20 Minute Body - Trilogy 2

Brett Hoebel
Year Released: 2014

Categories: Abs/Core , Boxing/Kickboxing/Martial Arts , Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance , Total Body Workouts


4x4 – Trilogy 2 (29:15)

Main Menu – 4x4, English subtitles, Spanish subtitles

Set, Music, and Exercisers - The set is nice, light, and airy looking. There are some 20 Minute Body banners on the back wall and it’s not cluttered looking and the exercisers aren’t too close together. The music is instrumental and I can’t recall it at all which means it was neither really good nor really bad. Brett seemed to have rapport with the DJ who was out of view as sometimes he would ask the DJ to pump up the music and it suddenly was louder. I do remember that it helped pace the workout nicely. Brett works out with 2 women background exercisers. Both women are wearing athletic tops and bottoms and neither is noticeably mugging for the camera or acting in an obnoxious fashion. One woman shows modifications suitable for someone just starting with fitness.

Equipment – a mat is working out on a hardwood floor or slick surface. Have a towel and water bottle close by.

Warm Up – The warm up is the same one from Hitman and is probably used in all Trilogy 2 workouts. It’s a combination of dynamic stretches and explosive moves to get the body warmed up and limber. The moves include forward fold to plank, spider lunge w/ a twist, 8 jumping spider lunges, child’s pose, chaturanga from knees to shoulder stretch and cobra, 4 push-ups, down dog w/ foot peddle, 4 knee drops to down dog, walk back to sumo squat w/ twist, 4 X-squats.

Main workout – There are 4 exercises in this workout. The work to rest ratio is 1 minute work/15 seconds of rest or transition. Each time you complete the 4 exercises is a round. You do four rounds total.

This is a progressive workout in that each round the exercise gets changed slightly to make it harder. The exercises and how they progress are below.

Forward jinga (alternating forward lunge) – slow count, slow count, then tempo, slow count w/ escape, then tempo, tempo w/ escape + squat thrust

Capoeira sit through – slow count sit on hip w/ arm raise, slow count kick through w/ arm raise, w/ arm raise/tempo sit through w/arm raise and balanca.

Jinga to esquiva - slow count, slow count w/ hand touch, then tempo, slow count + knee thrust, then tempo, tempo w/ hand touch + knee thrust

Capoeira sit up – sit up/roll/plank, sit up/roll/foot tap, sit up/roll/plank tuck, sit up/roll/squat thrust

Bonus – 15 seconds squat thrusts as fast as you can

Cool down – This is the same cool down throughout the series and uses a towel to help increase the stretch. Stretches include seated twist, laying glute/low back, laying hamstring, laying figure 4, and laying twist.

Overall Impressions: This workout really snuck up on me. While similar to the 4x4 workout in Trilogy 1, this one started at a more advanced level and progressed from there. As each exercise and each round progressed, the work really started to add up and my butt and thighs were on fire, I was breathing heavily and I was a sweaty mess. If you don’t progress the exercise, this workout is suitable for a high beginner. If following all the progressions, I think intermediate to low advanced exercisers will enjoy the workout. Advanced to high advanced exercisers may find the first two rounds with the slower tempo too easy for their fitness level. Even though there is a modifier, this workout is still very heavy on lunges and squats and people with sensitive knees will probably have a hard time with this workout.

Instructor Comments:
: Brett is pretty enthusiastic and amped up in this workout. There were quite a few of his signature loud “Uhs”, asking for a fist pound from the background exercisers, and cartwheels and capoeira kicks. Brett does the kicks to demonstrate how the move you’re doing is evasive in nature, and I also thought he was showing off a bit. I found his cueing was a bit late in this workout as well. The next exercise would start and Brett was just getting around to telling the viewer about the progression. I had to watch to see the progression, then rewind to the beginning of the exercise several times. I imagine if you do this workout one or two times it would not be a lingering issue. Antics and criticisms aside, I really enjoyed the workout. It was a butt and thigh killer!!!!

Sabine Reuter

03/25/2015