Rave Tracey Staehle's Total Body Bootcamp Metabolic Conditioning

[icebergslim]

First off, I am not a raving fan of Tracey Staehle.

I like her personality but her workouts for me, in the past have been disconnected. Most of her vids I have gotten rid of, with the exception of her later kickboxing which I did connect with. With that being said, I thought very hard before purchasing this dvd. What got me was the clips, that she was a participant and not the leader and that it had a personal trainer/bootcamp vibe.

That is what I got.

The frame of this workout reminds me of the RKS Doug Challenges. These challenges gives you the exercises and it is up to you to complete the most rounds you can without stopping. Therefore, you are not really paying attention to the pace of the exercisers, but focusing on trying to keep track of the exercises you need to complete.

This is the feel of Tracey's bootcamp.

I previewed the workouts and today did Workout Number One.

This workout is the easiest of the other two. 30 seconds on with 15 seconds off. The warmup is a mixture of some of the exercises you will do, so it is an active warmup.

You complete 4 sets of 6 exercises, upon completion of each set is a 1 minute rest. The exercises are burpees (I did squat thrusts), jump squats, jump lunges (I did regular lunges), plank jacks/hops, mountain climbers and star jumps. When you are done, you feel it.

Then you have 2 tabata finishers. 8 rounds of two exercises (4 rounds for each exercise, equaling 8). The time for this round is 10 sec on/15 sec off. The two exercises are squat jumps and plank jacks/hops. The next tabata finisher is for the core. 20 second on/10 seconds off. Same set up as above and the two exercises are toe touch and scissors.

I added this workout on after finishing one of my Skogg kb workouts.

The whole setup of this workout is to do what you can in the time given. So, you won't have time looking at the exercisers, trying to keep up because everyone is at their own pace. The trainer, Dustin Linden is in the bootcamp mode, gives you motivation. There is voice over by Tracey but it is for time, letting you know when you are half way through your exercise, when you are complete and countdown to the next workout through the break. There is also option for less talking/vocals for this workout. And I understand why. Once you get the exercises down, you can mute the voices and put your own music on.

The production on this is not as polished as some of her other workouts, but I think she was trying to portray a more trainer/client feel. The production on the RKS set is 100% times better, but the set is more costly also.

Overall, for this first set that I completed, I am satisfied. You will get what you put into it and these workouts are great for finishers to other workouts you are doing. If you remove the 2 tabata finishers the workout is around 30 minutes. Less, if you do not perform the warm up and cool down.

Tomorrow I will review Workout #2 of this dvd which comprises a kettlebell or dumbell, sandbag or medicine ball, suspension trainer (option for those not having one) and gliding discs or paper plates.

[Vee]

I preordered both bootcamps but have not done them yet because my rotation is kettlebells. This post makes me want to try.

[kariev34]

Thanks for this review. I just ordered this one and her other new one. I like the set up on these and love how they show modifications based on what equipment you have.

[Dowhatuluv]

I did the first workout on the strength DVD last night. The workout is set-up like the first workout on the metabolic conditioning DVD detailed above by icebergslim. You perform 6 exercises for 30 seconds/15 sec rest and complete 4 rounds. The exercises are (I don't think I have them in the correct order!):

-KB swings
-KB high pull
-Lunge front/back w/dumbbells
-Pushup w/toetouches
-Shoulder press w/ dumbbells while in bridge position
-Plank jacks or plank hops

There is a finisher--squat jumps & squat holds

I really enjoyed this workout--I felt like I was in a personal training session. Good, tough workout for under 40 minutes especially if you work it at your maximum level. The workout reminded of RKS.

Is there a rotation for these workouts? Has anyone developed one? Thanks!

[Helen S]

Thanks for the reviews. These sound good.

[lynfield]

Is there a rotation for these workouts? Has anyone developed one? Thanks![/QUOTE]

Tracey Staehle posted a rotation for these workouts.


Week #1

Sunday - Yoga Solutions
Monday - TBBC MCWO#1 - full workout
Tuesday - TBBC Strength #1 full workout
Wednesday - TBBC MCWO#1 Full Workout
Thursday - TBBC Strength #1 Full workout
Friday - Sculpt Sweatfest - first 30 mins + TBBC Any 2 Finishers & Any 2 Tabatas
Saturday - The Parts Series - Strictly Upper Body + MCWO#1 Bootcamp Only

Week #2

Sunday - Yoga Solutions - pick a 45 min premix
Monday - TBBC Strength WO#2 - Full workout
Tuesday - TBBC MCWO#2 full workout
Wednesday - TBBC Strength WO#2 - Full Workout
Thursday - TBBC MCWO#2 - Full workout
Friday - The Parts Series 2nd 1/2 of the WO + 1 Finisher & 1 Tabata from TBBC
Saturday - TBBC MCWO#2 Bootcamp Only + The Parts Series Pilates

Week #3

Sunday - Yoga Solutions
Monday - TBBC MCWO#3 - full workout
Tuesday - TBBC Strength #3 full workout
Wednesday - TBBC MCWO#3 Full Workout
Thursday - TBBC Strength #3 Full workout
Friday - Sculpt Sweatfest - first 30 mins + The Parts Series: Total Body
Saturday - The Parts Series - Strictly Upper Body + MCWO#1 Bootcamp Only

Week #4 - Recovery Week

Sunday - Yoga Solutions
Monday - TBBC Strength WO#2 Bootcamp Only
Tuesday - The Parts Series - Total Body + Pilates
Wednesday - The Parts Series Yoga + Core Blast any of the 3 sections
Thursday - Cardio Sweatfest - Hi/Lo
Friday - TBBC Strength WO#2 Bootcamp Only
Saturday - Sculpt Sweatfest 1st 30 mins + Pilates from The Parts Series

[acescholar]

I really like these workouts, and I was relieved to find that you don't need a TRX. The couple of exercises that use the TRX have great modifications. On the squat/upper body move that uses the TRX, I do the body squat variation holding handweights (curling up and then pressing back with the weights) and I feel it well!

I have been doing workouts 2 and 3 together (only one w/u and one c/d) and I feel pretty spent by the end.

One caveat, though -- if you don't like squats, Metabolic Bootcamp is not for you. Tons and tons of squats -- jump squats, fast squats, slower squats, squat holds, squats with bands....

[Kathryn]

Drat, I thought I was safe from being interested in these.

Like Icebergslim, I've tried to like Tracey's workouts, but with very few exceptions (like her last KB workout), I ended up disappointed, and getting rid of them. To have another "non-fan" of Tracey's rave about it makes me want to check them out.

[icebergslim]

Originally Posted by Kathryn

Drat, I thought I was safe from being interested in these.

Like Icebergslim, I've tried to like Tracey's workouts, but with very few exceptions (like her last KB workout), I ended up disappointed, and getting rid of them. To have another "non-fan" of Tracey's rave about it makes me want to check them out.

Kathryn, trade for them or try them out. I just got this one, but I am willing to let you try it in a few weeks.

[icebergslim]

This workout is the same concept as I described above. Only this time it is 40/20. 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off.

This workout has 5 exercises, Tracey is the trainer and Dustin was an exerciser. Tracey was all business and I mean in a training mode. The voice over is the same as I described above only this time equipment is used.

The workouts are Over Under, Kettlebell Frog Jumps (or plie squat with the kb in both hands), Medicine Ball Slam (they use a large med ball and one uses a sand bag, but any one will do and you can change this workout up and still get the same intensity), TRX squat jumps (or squat jumps or just squatting), TRX mountain climbers (or gliding disc mountain climber or just mountain climbers)

This workout has variety. Meaning that if you don't have a suspension trainer, you can opt for what others are doing. Every exercise shows the variation of the same workout with or without equipment. For the kettlebell you can substitute a dumbbell with no issue.

These exercises were done 4 times with 1 minute rest after each set.

The first tabata finisher was 10/15. 10 seconds on and 15 seconds off for the first set. It was 2 exercises done 8 times, meaning 4xs for each exercise. The exercises were body weight squats and squat thrusts.

The second tabata finisher was 20/10. 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off. The setup is the same as the first tabata and the exercises were squat jumps and low squat hold.

Overall, I liked this workout, too. For me, I liked that I had options if I wanted to do jump squats or squats. If I wanted to do gliding mountain climbers or regular ones. Those who have a TRX suspension trainer should like this workout too.

This workout flew by and was an add on for me after I finished my skogg kb workout, so I was done.

Again, it has a trainer/client feel and your motivation is to finish as many reps, high intensity that you can.

Tomorrow, I will report on Workout 3 of this DVD. I have not purchased her other counterpart to this one, but since I am enjoying these workouts on this DVD, I will purchase the other one, too.