Project: You - Full Body Circuit

Kathy Smith
Year Released: 2005

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


Full Body Circuit is the longest workout (60 minutes) in the Project You set. Following a 3 minute warm up (no stretch), it alternates 2-4 minutes of cardio with strength intervals. The cardio is basic and low impact modifications are always shown. As is usual in a Kathy workout, the modifier is not hidden and is not necessarily the heaviest or oldest person. Some cardio moves include heel digs (high and low impact), boxer shuffles, speed bags with scissors steps, high knees, mountain climbers, jump ropes, and jacks. No section is relentlessly high impact, rather Kathy alternates high and low impact moves. Probably the second to last section is the most intense. It is a series of jogs, mountain climbers, and fast feet, followed by a grapevine. this sequence is repeated three times. The very last cardio section is a little easier: punches and blocks with a bob and weave. Kathy probably does this to cool you down for the move to the floor to work on chest, back and abs.
The strength moves are fairly basic. For the first few strength sections, Kathy alternates lower and upper body moves. Lower body moves in these sections include squats, dips (some with a balancing move), plies (some that have you drag your leg to meet the other one), and one legged deadlift. Upper body moves include biceps curls-- she has a lot of these sprinkled throughtout the workout--, bent over rows, double armed rows, shoulder press, lateral raises, tricep dips, and French presses.
In the final section, she has you either on the floor or on a stability ball to complete chest presses, flys, spinal extensions and crunches. There are also a couple sets of push ups. Kathy's last lower body move is bridegwork using the ball or a chair: very tough! She finishes it up with some crunches with the ball squeezed between your legs. Some exercisers used a pillow. This one really got me.
This workout is not super advanced, but I found I got a good sweat producing workout. Other circuit workouts that I enjoy include Cathe's Cardio+ Weights and Circuit Max, Keli Robert's Step it Strong, and the FIRM's BSS3 workouts. This one fills a niche because it is the only circuit workout I have that features floor aerobics exclusively.
The set is attractive. I liked the windows that looked out to a pretty view (through blinds, however!). The music the usual instrumental stuff. I liked it OK.
I'll be using this one with some regularity.

Instructor Comments:
Kathy has great rapport with her crew (on whom is Andre Houle).

Roz

11/30/-0001