easy to follow and broken down into several levels of ability. Through it all, Smith's straightforward, cheerful (but, thankfully, minimally chirpy) delivery is inspiring yet low-key, a winning combination, especially for repeat viewings. --Anne Hurley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

106 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pumps you up fast, but tricky for beginners..., January 9, 2001

By 

L J Fox (Falls Church, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kathy Smith - Timesaver Cardio Fat Burner [VHS] (VHS Tape)

There is a swap table in my apartment complex and a few weeks ago I found this video there. I consider myself in good shape; I workout with weights at the gym twice a week, I do long distance bike rides, I own a treadmill, my flexibility level is excellent, I regularly go on lengthy brisk walks, etc. I used to run but damaged my knees because of it. I have to be careful with exercise because of my knees and the only real pain I have now is when I'm walking up stairs. The last aerobic tape I ever tried was Jane Fonda back in the 1980's and although the workouts were a bit tough I was able to keep up. I figured this Kathy Smith video would be a piece of cake, but it wasn't.

I work long hours at my job and the time saver aspect of this video appealed to me the most. During the workweek, if I don't exercise in the morning I won't exercise at all. I've been doing this video for about 3 weeks now, three times a week. I get up at 5:00 am to fit in the exercise, and believe me, I am not a morning person. This video does wake you up fast and gets your heart rate up.

I think the tempo of this video is too fast to be considered beginner level, but if you stick with it and don't allow yourself to be discouraged you will pick up the steps in time. I usually only do the first 20 minute video and the 10 minute stretch at the end of the tape. I hardly have any room to work out and it's also not easy to do the quick steps on wall to wall carpeting. I modify the workout so that I'm not jumping up and down on my knees and twisting my knees, as some of the moves seem to do. Even with my modifications I get a good workout and get my heart rate up. When I first started doing the tape I had to stop the tape frequently to drink water. The workout gets you feeling warm fast so have the fan going at the start.

After the first workout and stretch I feel incredibly energized and it is a great way to wake up and start the morning. This video is a bit confusing and fast paced for those like me who don't attend aerobics classes or do many aerobics videos, but you will catch on if you keep trying. I find the hard bodies who are doing the class with Kathy a bit fake with their enthusiasm, but their fit bodies are inspiring. Everyone seems like they are on speed, but maybe it's just that I'm half-asleep when I'm starting out! I am definitely wide-awake when the workout is over.

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great introduction to cardio work, March 28, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kathy Smith - Timesaver Cardio Fat Burner [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the first cardio video I've ever done, and I really like it. Kathy is a great instructor. She explains and demonstrates the moves with clarity and energy, and always seems pumped up and excited without being intimidating or annoying. The moves are fun, and don't get boring, although if you're very uncoordinated they might be a little tricky. I like the cool-down stretch session at the end of the video, too. It leaves you feeling very loose and energized, ready to go to work or on to a toning or weights video. This is a great video to start exercising with. I started by doing the workouts 5 days a week, sometimes twice a day, and I saw results almost immediately, in terms of stamina, weight loss and even some lower body firming. I never thought I would look forward to working out, and now I do. I have several of her other tapes, and together they really provide a great experience. Another thing I appreciate about this video is that her team is made up of several body types, from slender to fuller-figured, all looking great and very fit. That makes me feel like Kathy's approach to fitness is inclusive and healthy, not about whittling your body down to nothing.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent cardio workout, if you can stand to look at the tape, November 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Kathy Smith - Timesaver Cardio Fat Burner [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The only thing I like about Kathy Smith's "Timesaver Cardio Fat Burner" is that it does get your heart rate up and burn lots of calories. It is definitely a workout for the MTV generation, however.

There are lots of dancers on this video, many with microphones strapped to their heads, so you can hear them yelling. The camera switches around crazily, with silly special effects that are very distracting, and Kathy banters with them a lot.

Although I usually like a little danciness in an exercise video, the moves in this one are much too dancy for me -- way too much hip swinging and quick step changes. The two 20-minute segments do not include a warm-up or a cool-down stretch. The stretch is a separate 7-minute section at the end of the tape, so you have to invent your own warm-up, then do 27 minutes of the tape. By the time you have finished, even if you just do one of the 20-minute segments, it's really more like 35-40 minutes, not 20 minutes. If you warm up, do both segments, then the stretch, it takes closer to an hour.

If you want a more down-to-earth workout that is still fun, very effective, and short, with a warm-up and stretch included, "Crunch Cardio Sculpt" (1/2 hour) and Kathy Smith's "Peak Fat Burning Workout" (40 minutes) are much easier to take.