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Fast-Paced Workout

Rebecca Johnson | Washington State | 05/08/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

""The weather is always fine inside." ~Michelle Dozois



Michelle Dozois has a ton of energy and if you are used to the Walk Away the Pounds workouts, this is going to take you to the next level. In fact, this might be more like "aerobics" than "walking." If you are looking for a challenge, you will find three levels to choose from. There are "power moves" that raise the intensity.



During the cooldown segment the music is not choreographed correctly and continues at a hyper pace while your body is moving into a more relaxed pace. It just doesn't feel right.



Will you burn fat while doing this workout? You bet! It is intense, there are three levels to choose from and you can alternate between the levels because at times all three levels are shown at the same time in a split screen format. My body broke out into a full-body sweat and I could feel the burn during most of the workout.



My DVD case didn't have the "bonus booklet" they advertise on the cover.



Disadvantages of this workout: TWISTY KNEE MOVES



If you have any knee issues at all, avoid this workout.



If "Walk Away the Pounds" is coordination level 1-3, this is coordination level 6-10. While you don't need any equipment, this is more like aerobics and I'd recommend this for intermediate to advanced exercise video veterans.



Fast paced, high energy, lots of creativity and a real challenge.



~The Rebecca Review"

Combine Walking & Basic Aerobics to Burn Calories

blueyed puella | CT, USA | 09/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Combine Walking & Basic Aerobics to Burn Calories

Workout Description: 35 minutes cardio (basic aerobics moves derived from walking steps) with 5 minute warm-up & stretch and 5 minute cool-down & stretch for a total of 45 minutes

Workout Level: mid-beginner to mid-/high-intermediate; can be modified to be low, mid-, or high impact; fairly basic choreography

Instructor: Michelle Dozois (Certified instructor; former National and World Aerobic Champion; co-owner of Breaththru Fitness, a personal training and Pilates studio). Michelle is energetic and enthusiastic but not too hyper or chatty. She cues well, announcing the move before she begins it (although sometimes she cues a little too much in advanced).

Class: 2 women: one shows low impact modifications and the other shows high impact modifications while Michelle demonstrates mid-impact moves. This video is exceptionally well designed, as all three modifications are shown at the same time.

Music / Set: The beat-driven instrumental music is fairly standard workout music and isn't very exciting. The interior set is brightly lit and colored.

Equipment Needed: sneakers

Caveats: Even though all exercisers are on carpet, be careful with the shuffles and small pivots (turns) if you are also on carpet.

Additional Comments: You don't need a lot of space for this workout. You need to be able to kick forward, take one large step back, and take two fairly large steps to each side.

This is a great video to grow with. True beginners may find it a bit challenging because of its length, but you can always stop at the half-way point and fast forward to the cool-down. If you want to increase the intensity of Level 1 (low impact) but don't want to add the jumps, you can always borrow the Level 3 arm movements.

I got this expecting it to be a light workout, but I was wrong. As they say, you get out of it what you put into it. As a mid-intermediate exerciser, I found that the Level 2 was great for me, although I've since moved up to Level 3. Some people may find this workout too repetitive, especially since Michelle is very consistent with her cues and phrases. I personally like this, because after doing the workout a few times I'm able to put my energy into my moves rather than figuring out what comes next or when.

This is a great routine to teach basic aerobics moves. When you feel like you've mastered the steps, you might want to check out Kathy Smith's TimeSaver Cardio Fat Burner, which has 2 short more complex aerobics routines, or her Peak Fat Burning, which has 3 levels and simple aerobic moves just like Walk Your Way Slim. When you get up to Level 2 and 3 on this video, you can make this into interval-style training by pushing yourself during the "hit your level" moves and letting your heart rate "recover" or come down a little bit during the other times. This will help you increase your cardiovascular capacity.

The DVD allows you to select your chapter. There are no extras."

Don't be fooled, ladies!

M. Sheehan | Chicago, IL | 01/06/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Is this a powerful workout? Sure. Will it make you sweat? Absolutely! But is it a "walking" workout? No way. In my opinion, this is a true medium-impact aerobic workout. I liked that there were 3 levels to choose from so you can customize your workout, but the title is totally misleading. I consider myself to be in shape, but I do have knee problems, which were aggrivated after this workout. Like a few reviewers have already said, you're probably better off not purchasing this tape if you have knee issues; there IS jogging involved in levels 2 and 3. I much prefer Leslie Sansone's WATP series, as they're effective yet low-impact, and they involve using weights to tone the arms. All in all, I'm somewhat disappointed I spent my money on this particular workout."

Loved this

Boswell | England | 03/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm English, and I wanted to add some American fitness DVDs to my collection; this was one of those I randomly chose. It's great, it really is. Another reviewer suggests it is more like aerobics than walking, and I guess there is some truth in that (though nothing is complicated or dancy), but it is an EXCELLENT low impact, high sweat programme that is loads of fun. I exercise at least 6 times a week so I do the highest of the three levels on offer but the other two are good as well, and make this suitable for most ages and fitness levels. I'd imagine it would be really satisfying as a beginner to start at level one and work your way up. The cueing is first rate, and the exercisers, including the trainer, all look as though they are having a good time too. I bought one of Leslie Sansone's programmes, and while that was okay I didn't like the praise-heaven peppiness and didn't feel I got a serious cardio workout from it (one for light days); this, on the other hand,is cheerful without being annoying and definitely burns off that fat. Excellent value, too."