Search - Ultimate Body - Challenging Workouts for Weight Loss on DVD

Trish S. (HarleyT) from MORENO VALLEY, CA
Reviewed on 12/30/2007...

This DVD offers the home exerciser a variety of options. You can choose your time limit, your goal (strength/cardio) and the type of exercise you want to do (kicks/bootcamp etc.)
Lot of variety.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

A Mixed, Mostly Good, Bag

A.D.G. | Los Angeles | 05/09/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Overall, I like this DVD a lot, but I do have some complaints and cautions. First, the positives:

1. The title lives up to its name--it's probably the most difficult cross-circuit DVD I've done, definitely not for beginners. (There are no modified versions of the more strenuous bits.)

2. It's a real bargain. Unlike many exercise DVDs, this one has a lot of routine. Two 20-minute kickboxing routines, with their own warm-up, cool-down and abs section, and two 25-minute cardio boot camp routines, with their own warm-up, cool-down and abs section. You can mix and match as you please. I like that each abs routine is tailored for the cardio routine it accompanies.

3. Timely cuing by Meghan.

4. Good variety of moves within each routine. The cardio boot camp routines use a mix of jumping, hopping, squats and running in place. I didn't find any of the routines excessively hard on the knees.

The negatives:

1. Backward directionals. I've done a number of exercise videos over the years and have never encountered an instructor who directs you to move left, while she appears (to the watcher) to be moving right. After a while, you get used to it, but it can be confusing at first.

2. Bad camera work and editing. Occasionally the camera focuses on Meghan's upper body when it should be showing you what her legs are doing.

3. Irritating voice. Meghan's voice is high-pitched, and the sound quality only accentuates its thinness. On the plus side, she doesn't have any annoying mannerisms, like saying the same phrase over and over, and she doesn't "cheer-lead" too much.

4. Occasionally the pace of the routine gets so fast it becomes difficult to maintain good form. In the second boot camp routine, one of the background exercisers uses a step for some of the moves. Because of the fast pace, she half-stumbles a couple of times, and it looks to me like the chance of injury using the step (which I've never tried) would be high, unless you're an experienced "stepper."

5. Limited instructions for the kickboxing moves. If you've never done any kickboxing, you may have trouble getting the proper form down, especially for the side kick. Other videos (Kathy Smith and Total Workout) offer better instruction for kickboxing.

6. Production values, including music, are less than stellar."

Cardio, Upper Body weights, Abs and Lower Body ALL on one DV

Sofie | NY | 10/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not an aerobics class fan or gym rat. I enjoy running and walking for my cardio and for 2 yrs I trained in karate and kickboxing 4 times a week. This is one of the few non-Pilates workouts I've ever purchased and the ONLY ONE that I actually use! It is just awesome! There are no silly dance steps or crazy choreography. The workouts are straight-forward, effective heart-pumping, fat burning, butt and ab toning sessions. The kickboxing is similar to a cardio box class that you'd get at a fitness club. If you have them, put on your boxing gloves for a little added difficulty and to get you feeling strong.



If you don't like bootcamp of kickbox workouts, this DVD is worth the price for the "Strength Training" session alone. The 12 min upper body weight workout had my toned like nothing has, and the lower body (squats, lunges and plyometric)and short ab sessions (10 min) are also fantastic. Some days I'll just do the upper body and the lower body strength sessions, or if I can get out for a run I'll do the abs after.



Winter is coming. Don't spend it on the couch. GET THIS PROGRAM NOW!!!!!"

Surefire Sweatfest!

Ashton Leigh | Henderson, Nevada | 06/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD will make you sweat! I like the variety and intensity of the cardio workouts. There are 4 options for cardio: 2 options for Cardio Kickboxing and 2 options for Cardio Bootcamp (sports drills and calisthenics). The cardio has basic and athletic choreography that is more high impact but easily modifiable to be less intense. It's really challenging. The strength training has 5 options: Upper Body, Lower Body, Total Body Strength and Total Body Abs. There are few negatives in this DVD: 1.Meghan's high pitched voice (which only happens on certain instances and not really annoying to me) AND Meghan doesn't mirror cue - i.e. if she says "right" it means HER right etc. (not a big deal to me since her movements are basic anyway so it's easy to follow).

Despite the few negatives, I am very pleased with this DVD and see myself doing this on a regular basis. Definitely a great buy!"