10-Minute Torchers

BJ Gaddour
Year Released: 2013

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights) , Total Body Workouts


This set consists of 12 10-minute workout segments that you can use any way you want. It is a 3-disc set, because of the different premix and rotation options provided.

BJ Gaddour is still the same type of instructor he was in Delta Fit. I think his form is impeccable and he gives good instructions on how to do the exercises. He still is also spouting "Gaddourisms" which I happen to enjoy quite a bit. Others might find him annoying. If you liked him in Delta Fit, it's just more of the same here.

The workouts are set in what looks like an abandoned warehouse.

This set has a music off option, which I am very grateful for. The music is low and pretty boring. The first disc has a menu matrix where you can select which segment you want to do, and when you're finished, it goes back to the menu matrix to select another segment or be done. There are no warm ups or cool-downs. Each of the 10 minute segments has a little 10-20 second intro where he explains how the workout is going to go. The exercise you are about to do is printed on the screen, along with a workout timer.

The second disc has a menu with different rotation options, going from Level 1 (easiest) to Level 5 (hardest). Each level lasts 2 weeks. And the weeks are 6 days, with 1 day of rest. I am not sure I would want to do this style of training every day. I looked at the two highest levels and it looks like MWF are harder, longer workouts, and Tu and Th are shorter more cardio and core based workouts.

The third disc has a menu with 25 different premixes that have been designed by Gaddour with names like "the Date-Night Torcher" and "the Guns and Buns Torcher."

The first workout I did from this set was 3 segments. I started with Fat Frying Flow and it turned out to be a good way to warm up because it's downwards dogs into push-ups that get progressively harder and variations on sit-throughs. Next I did Dumbbell Dynamite and Belly Fat Broiler and really liked them a lot. I know I will like all the dumbbell segments.

Doing those 3 segments in a row felt a lot like one of the Delta Fit workouts (I had taken a week long break due to illness and was about to go into phase 3 at the time), so it might not have been as hard as it felt. But with the dumbbell segments at least, all you have to do is pick up a heavier dumbbell to make it harder.

My next workout was Gorilla Gut Buster, Upper Body Blast, Lower Body Crush and Six Pack Super Storm. I feel like I got a great full body workout in under 45 minutes.

Gorilla Gut Buster is a series of animal movements and I found it an enjoyable way to warm up. Oh my gosh, those frog jumps at the end are tough.

Upper Body Blast works everything but the chest. So many of the other segments have push-ups in them, that I did not miss the chest work in this. My heart rate rose with the weighted squats at the beginner, then dropped during the upper body work. That was okay with me because back and arms were worked pretty hard. He uses one set of dumbbells for everything, but I did not want to attempt overhead triceps extensions with the same weight I use for bent over rows! So I think having a couple of different sizes of dumbbells handy is the way to go.

Lower Body Crush is all body weight endurance and I have pretty good endurance, so I wasn't sure this would be enough. But the last few exercises are isometric squat and lunge ladders and I was almost whimpering at the end. Again, not super intense though.

Six Pack Super Storm is alternating cardio and core moves. I got up a good sweat, but I wouldn't call it killer. There are ways to increase the intensity that I might do next time if I have the energy. I was glad to get in some core work and call it a day.

I finished trying all the segments in my third workout.

Sweat Tsunami was one I thought looked weird, and I wound up not liking it very much. You're basically standing still, pumping your arms for most of it. It really did not get my heart rate up until the very end when we actually start moving our legs. Also, my shoulders get so much work lately from metabolic workouts and kickboxing that they started to feel achey from so much arm pumping.

I liked Tempo Torchers and Isometric Inferno a lot. They are not that cardiovascularly intense, but I felt my muscles being challenged and he talks about developing muscle control as well as strength.

I wasn't sure I'd like Arms and Abs Assault because on preview it looked repetitive. But I did like it a lot. The different stances and lower body exercises we move through kept it flowing and I almost didn't notice I was doing 1-arm curl to presses for 10 minutes straight.

Fat Loss Freestyle was not my cup of tea. It was quite cardiovascularly challenging and I was lagging a bit because it was the last one I did. He just calls out different bodyweight cardio moves sort of off the top of his head. I prefer my cardio to either be more choreographed or in a drill format.

There is a wide variety in these different workouts. On the whole I generally am surprised by how quickly these 10-minute segments are over. This set will be very useful to me.

Instructor Comments:
BJ Gaddour demonstrates excellent form and gives good guidance on the exercises. He cracks jokes a lot. I find him very amusing and fun to workout with, but some people might be annoyed by him.

Chomper

01/21/2014