DVD Reviews: Total Knockout Body and Billy Blanks Cardio Bootcamp

Winter weather has totally ruined my running schedule because at times the ice and snow in the roads did not make for safe running conditions, and the university gym was closed as well. Thus, I have been doing more workouts at home, so I thought I’d review two of the new DVDs I’ve used recently. I got both of these DVDs for Christmas and have used each one 3 times.

10 Minute Solution: Total Knockout Body!

This DVD came with a pair of weighted gloves (in a fun, bright pink color-yes!), and like all of the 10 Minute Solution workouts, it is divided into five ten-minute segments that you can customize. You can do just one of the workouts, select a few to do, or do all five at once. Here’s a description of each of the segments from Amazon.com :

“Knockout Body Blast – This kickboxing workout mixes combinations of cardio and strength moves for tightening and toning all-over.

Fat Attack – Punch, Kick and strike away flab. Fat cells don’t stand a chance against this total body, cardio kickboxing routine.

Fierce & Fabulous Abs – This segment elevates the heart rate while attacking your abs and lower back to develop a strong, slim midsection with killer curves.

Ultimate Upper Body – Punches are the ultimate upper body workout! Sculpt a sizzling back plus sexy arms and shoulders, with this boxing-inspired cardio sculpt segment.

Kickbox Cross Train – Use cardio, core, endurance, and power moves in this cross-training combo. Develop your kickboxing form while you blast away fat and shape your knockout body.”

The best segment for cardio is definitely the Fat Attack one, but all of the segments kept my heart rate fairly elevated. I also really liked the abs segment because it was a lot of “crunchless“ core work. The gloves also add an additional challenge, but the workouts could be done without them as well. The one drawback is that the gloves get rather sweaty when I wear them, and they’re a little chunky, but I suppose that’s unavoidable. Overall I really like this DVD and the variety it offers. I highly recommend it.

Billy Blanks: Cardio Bootcamp Live

I confess that one of the reasons I purchased this one is that it was only $5 on Amazon. It is a 30 minute live workout with Billy and his workout crew, many of whom I recognized from his other videos. The short workout is perfect for mornings when I am pressed for time, and it gets my heart rate up and keeps it there. If you’re at all familiar with Billy Blanks, you know he’s all about using kickboxing moves and all about keeping things moving at a fast pace. The workout could be a little hard to follow for beginners, as he calls out instructions for the next move without really indicating how that move is done, but it’s easy to catch on.

What I didn’t know before I bought the DVD is that about half of the workout utilizes something called the “Billy Bands,” which are basically resistance tubes as far as I can tell. I just do the workout without them, and while I think it would definitely be more challenging and effective with the added resistance, I still think I got a good workout without the bands and won’t be buying them just to use with this one DVD. The fact that the video is live amused me a bit, as I don’t know what added benefit that has, and at one point the microphone that one of Billy’s assistants is using stops working, and so I kind of giggled the first time I saw her talking into and then realizing that no one could hear her. One thing I do appreciate about his videos is that the people in them are actually sweating and grimacing and working hard, and not merely looking happy and sporting flawless makeup. It’s a good workout, and it was definitely worth 5 bucks. 😉

I also have Jillian Michaels’ DVD No More Trouble Zones, but I have been a wimp and haven’t tried it yet. 🙂

Have you tried any good workout DVDs lately? 

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