30 Minutes to Fitness: Cardio Fit

Cardio Fit is Kelly Coffey-Meyer‘s latest offering on DVD. It contains 3 workouts. The two main workouts are cardio + strength workouts. Workout 1 is a kickboxing + lower body strength workout. Workout 2 is a cardio + upper body strength workout. Though Workout 2 does contain some lower body strength work, the primary focus is the upper body. Between the two workouts you will get a total body cardio + strength workout. Which is how I approached these workouts. I did Workout 1 followed by Workout 2. Between the two workouts I burned 443 calories while also getting a total body strength workout. These workouts work well together for several reasons. Workout 1 only has a cool down, no stretch. Workout 2 has a stretch. Plus, when you finish Workout 1, it flows directly into Workout 2–it does not return you to the menu. The third workout is a bonus. It is one of her “Raw” workouts. Kelly also has a paid streaming site and this is one of her workouts from that site. It is a step boxing workout (more about this workout below).

If I were still doing primarily DVD workouts then I believe I would have loved this DVD. And I did enjoy it. It has been a long time since I have done cardio kickboxing with Kelly and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed that type of cardio. In fact, as I was doing it, I started thinking about all of the other kickboxing workouts I own by both Kelly and Cathe that I need to return to. And I have always loved cardio + strength workouts; they are some of my favorite type of workouts–and this was a winner in that area, too. However, the negatives for me are a bit odd and they are solely because I have been doing exclusively YouTube workouts so long. I missed a lot of things that are present in the YouTube workouts I do every day. Previewing of strength moves was the biggest one. Back when I did DVD workouts all the time I created weight charts for each workout I did so I would be prepared for every exercise but that is not necessary when doing a YouTube workout (at least its not with the trainers I frequent) because they preview every move prior to doing it so you can quickly judge the weight you need for the exercise. So sometimes in Kelly’s workouts I missed the first few reps of an exercise because I had to swap out weights quickly for something more appropriate. Also, it seemed by some of the things Kelly said that the exercises are done timed interval style. I very much missed the timers on screen showing me my work and recovery time. Finally, though I did get a very good workout, this was not as challenging for me as the workouts I normally do. My muscles just didn’t feel as well worked as they normally do.

This DVD also includes premixes (listed at the very bottom of this review) that combine the two main workouts in various ways and also give you shorter versions. The bonus on this DVD is a workout from Kelly’s streaming service “Raw.” It is a cardio step boxing workout. Kelly has some other Step Boxing workouts I have reviewed on this blog: (Step Boxing, Step Boxing 2 (both of which are part of Kelly’s 30 Minutes to Fitness series) and a stand alone also called Step Boxing). I love those workouts so I was pleased to have this little bonus included. Though it has been many years since I have done any of Kelly’s step boxing workouts, I feel like this is a less complicated workout than the DVD workouts. Lots of fun, no confusion or complexity. And it gives you a taste of what she offers on her Raw streaming service in case you are interested in subscribing. Her other other new DVD collection, Power Splits, also has a bonus Raw workout on it but a completely different one. So if you bought both of the DVDs like I did then you can get a better idea of the kind of variety she offers on Raw. Also, when she first started the Raw service she offered 6 workouts free on YouTube (she has since removed them) but if you are truly interested, my reviews are still up and you can read about some of the workouts she offers. However, the links to the workouts in the reviews are dead.

Workout 1 is 29:30 minutes; 4 minute warm up and 2:30 minute cool down (no stretch). Equipment: dumbbells. Optional egg weights or weighted gloves or light dumbbells. Kelly used 15 pound dumbbells (according to the DVD case). The weights listed below are what I used. I also wore one pound weighted gloves.

1. Cardio boxing
2. Alternate one deadlift with one squat (25# DBs)
3. Alternating reverse lunges (when you step back into lunge, hold and do one stationary/static lunge); changes to holding at bottom of lunge for 3 counts (16.5# DBs)
4. Cardio boxing
5. Wide plie squats (lower slowly to count of 3) (one 50# DB)
6. Alternating side lunges (hold at bottom of lunge for 3 counts); when holding at bottom of lunge, add shifting DBs forward then back (20# DBs)
7. Cardio kickboxing
8. 2 split squats, alternate legs (narrow split–back foot is right behind front foot) (20# DBs)
9. Step out squats, alternate sides (hold one DB in both hands, step out to side and lower into squat, hold briefly before rising and stepping feet back together) (one 30# DB)
10. Cardio kickboxing
11. Stand with legs wide and one DB on floor between legs, lower into squat, grab DB and stand, squat again and set DB on floor, stand and do 4 single arm cross punches, alternate the punches with the squat combo between each side (one 30# DB)
12. Turn to side stance with legs wide, DB is on floor in front of you, lower into squat, grab DB and stand, squat again and set DB on floor, stand and do 6 alternating front punches then step over DB so you are facing the opposite direction and repeat (one 30# DB)

Workout 2 is 29:45 minutes; 4:30 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells. Kelly is using 8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used. One of the background exercisers does a low impact version of all of the high impact exercises.

1. 2 insole taps + one cross punch + one duck squat
2. 2 triple steps + 2 side steps
3. Peck deck + “slash down” (do a goal post chest fly and when arms are in front of body with palms facing each other, do the bottom half of a hammer curl, pushing DBs behind you at bottom of curl, at top of curl open arms into goalpost again) (12# DBs)
4. Hinge forward and raise both arms/DBs behind you, keeping arms straight, stand and do an upright row) (12# DBs)
5. One jumping jack + one knee raise + one jumping jack + one knee raise (other leg) + 4 low impact jacks
6. Step out into squat then jump and click heels, land in squat then stand while stepping feet back together, alternate sides
7. Hold both DBs at shoulder, do one single arm overhead press, when DB is back at shoulder level, push DB straight in front of you, palm facing ceiling, alternate arms (12# DBs)
8. Stand holding both DBs at shoulders, hinge forward and do a double arm tricep kickback, stand and do a single arm hook keeping hips facing forward, alternate arms when doing the hook (8# DBs)
9. Angle step (step forward on an angle, step back to start), repeat on other side; clasp both hands together, when you step forward, swing hands like you are swinging a bat then insole tap front foot with clasped hands, swing hands like a bat again then step back, alternate sides
10. Squat and when you stand, twist hips to one side, repeat, then repeat on other side of body
11. Hold one DB in both hands in front of chest, step one foot back, pull knee in while crunching upper body/DB toward knee and step foot back again, repeat on other side of body (one 18# DB)
12. Holding one DB in both hands at chest level, do alternating curtsy lunges, between each curtsy lunge do one overhead tricep extension/French press (one 18# DB)
13. 3 alternating front kicks + 2 jump rope hops
14. 4 pendulums + 4 lift backs (pendulum=stand with legs wide and hands at small of back, alternate lifting straight leg to side; lift backs=alternate lifting straight leg behind you, one arm reaches in front of you/overhead when leg lifts)
15. Hinge forward and do one wide row, return to standing (16.5# DBs)
16. “Gunslinger” (stand with DBs beside hips, as if drawing a gun from its holster, lift DB then punch it out in front of you, alternate arms); changes to doing both arms at the same time (10# DBs)
17. 3 fast pop squats (squat jacks, pushing both hands down toward ground when in squat) then pause briefly standing with legs together
18. Alternating forward leaning front lunges (hinge forward over front leg while in lunge while also reaching arms forward); add a double hop between sides
19. Stand with legs wide, DBs in front of thighs with palms facing forward, keeping elbows close to sides throughout, raise DBs out to side until they tap shoulders then return to start–palms face forward the entire interval (12# DBs)
20. Hold one DB in each hand, hold DBs together at one shoulder, keeping DBs together, circle DBs overhead to other shoulder then do one single knee raise, chopping DBs down to knee as it raises, alternate sides/legs (10# DBs)
21. Stand with legs wide and arms extended out to sides in a T (arms will be held in this position the entire exercise), do one crescent knee then kick leg across body toward opposite hand, alternate legs
22. In straight arm plank, alternate tapping knees to floor; changes to plank hold

Raw Bonus: Step Boxing is 29 minutes; 30 second intro, 3:30 minute warm up and 1:45 minute stretch. Equipment: full step. Optional: egg weights or weighted gloves. I wore weighted gloves. This workout consists of combos. Kelly builds the combos in layers. Between combos she has you doing basic steps on and off the step. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Kelly’s step boxing workouts! This was a lot of fun. No complicated combos but it is a great cardio workout with some upper body toning if you are using light dumbbells, egg weights or weighted gloves. It has been so long since I did any kind of step cardio (well over a year) that it felt so awkward at first! But once I was warmed up, I fell into the groove easily. According to my FitBit I burned 230 calories.

1. Step w/ a jab-cross, alternate sides
2. Power 3s
3. Step w/ a hook, alternate sides; changes to a step w/ 3 alternating hooks, continue alternating sides
4. Repeat #2
5. Repeat second part of #3
6. Repeat #1 & 2
7. Repeat #5
8. Repeat the combo of #6 + #7 several times
9. Alternating step w/ knee raise
10. Step w/ an upper cut, alternate sides
11. Repeat #9 & 10 several more times
12. Step while lifting one leg straight behind you on a diagonal, arms also open out to sides in a T when leg raises, alternate legs
13. Step out wide to side (on floor) while doing 2 alternating front jabs
14. Repeat #12 & 13 several more times
15. Repeat the combo of #11 + #14 several times
16. L step w/ a hook, alternate sides
17. Triple knees, alternate legs
18. Repeat #16 & 17 several more times
19. Water break
20. Step one foot on step and do a cross punch, raise knee of leg that is on step, lower back to step and do another cross punch, alternate sides
21. Step w/ 2 jab-upper cuts + jump rope hop 2x on floor, alternate sides
22. Repeat #20 & 21 several more times
23. Bob & weave 2 steps to side then back, step tap 2x w/ same leg on and off step, alternate sides with this combo
24. Step one foot on step and do jab-cross-hook-upper cut, step foot back on floor and do one jumping jack, alternate sides
25. Combine first part of #23 (bob & weave 2 steps to side then back) with #24, repeat this combo several times, alternating sides
26. Step one foot on step and do single arm punches; changes to single arm cross punches; changes to single arm hook punches; changes to single arm upper cuts; changes to jab-cross-hook-upper cut combos
27. Repeat #26 on other side of body except for final part where you put all of the punches together (jab-cross-hook-upper cut)–she omits that

Premixes: (all premixes have a warm up and stretch)

Cardio Kickbox – No Dumbbells 21:11 minutes

Cardio Hi/Lo – No Dumbbells 19:17 minutes

Dumbbell Blast – Dumbbells Only 27:22 minutes

CardioFit Max (both workouts) 52:42 minutes

All Cardio (both workouts/no dumbbells) 33:59 minutes

Dumbbell Interval – Both Workouts (28 minutes)