Customer Reviews

Kathy Smith - Timesaver Cardio Fat Burner [VHS]

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This is Kathie Smith on yippie beans! She's definately in a party mood,loud, joking with the other exercisers and having fun. For the home viewer these are two good, short workouts that will raise your heart rate. Workout one focuses on dance-like moves that you add onto throughout the workout.(Think of one long dance routine). Its actually not as hard as it sounds although you can expect to be messing up your steps the first couple of times through. This isn't helped by some of the video's exercisers who take turns moving about the set to dance next to Kathy (one of whom even calls out moves at one point and messes up himself). Workout two is actually my favorite, I've done the first workout enough times that I now find it a little repetitive. Its your choice how hard you want to work your moves in this one, but you'll probably be finding yourself going for the "calorie bursts" as soon as you get the basic moves down. This video is a great one to have around on those days when you're really pressed for time, or to get your heart rate up in conjuntion with your weight work (seriously consider getting the companion weight video). Its all time flaw, however, and one I have to grit my teeth through, is the vocal imput from the cast who are all wearing microphones. Some moron exerciser calls out "doe-si-doe" repetitively throughout each workout. (Is it just me, or is anyone else bothered by this?) If you can work through the whoos, the whoas and the doe-si-does, you've got yourself a pretty good set of workouts.

I have read some of the reviews saying the steps are too difficult and all I can say is that you have to be patient. I am very uncoordinated and I love this video. Yes, it did take me several tries to get the steps down but you can always rewind it and go over the steps again. I first purchased this video two years ago and will pop it in the VCR if I can't make it to the gym. The moves are still fresh and the set, music, and clothes are all updated. This isn't like one of those videos from the mid 80's that seem too cheesy to do. If you're a twentysomthing you will truly like it. The video is composed of two 20-minute workouts and then a bonus stretch section. The first workout is a building block. You learn each step and then put it together bit by bit until you have a whole routine that you do several times by the end. The second 20-minute workout is 4 different mini-building block routines. You learn the steps by first doing the low-impact routine and then once you get the moves down you have your choice to do the high-impact option or stick to low-impact. In the second 20-minute workout Kathy has half of the room do low-impact and the other half do high-impact. I was really out of shape when I bought this video and I remember it being very challenging. Now I workout regularly and I find the video to be a lot less difficult but it still gets my heart rate up and I never get sick of the routine. The bonus stretching is a great way to end the workout.

I bought this DVD several months ago and still find myself coming back to it regularly. Regardless of some of the negative reviews it has here, it is one of my favorites. It is very fast-paced and definitely keeps you on the toes. But I'm not going to lie, it took me several attempts to get the steps down correctly. The first few times, I was absolutely lost due to the many moves and pace of the routines.

It is pretty dancey but it still involves some fundamental aerobic exercises like kick backs, jumping jacks, kicks, lunges and leg lifts. The first 20 mins of the DVD, she teaches you several different moves and you will be building a large routine. Once you have learned the steps, you will go through the routine several times. The second part of the DVD involves four mini routines in which she will teach you the steps. Once you go through them a few times, you will go through it a few more times but with one side of the group doing the "calorie bursts". I am still trying to incorporate some of the calorie burst moves, but they are tougher and is taking some time.

Overall, I would rate this DVD an A+ since it still keeps my attention and I still work up a sweat. The shouting, that has been mentioned in the background, is not as bad as I thought it would be from the reviews. I normally stay focused on Kathy anyhow, so I don't hear the background noise.

I can't beleive some of the whinning on these reviews. This is a fun workout. It may take a couple of times to get the steps but this isn't difficult to do. After doing this video twice I had the steps down. I love the intensity of the workout, in fact, I do many of the moves at a more high impact level then Kathy does. Yes, this video has some very up-beat and at times cheesy people, like the guy at the beginning, but if that's your excuse to not workout, then you never will...you'll just keep coming up with excuse after excuse! The first 20 min workout is like a dance combination and I found the time flew by as I learned the steps. The second 20 min workout is a type of interval workout, which is a lot of fun. There is a streching segment at the end, which is good. Even though there isn't a stretch at the beginning, and if you don't have time to do one of your own, remember, stretching after a workout is more important, if you don't get the time to do both. The only thing I would change about this video is that the routines were at least 10 minutes longer and I could do without the backup people helping out Kathy, but they're really not that bad. I workout to this video before I go to work and I really enjoy it. I will say that this probably isn't a video for beginners. This is something you want to work up to, but if you're like me and have been working out for a while, you'll really enjoy it and the moves won't seem so hard. If you're a beginner, this is something to work towards and once you get through the video without having to stop, I promise you'll feel great! Kathy Smith really isn't a high impact instructor, at least not compared to what I'm used to, but she's a great instructor and I have many of her videos. Although, there are complaints in some reviews of her "cueing" on this video I think it's fine and not hard to catch on to. If you're looking for a good workout, which doesn't allow you to be lazy and actually forces you to work, this is for you!

I have had this video for 6 months. It is a nice video to put in to change the pace. I also work out on the treadmill. To add change, I will do Kathy's 1st 20 mintue workout one day and treadmill another. Then the next day do the second 20 minute workout. On weekends when I have more time, I will do the whole 40 minute workout. I enjoy her yelling...it can be annoying, but it does get me moving and the time passes quickly. I agree that the first few times, the moves were difficult, but with time they get much more easier. Great job, Kathy. When is your next one coming out?

I enjoy all of Kathy Smith's videos and this one was no different. Doing this video is a good way to spend 40 minutes working out, but I find that I like the 2nd half better. It's kind of like interval training. You're constantly moving, but for a couple of minutes you do calorie bursts where you up the movement a little bit. Everyone doesn't up it, so you can follow the people moving slower on your slow days and follow the people moving faster on your fast days. One big complaint from me is the people in the video are a little to happy and they all have microphones, so every little cheesy statement they say is picked up. The chick on the right in the very beginning is the most annoying. They also do a lot of moving around. Not in the routines, but different people move up to the front to kind of "take over" the class. Great attitudes, but sometimes it seems a little fake. Overall though, this is another good Smith video and you won't be disappointed.

I am a big Kathy Smith fan but I was disappointed by this video. The dance steps are hard for someone like me who doesn't have any dance experience. Try her Kickboxing workout for high intensity.