Kathy Smith - Cardio Knockout (DVD, 2006)

I have watched the entire DVD but so far have only done the Tai Chi and the Kickboxing. The Tai Chi exercise isn't really tai chi but a workout inspired by it. It was OK and a bit relaxing but not what I expected. The kickboxing workout got me very sweaty and was a lot of fun. For the most part they show you the steps very slowly and then pick up the pace. I wish they had gone even slower and showed me the moves better because some of the sequences had me stumbling around not sure of what exactly they were doing. Even though it was hard to keep up I got a pretty good workout out of it. After the kickboxing there are some slower workouts to help you practice your kicking and to strengthen your muscles. I watched the aeroboxing part and it looked easy at first but there is some jump roping in there and I am horrible at jump roping. I would only recommend those in pretty good shape to do the first workout, those in moderate shape for the second one, and anyone can do the last one. Overall it's a very effective and fun workout!

I like this workout because Kathy is really easy to follow, and the pieces are difficult, but not so difficult that they can't be done. I have to say I don't like one of the segments because there is another trainer leading it, and he's not as easy to follow as Kathy Smith. But after a couple weeks of doing this 3-4 times each week, I have already lost weight and my butt and thighs are toner. I even have bicep muscles to show off for the first time in my life!!

I previosuly owned the Kathy Smith's Kickboxing workout on VHS and totally loved it because it helped me tone and slim down. When I switched to a DVD player I had a difficult time finding the same workout on DVD until now. The best part is that this DVD not only includes the Kickboxing work out but it has two other work outs that are easy to follow and gives you a great work out as well. The way the workouts are laid out really focuses on making sure you're doing the moves the correct way and gives a good amount of time for warm up to prevent injuries. In addition because there are three different workouts on one dvd you can alternate the workouts everyday.

Kathy Smith's foray into the world of Kickboxing is an excellent addition to any home fitness collection. As another reviewer stated - you begin to feel the burn during the warm-up! You can choose to play the DVD as a 45 minute beginner workout or as a 55 minute challenge. Note: The "challenge" is the 45 minute workout with some supplemental material tacked on the end. Kathy leads the initial 45 minute workout. The challenge material features Keith Cooke (a martial arts champion/expert who appears in numerous Hollywood movies, including Beverly Hills Ninja) demonstrating some very cool moves that you can follow along with. A nice cool-down stretch is included, as is a brief segment of "light toning" that contains moves that will help you put more power behind your kicks and stabilize your core muscles. Also present on the DVD is a short Tai-Chi inspired workout led by one of Kathy's back-up exercisers.

In summary: For the average home exerciser this will be a quality addition to your library and a superb introduction to Kickboxing.

Kathy Smith is essentially learning along with you to do the moves and have good form while a "specialist" from the sport you are modeling after gives you a cardio workout. Kathy bumbles around as she tries to 'learn' the workouts which makes her look silly because it is her workout and not the dude thats teaching her how to uppercut. I love kathy and her health tips from her website but this is clearly not her best.. along with the shaper ball workout.. that one was less than great too.