Kathy Timesaver Cardio Fat Burning

[Guest guest]

This VHS tape from 1998 has two 20-minute workouts. The first one is the one I did. Kathy calls it a "progressive combination routine in which simple low-impact movements are added together to build up to a fun 20-minute fat burning workout." I must disagree.

"Progressive": yeah, right... she throws things in out of NOWHERE with almost no cueing. There's a ton of TIFTing, which helps but ugh.

"Low-impact": Sure, if you define low impact as springing up into the air on one foot and coming down on the other. Most of the workout was lower impact (not the move I just described though) but most of it were things like you do a little hop or jump as you do what started as a double side-step so not "high" impact but definitely more than just a double side-step. She talks about keeping things low if you want to but no modifications are shown.

"Fun:" Mmmm... yeah, especially if you like a very large cast of backgrounders all miked and all shouting and whooping spontaneously CONTINUOUSLY, a director who got a little too excited about what the camera can do like sloooowing down the speed, showing things filmed and live within the same 1 minute period, lots of flashing, colored lights and other seriously distracting stuff also CONTINUOUSLY and backgrounders coming down to help "lead" the workout (they're on a variety of circular platforms at various heights) in a steady string of distraction.

I tried this once before and I don't think I even got to the end of it. I tried it again today as I'm on a quest to declutter my workouts and boy, am I decluttering this one! I did quit about 10 minutes into it (and I had planned to do both workouts). I even went and got another short workout, put it in the DVD player and then decided I was not going to let this get to me, I was going to start all over and go to the end, just to conquer it. And I did. I actually started to catch on to some of the moves and knew what was coming next (which was important because she cues horribly in this one because she's so busy doing best buddies things with the backgrounders who are moving around, "How ya doin', Kathy?" is said at least twice as some came down to "assist"). It didn't help though. I could have this thing totally memorized and I would still hate it because it is total sensory overload for me. I did actually end up with a decent cardio workout from it. It is VERY high energy and much more intense than I was expecting (solid intermediate level probably) but I will never do it again unless someone pays me a lot of money to do it (a LOT of money).

I fast forwarded to the "bonus" 7-minute stretch and watched some of the 2nd workout as I did. It is supposed to a hi-lo routine with "calorie bursts" of intensity. It looked more dancey than the first workout (that was mostly simple moves which was one saving grace) and just as frenetic and I will not be forcing myself to do it... ever. The stretch was lousy too. She doesn't hold most stretches decently long and doesn't discuss modifications much for people who are not as flexible.

Ugh. After the wonderful surprise experience I had with her "Fat Burning Workout" the other day this was even more disappointing. Well, at least it is one less bit of clutter now!