Search - Complete Cardio Sculpting with Kelly Coffey-Meyer on DVD

One of the best workouts I've ever done!!!

Tweet | California | 07/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this video. This was my first Kelly Coffey-Meyer workout video, and it was well worth the money. When I bought this I was looking for a video that could tone up my muscles, but also have some cardio in it. This video is approx. an hour long. When I get done, I can't believe an hour went by. It go's by so fast, and it's so much fun. Kelly is awesome. Her attitude, and instructions are top notch. She keeps you moving. You never stop. I've owned this for about two months, and use it two days a week. I've never gotten bored with it, and feel everytime I workout with her I get an awesome workout. I'm going to be ordering another of her videos:)"

"The Shape of Things to Come"

DJ | USA | 09/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This fast paced workout really got my blood pumping! Some of the cardio was almost too fast, but still worked for me with modifications. For example, I turned plyo lunges with a squat into regular lunges and left out the squat since there wasn't time for that with my more controlled pace. The workout focus seems to be mostly on the upper body, but the cardio works your lower body and there is some ab work at the end. Kelly is a very friendly instructor and the music was energizing -- all-in-all, this was was a fast, fun, and effective workout!"

Excellent, fun cardio/weight circuit workout with a great in

Beth Cholette | Upstate NY USA | 04/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This workout (also known as "The Shape of Things to Come") was the first DVD I tried from instructor Kelly Coffey-Meyer, who quickly went on to become one of my favorite fitness instructors. I found it very inspiring that Kelly, who has been involved in fitness for quite a long time, is a mom in her 40s (and who also lives in my hometown!), yet she has plenty of energy for this tough workout! This DVD contains a 50-minute circuit-style workout which alternates toning work with short cardio intervals. Some of the cardio work uses an optional step, but you could easily modify if you don't have a step (or substitute a small, sturdy stool, as you don't need much width). Kelly also uses two sets of dumbbells, which she labels "light" and "heavy"; you might need to experiment a bit to figure out what works best for you here. The time breakdown listed on the DVD case is as follows: Warm-up, 4 minutes, Sculpting and Cardio, 34 minutes, Chest and Abs, 10 minutes, Stretch, 2 minutes.

The warm-up uses mostly basic, familiar moves, but somehow, Kelly makes these seem more fun! She includes knee-ups on the step and ends with some front and side kicks, which I loved. The first sculpting interval comes next and is focused on back/core. Using your "heavy" weights, you'll start with a very functional fitness-oriented "chop" move, first going halfway, then all the way down to the floor. Next comes a v-press, a front pull/press combo, and an underhand/overhand row, with the entire circuit repeated once. The first cardio interval begins with plyo lunges on the step (there is quite a bit of impact throughout the video, but again, it's easily modified), squat, slide, and step-knees. For the second sculpting segment, you'll focus on shoulders, this time using your "light" weights. Kelly begins with a unique side/front staggered raise, moves into a forward raise with upright row, and finishes with side delt raises and a shoulder press; again, the series is repeated. You'll then go back, repeat the previous cardio segment, and then repeat the entire shoulder work sequence once more.

The next cardio segment starts with jumping jacks--I usually hate these, but as before, Kelly makes them fun! You do two jacks, a slow jack, and then a plyo X--a jump to each side while in a boxer's crouch--before finishing with hamstring curls on the step. The next sculpting interval consists of biceps work: hammer curls, side curls with a slow count down, half-up curls, and front elbow lifts; you then repeat both the jumping jack cardio series and the biceps work. The final cardio choreography has the most impact, and I found it to be the most intense as well. You'll do a wide jog, a skate from side to side, jump rope, and then plyo hops on the step. The last sculpting series works the triceps in several unique ways. First comes French presses and tricep kickbacks, but then you do a move which I've never seen before, sort of like an upright row behind your back, and you finish by lifting your arms straight behind you. The high impact-cardio and triceps work are both repeated.

Are you wondering when the leg work is going to come in? Well, the last standing segment is sort of a cardio sculpting series focused on the lower body. Using your heavy weights and moving very quickly, you'll squat and place both weights on the floor, squat and pick up one weight, squat and pick up the other weight, and then repeat the entire sequence MANY times (you may want to consider starting with lighter weights here). Next, you'll do what Kelly calls "a skater's lunge" but which I've usually seen called a curtsy dip: you'll lunge one leg behind the other on an angle, with the added twist of holding a dumbbell in your opposite hand and touching it to the floor in front of your static foot. You'll do all the reps on one side before moving to the other, then repeat the squat series (I was feeling pretty tired the second time through!), and finally, finish with the skater's lunge, alternating sides this time.

You're not done yet, though--now it's on the the floor for chest/abs work! Kelly lies on the step, but you can lie directly on the floor if needed. The chest series includes chest press, wide-angle chest press, 2-count chest flyes, and lower chest/tricep pushes. The abs work was the only part of this video that I found a bit on the boring side, as it's just a simple series of crunches: crunch up, crunch lifting leg in and out, crunch lifting leg in/out and twisting to the side, and repeat on other side. Both the chest and the abs sequences are repeated once. Kelly finishes with quite a very quick stretch. Still lying on the step, she stretches the hamstrings, moves to seated for a chest/back stretch, stretches the neck on both sides, and yes, now you're done!

I really enjoy this workout--the time flies by, particularly during the cardio intervals, and the toning work is fun, unique, varied, plus has a functional fitness flavor (ie, mimicking movements from everyday life such as twisting). I would rate this as a mid-to-high intermediate workout, but it would probably be doable for advanced beginners by using even lighter weights and going without the step (those wanting more of a challenge can heavy up on the weights if they dare and use a higher step). The DVD is very well-chaptered with various shorter workout premix options, such as just doing the cardio, completing only a single circuit, etc. Overall, this DVD a wonderful addition to my video library and highly recommended!"

Great sculpting but you need a degree in mind reading to fol

A. Chandler | Austin, TX | 06/12/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I recently purchased 2 of Kelly's dvds. And had the same experience on both...

I began this dvd thinking "oh my gosh! This is going to be the best fitness dvd I own!"

...and I have over 100 so that is saying a lot. I love to compare the instructors and the caloric burn and keep my motivation up with variety of dvds.

Her warm-up had great cueing, as did the sculpting. Just like on her last dvd. I was doing great moves, loving her...

...then, same as her other dvd I ordered at the same time but got sooner, she suddenly began her cardio portion and I cursed her in my head for making me feel like I was on a mind-reading version of 'Dancing with the Stars' and was about to be voted off.

CUEING: Now, dont get me wrong...if you do this dvd daily you WILL catch on to what is about to happen and what the cues she shouts out mean. You will. And you will get a good workout because of it; BUT if you rotate your dvds and do this one occasionally you'll feel the same as I do.

She has great music, great moves, great energy but the one thing she is missing is cueing. It's actually one of the worst I've seen unless perhaps you are already a personal trainer or mind reader in which case, if you have those two abilities, you'll get it the first go-round. (I do work out 6 days a week to fitness dvds so I know many names of moves but she lost me when she'd just should out the NAMES of the moves and move on swiftly.)

Example: I am doing squats. Rather than say "After a count of three we will move to the stepper and do knee lifts." She instead yells out "knees!
and jumps to the step and starts doing knee lifts while running before you knew what happened. Or how about the cue "power!" which, if you are a mind reader tells you that you are supposed to stop doing the jumping jacks you are in the middle of and do a squat and jump up. No count down. You just are supposed to know when and how and what "power!" means you are to move on to...then, my all time favorite cue from her "x marks the spot!" which means you are supposed to figure out how to turn your body into an x without any instruction before she yells out another cue that becomes a game of "what the heck is that?" and you catch up to what she is doing after figuring it out.

Oh wait, another cue of hers I also saw in her other dvd that she repeated again here that's a real favorite is: "Turn!"

and if you guess "left" and she was thinking "right"...well, you best stop and catch up. She never says left or right if she does something like a side lunge so you just need to guess so that you aren't going in the opposite direction and need to stop and realign yourself.

Dont get me wrong, after working out frequently, one picks up the names of lots of fitness moves and steps, right?....not that you should ever have to if your instructor has good cueing...but you just do. However, on this one, even if you are at that workout level, until you memorize the names of some of her own moves and when she expects you do do them since she is going to shout them out with usually no count down (sometimes she is kind enough to give us one, especially in the strength training portion)you may find yourself, like me, pausing quite a bit to figure out exactly what "give me an x!" means and which way to go with it, while she is doing the move, which means you are losing good cardio time. It's real fun when she does something like "X! knees! turn! squats!" woa!

STRENGTH TRAINING: That said, I have to reiterate her strength training is so good that I plan to keep this dvd for that. And that's where she garnered some stars from me. (And I may even eventually memorize the cardio cues and have a great dvd altogether) Unfortunately, the dvd is not broken up into a strength portion and a cardio portion. They are all together. I say unfortunately (because normally the circuit workout of the combo combined together is my favorite) because that means you have to ad-lib during much of the cardio portion or fast forward unless you, like me, didn't major in the Art of MindReading Choreography...much as I love her energy.

BOSU or STEP CAN BE UTILIZED: If you do have this as one of just a handful of dvds you own, you will be able to memorize the choreography and I do think you will enjoy it after you curse Kelly a few times during the intial workouts. (he he) and, if you own a Bosu, it is a great replacement to the step she uses in much of the workout if you want to add in more core strength and balance. I did that just fine and got an even better workout...the step is great of course, but should you own a bosu,I just wanted to point out this is another dvd where you can gain some core strength with the bosu replacement. (a half ball dome that works your core when stepping.)

ABS: Speaking of abs, I need to add that kelly is very good about utilizing twisting movements to get some ab work in during strength and cardio moves and I also think that's another positive regarding her instruction. The ab portion of the dvd is also good.

SAFETY; One move, however, where you reach up with weight in hand to the sky, then bend and twist your leg til your knee is on the ground, I could see as a real danger if not done right or by a beginner...be careful with your knees on this one no matter what your level, as a knee twist like that could leave you benched for a few days. However, just altering it so you dont touch your knee, sideeways, to the ground makes it safe.

LEVEL: She doesn't have anyone doing beginner moves behind her (actually it looks like she has high school students...but all doing the same workout as her, there is no beginner to follow if you want to do less strenuous moves instead if fitness is newer to you) so I would reommend this for advanced and intermediates, especially because of some of the moves and the use of the step.

CALORIC BURN: excellent, according to my heart rate monitor

Conclusion: I love her strength training and would love her tremendously if she had cueing because, with that, it would be a truly perfect workout. However, the lack of quality cueing leaves one pausing with a question mark over one's head when one is supposed to be moving which isn'tt great cardio. And since that's half the video, I had to leave off half the stars.

Rating: C plus"