I am an intermediate/advanced exerciser and newbie boxer who bought this DVD on a whim. I couldn't find any reviews of it, so took a chance - and I'm so glad I did!

"The One-Two Punch" is marketed as "an exhausting one-hour workout", and it sure packs a punch! This is a really fun workout; I couldn't believe the hour flew by so quickly.

Set: The workout is filmed in the moodily-lit Hamptons Boxing Club, complete with a boxing ring and punching bags. It is shot in colour, with some black and white shots adding to the gritty atmosphere.

Workout: The video is nicely chaptered from the main menu.

Warm Up - Jamie starts with some shoulder warmups and slow punching combos. The DVD doesn't include an instructional segment breaking down the punches, but beginners could easily pick up the moves from the warm up.

Boxing 1 - This segment is led by Andy who starts off with slow jab combos, gradually increasing in tempo.

Cardio - This segment, called "jump and jab", is led by Jamie and includes air skipping interspersed with jabs, feints and star jumps. By this stage Jamie is running with sweat and slightly breathless.

Boxing 2 - This segment, led by Andy, includes more punching combos combined with boxer's shuffles and works up into some flurries which really get your heart- rate up.

Skipping - led by Andy. I never liked skipping before doing this segment but I really enjoyed the different combos, which include a boxer's shuffle, jumping jacks, skipping on one leg and "double skips" (where the rope goes around twice in one jump). "I'm going to try 30 if I don't pass out first!" cries Andy.

Boxing 3 - Andy leads more complex boxing combos. He demonstrates each combo at a slower pace then ups the tempo.

Step - Jamie starts off leading this segment which combines simple step and athletic moves with punches. Andy takes over with some fast-paced "military runs". I'm not a step-cardio fan by any means, but I enjoyed this segment so much that I bought my own step! It would be a great segment for improving anyone's agility and coordination.

Cool Down - Jamie leads this segment which makes excellent use of the step for intense stretching.

Summary: This is a great, fun workout for intermediate/advanced exercisers who are choreographically challenged, and those who enjoy or want to get into boxing workouts. Fans of complex step and kickboxing workouts would no doubt find it boring, but it was just right for me. I'm sure that it would appeal to men too.

"The One-Two Punch" is available from http://www.balazsboxing.com

Instructor Comments:
Andy and Jamie display impressively lean and muscular physiques, and cue well. One of the things I liked about this video is that they weren't afraid to get all sweaty and let the viewer know that they were slightly out of breath. This video is marketed to men as much as women, so Andy and Jamie "keep it real" - with none of that annoying "You're doing so well!" fluff that you find in other videos.

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