This is the best kickboxing workout on video, in the world in my opinion! I LOVE this workout and it is this workout that gave me the strength and courage to get help with personal issues in my life. I thank Janis for making such an incredibly awesome (I know Janis loves this word) workout. It starts out with a thorough 9 minute warmup. Janis does jumprope but I jump on my mini trampoline. She then does some really great stretches for the hip flexors and hamstrings. She also adds 2 sets of pushups to really get the blood pumping. The music is brand new from Dynamix on the warmup.

The Kickboxing section starts off with a side punch with a grapevine and a kick and is loads of fun. Janis breaks down the moves slowly so it is easy to catch on. Not that is is easy though. There are some combo's that I'm still working on! Like the shuffle to the side and do a front kick and side kick with a jump and then a fun arm punch pattern which is a single, single punch, upper, upper punch, cross, punch, upper, upper. Does that make sense? She goes very slow and then does it really fast and boy can I tell you my abs have really firmed up with this workout!

Kickboxing really works the abs because with all kicking and punching, your abs really need to stabalize your back. My back was really sore the first few times I did the workout and then as my abs got stronger, my back didn't have to support my weak abs as much. Kickboxing is the way to go if you want some toned, strong abs! I've done mass ab work through crunches and floor work but Kickboxing has done more for my abs then any crunch!

The choreography during the workout is very challenging compared to all the other kickboxing I've tried. I like this workout more then Tae Bo because it's filled with fun combinations. There is some high impact like jacks with a jab and then kicking while you hop forward for 4 counts. This really gets my heartrate up!

The last combination has some dips in it with scissor hops. Then you do a front kick, side kick, round house kick and then turn around and do a hop kick with a punch pattern. It is very complex. It is a little hard to do with carpet but I manage.

I found that when I first did the workout, my heartrate wasn't that high since I was trying to learn the choreography but then when I finally got the choreography down, I really sweated and my heartrate was really high. I just put my whole heart and soul into the workout and was amazed at how I felt. I felt wonderful when I finished. It wasn't a wiped out feeling like I feel at the end of a Cathe Friedrich video but an energized feeling.

This Kickboxing section is 44 minutes. Janis is wearing a bright blue tank and pants and there are 3 men and 3 woman background models wearing black. The girl to Janis' right is a Miami Dolphin cheerleader. She has great form as well on the kicks and punches. The music is the, Step Works/Cathe Friedrich, CIA 9701 step/CIA 9703 slide soundtrack and CIA 8003 step soundtrack with Jennifer Mills. For some reason, I didn't mind the repetative music. I was having too much fun with the choreography.

Next is the jumprope section which is 14 minutes. I just jump on my mini trampoline. The jumproping choreography looks very hard. It's not just jumping but whipping the rope from side to side doing single, single double double and also lot's of foot work with jumping in between. It is just Janis and this really muscle guy named Silk. My daughter asked why he wasn't wearing a shirt and his you know whats were bouncing. Needless to say, he is VERY muscly. The next section is Kickbox Conditioning. It is 26 minutes and has a lot of punching at tempo (upper cuts, jabs, and so on). There is also some plyo hops and lots of front kicks. It is really a great endurance workout! Endurance meaning that you don't use heavy weights but still work the muscle to failure with lots of reps.

Janis brings back the entire group that was in the cardio section but they've changed clothing. The cool down is a Tai Chi cool down with minimal stretching. I like it that it is different from a normal cool down. The music is very relaxing. I didn't like it that as Janis was talking at the end of the cool down, it just cuts her off and they show the credits. I wish they would have let her say goodbye.

Maybe someday, with practice, I will be able be able to do a roundhouse kick like Janis. She kicks so powerful and yet elegantly. Like a Ballerina dancer doing karate. She is also very beautiful which lights up the video and brings a Christmas feeling into your home. Not only does she have an outer beauty but her inner beauty shines throughout the video as well. She if full of smiles and laughter that is completly contagious. I highly recommend this video. It not only will shape up your body but also will give you great inner strength and confidence as well. Thanks Janis! You will never know how much you mean to me and how your workout changed my life!

Instructor Comments:
Janis is one of my favorite CIA instructors. Tall, blonde, gorgeous, perfect body. She leaves me in awe with her perfect form on all her kicks. Her choreography on all kicks and punches is well balanced and a lot of fun! She wears her signature kickboxing gloves during the workout. She says awesome way too much but I don't notice so much after I've done the workout over and over. I just tune it out. Janis has a incredible toned, lean body and looks like Baby Spice with her two pig tails.

Mandy Lee