Search - David Carradine's Shaolin Strength Training on DVD

Surprisingly good workout

Kung Fu Stu | Phoenix, AZ | 02/18/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a martial artist and exercise enthusiast, I am always looking for new ideas to add to my workouts. I've been a fan of David's acting since I saw the original Kung Fu series as a kid, so I figured this might be a good dvd to add to my collection. In addition, Hung Gar kung fu is one of the styles I practice and I recognized Sifu Donald Hamby on the cover which further piqued my interest. I figured in the worse case, it would at least be something I would enjoy watching regardless of if I found the workout useful or not. To my surprise, this is actually a very effective and fun workout. Even if you are not a martial artist, this is still a great workout that will have you seeing and feeling results in no time.

Basically, the workout consists of Kung Fu (mainly Hung Gar style) stances and movements done in an isometric fashion. For those not familiar with isometric training, you perform a series of exercises using only your own muscle contraction as resistance. You don't use any weights or bands with this workout. The level of intensity is up to you. Another advantage is that once you learn the routine, you can do it anywhere...in your hotel room while travelling, in your cubicle during a break, etc. This workout might also be useful for those with injuries or conditions that don't allow the use of heavy weights. Isometric training became a craze during the 60's and was one of the training methods used by Bruce Lee.

The workout itself lasts about 25 minutes including the warmup. While it might not look like much of a workout, after doing it 3 times a week for a couple weeks, I can already see and feel a difference in my muscle definition (especially the arms and shoulders) and more importantly in functional strength. An added benefit is that it makes you feel great after doing a workout. Sort of like the endorphin rush you get after a good workout, but this seems like a different type of good feeling. It's hard to explain but give it a try and you'll see what I mean.

Of course, not everyone will have the same benefit or experience from doing this workout, but than can be said of any other exercise dvd or routine. Still, in my opinion, this workout is great as a stand alone routine, or add some cardio or ab exercises to make it part of a complete full body program.

Note: When you watch the dvd, be sure to go to the main menu and select "full mix" (or something similar) under audio options, otherwise you won't hear David's narration as you go along through the workout. For some reason it seems to default to the "music only" option, unless that's just some quirk with my dvd player."