MMA: Boxing is a 50 minute workout consisting of a warmup, three rounds (each one with a punching combo, an upper body blitz, and a lower body blitz), ab work, and a short stretch. I am reviewing the main MMA Boxing workout; I do not own a heavy bag, so I have not done the bonus workout included on the DVD.

I was initially drawn to this workout because punching is my favorite part of kickboxing, so I liked the idea of a workout that really concentrated on just upper body work. Cathe is pretty serious here, jumping right into the first combination with a rather offhand remark that "you already know this". The music is mostly generic club/techno beats, which is a disappointment, but it is a good volume and has a nice strong beat and doesn't detract from the workout even though it doesn't add much extra motivation either.

The combos are short and taught in two to three pieces before you string them together and repeat them 12x on each side. For the upper body blitzes, you focus on one type of punch at a time, performing them faster and faster until you are punching as quickly as you possible can. The lower body blitzes are all jumping drills and are the cardio heart of the program, making the workout an interval one.

The ab work consists of mostly generic core exercises, using a pair of 5 lb hand weights, but I liked the flow and the fact that you do some full sit-ups. I agree with the previous reviewer that some extension-based exercises for the lower back are missing here and would have been nice for some balance in the core.

I am a happily intermediate exerciser, and I consider this DVD a good challenge for my level. The jumping in the lower body blitzes got my heart rate going, and I enjoyed focusing on my punching and really putting my all into it. The next day, I was nice and sore in my back along the bra line, and my calves were also sore from staying on my toes during the jumping drills. (I did this workout barefoot.) I liked the shorter length of the workout as well.

I consider this DVD a keeper for its unique-to-me focus on punching drills and the cardio bursts, but there is also a seriousness to this workout that means I don't think it will be a special favorite of mine. But it definitely fills a niche, and will be one I reach for again in the future.

Sandy J