The DVD contains 5 workouts over 3 discs: Boogie Buns & Thighs, Disco Abs, I Will Survive Cardio, The Beginner Hustle, That's The Way I Like It Abs. This review will be in 2 to 3 parts because there are 5 workouts over 3 discs. I've only done two of them thus far.
read more of Do the Hustle: Cheryl Burke’s Disco Abs >>
This morning, I got up, handled my email and had planned on going to a 24 S.E.T. class at 10am at the gym. But, my client conference call ran long… did I skip the gym? Yes, yes I did. Did I skip my workout? No! No, I didn’t! Cue the parade. I decided to do my new Crunch - Super SlimDown: Pilates Yoga Blend
I’m glad I tried this DVD, mostly because I want to take a PiYo class at the gym this week and I was nervous, since I didn’t know what to expect. If it’s anything like this, then I think I’m going to enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, this DVD was actually quite challenging, but not in a way that would prevent me (or anyone, really) from doing it. They have modifications that are truly modifications (not like some where they just say “stick a towel under your ass” or whatever). Granted, I’ve been kind of couch potato-y lately, but I broke a sweat just from the Warrior warm-ups and my abs and outer thighs are going to be telling me all about it later, I can almost guarantee.
I think my favorite moves were the Zig Zag and the Dolphin, mostly because I liked the funky movement of the former and the familiarity of the latter. I also like anything where you lie on the floor an swing your knees to the side because it feels so good on my back. Of course, we’re doing ab crunches or “climbing the rope” during that part, too. So much for feeling good.
There’s a lot of floor work with this, which I really like because it focuses a lot on the core strength. It’s roughly 40 minutes, which isn’t too bad. I think I would prefer something I can do in 30 minutes, but the stretching, calming aspect of it is worth the extra ten.
The “class members” didn’t annoy me, like many do. Sometimes, especially with yoga videos, I get all caught up in how creepy their feet are, scooting around the mat or how Susie Thong in the corner looks like she’d rather be getting a root canal. You know… anything to keep from paying attention.
I’ll definitely be doing this one again. In fact, I could see me starting the day with this a few days a week, just for the sake of the stretch and getting the blood flowing. It’s not easy and my feet were cramping a bit, which I know is a sign of a core that’s not tight (trying to balance with my feet instead of my middle), but it gives me something to aspire to. I’d like to be able to go through the whole 40 minutes fluidly without stopping.
If you give Crunch - Super SlimDown: Pilates Yoga Blend
We’ve talked about Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away the Pounds
Essentially, this is the system I used when I first started losing weight. At 307 pounds, the very idea of working out made me sweat. I never found a workout tape or DVD that I liked; they were all much too difficult for someone of my former fitness level and size. But someone suggested I try Leslie Sansone’s WATP series. I figured walking couldn’t be that hard and picked up the beginning 1 & 2 Mile Walk DVD at Target for $9.99.
After about a month or so of doing the 1 mile with the ocassional 2 mile thrown in, I eventually bought the 3 Mile Walk and worked up to that about 5 days a week. Some days when I’m just not into it or am pressed for time, I cram in a 1 Mile walk because it’s only like 15-20 minutes and at least I feel as though I’ve done something. It was very simple to start, too. You don’t need anything but you. Yes, there are supposedly 2-pound “Walk Away Weighted Balls”, but eff that. You can pick up some 2-pound dumbells at Target for $1.99 each. I find them easier to hold than those balls anyway. Plus, balls. That’s just funny.... because I’m twelve.
Leslie Sansone‘s enthusiasm can be a bit much from time to time. I’m sure she’s a delightful woman and I’ll get emails from the men who whack it to her like I did when I discussed the Overstock.com lady on my blog, but I gotta tell you… she bugs. But! She gets the job done, so I can’t complain. She’s so perky, but I guess if you’re going to be a fitness instructor, it’s your job to to have the uber-perk. That and sometimes she’ll throw a little God into it, which I personally don’t really feel belongs in this series (she makes some specifically for Christians
A drawback is that the DVD’s get old fairly quickly. I’ve been alternating the 1 and 2 milers for the last week and this week I’m trying to alternate the 2 and 3 mile (though, today, for some reason, I conked out about 1.5 miles in. Just totally deflated. I think it’s because I stayed up too late and didn’t eat a proper breafast. No energy!) Next week, the 3 and 4 Mile Walk
I’ve watched the DVDs so many times now, I know them by heart. I’ve taken to dissecting the glances and eye-movements and expressions of her backup exercisers and have started creating my own storyline in my head. Randy really loves the couch, apparently because it’s mentioned on 2 of the 3 DVDs in the first series. “Jodi has a new baby” that we hear about on every DVD and boy, Leslie really wants to know when that kid is sleeping through the night. He’s got to be in first grade by now. I’d say it’s a safe bet he does. Modified Beth amazes me with her jiggle-free thighs. She’s short and probably what a frat boy in a bar would consider “the fat friend”, but I think she is perfectly cute and fine (though prone to spontaneous “We’re with you! We’re workin’ out!” outbursts for no reason). But her inner thighs are firm, y0.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who’s out of shape and just doesn’t know where to start working out. If you’re afraid of the gym, consider giving these a try. I remember when the idea of starting out “going for a walk” was like… overwhelming. Where will I go? How far do I go? What do I do if I walk all that way and get tired? What if people yell things out their car window at me? (I really enjoy that, by the way. It’s so uplifting!) And the ever-popular, What if I can’t do it?
Fret no more. Get Walk Away the Pounds
4.5 Donuts from me. I’m docking half a donut for Randy’s spandex shorts.
There is something about Yoga that doesn’t quite work for me. I am not sure what it is. But when I take the time to do a workout I would like to feel like I did something productive with my body. I never get that “I just worked out hard” feeling from Yoga and that’s not really what Yoga is all about.
However I like the stretching aspects of it and looked for an alternative. Then I was introduced to Pilates. It really makes a difference in the way you stand and the way your body carries itself. As soon as I started doing Pilates, people actually asked me if I got taller.
I started out with a fantastic DVD for beginners, which in my opinion is crucial for Pilates to start out by learning some basic moves.
I settled on Pilates Beginning Mat Workout which is part of the Living Arts Series. They also have Yoga workouts as well. I really loved this DVD for a few reasons…
The instructor’s name is Ana Caban and she is terrific. I get irked easily by peppy instructors who act corny or do moves as if everyone in the free world is made of elastic. Ana does everything in a very down to earth manner and she explains everything extremely well. There is also a modified version of most moves so you can work your way up to the full positions which was key for me since I was starting out with very limited flexibility.
If you are looking into trying Pilates, this is a great place to start. I know there are a zillion others that are just as good and I plan on trying and reviewing those as well. (Well maybe not all zillion of them, but I’ll try. Joelle likes Winsor Pilates so maybe I’ll try that next.)
The only negative I can come up with is that after doing it for about a week it starts to feel a little slow, like you want to skip ahead. But once you get stronger you can move on to the Intermediate Mat Workout with Ana Caban which I am still trying to master. Although I would not be able to do this one without the foundation of the beginner DVD.
Let me preface this by saying, I am not a fitness guru. I am merely a girl who has tried a hundred VHS and DVD’s and have come to some opinons about them. I am not usually a fan of fitness video’s after having a painful experience from Buns of Steel, Thighs of Steel, Abs of Steel and Spleen of Steel videos in the early 90’s. After that I decided they weren’t for me.
I have had a change of heart although I still have experienced a fair share of what I call “dud’s” these days. Speaking of dud…
I wanted to try something new. Something fun. I came across this video on Amazon and thought “what the hell.” Belly Dancing for Beginners. It sounds exotic. It sounds sexy. Right up my alley. How cool would it be to tell someone you know how to belly dance? Yeah well… not happening.
I popped the DVD in and it was all very jingly sounding and then the twins entered. After getting past the fact that they look a little emaciated, I started to follow along. About 5 minutes into it I felt completely ridiculous wiggling around my living room like someone had just poured live goldfish down my panties. I didn’t know if I was doing it right, it went too fast and they didn’t really explain anything. I tried it a few times and still didn’t quite get it. I didn’t feel like I was accomplishing anything and well, when you only have a half hour to get a workout in your schedule, this ain’t cuttin’ the cheese.
This DVD wasn’t worth the money and I think Belly Dancing is better left to a trained professional and private or live class instruction. It’s not to say I won’t try any others, but this one is not the top of my list of choices.