Walk And Kick

This workout was a great idea on paper but suffered in the translation. The DVD starts out with Leslie's intro, and honestly, I busted out laughing. She talks about those new-fangled workouts that all those crazy kids are doing at them thar clubs. Seriously, she sounds like a grandfather and before you know it, she'll be talking about those 20 mile walks to school in the good ole days. Her goal is to bring some of kickboxing's moves to her walk workouts, and on that level, it works. After the warm up, she alternates a few minutes of fairly fast paced (for Leslie) walk aerobics with a few minutes of lower paced kickbox-inspired moves. The cycle goes 4 times before a cool down with some light stretching-type moves. Structurally this works fine, even though I typically don't stay in my zone during the kickbox sections. And I have to add some variety and impact to really make the walk sections for me.

The bigger issue I have is there really is no attention to form on the kickbox moves. The two exercisers on the left of the screen both have droopy wrists on all their punches. The woman in the back on the right has terrible posture and often looks like she's about to trip or collapse. The woman at the right front (Mary) hunches her shoulders up in every kickbox section. Leslie's on guard position has her arms bobbing up by her forehead. Leslie's biggest form pointer-- watch out for your nose. Thanks for that, Cpl. Klinger.

I really wish Leslie would've included something about form and used kickboxing terms and concepts. What the workout seems to be is Leslie's effort to cash in on the popularity of kickboxing without really knowing what she's doing, much as she did with pilates.

This workout is best for Leslie fans who want to break up the same-old same-old with something with more intensity and some new moves and still have Leslie. Its also fine for beginners moving up and wanting a taste of kickbox moves. I consider myself a high intermediate and if I do this workout as is, it isn't much of a workout, except for recovery from injury or illness or soreness days, when just moving a bit is my goal. Otherwise, I really have to make some changes to get the intensity I prefer and basically need to get the workout I want.

I had this video for a while, traded it away, bought another copy, sold it on ebay and then bought it yet again. I like the kickboxing moves she incorporates and I want to like this workout, but mostly I just feel agitated by it. The background is a courtyard setting that could be interesting and pretty, but the lighting is dim, there are shadows on the floor and it just seems dull. The music is kind of low, sometimes hard to hear, and for my personal tastes, is really uninspiring. Also, something seems kind of off between Leslie and the background exercisers; I just don't feel the happy vibe I usually get with her workouts. I wish Leslie would make a new walk & kick video with good lighting, vibrant colors and better music, because I really like the concept, just not this particular presentation.

This is a very good video by Leslie. I never thought I would get a good sweat on doing one of her videos but I did. I just added bigger movements and a little more jumping and felt very good afterwards. It is long enough to work me the way I want to be worked and I like that it isn't just walking all the time. There are kicks, hamstring curls and traveling movements. I highly recommend this video because even if you are intermediate you can get a good workout with this. Good job, Leslie. :)

I am a high intermediate exerciser, and I have the other video in this series, Walk and Jog. Although I was interested in Walk and Kick as well--I love kickboxing--I was a little hesitant to try it, as I was concerned that the intensity level might be lower than Walk and Jog. As it turned out, this was not the case, at least not when you look at the overall workout.

Like Walk and Jog, Walk and Kick is done in an interval style: after a walking warm-up, Leslie leads you through several minutes of faster walking, and then she goes into a few minutes of kickboxing moves. During the latter, the pace actually slows down a bit so that you can focus on executing the punches and kicks (whereas in Walk and Jog, the pace speeds up during the jogs). However, the walking periods were quite brisk, and the kickboxing segments, while slower, were still intense, so my heart rate stayed elevated in my target zone for virtually the entire workout. The walking segments utilize all of Leslie's signature moves--march, side step, knee up, low kicks--and the kickboxing segments add variety with jabs, crosses, uppercuts, and front/back kicks. Leslie also puts together some VERY simple kickboxing combinations, such as 4 knee lifts/2 side jabs and a front/back kick series.

Although the most advanced exercisers (and serious kickboxers as well) might not get much from this video, I think it will be perfect for when I want a workout that's a bit lighter but still substantial. More beginning exercisers should find it easy enough to follow along and to modify if needed by performing the moves smaller and/or slower. The total workout time is 31 minutes, making this a time-efficient, doable, and enjoyable workout.

On cardio work, I am an intermediate exerciser who enjoys with intermediate to advanced choreography. I also enjoy my “easier” workouts on those mornings I don’t feel like thinking that much. This workout falls into the latter category.

Basically, there are four rounds, or circuits, of Leslie leading a walking segment, then a kickboxing segment. She doesn’t give a tutorial or many form pointers on kickboxing - those segments are mainly just to give you something else to do other than walking and are pretty relaxed. A couple of her background exercisers obviously know kickboxing, so I followed them and the intensity was more than when I watched Leslie. The workout lasts about 30 minutes.

The workout is set in what looks like a courtyard and there are four background exercisers. Leslie is her normal, chatty self. You need to be able to move forward and back and sideways a little, but it doesn’t take any more space than her usual workout.

I’ll keep this for days I want an easier workout or an “add on”. It’s a pleasant, low-key workout. It would also be good for beginners.

Background on me: Beginning to intermediate exerciser, been using videos for about 4 months. I am choreography-challenged, but as I workout more I am getting better. I like walking, very mellow dancing videos (think Tamilee's Motown and RHA) and pilates. I don't like extremely dancy things, or extremly athletic things, I am kind of moderate in all my tastes. I don't mind a few flaws in a workout and can overlook most things (background, whooping, chattiness and so on).

About the video: This is a walking video with four kickboxing intervals. It is 30 minutes. There are four female background exercisers. The music is instrumental and helps a great deal to keep your pace while walking. There are no chapters on the dvd and no extra bonuses.

Breakdown:

-Quick intro by Leslie

-Warm-up

-Walking intervals using her four basic foundation steps: walking in place, side steps, kicks, and knee up.

-4 Kickboxing intervals include bob and weaves, corner punching, speed bags, and front and back kicks.

-Cooldown

-Very quick stretch

Pluses: Great introduction to kickboxing moves. Easy to adjust for your level. One background exerciser works at a little higher intensity, so you can follow her if you'd like. It went by very quickly. I was shocked when she said it was half over.

Minuses: A few times the music stops in awkward places and once she is off beat, but didn't bother me too much. The spacing is off in the beginning, which kind of bothered me visually, but I am pretty easy going about these things, so I can overlook it.

Overall impression: This is a "get what you put into it video" if you are above a beginning level. I had to keep reminding myself to pick up the intensity to really get a good workout. If you just go through the motions, it will be too easy. I really like this and will definitely be adding this into my workout schedule. Leslie is a person that I can always face, no matter how much I don't want to workout.

This tape is part of Leslie’s newer Walk Away The Pounds add-on kits. Unlike Yoga Walk or the Sun/Moon set, it does not segregate the new gimmick (kickboxing) by tagging it on to the end of the tape. Rather, the basic kickboxing moves are integrated into the workout via intervals: about four minutes of walking, then about four minutes of kickboxing, then walking, then kickboxing etc. for about half an hour. The kickboxing is basic stuff, usually one move at a time and performed at a manageable, controlled pace.

By all objective criteria, I should love this workout. The moves are basic and safe, yet you can still get the heartrate up if you put yourself into it. The kickboxing intervals break up the walking and add variety and interest. The time SHOULD zip by. And yet...I really have to be in the mood to do this tape, and by the halfway point, I am usually watching the clock in spite of my best intentions.

Overall, I give it average marks. I am not sure why it makes me feel so "eh"but it happens to the best of us: a sound, competent, objectively suitable tape that just doesn’t have that extra zip to you.