Walk On: 3 DVD Superset

As the title implies, this collection has 3 DVDs and each DVD has two 30 minute workouts, so you get 6 workouts. These are more excellent Jessica Smith cardio walks to add to my collection. One of the oddest things that cancer treatment has done for me is make me love the cardio walks that Jessica creates. I poo-pooed these types of workouts before. I was all about intensity. But the truth is, I didn’t always enjoy my workouts. I enjoyed having worked out and having exerted myself so much, if that makes sense? But unless dumbbells were part of the workout (I always love workouts with dumbbells) I didn’t always enjoy my workouts. I’m not a huge fan of plyometrics. I really thought I was, to be honest, but in retrospect, it was the afterglow I was a fan of. Having accomplished such a difficult workout. I hate tuck jumps but loved being able to jump so high after having my heels crushed years ago. But I don’t really care about that anymore. During cancer treatment I was happy to accomplish any workout at all. And I really enjoyed walking with Jessica. She got me through cancer treatment. And I still love walking with her. Treatment is over and I am feeling great again. But I am still walking with Jessica because I am now addicted to actually enjoying my workouts!

I describe and breakdown each workout below. But in short, they are all cardio walks of different intensities. One of them is a cardio + strength workout that requires dumbbells and the other 5 require no equipment at all. All of the workouts are set outdoors on a dock but they are filmed from different angles and different times of day so they all look a little different.

DVD #1 Tone Your Trouble Zones These workouts are set in front of a dock with ships and water behind them. Jessica’s mom Debbie is there showing easier versions of the exercises and a woman named Lisa is also present. You have the option of playing each workout separately or choose “play all” and play them both back to back. The first time I did this I chose “play all” and did a 64 minute cardio walk. I burned nearly 500 calories. I really enjoyed it, too. No difficult moves and nothing terribly intense but it kept me in my cardio zone the entire workout. Plus, you are getting some nice lower body and core conditioning with your cardio. So bonus! There are higher impact moves in both workouts. Jessica and Lisa do those. If you want to keep these workouts low impact, follow Debbie.

Buns & Thighs Walk is 32 minutes; 5:30 minute warm up and 1 minute stretch. There are arm movements that accompany the majority of the moves and you are also marching in place between each exercise.

1. Alternating knee raises
2. March wide; changes to wide run (Jessica calls them tire runs; similar to fast feet but raising feet higher)
3. March forward 2 and back 2
4. Tire runs
5. Repeat #3
6. Step crossover sweep (sweep leg across/in front of other leg leading w/ insole)
7. Feet about hip width apart, arms cross in front of you (geni arms), lower into squat and pulse; changes to 2 squat walks side to side
8. 2 hamstring curls each leg, keep alternating legs
9. Butt kick run
10. Repeat #6
11. Side to side steps
12. Repeat #7-9
13. Grapevine
14. Repeat #11
15. Standing w/ all of your weight on one leg, cross the other leg behind the supporting leg and bend knee, raising and lowering foot
16. Still standing w/ all of your weight on one leg (same leg as #15) and squat down into that leg, extend other leg out straight to side and raise and lower leg
17. Stationary side lunges while sweeping arms side to side (Jessica calls it stationary skaters)
18. Alternate toes taps side to side; add punching arms overhead (low impact jacks); full jumping jacks
19. Repeat 15 & 16 on other side of body
20. Repeat 17
21. Still standing w/ legs wide, extend arms straight in front of you, lower into a side lunge while pulling arms back to hips, alternate sides
22. Repeat #18
23. Repeat #2
24. Stand with all of your weight on one leg, tap other leg out to side then tap the floor in front/across other leg; changes to cross jacks
25. Alternating hamstring curls but with knees close together
26. March forward 4 and back 4
27. Grapevine
28. Step tap side to side
29. Hamstring curls
30. Legs a little wider than hip width apart, lower into squat and pulse; changes to alternating knee raises with a squat between
31. Wide plie squat pulses
32. Lunge pulse
33. Repeat #31
34. Repeat #32 on other leg
35. Repeat #31

Flat Abs Walk is 32 minutes; 4 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. There are arm movements that accompany the majority of the moves and you are also marching in place between each exercise.

1. March forward 4 steps then march in place, march backward 4 steps then march in place; continue marching in place
2. Legs are wider than hip width, shift/shuffle hips side to side (only heels are pivoting and you’re bouncing/hopping on toes as you shift hips)
3. Alternating kicks to front while front punching w/ opposite arm; changes to punching overhead
4. Step forward and back w/ one foot; add twisting torso to side when stepping forward while extending arms straight to side
5. High knee marches while punching arms forward; changes to punching arms overhead
6. Repeat #3
7. Repeat #4 on other side of body
8. Wide alternating knee raises; add bringing elbow to opposite knee
9. Wide pulsing squat
10. Cross arms over chest and hinge forward then straighten (good mornings); add twisting torso to side when straightening, alternate sides
11. Step tap side to side
12. Hamstring curls; add chopping clasped hands down hip to hip
13. Step tap side to side; changes to L steps side to side
14. Lateral skaters while reaching across body
15. Jog forward and back
16. March in place while chopping clasped hands hip to hip; add circling clasped hands overhead between chops
17. Jog forward and back
18. Wide heel digs while pushing hand across body
19. Repeat #2
20. Tap out side to side while also turning torso (looks like shallow lunge side to side); add punches to the side; changes to punching down; changes to punching up
21. Wide double side steps; add shoulder twists in the direction you are walking
22. Step knee then step back, alternate knees; place hands behind head and add twisting elbow toward opposite knee when you raise it
23. Toe taps behind you; add punching one arm overhead, alternate arms; tap changes to glute lifts
24. Jog in place; add waving arms overhead
25. Wide heel digs while twisting torso side to side
26. Repeat #24
27. Put all your weight on one leg and reach other arm overhead, lift other knee out to side while bringing elbow down to meet knee
28. Squats with arms held straight in front of you and hands clasped; add alternating cross chops
29. Alternating toe taps
30. Step tap side to side
31. Repeat #12
32. Side to side toe taps while reaching arm overhead, alternate arms; changes to reaching arms across body while pivoting hips

DVD #2 Dance Walk These workouts are set in the same place as Disk 1 but filmed at a different angle. Only Jessica’s mom Debbie joins her for these walks showing low impact options. You have the option of playing each workout separately or choose “play all” and play them both back to back.

Latin Dance is 31 minutes: 3:30 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. As you would expect from the title, this walk is done to Latin music. Even if I don’t mention it there are arm movements with every move. I liked this dance walk better than the other one on this DVD (below). Though not an intense workout it is more intense than the other dance walk. At one point I even got a cramp in my side due to all of the hip movement. This workout also has some more complex steps and hand movements than the others in this collection. I actually had some issues with two of the moves in this workout (#9 and #11) but they were not so difficult that they caused me to not like the workout. Every other move was easy to follow. I used this to get some cardio in after an intense upper body workout. It worked nicely for that.

1. Alternating mambo steps; changes to crossover mambo steps
2. Alternating heel digs; changes to crossover heel digs
3. “Spicy” march (using your hips, knees turn in, circle hands)
4. Side to side step outs
5. 3 side steps + 2 claps (while standing in place); add two hops to the claps
6. Cha-cha forward and back
7. Alternating knees raises while arcing arms/hands from hip to hip; knee raises change to front kicks
8. Repeat #5
9. A very complex arm movement while marching in place (Jessica teaches it to you slow then speeds it up)
10. Repeat #6
11. Grapevine variation (step cross in front and do a small kick)
12. Wide march while also rocking hips
13. Hamstring curls; add traveling forward and back
14. Repeat #12
15. Step knee then tap back
16. Side to side step tap
17. Repeat #16 on other side of body
18. Repeat #13-17
19. March in place with speed bag arms; march changes to a little hop
20. Keep one leg stationary then tap the other leg forward and back; changes to knee repeaters
21. Fast shallow squats, reaching arms down then overhead; add calf raise at top of squat; calf raise changes to a little hop
22. Repeat #20 on other leg
23. Repeat #21
24. 3 wide marches + one toe tap; add a shuffle to the side after each march/tap combo
25. Spicy march
26. Alternating toe taps behind you; add circle arms behind you as you tap back
27. Toe taps while crossing knee across other knee, arms are raised, elbows bent and raised out to sides, as you cross the knee over the other you are also shifting hips and shoulders side to side
28. Spicy march
29. Wide toe taps side to side, shifting hips
30. Feet are stationary, rock hips side to side; add a hop
31. Spicy march
32. Repeat #30
33. Repeat #1 & 2
34. Wide march in place while turning in a circle
35. Repeat #29
36. Wide plie squats; stay in squat and raise and lower heels fast (a shallow heel hop) while punching arms overhead
37. Still in wide plie squat, extend arms out to side and shift hips side to side

Dance Walk is 31 minutes; 5:30 minute warm up and 30 second stretch. Most of the moves have dance-inspired arm movements. I really enjoyed this dance walk. It actually wasn’t as dancey as I expected it to be. I used it as a warm up before my Sunday yoga and it warmed me up nicely. Not an intense workout at all but I did perspire mildly–or “sparkle” as Jessica would term it. There was one step in this workout I did not like at all–#4; she called it roach stompers. It was hard to describe in the breakdown and awkward to do. In the future I will substitute something else.

1. Walk forward 4 steps and back 4 steps
2. Front curtsy squat side to side
3. Wide march; changes to 3 wide marches + one knee raise
4. This move is hard to explain (Jessica called it a roach stomper)–small tap hops w/ one foot while doing figure 8 arms
5. Wide side to side step outs
6. L step side to side
7. Repeat #5
8. “Pony” step hop side to side
9. Alternating knee raises
10. Side step forward on a diagonal 4 steps and march back 4 steps
11. Little mincing steps w/ knees bent and twisting side to side; add lowering 2 steps and raising back up 2 steps
12. Tap out 2x to side while pointing opposite hand overhead/to side, alternate sides (reminiscent of Saturday Night Fever); changes to singles
13. Repeat #10
14. Repeat #12
15. Lateral skaters
16. Double hamstring curls
17. Feet are hip width apart, fast steps forward and back; changes to hopping forward and back
18. Grapevine
19. Step out wide then step back in
20. Two side steps to each side
21. Alternating heel digs
22. Wide march; changes to cross over kicks with legs still wide and jazz hands
23. Repeat #19
24. Alternating wide knee raises
25. Repeat #20
26. Repeat #22
27. Hamstring curls
28. Wide toe taps
29. Wide stationary stance, shift side to side in shallow side lunges
30. Still in wide stationary stance, reach one arm overhead to the side and pull back down (working obliques) still shifting in and out of shallow side lunge
31. Pulsing plie squats; add raising one heel of ground, alternate heels; raise both heels off floor
32. Side to side steps
33. March in place while double punching arms overhead
34. Alternating low step kicks
35. Repeat #24
36. Double heel digs to each side while pushing arms overhead; add a hop to the heel digs
37. Jog in place while waving arms overhead; add traveling forward and back
38. Repeat #8
39. Repeat #36 & 37
40. Alternating toe taps
41. “Chicken neck” (pull chin back creating a double chin then push back out)
42. Hold arms overhead, palms together, and shift ribs side to side (Egyption-type move)

DVD #3 Strength & Balance These workouts are set in front of a dock with ships and water behind them. Jessica’s mom Debbie is there showing easier versions of the exercises and a woman named Lisa is also present. You have the option of playing each workout separately or choose “play all” and play them both back to back.

Stride & Strength is 31 minutes; 4:30 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down/stretch. Equipment: dumbbells. Jessica is using 5 pound dumbbells, Lisa is using 3 pound dumbbells and Debbie isn’t using any dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used. This is an interval workout, alternating strength work with higher intensity cardio (higher intensity than the cardio the other walks in this collection, that is, but it wasn’t HIIT level). This was a great cardio + strength workout. I really enjoyed it. Obviously not super intense or comprehensive but she does hit every muscle group. You do a lot of reps, too, so it is hard to lift very heavy. During #16 below my arms were burning out with just 5 pound dumbbells! I was afraid I was going to have to grab some 3 pounders but the exercise finally ended and I made it through with 5s!

1. Squat + bicep curl + overhead press (15# DBs)
2. Deadrow (15# DBs)
3. Alternating 2 count rear lunges (rear lunge and hold, do 2 stationary lunges then return to start and repeat on other leg) (15# DBs)
4. (set DBs on floor) March in place or jog
5. Low impact jacks; changes to full jacks
6. Lateral skaters
7. Wide plie squats w/ chest scoops (raise both arms/DBs in front of you w/ palms facing ceiling) (5# DBs)
8. Narrow pulsing squat w/ double arm tricep kickbacks (8# DBs)
9. Alternating side leg lifts (legs are straight) w/ wide double arm bicep curls (8# DBs)
10. (set DBs on floor) March in place; changes to a jog that travels backward and forward
11. Wide high knee march
12. Fast squat with overhead reach; changes to squat jump
13. Hamstring curls
14. Step tap in ski mogul form; changes to hopping ski moguls
15. Extend arms/DBs overhead, alternate knee raises and lower opposite elbow to knee (5# DBs)
16. Bow and arrow arm movement w/ squat back (both arms/DBs are extended straight in front of you, step one foot back into sumo squat while pulling same side arm back as if drawing back the bow string, alternate sides) (5# DBs)
17. Alternating knee raises, arms are straight at sides w/ palms facing the wall behind you, push straight arms back working triceps (5# DBs)
18. (set DBs on floor) March in place; changes to traveling on a diagonal 4 steps to one side then back then to the other side and back; march changes to a jog
19. Jog in place w/ jumping jack arms
20. Wide march in place w/ alternating front punches
21. Speed bag arms w/ boxer shuffle
22. Alternating wide knee lifts while arcing arms overhead and bringing hands/arms down to knee that is lifting
23. Repeat #18; add reaching arms overhead and pull them back down

Fusion Walk is 32 minutes; 3:30 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. Jessica and crew are barefoot; I wore shoes. There are a lot of ballet elements in this workout. This is a steady state cardio walk. There are arm movements with every lower body move so even if I only describe what the lower body is doing, the arms are doing something, too. This was a great low intensity walk. Jessica suggests alternating it with Stride & Strength (above) since that one is a more intense workout. I did the two workouts back to back so this was a nice way to bring my heart rate down after working hard in Stride & Strength. To make this a little more intense you could wear weighted gloves. Especially if you do it after Stride & Strength like I did–you can keep working your upper body muscles. Another enjoyable walk!

1. Arabesque on a diagonal, alternate legs (lift leg straight behind you–glute lift); add tricep press back arms
2. Side to side step tap while sweeping arms side to side
3. Hamstring curls, arms start extended straight in front of you then pull fists back to shoulders keeping arms at shoulder level
4. Alternating heel digs; add sweeping arms in a figure 8
5. Alternating passe knee lift; extend arms out to side in a “T” then raise arms overhead and return them to “T”
6. March forward 4 steps then back 4 steps; add sweeping arms up as you march forward and sweep them back down as you march back
7. Puddle jumper side steps; changes to a balance move (step to side and raise one knee and hold then step to other side and raise other knee and hold)
8. Alternating low cross over kicks
9. Repeat #6
10. Wide arm circles while marching in place
11. Repeat #2
12. Double passe each side; alternating single passe to each side
13. Double side steps, turning shoulders toward the direction you are stepping while pushing one arm down in that direction
14. Narrow hamstring curls (knees close together)
15. While keeping stance stationary, shift body side to side, only lifting heels when shifting; add alternating front punches
16. Repeat #1
17. Repeat #13
18. Step knee  then step back, alternate knees
19. A very dancy march forward to the count of 8 (use your hips, legs are kept close together)
20. Side to side step tap w/ clap
21. Repeat #8
22. Repeat #19 but she reduces it to count of 4
23. Wide march in place
24. Repeat #15
25. Wide pulsing plie squats; add lifting one heel as you pulse, alternate heels; changes to raising and lowering both heels at the same time; ends holding wide plie squat with heels raised isometrically
26. Repeat #14
27. Repeat #2
28. Regular (wide) hamstring curls; clasp hands and add a chop to each hip
29. Repeat #1
30. Alternating passe knee lift while raising arms out to side and overhead then lowering
31. Stand stationary w/ feet hip width apart and do alternating toe taps (strengthens the shins)
32. Still standing stationary w/ feet hip width apart, spread toes wide apart then release, keep repeating
33. Balance on one leg, raise the other leg and flex the foot then sweep foot side to side keeping heel stationary (strengthens the ankle)
34. Quad stretch
35. Repeat 33 & 34 on other leg