Katami 4x4 System

What follows is some general information about the Katami 4x4 System as well as a specific review of the two I am Change workouts.

Information about the Katami 4x4 System: This system of DVDs was designed by Paul Katami and is based on two of his most popular single DVD workouts, Hollywood Bootcamp 4x4 and Hollywood Bootcamp 4x4x2. As far as I know, it’s not totally clear what ‘4x4’ means, although if I had to guess, it means 4 exercises (cardio, lower body, upper body, core) done for 4 minutes. This makes up a quad. In the Katami 4x4 system, each workout has 4 quads that are done twice before moving on to the next one. There are 4 different phases (Change, Athlete, Warrior and Hero) that get progressively harder and within each phase there are 2 different workouts. In addition to these 8 workouts, there are two 2x4 workouts led by Amy Dixon that are for time crunched days and a Repair DVD with foam roller and rope stretch recovery workouts.

Main Menu & Workout Set Up: From the main menu of each disc, you have the option to choose viewing the workout in Power of 1, Power of 2, or Power of 3. There is also a ‘music off’ option. During the workout there are 3 different intensity levels shown. The Power of 1 has the easiest variations of each exercise, modifies the intensity, and/or does the strength exercises with no weights/lighter weights. If you choose Power of 1 from the main menu, this person is always in view in split screen. The Power of 2 is more intermediate and shows moderate intensity, some impact, and uses weights for all exercises. If you choose Power of 2 from the main menu, you’ll be able to see all 3 levels in a single screen. The Power of 3 shows the hardest variations of the exercises, goes faster, uses the heaviest weights, and incorporates plyo movements in a lot of the cardio and strength segments. If you choose Power of 3 from the main menu, this person is always in view in a split screen. I personally think it’s best to choose Power of 2 from the main menu so you can see all 3 variations of the move and pick your level accordingly.

Setting & Music: The setting is very open and light. There’s a wood looking floor, plain light colored walls, and a large 4x4 logo in the background. The exercisers have mats in front of them, 2 sets of weights (light and heavy), a towel and water bottle off to the side. The music is instrumental. I found the music to be neither distracting nor enhancing to the workout experience.

Exercisers: Paul works out with 2 women and 1 man. They are all fit looking and wear athletic tops and either shorts or athletic leggings. No one acts in an obnoxious fashion or mugs for the camera.

What follows is a description of the two workouts from the ‘I am Change’ phase of the series. In this phase the focus is on perfecting foundational movements that will be varied in later phases.

The format of each workout is the same. You do a warm up, do a total of four quads of exercises (each done twice before moving to the next one), and a VERY brief cool down.

I am Change 1 (just over 47 minutes)

Warm Up: jog in place, dynamic upper body stretches, body weigh squats, body weight dead lifts, body weight oblique drops.
Quad 1: jumping jacks, squats, biceps curls, oblique drop
Quad 2: Kaboom lunges (skaters), forward lunges, push-ups, Katami speed bike
Quad 3: side to side jump rope, squat jumps, I & Y triceps extensions, low plank
Quad 4: high knee run (varying speed), dead lifts, shoulder press, seated oblique twists

Cool Down: 4 Katami 4x4 breaths. It is expected that you’ll go straight from a 4x4 workout into one of the repair workouts to stretch and recover.

I Am Change 2 (just over 47 minutes)

Warm Up: jog in place, jumping jacks, curtsy lunges, 90-90 biceps curls

Quad 1: lateral split hops, lateral limbo squat, 90-90 biceps curls, seated leg push
Quad 2: hot dog jumps, calf raises, lying triceps extensions, wag the dog crunches
Quad 3: punch run, curtsy lunge with knee lift, 90/90 lateral shoulder raise, torch & slow recover (roll up with weight and slow down)
Quad 4: burpees, progressive front lunge, open & close push-up (tricep P/U & regular P/U), basic side plank, weighted (30 seconds each side)

Cool Down: a few moments of bouncing in place followed by 4 Katami 4x4 breaths. It is expected that you’ll go straight to one of the repair workouts to stretch and recover.

Overall Impressions: Even though both of the workouts are in the same phase, I feel there is a big difference in intensity between I am Change 1 vs I am Change 2, with two being more challenging. I think all fitness levels could enjoy these workouts as the power you choose to follow and the weights selected would greatly affect the intensity of the workout for the participant. If you’re following Paul in the Power of 2, I’d say I am Change 1 is high beginner/low intermediate and I am Change 2 is solid intermediate. These workouts are very comprehensive and all major muscle groups are hit with the exception of back which has no designated exercises in the upper body minutes. I’m also disappointed that there is no stretch on the actual workout and you’re encouraged to do one of the Repair workouts in addition. If you add on a Repair workout the total workout time goes well over an hour which isn’t great for those of us with time crunched schedules. There is a cardio effect with the cardio minutes and some of the lower body exercises although these are not meant to be cardio workouts. I would designate them as metabolic workouts. Despite the above mentioned shortcomings I enjoyed these workouts quite a bit. They get A LOT done in a reasonable amount of time (assuming you don’t add a Repair workout after a 4x4 workout). If you need to make the workouts shorter, it’s easy to split the workout in half by doing two quads one day and the next two another day.

Instructor Comments:
Paul comes across a warm, genuine, personable, and professional. While there is some talk about body image, most of his comments are about form or trying your best. Paul does about 50% of the workout. He will stop to walk around and comment about how each power is doing the move, make form pointers or comments, and offer encouragement. He has charm and exudes caring without being over the top.

Sabine Reuter

For information about the Katami 4x4 system, the set-up of the DVD menu, and the setting, music, and background exercisers, please see my previous review for I am Change.

What follows is a description of the two workouts from the ‘I am Athlete’ phase of the series. In this phase the focus is speed, agility, and reaction time. In the intro Paul says that even if you were never an athlete growing up, you’ll be an athlete by the time you’re done with this phase.

The format of each workout is the same. You do a warm up, do a total of four quads of exercises (each done twice before moving to the next one), and a VERY brief cool down. You get a 30 second every time you complete a quad before either repeating that quad or moving on to the next one.

I am Athlete 1 (47:53)

Warm Up: All warm ups include moves you will see later in the quads. In the warm up they are done without weights, at a slower pace, and using less range of motion.

Exercises: jog in place, 4 direction lunges, inchworm, 4 punch/jack turn, renegade rows

Main Workout

Quad 1: jump lunges, prisoner squats, renegade rows, backstroke to hollow hold
Quad 2: fast feet w/ direction & hop, 4 direction lunges, 4 push-ups to mountain climbers, X chops
Quad 3: side squat/side kick, one legged glute bridge, rotational curls, inchworm
Quad 4: 4 punch/jack turn, double squats narrow/wide, 4x4 shot put, boxer drill

Cool Down: 4 Katami 4x4 breaths. It is expected that you’ll go straight from a 4x4 workout into one of the repair workouts to stretch and recover.

I Am Athlete 2 (47:27)

Warm Up: jog in place, squat reach, overhead squat, origami tap, baseball swing

Quad 1: lateral shuffle touch, 4x4 vertical squat, chest fly & crunch, origami tap
Quad 2: catch & shoot, pass through lunge, seated biceps curl, baseball swing
Quad 3: slalom jumps, sumo squat w/ shoulder raise, triceps dips, genie planks
Quad 4: starter block lunges, overhead squat, 90/90 lunge row, racket abs

Cool Down: a few moments of bouncing in place followed by 4 Katami 4x4 breaths. It is expected that you’ll go straight to one of the repair workouts to stretch and recover.

Overall Impressions: The intensity in both of these workouts is pretty even, unlike the two I am Change workouts. As demonstrated by Paul I’d say these are intermediate to low advanced workouts. Because of the different levels presented, high beginners and advanced exercisers can enjoy these workouts. The addition of some compound moves makes it possible to hit all the muscle groups which makes these workouts very comprehensive. The circuit structure of these workouts make them metabolic in nature. My one criticism is that there is no stretch on the actual workout and you’re encouraged to do one of the Repair workouts in addition. If you add on a Repair workout the total workout time goes well over an hour which isn’t great for those of us with time crunched schedules. Despite the above mentioned shortcoming I enjoyed these workouts quite a bit. I liked that there was a focus on agility training, and the sports type feel of several of the moves. They get A LOT done in a reasonable amount of time (assuming you don’t add a Repair workout after a 4x4 workout). If you need to make the workouts shorter, it’s easy to split the workout in half by doing two quads one day and the next two another day.

Instructor Comments:
Paul comes across a warm, genuine, personable, and professional. While there is some talk about body image, most of his comments are about form or trying your best. Paul does about 50% of the workout. He will stop to walk around and comment about how each power is doing the move, make form pointers or comments, and offer encouragement. He has charm and exudes caring without being over the top.

Sabine Reuter

For information about the Katami 4x4 system and the setting, please see my previous review for I am Change.

What follows is a description of the two Repair workouts from the series, Foam Roller and Rope. These workouts are meant to be done after a Katami 4x4 or 2x4 workout to serve as cool down and stretch. Unlike the other 4x4 workouts, there aren’t different powers to choose to view the workout in as Paul does these workouts solo. The DVD main menu gives you the option of either Foam Roller or Rope and has the music off option.

Paul is wearing an athletic, slightly loose fitting top and longer shorts in both workouts. In the foam roller workout he is wearing socks only.

Repair Foam Roller (just over 30 minutes)

Equipment and Music: You need a foam roller and a mat if on a hard floor. If you purchase the Katami 4x4 system a foam roller included. The music in the workout is a light, techno-like instrumental jazz. It’s something I could imagine hearing in a hip coffee shop.

The workout is divided into 4 sections: lower body, upper body, lower body again, and back/neck.

Lower Body 1: double leg hamstring roll, butterfly stretch, single leg hamstring roll, glute roll, hamstring stretch, figure 4 roll
Upper Body: rolling out forearm, triceps, chest/back/shoulder
Lower Body 2: rolling out calves, quads, IT bands
Back/Neck: rolling out back, side to side neck rolls resting on roller

Repair Rope (just over 31 minutes)

Equipment and Music: You'll need a long rope (about 6 feet long)& a mat if on a hard floor. If you purchase the Katami 4x4 system a long rope is included. If you receive this workout in another way and you don’t have a rope, any long band or a long towel could work as well. A chair is optional to aid in balance in the standing section. The music is a similar vibe to Repair Foam Roller.

The workout is divided into 2 sections, a standing section and a mat section.

Standing Section: torso twist, diagonal twist/chop, hip hinge, side bend, body circle, table top, shoulder/triceps pull, quad/hip stretch, ski stretch,
Mat Section: hamstring/knee/calf/hip series, inner thigh & hip opener, outer thigh & hip opener, side laying hip/quad/knee opener series

Overall Impressions: Both of these workouts do a pretty good job of stretching out the body and making it feel more supple and limber. In the foam roller workout, some of the sections were pretty intense for me as I tend to have tight hamstrings and IT bands. I do wish there were some more rolling moves for the back as this is an area that just feels nice to roll out. The rope assisted stretches were able to create some dynamic movement and helped aid in range of motion to really stretch me out. Again, I felt the upper body was a little short changed and I still thought it was a good stretching session. Both of these workouts did their job of limbering up the body and stretching out the sore muscles. If you’re looking for an alternative to yoga stretching, these are a great change of pace.

Instructor Comments:
Paul comes across a warm, genuine, personable, and professional. His voice is very soothing which matches the relaxing vibe of these workouts. His comments are about how to modify stretches if need be, sharing information about anatomy and body structure, and just honoring where your body is at this particular moment.

Sabine Reuter

Katami 2x4 Workout Review

In the Katami 4x4 system are two shorter workouts, aptly named 2x4 Upper & Lower Body and 2x4 Cardio & Core. Instead of the 4 quads in the regular 4x4 workouts, these workouts only have 2 quads that are each done twice. Because there are fewer quads, these workouts clock in at under 30 minutes each.

Amy Dixon, not Paul Katami, leads the 2 2x4 workouts. She demonstrates the Power of 2 or moderate intensity level. She works out with one woman (Sarah) who demonstrates the Power of 1 or less intensity/beginner level and one man (Brendan) who demonstrates the Power of 3 or advanced level. Amy and the background exercisers are wearing shorts and/or leggings and tank tops.

Main Menu – 2x4 Upper & Lower Body, 2x4 Cardio & Core. Once you choose a workout you’re taken to a sub-menu where you can choose which power you want to view the workout in and a music off option.

2x4 Cardio & Core (26:02)

Equipment needed: a yoga mat, towel and water are required. A single dumbbell is needed if you are following the Power of 2 or 3 exerciser.

Warm Up – Like the other Katami 4x4 workouts, the warm up consists of moves you’ll see later on in the quads done at a less intense pace. The moves are swing & slam, barriers 1 & 4, push through push-up, and a quick chest stretch.

Main Workout

Quad 1 – heel kicks, swing & slam, 2 jacks/squat, barriers 1 &4. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Quad 2 – push through push-up, 4x4 hurdle crunch, twisting frog, warrior twist. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Cool down/stretch – 4 4x4 breaths. Just like the 4x4 workouts, it is assumed that you’ll immediate go to one of the repair workouts to continue cooling down and stretching.

Overall Impressions – This was more body part specific than a 4x4 workout which makes sense given the shorter workout time. This workout was a great combination of core moves and cardio. Quad one felt more cardio intensive and quad 2 felt more core intensive. I was a sweaty mess by the end and my core felt really worked out from all angles. If I have one criticism, it is the lack of a longer cool down and stretch as part of the workout. Since this workout clocks in at just over 26 minutes it would have been easy to add 3 to 4 minutes of stretching and still have it meet the requirements of a time crunched workout. As done by Amy this is a high intermediate workout. Depending on which person you follow, this workout can appeal to the high beginner to advanced exerciser.

2x4 Upper & Lower Body (26:17)

Equipment needed: a yoga mat, towel and water are required. Two sets of dumbbells (light & medium) is needed if you are following the Power of 2 or 3 exerciser and one set of light dumbbells if you are following the Power of 1 exerciser.

Warm Up – Like the other Katami 4x4 workouts, the warm up consists of moves you’ll see later on in the quads done at a less intense pace and/or without weights. The moves are squat knee/curtsy knee, tire flip, 4x4 scoop.

Main Workout

Quad 1 – squat knee/curtsy knee (30 seconds right, then left), single leg dead lift (30 second right, then left), tire flip, you jerk back lunge. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Quad 2 – 4x4 scoop, raise & rotate, 4x4 high low curls, in & out renegade. You get a 30 second reset after you finish the quad before you repeat it.

Cool down/stretch – 4 4x4 breaths. Just like the 4x4 workouts, it is assumed that you’ll immediate go to one of the repair workouts to continue cooling down and stretching.

Overall Impressions – This workout feels much more like a pure strength workout vs. a metabolic workout, which makes it unique in the Katami 4x4 system. That’s not to say that there isn’t a cardio effect or you won’t sweat, because there is and you will. Quad one focused more on the lower body and quad two focused more on the upper body/core. In addition to the criticism of lack of stretch (as I mentioned above), another peeve is that it’s hard to go really heavy with the weights in this workout. As done by Amy, this is a high intermediate workout. Depending on which person you follow, this workout can appeal to the high beginner to advanced exerciser.

Instructor Comments:
Amy is a very motivating and encouraging instructor. She's great about offering form pointers and showing how each exerciser is modifying the move to make it either more beginner or advanced. I love that she focuses on doing your personal best rather than body image talk. I enjoy her immensely as an instructor.

Sabine Reuter