Burn and Build

Released in 2011
Workout type: Circuit
Level: Advanced
Length: 70 minutes with a bonus 20 minute ab routine
Set: Uncluttered with 3 background exercisers.
Equipment: A light kettlebell or dumbbell and a step.


Wow, this is a KILLER workout. Paul takes you through circuits that are 30 to 90 minutes in length, combining strength conditioning and cardio in innovative ways. There are no recovery breaks after each circuit, so I allowed myself to stop 10-15 seconds early to suck air. You do a lot of stepping on and off the step for side lunges, front lunges, back lunges, all the while holding the kettlebell and doing halos, bicep curls, rows, cleans, etc. One move is a side to side speed skater that you do 4x and then stop and do 2 rows with the kettlebell. Four more speedskaters, and you do the other side. There are 3 circuits that are just swings - 2 handed, 2 handed squatting side to side and one handed swings.

This workout kept my heartrate over 150 for its entirety. i was literally gasping for breath in spots. This workout will take me to a whole new level of fitness, that is for sure! I loved the variety and the fact that you don't do anything longer than 90 seconds! :) It would be easy to make this into a shorter workout because of this. Or, to pick and choose which circuits to do.

Instructor Comments:
Paul is encouraging without being over the top. There is no whooping! :) He does most of the circuits with you, but does walk around for some. His instruction is excellent and a separate instruction segment is included on the DVD.
I really like him and plan to get more workouts by him.

Peggy T

I did this workout today for the first time after having recently done Katami's KB Kombos and KB Drills. This is the most difficult of the three as there are very limited breaks between exercises and you're using the high step which increases the cardio factor. I liked KB Drills the best so far. While I liked working out with Paul, he's very pleasant and doesn't talk excessively, you have to go very light with the weights and most of us won't have KBs light enough to make this safe. I used DBs primarily. That said this is mostly a cardio workout with some weight work and definitely not a true KB workout. It is a great alternative to other cardio workouts out there and a nice way to spend an hour working out. Core work is included in the main workout although there is also a separate 20 min core section. I felt the back side of my legs worked with this one which I had been missing lately. I won't be doing this one a lot as I prefer some of his other workouts.

Instructor Comments:
I enjoy Paul as an instructor and am interested in trying more of his workouts knowing that most seem to be metabolic/AWT.

buffmama