Workout Review: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix by Michelle Dozois

Following the success of the Peak Fit System and its subsequent videos More Cardio Interval Burn and More Cardio Strength, Michelle Dozois now brings us Cardio Interval Burn Remix and Cardio Strength Remix (to be reviewed on an upcoming post).  Like their predecessors, these make great additions to the Peak 10 family of videos.  As mentioned in other reviews, Peak 10 workouts generally follow the following framework:

• 5-Minute Warm Up
• Five training blocks, 10 minutes each, broken down into two repeated 5-minute segments per block.  Each 5-minute segment follows this pattern:
  
  • Basecamp  (< minute) – A short recovery time, preparation for the next rise
  • Initial Ascent (~2 minutes) – Intensity begins to ramp up
  • Climb (~2 minutes) – Fast-paced, challenging, sometimes uncomfortable, yet still fun
  • Peak (< minute) – The body is pushed to the maximum effort. Not sustainable for a very long period of time.

• 5-Minute Cool Down/Stretch

As any first time user should, I previewed the 60-minute video before performing it myself.  If you’re not at least somewhat familiar with the choreography, it’s going to come at you hard and fast. I would also recommend the Movement Review track on the DVD.  This is a convenient way to watch Michelle demonstrating some of the trickier moves in advance. Even after the preview, it took a handful of workouts before I had this one under my feet. Having said that, I am continually amazed and pleased with the movements this routine requires.  Some of the choreography is familiar (e.g., “grapevines”, “repeater knees” and “hamstring curls”), but it seems that with each new segment, Michelle has created step sequences that are utterly original, effective and fun.  She has a new low-stepping lunge that is appropriately called the “Groucho Marx Lunge” that always puts a smile on my face.  And there is a move that is a sort of Figure 8/Stand Up Paddle/Dig that I love so much, it is the highlight of the entire workout. I even think about this move before I hit “play” on the recording.

Aside from the great attitude displayed by Michelle and her six enthusiastic cast members, another huge motivating factor in Cardio Interval Burn Remix is the music.  Michelle spends untold hours selecting just the write tunes for her DVDs, and this effort is clearly evident in the soundtrack.  Like music you’d hear in a party club, these melodies are incredibly fun and easily get me motivated to get my body moving and leaping off the floor if necessary. There have even been several occasions when I’ve heard these songs in my head during the day, before I’ve chosen my workout. Like a magnet, this one draws me in, again and again. There is absolutely no “dread factor” involved, despite the fact that it’s more than sufficiently challenging. The body is worked intensely, but I’m having such fun doing it, I don’t mind at all.

No extra equipment is required for Cardio Interval Burn Remix.  Simply clear space in which you can move, and put on comfortable clothes and shoes.  Have a towel and plenty of water standing by.  I promise you, they will come in handy.  I also lower the temperature in the room, as the perceived temperature is going to go up quite a few degrees after you’re fully engaged in the workout. That’s one of the things I love about home exercise, as opposed to a gym.  I can control the elements—room temp is great, and I don’t have to worry about rainy days. My biggest challenge as an exercising mother is keeping my little rug rats occupied elsewhere so that I can have the hour to myself.

For you veteran “Peakers” who are curious about the term “Remix” in the title: You can rest assured that this is not an indication of recycled video footage from previous workouts.  Every second is new, with the aforementioned new music, set and choreography.  You may recognize a few movements that Michelle has done in other workout videos, but most of them are the kind you’d find in many routines. Jumping jacks, mountain climbers, etc. may not be “new”, but she works them into the brand-new moves in a fun, fresh way.  This DVD has absolutely no recycled feeling to it at all.  The patterns of Basecamp/Ascent/Climb/Peak continue the Peak 10 trend, but that’s merely the framework underneath all the innovation.

Cardio Interval Burn Remix once again shows why Michelle Dozois videos are among my favorite workouts.  Her presentation is very motivational, the music and choreography are fun, and my body is pushed to its maximum potential every time I give 100% on my end.  The endorphins produced in my body elevate my mood, even on stressful, frustrating days.  That not only helps my well-being, but it makes me a better wife and mother for my family.  This hour spent on physical training is worth the time and effort, and filling it with Cardio Interval Burn Remix is a great way to do it.

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Workout Review: More Cardio Strength by Michelle Dozois

As mentioned in my previous post, it’s not too early to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions, if you enjoy making those goals every year.  After days or weeks of indulging in holiday treats, you may feel the need to get back on track for 2014.  Having a healthy eating plan is essential to your overall wellness, but so is a fitness routine.  Over the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting some video-based workouts that could be just the thing to jumpstart your goal to exercise more this year.

First up is Michelle Dozois’ More Cardio Strength.  Michelle is a top fitness instructor who has come up with the very effective Peak system to maximize your results.  Like its companion More Cardio Interval Burn, this routine features five ten-minute blocks, with each block broken into two five-minute segments.  Countdown graphics are at the bottom of the screen, indicating how much time is left in each portion. Each segment pair is virtually identical, beginning at a Basecamp level, which is fairly easy and prepares you for the next level. She quickly moves into the Ascent portion of the workout, which is usually about two minutes in length.  Ascent segments are not incredibly difficult, but I find that there are usually one or two moves that surprise me in how they challenge me.  So the Ascent portion is not easy by any means.  It’s just a lower intensity than what comes later. This is the portion of the workout when the hand weights are used.

The next couple of minutes are spent in the Climb portion of the segment, which is mostly focused on cardio and does not use the weights.  While two minutes might not sound like a significant amount of time, Michelle really pushes her viewers.  The Climb is uncomfortable, and definitely gets your heart rate moving quite a bit.  The final 30 seconds or so of the segment are spent in Peak mode.  This portion is an all-out blast of energy, pushing your body to its limit.  It’s the kind of exertion that you probably could not sustain for more than a minute if you tried.  It always takes me to the limit of what my body can do. I welcome the following Basecamp segments, as they give us a chance to breathe and regroup.

After the five-minute segment is completed, she moves on to the next segment, beginning with Basecamp again. The choreography changes for each of the five blocks, so participants are challenged in different ways every 10 minutes. The workout concludes with a solid 5-minute cool down and stretch, which leaves you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

I love the moves that she’s chosen for each block. They’re challenging, fun and there’s almost always an easier modification for those of us who aren’t quite ready to do everything in the routine.  Because the steps are so innovative, I would highly recommend watching the 55-minute routine ahead of time. First-time viewers will find that the moves come on very fast when you’re not familiar with them.  In fact, it took me a number of run-throughs before I could follow along comfortably.

What makes More Cardio Strength different from More Cardio Interval Burn is the inclusion of weight training during the Ascent segments.  You will need a pair of light hand weights and a heavy pair.  The definition of “light” and “heavy” will vary from person to person.  The key is to find weights that challenge you and are difficult, but not so difficult that you can’t perform the moves.  When your body becomes stronger over the weeks of using the video, simply increase the weights.  Beginners may want to try 5 pounds and 8 pounds as they start out.  And of course, follow your doctor’s instructions before beginning any fitness regimen.

Studies have shown that we can achieve a better fitness level with the inclusion of weight training. It builds lean body mass, so that even sitting still, your body burns more calories. Our bones are strengthened by the work, and we’re better able to complete the daily tasks of life, such as picking up our children or hauling heavy boxes when we move into a new home.  When all of our core muscles are challenged during the workout, we reduce the possibility of lower back pain.  The benefits are many, and well worth the inclusion of strength training into our routines.

I’ve done cardio and strength combination training videos for years, and Michelle’s are definitely some of my favorites.  Her strong enthusiasm is very contagious, and he encourages you to give it your best throughout the entire class.  Her fellow cast members (who have also partnered with her for a long time in the Peak system) seem genuinely glad to be in the program and have a great rapport with each other.  The soundtrack music is amazing. Michelle’s choices for each segment are so incredibly motivational.  There have been many days when I have heard music from Peak workouts running in my head, and I actually begin to look forward to sweating buckets and giving it my all in challenging moves like burpees and sit-outs.

As with many of the videos in the Peak series, some these workouts are not for everyone.  A significant portion of the choreography is high impact, requiring strength, speed and endurance. I would estimate that intermediate exercisers would be safe to give it a try. Modifications are offered for the more difficult moves, which I appreciated during my first tries with this workout, but it’s still very challenging.  If you’re just starting out as a Peak exerciser, do your best and give it your all.  Use the modifications if needed. Don’t expect perfection; just push your body a little more each time and have fun!

Here's a listing of each of the Peaks performed during the workout:

• Block 1 - No Peak required, as we're still getting warmed up.  But make no mistake, this block will jump start your body in short order.
• Block 2 - 180° Squat Touch Downs - I don't have any problem performing these. The trick is, how fast can I move, how many can I crank out before the bell rings?
• Block 3 - Side to Side Squat Down Jumps - These are fun, but tough.  Getting all the way down in a crouch, popping up to jump to the side takes alot of of me, quickly.  Again, it's a question of how many I can do of these in half a minute.  You can see a bit of this at time marker 1:53 on the YouTube video below.
• Block 4 - Big Tuck Ski Jumps - The side-to-side motion of this Peak isn't too difficult; it's the tuck-jump portion of the move that is super-hard for me.  I've been working on my tuck jumps for years, so this is a work in progress.  Getting my knees up is a big challenge.
• Block 5 - Knee Slappers - This tuck jump has the added difficulty of getting the knees separated wide and high enough to slap without bending over at the torso.  In my opinion, it's by far one of the most difficult Peaks in the series. This move is at 3:51 in the aforementioned YouTube video.

Block 5 Knee Slappers

If you’re ready to push your fitness to the next level and are new to Michelle’s Peak workouts, More Cardio Strength and More Cardio Interval Burn are a great pair of workouts to do this. While they are follow-ups to the 10-workout Peak Fit program, they can stand alone as separate routines as well. Be prepared to work hard, sweat profusely, have fun and feel great! You’ll love the sense of accomplishment, your body will love its greater health, and others will see a difference in you as you become stronger, leaner and fitter.  Before long, you can get in the best shape of your life and actually enjoy the hard work it took to get there.  Take the next step in 2014 and become a Peak Fit participant.  This is the year to make it happen!

Four-Minute Preview of More Cardio Strength

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Peak Fit Challenge - End of Week 7

Seven out of eight weeks of the Peak Fit Challenge are completed! Wow.  And this was one of the best weeks yet.  I gained strength and stamina, and I feel great!  Read on for plenty of details!

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Get your body in peak condition in just 8 weeks with the PeakFit Challenge™, the revolutionary exercise and nutrition program that will help you burn more calories so you can get that lean, ripped, head-turning body you've been dreaming about!

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June 29, 2011  Week 7, Day 1  (7.1)
Today’s Workout: Pure Strength II
Weekly Weight: 159.6

Well, I wasn't exactly happy with my weight this morning.  For the past 7 days I stayed on track with my eating and gave it my all during exercise. I guess I can only blame it on my monthly water retention and frequent muscle building, because I know that I've made progress physically.  I'm just going to have to stay on track and hope for results in the future.  This has served me well in the past several weeks, so I’m just going to stay the course.  I was tempted several times today to over-indulge, thinking that it didn’t matter anyway, that I wasn’t losing weight regardless of my efforts this last week.  Of course this isn’t true—it does matter.  Imagine where I’d be if I had not been eating well!  I could have gained even more, and it wouldn’t have been water retention, but a gain in fat.  No thank you.

Today’s workout went pretty well.  I used the 8 pound weights for my light ones about half of the time, and I only rarely had to go to my knees for pushup work.  My triceps are still pretty weak.  But my arms are trembling ever so slightly as I type this, so I know something must have been accomplished today!


Day 7.2
Today’s Workouts: Pure Cardio and Core Dynamics

I just love Pure Cardio and was really looking forward to today’s workout.  I took the boys to their Vacation Bible School class and came home to do the longer of today’s two workouts.  It was enjoyable as usual, but I had an interesting frustration—my workout top has gotten loose enough that my straps kept falling off my shoulders!  This has been developing over the last couple of weeks as I’ve been shrinking, but this morning it was downright ridiculous!  About 20 minutes into the workout, during one of my water breaks I went into my room and changed.  When I purchased my new workout togs several weeks ago, I bought them all in size Large as well as Medium, in the hopes that I would one day need the smaller size.  The day has come, at least in the torso area!  I put the new Medium top on, and while it’s a tad snug around my tummy, it felt great and wasn’t in danger of falling off at any point.  So exciting!

The workout itself went very well.  I took about half the water breaks, every 10 minutes instead of every 5.  My energy level was great, and I kept up with the cast just fine.  I still don’t care for the “party shuffle” near the end of the workout, but everything else was fabulous, and I love every minute of it.  This is one video I’m going to miss doing when the Challenge is over and I’m on to new things. 

The end of the Peak Fit Challenge is also coinciding with the end of 5 years of living in south Florida.  We’ll be moving to Savannah in mid-August, and we are beginning to say our goodbyes in small ways.  Along with the twinges of sadness that I have over leaving Vero Beach, I also have mixed feelings over nearing the end of the PFC.  I’m sure I’ll return to it someday, but in 12 days I’ll be ready to be on to new material for a while.  And while I’m doing other things, I’m going to miss this.  So many goodbyes are going on these days—sigh!

Later in the day I did Core Dynamics, which is still not my best routine.  I see improvement every time I do it, but it’s miniscule for sure.  I did slightly better with the PFC band, the concave roll-overs and I used the 8lb weight instead of my 6lb this time.  Every bit of improvement adds up, I guess!


Day 7.3
Today’s Workout: The Anywhere Anytime Workout

When I looked at the schedule today, it said I could do Cardio Strength II and/or the Anywhere, Anytime Workout.  The thought crossed my mind—do they really mean “and/or”, or just “or”?  Surely people don’t do both of these types of workouts in one day!   Just to be sure, I wrote Michelle and asked her to clarify.  She confirmed that in this case, it is indeed an “or” choice, that no one does both of these workouts.  It’s okay to pair Dynamic Flexibility with a second workout, but on a day like this, just choose one workout.

Feeling reassured, I chose to do the second option, as I was short on time before I needed to go pick up the kids.  I gave it my all once again, seeing small improvements along the way.  I was pretty spent by the end, as I was barely able to complete the final Peak section with the tuck-jumps-to-plank. But overall it was a great workout. Drenched in sweat, I showered off and showed up at my sons’ Vacation Bible School looking like a drowned rat, albeit a clean and freshly dressed one!


Day 7.4
Today’s Workouts: Pure Strength I and Dynamic Flexibility

Son Matthew, Pre-Haircut

Unlike yesterday, I had plenty of time and chose to do both workouts on the schedule, as DF can be paired with other workouts on the same day.  My husband took my elder son Matthew to check out an antique airplane and then to get a haircut.  Younger son Colson, who became bored during a previous visit with the same plane, stayed home and had the extreme joy (hardly!) of watching me work out.

Pure Strength I went well today.  I used the 8 and 12 pound weights throughout, and most of my pauses were to just get situated with the PFC band.  The lying chest fly with the 12 pounds was extremely difficult, as was the standing bicep curls with the PFC band.  However, the lat pull down with the band went so well, I was able to choke up on it just a bit for the first time. Progress!

I’ve decided that I have a love-hate relationship with Dynamic Flexibility.  For the majority of the 29 minutes I’m not exactly having “fun”, but that isn’t the point, is it?  I find that my body doesn’t naturally want to perform these moves, and it can be a struggle sometimes.  However, by the end of the routine I feel really great, and I’m always glad that I took the little extra effort to get it done.  I’m grateful I had the time to do it today. 


Day 7.5
Rest Day

Today is a rest day, but not without its challenges.  I’m battling the urge to abandon my healthy eating and not behave myself.  My stomach isn’t grumbling—I have a psychological need to overindulge.  Fortunately, I have a very understanding husband who is enabling me to avoid temptation right now.  My church is having an Independence Day pot luck/celebration, and I feel like an alcoholic who needs to avoid the bar today.  Sometimes I navigate through potluck events with no problem, but right now I’m feeling really weak. If I attended,  I’d either stumble nutritionally or would be miserable wanting to do so. 

So this morning I made up a healthy edamame/pasta/chicken salad to contribute, and hubby let me stay home from the event after our church service this morning.  I arrived home to see the very last point of Wimbledon on television and have been enjoying the quiet house ever since.  The guys are having fun with the burgers, hot dogs and inflatable playhouses at the celebration, so everyone’s happy.  I know I can’t always be a recluse and avoid all social situations with nutritional pot holes, but I needed to today and am grateful for the oasis.


Day 7.6
Today’s Workout: Cardio Strength I

Today is the 4th of July, and I was unsure how I was going to work in my exercise today with everyone home for the holiday.  Fortunately, my hubby had to take the boys out on errand running about an hour after lunch—perfect!  I got the A/C cranking, got my water and towel ready, and got right to it.

For some reason, for the last day or so my left knee has been feeling weird.  There isn’t a lot of pain, but when I turn my upper body while my feet stay planted, there is some kind of tendon or ligament around the knee that feels funky.  I don’t know if there’s some inner band that has been strained from the workouts, but today I was very cognizant of that part of my body.  Anytime Michelle had us doing any quick twisting or turning, I didn’t necessarily slack off in my efforts, but I took care to watch the knee.  To quote the great Petra Kolber, we should always “unload that weight” when working out and doing quick movements on carpet.  As much as I like having the extra padding of the carpet, it can still be dangerous.

I gave it my all again today, using the 8 and 12 pound weights again.  Those amounts are still pretty challenging for me—who knows when I’ll be ready to move up a level.  I kept up with the class pretty well, although my tuck ski jumps in one of the Peak sections are still pretty pitiful.  But I stayed on my toes for all pushup-related moves and was able to complete everything, including no problems with the knee.  As I’m writing this, my husband just called to say he’s on his way home.  Perfect! 


Day 7.7
Today’s Workout: Cardio Interval Burn

Anticipating a cardio-heavy workout, I had a hearty breakfast of oatmeal with walnuts, whole wheat toast with sugar-free spread and 3 egg whites.  An hour later I felt fueled up, and I noticed that the kids were happy outside playing.  As I’m sure they’ll be inside later today avoiding the heat, I decided to go ahead and get the workout done, instead of waiting for the afternoon.

This was by far the best execution of Cardio Interval Burn to date.  It was tough, sweat-inducing and challenging, but my energy level was great and I kept up just fine.  There was one moment when I could feel the flexibility gained from Dynamic Flexibility kick in when we had to swing our bent knee around in front of us.  The weakest moment came during the tuck-jumps with the knees open.  Anything tuck-jump related with me is still pretty pitiful!

At one point, my younger son came in, sat on the couch and watched for a little while.  I explained to him what the decreasing numbers were on the screen, so every time I finished a segment and the number went down, he’d cheer me on.  “Yay Mommy!  You’re down to level 7! Level 6 is next!”  It was so cute.

As I write this, it’s now 1:20pm, my hair is still wet and I’m pretty hungry.  I torched some serious calories in that workout—breakfast is GONE!  I’m going to go make up my favorite lunch of salmon on whole wheat, get a shower and enjoy the rest of my day.  Feeling great!

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Check back next week for the next installment of my PeakFit Challenge experience!

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