MMA Boxing Question

[ennea4]

Hi Everyone,

I've been a lurker here for some time. I'd say I'm a high-intermediate/low advanced exerciser. My favorite dvds are Cathe (B & G, KPC, L & G, Gym Series, BC/ME), Amy's Slo-Mo, Jari Love, and the Squeezes. In general, I love strength training and yoga (Shiva Rea, Erich, and others). Haven't had much success finding cardio workouts I enjoy (though, I do feel an aerobic benefit from the Jari and muscle endurance type workouts).

Anyway, I recently acquired some aerobic dvd's, and I'm trying to decide which to keep and which to return. These are my reactions after trying them:

Amy Kickbox Surge & Core: It's okay. She's got sloppy form. Hurts my ankle a little with the directional changes. I like KPC and Powerstrike 5 better, but I think I'll keep this one for the variety. Wish I could find copies of Powerstrikes 1 and 2, because Ilaria inspires me.

Cathe MMA Fusion: This was fun, but not very aerobic. I'm leaning toward keeping it.

Cathe CCC: I didn't like Cathe's choice of ab exercises, so I modified. The cardio part is good, and I think I'll keep it.

I returned Amy's Hi Lo Knockout. Hated the choreography. I thought it would be more of a kickboxing DVD.

I returned Cardiobarre Advanced. I tried it several times, because it got such good reviews. But, I detested the high speed flailing. It bored me out of my mind. And, I felt it more in my joints than muscles.

I just tried Olajide's Savage and Serene tonight and hated it for the same reason I hated Cardiobarre. The punches are way too fast (and monotonous). It tired out my shoulders and biceps, but didn't have much of an overall cardio benefit for me. I'd rather burn out my legs and save my arms for my weight workouts.

I've contemplated buying Insanity, but again, I really don't want upper body/push-ups focussed cardio dvds (I want to save my wrists/arms for my strength workouts. Also, I have to use/overuse my arms professionally).

I strongly dislike highly choreographed step workouts and aerobic dance workouts (though, I'd be interested in a bellydance dvd, if I could find one that is sufficiently advanced in terms of the cardio challenge.

My questions are:

1) Since I didn't like Olajide's routine, is it likely I wouldn't like Cathe's MMA boxing either?

2) Any other aerobics oriented (non-step, or minimal step) dvd suggestions? I'm leaning toward buying Cathe's HIIT, but will it be sufficiently challenging without a step? (I do have a FIRM tall box, and I modify with my rebounder when she gets too high impact.)

Thanks in advance. I have learned so much from lurking here, and I'm so looking forward to reading your suggestions/insights.

 

[LauraMax]

No, MMA boxing is very different than Olijade's. Cathe puts together combos with upper & lower body drills in between, as opposed to Olijade's straight punching drills. And her speed is slower. The bag section at the end is just phenomenal. That section alone makes the DVD well worth it.

You might want to check out some Kimberly Spreen also. Absolute Kickbox is really creative & unique--it has 3 sections of kickbox & 3 sections of body bar combos that are basic but super fun, & it has premixes that allows you to alternate the KB/bodybar combos or do KB first, bodybar second. Her hi/lo kickboxing is a lot of fun too.

Also Tracey Staehle's Cardio Kickbox Challenge, Strike Zone, & her new DVD Cardio Kickbox Challenge, have short, basic combos that are very intense. She might just be my favorite KB instructor out there. Oh, & her hi/lo med ball DVD is a blast.

Good luck & have fun!

 

[morningstar]

And I would just add that Insanity really doesn't have an upper body focus, in my opinion. It does have a few push ups, but they are not the point of the workouts. Given what you've said above, I think you might really like them.

Welcome to non-lurker-hood!

 

[ennea4]

Insanity?

That's interesting what you said about Insanity not being upper body focussed, Morningstar. I had gotten the impression from clips I've seen that there were a million push-ups in that series. Can you explain this a little more? Thanks.

 

[AngelaP]

I will second the recommendation for Kimberly Spreen's kickbox workouts. Absolute Kickbox is one of my favorites and she has a newer one out, but the name escapes me right now. It also very good and it uses a body bar and a medicine ball.

Insanity is not upper body focused at all. There are some drills that include pushups, but that is only a fraction of the entire system. Shaun T is GREAT.

 

[ennea4]

Insanity

Thanks Laura, Angela and Morningstar. I'm leaning toward getting Insanity, since I already have kickboxing dvds, and I'm intrigued by the idea of adding some variety. Do you think some/all of Shaun T's moves can be done on a rebounder? I typically do as much as I can on the rebounder, and do the rest on the floor (but don't jump as high).

BTW, I did Aero Sculpt tonight for the first time, and I like it better than Savage and Serene (it was more aerobic with all the jumping). I wish Olajide put both of those workouts on one DVD with premixes. It would have been ideal to do about 10 minutes of the Aero Sculpt routines interspersed with about 2 minutes of the Savage and Serene routines (after about 2 minutes, my heart rate went way down doing the Savage routines.