 QuickFix: Total Cardio Kick(Current) 2004 What is it? Three 10-minute cardio kickboxing routines, each one with a different fitness focus. There's also a 10-minute "bonus" cardio kickbox segment. Janis Saffell instructs. Who is it for? Advanced beginning through intermediate exercisers. The workouts are fast-paced, and although they're not complex, there is a lot of choreography. The intensity, however, is only moderate. These routines should be just about right for advanced beginners, and good for lighter days for intermediates. Some pivoting moves might be difficult if you're working out on a carpet with heavy pile. I had no problem with my short-pile rug.
What to expect: Generally, I lean more towards dance than to athletics for my cardio. I'm not married to being a girly-girl — I just hate those exercise DVDs where the female instructor tries to act tough and macho. I enjoy kickboxing workouts where the instructor doesn't put on some pseudo-manly facade and instead is just herself. Which leads me to this DVD, and why I enjoyed Janis Saffell's approach. She's straightforward, pleasant and doesn't bark out commands, but she also makes you sweat. She has tougher workouts than this QuickFix combo, so depending on your level of fitness, this is either a good or not-so-good thing. As someone who is pretty much a straight-up intermediate, I found the 10-minute sessions a bit on the light side, even when done all together. An advanced beginner would probably like the level of intensity (beginners and those new to kickboxing should try other DVDs first — Saffell teaches the moves quickly so you won't have time to learn correct form if you don't already know it). The first segment focuses on upper-body work, with lots of punches; segment two's combination of squats and kicks is all about the lower body; the third segment uses lots of twists and knee kicks to focus on the abs and core. The "bonus" segment takes everything you saw in the first three routines and puts them into cardio overdrive. Because of the fast pace and the amount of choreography, each 10-minute segment flies by, plus there's a counter on the lower right hand side, so you always know how much time you have left. If you want a kickboxing workout that won't totally kill you (and there are days where even the most devoted exerciser likes to pull back just a bit), give the routines on this DVD a spin. Other Exercise DVDs you may like:
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