Review: Cardio Karate
I received the Cardio Karate series last week Friday. I ordered and got them in less than a week. I know there has been some negative things said about the company and about their website, but I wanted to give my personal opinion on the DVDs that I have done.
So far, I have done all three of Amy Bento's, which are Cardio Circuits, Cardio Intense and Cardio Complexes. I also did Greg Sim's Interval Core this morning. These have all been excellent workouts. They are super intense, with some high impact, but even without the impact they are intense. I felt thoroughly worked out when I finished them. The music in Amy's workouts were really driven music. Greg's music wasn't as driven as Amy's, but it was passable. I have never done any kind of workout like it ever. I have been buying home workouts for 17 years now. I would consider myself an advanced exerciser. I have a first degree black belt in kickboxing karate. These workouts have that feel for karate. The workouts really engage the whole body.
The moves do incorporate animal moves, which are really fun and focused at the same time. For instance, in the four DVDs I have done, the cat move is used. That being said, they use the cat move in a different way with each workout, such as straight out cat toward the front, or scoop lunge to the side and then add on a hop with a kick. These workouts are definitely total body workouts that do give the intensity tha other kickboxing workouts do not.
The lengths of the workouts vary. Cardio Intense has been the longest so far, it's 1:17 in length. Cardio Circuits is 1:03, Cardio Complex is :57 and then Interval Core is :57. There is a countdown, like BB DVDs on the bottom of the screen. I do like that, too.
There is a downside to these workouts, though. They aren't chaptered and of course, since they aren't chaptered, there aren't any premixes. We have been spoiled with chaptering. It would have made the DVDs much better to have chapters.
With Amy's workouts, the hardest one for me choreography wise was Cardio Intense she goes through four pods. They call each segment pods. The pods in this one are quite long. She does one side, then the other side and then alternates them from side to side. Once all four pods are done she TIFT, which was challenging to remember all four together. In Cardio Circuits, the pods are shorter and when she strings them together, it is much easier to get.
One other thing I didn't care for is in Amy's she does knock Tae Bo several time during her workout. I just don't believe in cutting down other workouts to make their workout look better. Just from doing the workout, I know they are better than Tae Bo, but why say it?
Cheryl
|