Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn

Michelle Dozois
Year Released: 2010

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


This workout is broken up into five peaks of five minutes. You do each peak twice. That makes up ten peaks that you ascend in succession for a sweaty, fun workout in fifty minutes, not counting a thorough warmup and concluding stretch.

Michelle defines four levels of intensity. Level 1 is recovery. It is a very brief interval to grab water, barely move and catch your breath. We will come to why you need it in a bit. Level 2 is like aerobic training. You are challenged but not yet breathless. Level 3 amps up intensity to border on anaerobic. Level 4 is all out, maximum blast time; usually plyometric. After doing a level 4, you get the level 1 to recover for just a few seconds, before you ascend through level 2,3,4 again. And again.The workout maintains the same pattern throughout, except each of the five peaks has different combos of moves.

The moves are favorites dating back to Jane Fonda and early Kathy Smith cardio to more recent choreography.The way the moves are put together makes them seem like a tribute through the ages strung together creatively rather than a rip off. No complex choreography, but not entirely athletic either. At the risk of repeating, I found it a lot of fun.

I found the workout easy to modify whether to make it less intense or take out the impact. Nobody shows modifications, but some of the people in the back use a smaller range of motion to make it less intense. You are on your own for the impact mods.

The workout is pretty intense unless you expect Insanity every time, but is a happy no dread workout. I don't remember the exact time at each level of the peaks.. You spend most time in each five minute peak at level 2, a slightly less time in level 3, just about 30 seconds at level 4 and what seems like even less at level 1 before you start over.

There is a countdown timer at the bottom right corner which is great to pace yourself.

The music is very well done. The tempo and the mood accelerate as you move up through each level and crash again when you go from level 4 to the next level 1.

This workout reminded me of cardio coach. It is a great translation of the concept to workout videos. It doesn't match Todd Wasburn's music or the wondrousness of Coach Sean's voice, but captures quite a bit of the rest of the mood.

The set is bright and simple. There are more backgrounders than then usual four to six, but I enjoyed that.

One of my best acquisitions for 2010.





Instructor Comments:
Michelle looks like she is enjoying herself. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious. She gets a bit shrill from trying to cue to a large room over the music at times, but it did not bother me at all.. I never liked her early workouts from trying a couple. I thought she was great in this workout.

vee

10/12/2010