30 Minutes to Fitness: Circuit Burn

I really, really like this DVD. I hesitate to call it a workout because with two workouts and the premixes on it, the uses for it seem endless.

In recent years, I have gotten into circuit workouts. I really enjoy being able to do one workout and get multiple benefits out of it. This circuit workout is great because she bounces between different emphases - boxing, cardio, legs, and sculpting. She doesn't have you get on the floor, so the heart rate doesn't drop due to that. And, it's just plain fun. Kelly and her backgrounders all seem like they are having fun and getting a good workout at the same time.

Like I said above, the premixes make this DVD an incredible value. My favorites are:

Boxing & Legs (32 Min)

Sculpting & Boxing (32 Min)

Cardio & Legs (33 Min)

Cardio, Boxing, & Sculpting (46 Min)

I follow Lauren in this workout some, but less than other workouts with more high-impact moves. She is incredibly helpful, as usual, in figuring out how to modify the workout to fit my needs. Kelly is informative in this workout in describing the moves and in how she builds the combinations. Multiple times, she starts with a couple of moves and then adds on once those have been learned. It eliminates the learning curve for me when I do this workout.

I am an intermediate exerciser who is in her upper 40s and who has two kinds of arthritis - osteoarthritis of the knees and psoriatic arthritis that mainly affects the hands and wrists. I have no problem doing this workout and almost match Kelly's weights. I usually choose a weight 1-2 pounds lighter than the weights she says she is using.

I am a huge fan of Kelly Coffey-Meyer, and I really enjoy her 30 Minutes to Fitness series; so far, I have Weights, Kickboxing, and Muscle Definition from this series, with my favorites being the latter two. I was interested in Circuit Burn as well, as I really enjoy cardio/weights circuit workouts, although I had a little bit of hesitation on this one because 1) I don't like high-impact cardio, and 2) my favorite part of kickboxing tends to be the kicks, and I knew this workout featured "shadow boxing"--i.e., punching only.

As it turns out, I needn't have been concerned; this is Kelly, after all! In her brief Introduction, she states that the workout combines athletic cardio with compound moves, shadow boxing, and weight-bearing work for the legs and glutes. These moves are performed in rounds: for each of the two workouts, you will run through a set of each of the above types of exercises, and then the entire series is repeated once. I have broken down the two workouts in detail below. Kelly is working out with four background exercisers: Lauren, her usual modifier; Sam; and two new faces, Jen and Laurie. They are in a bright studio featuring big windows with curtains, and they are exercising to upbeat, motivating music.

The chapters on this DVD are as follows: Introduction--Warm-Up--Workout One--Workout Two--Abdominals--Pre-Mixes--Credits--Music On/Off. Please noted that become the 3.5 minute Warm-Up is chaptered separately, you will need to select this independently of the two workouts (you are then taken back to the Main Menu). The Warm-Up consists of moves such as side steps with single and double arm raises and light impact work including jogs and jacks; the sequence is repeated once.

Workout One is 29.5 minutes long. The cardio consists of a one-footed leap front and back, then side-to-side. For the full body weights work, Kelly combines a lunge with a reach and a knee-up with shoulder work. The shadow boxing alternates four punches with four upper cuts. Finally, the lower body work involves an unweighted squat with a low curtsy and an optional jump. As noted above, the entire sequence of moves is repeated once. The second cardio segment starts with jump rope and moves into jacks and lunges back. For the weights work, Kelly uses just one heavy dumbbell for a unique compound move: she performs a side lunge with a sort-of double arm row (to one side), does a standing lat pullover in the center, and the repeats to the other side. The boxing involves two uppercuts followed by four quick jabs. Finally, Kelly calls the lower body work "complete lunge steps," which are basically static lunges. Again, the sequence is repeated.

For the 3.5 minute stretch/cool-down (note that the exact same cool-down appears in both workouts), Kelly focuses mainly on holding longer stretches for the lower body muscles, including the hamstrings, hip flexors, and quads; the upper body stretches felt much more perfunctory.

Workout Two is 29 minutes long. The first cardio segment begins with a high knee jog, then moves into a knee hold to either side and finishes with a hop side-to-side. For the full-body weighted work, you will use one heavy weight to perform a unique rolling move to the front; Kelly states that this works all of the small muscles of the upper body. The boxing is especially fun in the second workout: the first series consists of four punches, then four twists and four body shots. To finish this sequence, Kelly picks up heavy weights for deadlifts and squats right/left. After repeating the first sequence, Kelly begins the second sequence with split run cardio (similar to a cross-country skier move) which ends in split jumps. Again, the boxing series is fun and upbeat: you'll do a jab-hook combo followed by a flurry and then finishing with a duck, adding in an optional jump before standing (fun if you have the energy!). The last move for this workout is an unweighted squat: Kelly stays low and pulses these while the rest of her crew comes to standing in-between reps. As mentioned above, Workout #2 concludes with the same 3.5 minute cool-down featured in the first workout.

This DVD includes several additional features. First, there is an Abdominals chapter that is just under 6 minutes. Kelly is alone here for this short but intense abs set. The moves included are quick crunch, knee crunch, leg lift on elbows, leg circles, Turkish situp (using 1 heavy dumbbell), knee drop (with the dumbbell between the knees), and bicycles, concluding with a brief stretch. Finally, for even more variety, Kelly offers a total of TEN premixes! These are listed on the Pre-Mixes menu as follows:

30 Minute Total Circuit Burn Mix (32 Min)

Combined Workouts (59 Min)

Cardio & Sculpting (32 Min)

Boxing & Legs (32 Min)

Cardio & Boxing (31 Min)

Sculpting & Legs (33 Min)

Sculpting & Boxing (32 Min)

Cardio & Legs (33 Min)

Cardio, Boxing, & Sculpting (46 Min)

Sculpting, Legs, & Boxing (45 Min)

Overall, I am extremely happy with this DVD, and I know that I will get a lot of use from it, especially with the included premixes. The workouts in Kelly's 30 Minutes to Fitness series, including this one, are probably most appropriate for intermediate and above exercises--although Lauren does an excellent job at showing modifications, she modifies more for impact than for intensity. This is another winner from Kelly; highly recommended!

My KCM background: I have every 30 Minute Workout. I have NYC. I love Cardio Step Boxing 2. You could safely say I am a KCM enthusiast.

My fitness level: Intermediate / Low Advanced

This workout: Absolutely rocks! I much prefer my cardio and strength in independant workouts. I enjoy Cardio-Strength on occasion, but only if the strength portions feel like they gave me "enough" to make it worthwhile. This one meets my criteria. Like all 30 minute series from Kelly you get two 30 minute workouts and the option to do them as a one hour workout besides many premixes. It also has a neat, short and to the point Abs bonus segment. Each circuit has athletic cardio + functional-style strength training + shadow boxing (boxing sans kicking) + lower body. Each circuit is repeated once. you get a premix with no repeats that creates a 30ish minute workout. I found this a fresh way to string things together and very engaging. I typically love Kelly's music. This one is not bad, but is not great either.

I like it even better than her 30 minute Bootcamp.