Rediscovering KCM
 

So I did Body Shop this week after the DVD had sat on my shelf for over a year. I really enjoyed it. That means that I now have to buy more KCM DVDs. :D

I once had some of her cardio workouts, but did not click with them, so I'd like to stick to strength and/or metabolic workouts. So here is what I'm looking at:

Weights
Your Best Body
Lean Body Circuits
Circuit Burn

I'm an advanced exerciser so I want a challenge somewhere around that level. However, I am also a lazy exerciser, which means that I don't want to think too much about how to modify something UP to make it more challenging. Using heavier weights is about as much thinking as I want to do about how to change a workout. :p

Do you think these workouts would be suitable for me? I think most of them are listed as Int-Adv on Mary's site.

Thanks!

of the 4 you mentioned, i have:
weights
lean body circuits
circuit burn (only did sculpting & legs premix so far)

Weights - you can heavy up to make it more challenging.
LBC - has cardio drills in it, and there's a burpee-like move in the 2nd workout
CB - i used light weights (up to 8# DBs) since it has short cardio spurts in it

i don't recall having to modify up on these - i prefer doing intermediate level if cardio drills are thrown in, but with lifting i will lift as heavy as is safe for me, depending on the move. some people have noted that Kelly has awkward moves for the sake of being creative, but none of these have that.

the 4 you're deciding on are all pretty good, and get lots of raves here on VF. i selected the above based on people's reviews here on VF.

None of these are advanced, but I think can be made more challenging by upping the weights. Int/Adv is the correct rating if you match/exceed Kelly on weight selection.

ETA: I'm intermediate, if that helps.

I have Lean Body circuits. In my personal notes I wrote to go heavy on the weights. I enjoy it. I don't have the others. I've tried a bunch of KCM and I don't click with all of them but I love her.

I just did the first workout in Muscle Definition. Haven't done that one in about a year. It's a thorough tough weight workout -- mostly upper body! Also, the first workout clocks in at 41 mins with the warm up and cool down -- just a heads up.

Also the weight workout on Cardio Pump is excellent!

That's why I shied away from Muscle Definition: I want more of a balanced workout (between lower and upper).

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Keep it coming! I'm hit or miss with KCM so I want to get a lot of opinions.

Of the ones listed, I have Circuit Burn and Your Best Body. Actually, I just did Workout 1 from YBB this morning. :)

YBB is a high-rep workout. I use light (shoulders/triceps) to moderate (back/biceps/chest) weights for upper body due the number/tempo of the reps but can go heavy for lower body.

The workout is set up so that you alternate 8 reps of two different exercises for the same upper body part for 3-5 sets. Then you work lower body, then standing core as a "rest." Then this sequence repeats with a different upper body part, different lower body move, and different standing core. With warm up and cool down it is a bit longer than 30 minutes -- probably around 35.

The premixes have an option to replace the standing core work with cardio segments. There are lots of other premix options as well but I am blanking on them at the moment.

I highly recommend Circuit Burn, it's one of my favorites. Lots of premix options. The workout can be done as circuits, intervals, all cardio, all strength, etc.

I am an intermediate exerciser and find these workouts challenging but doable. I think you could make them more advanced by upping the weights.

Steph

All of Kelly's workouts tend to emphasize the upper body more--if you look at the premixes, if she splits upper/lower, the upper is always MUCH longer! Kelly tends to save the lower body work for "rests." I am guessing that with her body type, she prefers upper body work and is more suited to it.

I am like muggle--I LOVE Kelly (she is from my hometown!), but I haven't clicked with all of her workouts. I thought I would love Lean Body Circuits b/c I could do the cardio on my recumbent bike, but I found the cardio totally boring and repetitive.

Here are my thoughts of the rest of the ones you mentioned:

Your Best Body - a favorite! Kelly does LONG supersets in this one, so I think it can certainly be made advance by upping the weights--I'm intermediate but I have LOWER mine for this one. :eek:

Weights - I wound up trading this. I do like how it has the choice of cardio or abs rests (which YBB has as well), but I got tired of it after awhile, esp. given that there were a few moves I didn't like at all (eg, "knees-chest-chin").

Circuit Burn - I like kickboxing, so I enjoy this one. The biggest advantage (for me) is that it is one of the MOST customizable workouts that Kelly has put out, with a huge variety in the premixes--I can do Boxing & Legs; Cardio & Boxing; Boxing & Sculpting; Cardio, Boxing, & Legs, etc. etc.!

[Just for comparison purposes, I had Body Shop as well and liked some things about it (the hurdles were cool!), but ultimately, I found I wasn't enjoying it--ironically, I think I may have traded it for Lean Body Circuits.]

You might like the Cardio Pump one then. It has seven segments if I recall correctly and two of those are for legs. Each segment is 3 minutes and covers one body part. It's pyramid style and she goes down in weight poundage. Each 3 minute segment has 3 moves -- one minute each. Low dread factor -- solid workout!

Ronnee

Out of the ones listed, I like Lean Body Circuits the best. It may be my favorite KCM workout actually. I really enjoy the weight work and the cardio moves are fun, though I confess that I skip the hi-lo segments at times.

I also like Plateau Buster (the no repeat premix :)), and the weight segment of Cardio Pump quite a bit.