Kettlebell Kickboxing Scorcher Series 2.0

I've done both workouts and give it two thumbs up! Personally, this set still doesn't hold a candle to the original Scorcher Series, but it was much, much, much better than Body and 7DL! I felt like I got a great workout from both workouts and you can modify up or down to fit your needs.

The DVDs are mislabeled, so whatever workout you want to do, pop in the other DVD. There was also a little audio blunder during the cool down of one of the workouts (I can't remember, maybe it was KB Killer Combos). It sounded like fireworks or a machine gun going off - don't worry, it's just the DVD. I was enjoying a nice stretch when I just about had a heart attack, but hopefully it's just my DVD!

Dasha has two background exercisers - there is a different one in each workout to show beginner modifications, Janelle is in both workouts to show the advanced options. Dasha works somewhere in between talking about all the modifications you can do.

Pure Power (~50 min)

This workout has eight tabatas with 20 sec work/10 sec rest or active rest. You repeat each move eight times before moving on to the next set of exercises. There is one minute of rest between tabatas.

Warm Up
Light jumps side to side, jogging in place, twists, kicks, & some warm up movements including the KB - stretching hamstrings, hold press, hot potato

Tabata 1 – KB swings/overhead hold

Tabata 2 – SAQ ladder/light shuffle
(SAQ are just like quick lateral jumps, balancing range of motion with speed)

Tabata 3 – true high pull/halo

Tabata 4 – snap kick sprawl (w/optional jump)/static squat or shuffles or rest
(my legs were toast, static squats were impossible during the rest!)

Tabata 5 – squat swing or swing switches/rest
(squat swing was a new one for me, it was kind of fun once I got the motion down, felt like I was on a seesaw!)

Tabata 6 – leopard variations/child’s pose
(Dasha shows some leopard progressions with each set so you can stick to basic or go advanced)

Tabata 7 – clean push press/rest

Tabata 8 – skiing/rest

Stretch
Option to use KB or not – forward bend, child’s pose, butterfly, hamstring, quads



KB Killer Combos (~40 min)

This workout has six tabatas (even though Dasha says eight) with 20 sec work/10 sec rest or active rest. You repeat each move eight times before moving on to the next set of exercises. There is one minute of rest between tabatas.

Warm Up
Toe taps on KB, hamstring stretch, anchored windmill, good mornings, hot potato

Tabata 1 – swing variations/overhead hold
(take your pick for swings here to mix it up or not)

Tabata 2 – surfers/rest

Tabata 3 – KB yoyo squats/halo w/tricep press
(the yoyo squats are a move from the first Scorcher set – basically alternating hinging from the hips and deep squats)

Tabata 4 – jump rope and switches/rest
(there is a progression of jump rope and switches here where you start with one rep each and then two…eventually build up to about 14 by the end of the eight rounds)

Tabata 5 – side swings/rest
(umm, interesting move, kind of like a fluid wood chop from side to side)

Tabata 6 – kicks, sprawl and kickout/rest
(take you pick of front kicks to mix it up)

Stretch
Forward bend and roll up using KB, hamstring stretch, quad stretch, quad foam roll (using KB), arm stretch

Instructor Comments:
If you don't like Dasha's talking, well nothing is going to change. I was busy breaking a sweat, so any issues with talking/music/set don't bother me. It's the white set and I didn't really pay attention to the music. There are a few audio options - no music or no cuing. There is the main countdown timer for the entire workout, and there is a bar in the center counting down the 20 or 10 second intervals. Dasha can be a little off here, so I just paid attention to the timer rather than her cues.

violingal3