Hi Lo Extreme

If you are getting bored with your hi/low routines, or think they don't have the same high intensity you enjoy, check out HLX! This is a fast paced, challenging hi/low workout led by Amy Bento. The routine consists of four combos with four bursts in between to get your heart rate up even higher. The moves themselves, including pivots, chasses, repeaters, lunges, and directional changes are not too difficult or dancey to learn. The bursts that include higher-impact ski jumps, power leaps and football-style plyo drills really get your heart rate up there and keep it up there!

What I liked most about this workout is, although the moves were mostly athletic with a dance flair, it wasn't too difficult to pick up. Yet, it wasn't boring at all. This is the perfect workout for those wanting something that is moderately choreographically challenging while still keeping the heart rate up there. There were some high impact moves, but throughout Amy has a modifier that is clearly seen in the front row showing alternative moves.

Another plus is that Amy cues very well. She doesn't cue so much that you will tire of it once you learn the moves. Also, the moves seemed to flow seamlessly into one another. The workout is pretty non-stop, and although there are short breaks you don't feel like the groove is interrupted at all. This is not her usual step cueing, it's much better!

Amy, as usual, is happy without being too chipper. There is a great rapport between her and the background exercisers. The music is pretty good as well.

This is enough to give this workout an A for me. But, on top of all this hi/low goodness, Amy has included premixes from her All Pump Xtreme DVD! So you get a strength workout AND hi/lo workout on ONE DVD!

One tiny con - it's a bit of a space hog, but that's easily modified.

Hi/Lo Extreme is a lot of fun with great music as usual with Amy. Not too dancy, not too much hi impact, a very good balance of both. In previewing I thought it would take me some time to learn the moves but once I got going I had no trouble picking up the moves. I wish all instructors had Amys taste in music!

Hi/lo Xtreme is great fun. Amy has amazing energy and the music is very motivating. There is a modifier for low-impact variations - thank goodness! Amy does not break down the moves very much, but I got most of it on the first try. This is a nice mix for those of us who get bored with repetitive, athletic hi/lo, but anything too dancy becomes mind-bending and you don't get much of a workout from it. There are premixes with sections of Amy's All Pump Xtreme included. There's an hour, 52 minutes of strength training as a bonus! If you don't mind using your remote to find the sections, you have an excellent weight workout. Quite a bargain.

This video kept me at the high end of my heart rate for the whole hour. It was fun, easy to follow, the steps were varied and the music was very good (some songs were "I want to dance" awesome and others were o.k.) I have one very strong complaint, however. There was a lot of turning while running and side to side shuffling in this workout, and I quickly learned that even if you're in the best of shape like I am, this is NOT GOOD FOR THE KNEES. The two bones that meet at the kness separate a teensy, tiny bit every time you're going in one direction and then turn suddenly and too much of that can truly wreak havoc on your knees so be careful of that.