I bought this in the two-pack at Ross, so my copy is actually called “Work It Off Cardio Sculpt”, but it’s the exact same workout as the originally title. This is a circuit workout with Tracy, Michelle, and one background exerciser. The set is kind of dark and futuristic looking, but they are well lit and there is no problem seeing the moves.

They do a series of combinations: they do cardio moves to bring up your heart rate, then they do an interval of more intense cardio moves, then they go back to the original cardio moves as a way of bringing the heart rate back down, and then they end with a series of strength moves, most with light weights. The pace of the workout is quick, so either plan on having a “light” workout the first time as you figure out what you are doing or preview it to get an idea ahead of time. The workout is about an hour.

Michelle and Tracy interact with each other a lot and swap off leading the segments. They are fun and seem to be enjoying the process. The music is really good and helps to drive the pace of the workout. I had heard this workout has an extremely high “fun factor” and I have to agree. It is fun and seems to flow well. They cue pretty well, Tracy is better at is than Michelle, but I caught onto the moves fairly easily – not a natural thing for me to do. I did recognize some of the moves from their other workouts, so being familiar with their workouts helps.

Because of the pace, I believe this workout would NOT be good for beginners. You need to have a clue about how to move around your step and the form you should have in the strength segments. There are few form pointers along the way, although they do instruct the moves you are doing well.

I had a hard time coming up with the weight I should be using. They said that the beginning to use 3-8 pound weights, so I naturally assumed I should be using eight pounders. (smile) I found those were a bit heavy for the pace of the moves, so I dropped down to five pounders. They do push-ups and tricep dips and I found myself grabbing too heavy a weight for the pace of those as well. (Because of hand and wrist issues, I substitute weighted moves for these particular exercises.) So, be prepared to play with the weight you are using.

I have a MAJOR bias that impacts my long-term interaction with this workout. I generally do NOT like circuit workouts. My general preference is to do EITHER strength or cardio and don’t see much sense in mixing the two (this is a personal preference, not a comment on what anyone else should be doing). The fact that I’m trying to figure out how to fit this into my workout pattern demonstrates how much fun I actually had with it.

Instructor Comments:
They are so much fun in this workout.

Laura S.