Hard Work Conditioning 2

This is the second of three Patrick Goudeau Hard Work Conditioning workouts, preceded by the original HWC followed by HWC 24/7. Having done all three workouts now, I would say this is the hardest of the three (and longest; definitely an advanced workout) but not as much fun as the others (still fun though). Lindal already provided a breakdown of the workout, so I am just going to add my opinions. Patrick works out with two women backgrounders (I recognized Stephanie Vitorino as one of them) and this workout has the same club-style music that the other two HWC workouts have - very fun and often in synch with the exercises. This workout, like the other HWCs, required a short rectangular step, I used the top section of my Transfirmer step which worked great.

DVD menu comments: You can choose to play the whole workout, however, if you only choose the upper body or lower body chapter, the warm up/cool down are not automatically added. There is also a warm up + abs + cool down option.

I think the reason this workout is harder than HWC and HWC 24/7 (with HWC being the easiest of the three) is that it works in a split format. Patrick tends to mix in a little bit of arms with the legs (the first 35 minutes or so of the workout) and some leg work in with the arms (the second 30 minutes or so), but I think the there are higher reps in this workout than in the other two HWCs, and with the split format does not allow breaks between muscle groups as much. (Note: I think the original HWC is also split into UB/LB, but it did not feel as focused as much as an overall total body workout).

Patrick structured each group of exercises as about 3-4 minutes focused on strength (about 3 or 4 different exercises), then set down the weights for cardio for about 2 minutes, then repeat the entire sequence (strength and cardio) on the other side. So the workout felt more like big supersets then smaller sequences, which once again increased the reps and fatigued the muscles faster. I thought the leg workout was harder (possibly due to the bigger cardio challenge) but the arm workout to be more fun. The leg workout included plenty of lunge and squat type variations; the arm workout had a variety of planks and pushups, and some twisting-type moves and crunches for the abs as well. The ab chapter was about 10 minutes long and was also a big superset, about 5 exercises then repeat everything on the other side. There were mostly crunch variations (worked the upper, lower, and obliques all well!) and two long sets of roll back to crunch then roll into a standing position. The cardio is very straight forward and uses the step in each sequence, and includes lots of high intensity jumps/jacks/fast feet/etc on and off the step with low impact recovery moves between high impact bursts.

Like HWC 24/7, this workout had the step situated perpendicular to the TV and it was sometimes hard to situate yourself and your step to best follow Patrick and the girls, and sometimes I nixed the step altogether to do some of the plank work, which was more comfortable on my padded floor than on the hard plastic step anyway.

As usual, Patrick makes the workout FUN. He moves quickly but never rushed, he cues nicely and mirror cued. He always tells you which poundage to pick up (lighter or heavier). The workout is LONG when done in entirety (about 80+ minutes) so I found it better to break it down over two days and then maybe add a short workout to round out the hour. But if you did the whole workout at once, that would be a huge calorie burner! The workout is definitely advanced but could be modified for intermediates, by varying the aerobic impact and by using lighter weights. Grade A!

Set: Simple, bright set

Background exercisers: 2 women I haven't seen in his previous dvds. They are fit and smiling. They wear dark pink sleeveless tops and black shorts with red and white piping. Patrick is wearing a black sleeveless top and long-ish grey shorts.

Props: 2 sets of weights (Patrick uses 8's and 10's) and a step with 2 risers on each side.

Music: Good, disco-y sounding. Loud enough, but wish there was an option for music louder.

Patrick: He looks great! I wish his shorts were a little shorter and a different color, but it's nothing I can't live with. He is VERY encouraging in this without being silly. I really enjoyed his screen presence. Not as giggly as in previous workouts, but still smiling and pleasant.

The total running time of the DVD is 85 minutes. 30 minutes for lower body, 30 for upper(which includes more legs and cardio), 10 for abs and 5 minutes for a stretch.

Warm Up:

Starts with a simple march to what Patrick calls a jog, but it's kind of like a hip swish (bounce from foot to foot with your legs in a "v")

Step reach side to side with a squat reach in the middle

Jumps back and forth over the step with a step to a plank with one hand on the step after each jump. After several reps, 5 push ups on one side

Rest briefly with arm swings and then repeat.

Straddle step and jump up and down, do some pulse squats for 4, then jump up and down for 4, speed up to jumping up and down on step.

Round 1

Light weights at shoulder, step up and over your step, progress to up and over to shoulder press, progress to up and over with shoulder press, bicep curl and back lunge.

Slow back lunge to front lunge to front lunge with no weights and a balance in the middle

Pick up weights and squat up and down, picking up and placing down weights. Progress to squat down, pick up weights and lift to bicep curl, squat back down and put down weights, stand and repeat.

What Patrick called "Warior Lunge." You're in the warrior position and you windmill your arms with light weights while you do a deep lunge on the leg with the foot facing forward. Opposite leg stays straight.

After doing this on one side, you move to cardio. Warning: this looks incredible tough, in a good way.

Cardio: step facing the screen

Straddle step up and down star slow, then double time it. Move to jacks up and down on the step and then move to a step side leg extension keeping your leg on the step bent in a low squat. Repeat. I think this is about 4 minutes long.

Repeat legs on opposite side and repeat cardio

Round 2: Patrick uses heavier weights, just one

Legs: You're straddling the step and move to a curtsy lunge and bring your knee up before replacing your foot back beside the step.

Jump squats up and down with a tricep extension

Speed skaters with your heavy weight with a curtsy lunge added on each side. You toss your weight to the outside hand each time you switch sides.

Pick up your light weights.

Squat to an upper body extension. Think of the jump reach move from IMax -I where your top arm is extended above your head, but at an angle.

Tap, walk 3 steps, side to side behind the step holding weights.

Cardio:

Shuffles at back of step, jump up and off your step to a jumping jack and then do some line taps.

Repeat legs, repeat cardio

Round 3:

Holding your weights (light, I think), back lunge to front lunge on the step moving your arms like you're running.

Balance on one bent leg on top of step, but keep your arms like they're running.

A superman-type move, but with your arms extended to the floor, raise up and extend your leg to the front and do an overhead press

Static lunge with back leg lift

Cardio:

Plank jacks, regular jacks, weightless side lunge to bunny hop over the step. Progress to lunge to bunny hop.

Repeat legs, repeat cardio.

The upper body section is just as tough as the lower body section. Think Strength in Movement meets Drill Max. Your whole body is moving nearly all the time. There are also a ton of great balance moves incorporated. I like that Patrick is constantly progressing from one simple move to more difficult variations. It gives the option for modifiers. One point: The cardio sections a very high impact. If you are used to modifying, it's doable with your own low impact options. There is no on-screen modifyer.

Here is the first section:

You start off with your step parallel to the screen and do 8 reps of a standard chest press with a wrist rotation at the top.

This progresses into this move where you press the weights up, roll up to a low squat over your step while keeping your arms straight out and parallel to the floor, then roll back down and do another 2 chest presses. This is repeated 8 times.

The very next move with no rest time - stand to your low squat and start doing tricep kickbacks. After several reps, begin a 3 count squat with a shoulder press when you stand.

Then go right into what Patrick calls a cannon push up. This is a variation of what Anthony Diluglio calls corkscrew pushups. You stay on your toes in plank position and move your hips back to your heels, then shoot forward and go down into a pushup.

>From there you do 8 total reps of 2 and 3 point planks, which at this point in the workout are super tough. My triceps were quivering.

Then Patrick moves to cardio with a leg toning factor. Standing at the side of your step, you step up, tap, then step down and touch the step. This progresses to touching the floor. Then finally, he has you stay in a low tap position and do a static tap and reach.

Again, this is just the first section. It's repeated on the other side of the step, as is the cardio. There are a total of 3 very tough, full body (including abs with all the plank work and other interesting moves that incorporate core) sections plus the cardio bursts in this section.

The upper body section follows the same format at the lower body: Do the exercise on one side, follow with cardio and repeat. I like this pattern because then you can really get some serious reps in without having your heartrate go down.

The ab section at the end is also very tough, but doable and fun. I like that Patrick is super encouraging without being hyper our shouting. He does have a few repeat phrases, "You guys" and "I love this" but they aren't annoying - at least to me. What's so cute is that in the credits section there is a big "OH MY GOSH, thanks to my fans." I find Patrick very sincere and motivating.

The stretch was also good and incorporated long holds and balance moves. The workout runs 85 minutes and I have to say the time flew. Again, it is super tough. I consider myself advanced and there were a few times where I just looked at the screen and said, "You want me to do WHAT?" Inevitably, the exercises were do-able, but they do come one right after the other and previewing is a must.

Grade: A++