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RapidFire Feedback

by Susan Chung on 12/22/10

Hello Everyone!

Well, its been just about 3 weeks since the video shipped and I have been thrilled with all of your positive comments to my blog and your e-mails. I truly appreciate each and every one of you taking the time out of your busy schedules to sit down and write to me. I agree with so much of what you say and so many of your comments are spot on.

Now that you've done the workout several times and are becoming more familiar with it and with my style of teaching, you may want to try a couple of different options. For example, in the Boxing segment try "snapping" your punches and fully extending the arms on those straight punches making sure to pull your arms all the way back in quickly just before the elbow is fully extended. If you are using dumbells or weighted gloves, be careful to not "lock" your elbow joints (but go for the full extension). Several people have asked my opinion on using 2lb dumbells. I've tried doing the workout with 2lb and even 3lb dumbells and while I find 2 lbs challenging, I also feel that my form suffers a bit as I get tired. I found 3lbs way too heavy. You may want to start off with 2lb dumbells for round 1 and then go to 1lbs for the next two rounds until you can do all three rounds with 2lbs and excellent form. Of course, if you experience any pain in your shoulders or elbow joints, drop immediately to 1lb or no resistance.

In the Modification for Kickboxing #2, if you find it too difficult to go right into jumping front kicks after you do 4 jumping jacks, you can do the 4 jumping jacks back and then follow Nina for the duration. Or, you can do 4 jumping jacks back and then one regular front kick followed by 4 jumping front kicks. If you have space limitations, you can always do the 4 kicks and 4 jacks in place.

For a super hard workout, try doing Boxing and both Kickboxing 1 (right and left) and Kickboxing 2 with 1lb dumbells or weighted gloves for the entire time.

Remember, the bag segment can easily be done without a bag. If you are going to do it without the bag, try following along with me but use 1lb or 2lb dumbells, weighted gloves or boxing gloves (the ones I'm wearing in the video weigh 14 oz each). On the squat side kicks, try touching the floor as you squat down before you kick (imagine that you are kicking the bag).

I hope you continue to use and enjoy RapidFire and I welcome your comments and suggestions! Have a wonderful, happy and healthy holiday season!

Comments (11)

1. Dianne said on 12/22/10 - 04:42PM

I really appreciated you section on form tips. I hope you do a Rapid Fire #2. All the best to you and your family in 2011!

2. Susan said on 12/22/10 - 05:03PM

Thanks Dianne! I'm glad you liked that segment. We had lots of fun filming it. Have a wonderful holiday!

3. Terry said on 12/23/10 - 02:24PM

LOVE this DVD...might be my favorite kickboxing DVD ever (and I have a LOT of them). Form, cueing, modifying suggestions, warm-up, cool-down/stretch...the entire workout is just amazing...you'd never know this was your first DVD...you did a superb job! :)

4. Kathryn said on 12/26/10 - 02:31PM

To add to your modification suggestions: I find that a 2-front-kick/2-back-kick combo works better as a sub for the turning moves in the KB segment than 4 front kicks (4 back kicks would work as well). I finally did the entire workout (I hadn't done the bag segment before). Since my bag was in a corner (and I was too lazy to move it, LOL!) I decided to not do the kicks on it, just punches. Worked fine! I also turned the side-kick segment into a back-fist segment (to work more on rear shoulder and triceps).

5. Susan said on 12/26/10 - 03:14PM

Dear Terry: Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm so happy you are enjoying the workout. For RapidFire to be your favorite really means so much to me. I hope it continues to be your favorite for a long time...or at least until I make RapidFire 2!! Thank you for taking the time to write and best wishes for a happy, healthy and wonderful 2011!

6. Susan said on 12/26/10 - 03:28PM

Hi Kathryn! Thanks for your suggestions for more modifications to Kickbox 2. I agree with you that two front kicks plus two back kicks would work nicely instead of the spinning back kick combos. You'd need to repeat your combo twice for the 8 count. If someone wanted more challenge they could practice traveling forward on the first two front kicks then holding in place for the back kicks, then traveling back on the second two front kicks and holding on the back kicks, then going right into the jumping front kicks from that point. Also, I was thinking that you could do squat front kick, squat front kick, squat back kick, squat back kick (in place, that's an 8 count) and then go right into the jumping front kicks --or in place -- do 4 squat back kicks (no front kicks) and then right into the jumping front kicks. I've tried doing the four front kicks and the four back kicks but I get a little off balance on the 4 back kicks (unless I look down at the floor and really focus). I love the idea of doing back fists to work the upper back, shoulders and triceps, I think that's a great idea as well. To add a bit more cardio, you could do a sumo squat with arms in guard then as you approach the bag, do the backfist strike. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to really do this workout and to think about ways to enhance it. Best Regards!

7. Kathryn said on 12/31/10 - 11:30AM

Susan, I like you're suggestions as well. I'll have to try those next time I do the workout.

8. Susan said on 1/4/11 - 10:24AM

Thanks Kathryn! Let me know what you think after you've tried them.

9. Lorraine Esposito said on 1/25/11 - 08:20AM

With so many video choices, each one promising to be “the best ever!” I sort of stopped buying anything. I’ve been a video exerciser for over 15 years and for a few years now, all that has been offered were slightly different variations of the same ol’ thing. Not anymore! You’ve managed to bring the surprise back into this form of fitness training and though I’m looking forward to any new videos you’ll produce, it will be quite a while before I exhaust all the possibilities contained in Rapid Fire. Definitely a lot of “POW” for my buck! Thank You!

10. Cher said on 7/13/11 - 12:46PM

Hi Susan! I'm late to the game here, but wanted to tell you that I love Rapid Fire workout! It is one of my top 5 when I want a really solid, overall body workout. I hope you have another one in the works....:-)

11. Susan said on 7/14/11 - 02:05PM

Hi Cher: Thanks for your kind words -- very much appreciated. I'm so glad you like the video. You're timing is spot on because we start rehearsals for my second RapidFire video next week! I just finished writing up the format, got my team together and we are ready to begin! Thanks again for writing.

Leave a comment

« RapidFire DVDs have... | Main | Susan Chung's RapidF... »

1.	Dianne said on 12/22/10 - 04:42PM
	I really appreciated you section on form tips. I hope you do a Rapid Fire #2. All the best to you and your family in 2011!
2.	Susan said on 12/22/10 - 05:03PM
	Thanks Dianne! I'm glad you liked that segment. We had lots of fun filming it. Have a wonderful holiday!
3.	Terry said on 12/23/10 - 02:24PM
	LOVE this DVD...might be my favorite kickboxing DVD ever (and I have a LOT of them). Form, cueing, modifying suggestions, warm-up, cool-down/stretch...the entire workout is just amazing...you'd never know this was your first DVD...you did a superb job! :)
4.	Kathryn said on 12/26/10 - 02:31PM
	To add to your modification suggestions: I find that a 2-front-kick/2-back-kick combo works better as a sub for the turning moves in the KB segment than 4 front kicks (4 back kicks would work as well). I finally did the entire workout (I hadn't done the bag segment before). Since my bag was in a corner (and I was too lazy to move it, LOL!) I decided to not do the kicks on it, just punches. Worked fine! I also turned the side-kick segment into a back-fist segment (to work more on rear shoulder and triceps).
5.	Susan said on 12/26/10 - 03:14PM
	Dear Terry: Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm so happy you are enjoying the workout. For RapidFire to be your favorite really means so much to me. I hope it continues to be your favorite for a long time...or at least until I make RapidFire 2!! Thank you for taking the time to write and best wishes for a happy, healthy and wonderful 2011!
6.	Susan said on 12/26/10 - 03:28PM
	Hi Kathryn! Thanks for your suggestions for more modifications to Kickbox 2. I agree with you that two front kicks plus two back kicks would work nicely instead of the spinning back kick combos. You'd need to repeat your combo twice for the 8 count. If someone wanted more challenge they could practice traveling forward on the first two front kicks then holding in place for the back kicks, then traveling back on the second two front kicks and holding on the back kicks, then going right into the jumping front kicks from that point. Also, I was thinking that you could do squat front kick, squat front kick, squat back kick, squat back kick (in place, that's an 8 count) and then go right into the jumping front kicks --or in place -- do 4 squat back kicks (no front kicks) and then right into the jumping front kicks. I've tried doing the four front kicks and the four back kicks but I get a little off balance on the 4 back kicks (unless I look down at the floor and really focus). I love the idea of doing back fists to work the upper back, shoulders and triceps, I think that's a great idea as well. To add a bit more cardio, you could do a sumo squat with arms in guard then as you approach the bag, do the backfist strike. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to really do this workout and to think about ways to enhance it. Best Regards!
7.	Kathryn said on 12/31/10 - 11:30AM
	Susan, I like you're suggestions as well. I'll have to try those next time I do the workout.
8.	Susan said on 1/4/11 - 10:24AM
	Thanks Kathryn! Let me know what you think after you've tried them.
9.	Lorraine Esposito said on 1/25/11 - 08:20AM
	With so many video choices, each one promising to be “the best ever!” I sort of stopped buying anything. I’ve been a video exerciser for over 15 years and for a few years now, all that has been offered were slightly different variations of the same ol’ thing. Not anymore! You’ve managed to bring the surprise back into this form of fitness training and though I’m looking forward to any new videos you’ll produce, it will be quite a while before I exhaust all the possibilities contained in Rapid Fire. Definitely a lot of “POW” for my buck! Thank You!
10.	Cher said on 7/13/11 - 12:46PM
	Hi Susan! I'm late to the game here, but wanted to tell you that I love Rapid Fire workout! It is one of my top 5 when I want a really solid, overall body workout. I hope you have another one in the works....:-)
11.	Susan said on 7/14/11 - 02:05PM
	Hi Cher: Thanks for your kind words -- very much appreciated. I'm so glad you like the video. You're timing is spot on because we start rehearsals for my second RapidFire video next week! I just finished writing up the format, got my team together and we are ready to begin! Thanks again for writing.