General Overview
By far the most manageable of the Dancing with the Stars workouts I've tried, Fat-Burning Cardio Dance is at least doable if not down right enjoyable at times. Place yourself in front of a mirror while doing this, however, and any magic found in keeping up with the moves is instantly lost the second you see what you look like doing so. Leave your ego at the door and pop this video in for a little mindless entertainment. But don't expect to "shed pounds & have fun!" I didn't even break a sweat.

The video is broken into three 15-minute routines--Mambo Mix, Hollywood Jazz and Hustle & Pop--and a 5-minute cool down. I found Mambo Mix to be the most challenging, not because the steps are terribly difficult but because the dance requires that you sexily slink about like the red mini-skirt-clad instructor, and that just wasn't working for me. Hollywood Jazz is most enjoyab...Read the entire review

General Overview
I used to think I could kind of dance, but these Dancing with the Stars workouts make me look (and feel) like a bumbling idiot. Significantly easier than their other videos I've tried--Dance Off the Pounds and Dance Body Tone--Ballroom Buns & Abs still left me tripping over myself, couches, tables and my ego after it crashed to the floor. The video features three 15-minute routines--Paso Doble, Rock'n Abs and Argentine Tango--and a five-minute cool down. Throughout each routine, I get which moves are intended to target the "buns" and abs, but I find that I spend so much time over thinking each step and trying to keep up that it's difficult to really engage those muscles as intended.

Paso Doble - This routine is led by Chelsea Hightower who is upbeat to the point of being obnoxious. Still, it's the easiest of the three on this video so I found myself getting into ...Read the entire review

General Overview
I'll admit to setting the bar pretty low for Jane Fonda's Prime Time workouts. But having completed both Walk Out and Fit & Strong, I confess that I was wrong, very wrong. If I can look and (more importantly) move like Jane Fonda at the ripe old age of 74, I will consider my life a success. In an attempt to fairly and accurately review this workout, I tried to imagine myself as my grandmother doing it. What I found is that these workouts are perfect for the target demographic (which I'd imagine to be those about age 60 and up) and would also benefit anyone with a sedentary lifestyle.

While Walk Out is an unweighted cardio routine, Fit & Strong adds weights to the mix for resistance training, a monumentally important exercise for the elderly since we lose most of our muscle mass as we age. The workout is divided into two levels, one beginner (20 minutes) and anot...Read the entire review

General Overview
Jillian Michaels is at it again, this time wreaking havoc on your midsection with a unique combination of standing, static and mat poses to work muscles you never even knew you had. What I like about Jillian's approach to abs is that she involves the entire body rather than leaving you on the mat to do a billion boring crunches. The workout comes in two 30-minute sections and you're instructed to do Level 1 for the first three weeks and then Level 2 for the last of your six-week challenge. I did them on consecutive days and found both to be very challenging but also interesting and dynamic enough to keep me engaged and not wanting to bail.

Equipment Needed
You'll need a 3-, 5-, or 8-lb hand weight and a mat (if you're on a hard surface). I skipped the mat because I was on carpet. You'll also want to ensure you have plenty of room to move. You won't just be on your...Read the entire review

General Overview
Life lesson: When the editor of DVD Talk sends you a list of fitness DVDs to review, look at the list before enthusiastically replying, "I'll take them all!" Otherwise your boyfriend will find you on a Friday morning, inappropriately dressed for a workout in pajamas and a sweater, flailing about the living room to Jane Fonda's instruction and watching intently as she explains the intricacies of Kegel exercises. To say that Jane Fonda isn't quite my speed would be an understatement, but to say I didn't end up with a light sheen of sweat and a moment of breathlessness would be an all out lie. While this workout isn't much of a challenge for people who are regularly active, anyone with a primarily sedentary lifestyle would benefit from a bit of Jane.

The DVD features two living room workouts equivalent to a one-mile walk. The first beginner series completes the walk in a 20-mi...Read the entire review

General Overview
Energy Flow is a collection of five 10-minute workouts--Energy Flow, Sun Salutations 1, Sun Salutations 2, Chi Gong and Core & Gluteal. Though it claims to be an "energetic, fast-paced practice," this sequence is anything but. But don't knock it just yet. A calm, slower practice can be great for a beginner or anyone looking for a gentle, rejuvenating workout. If you approach it like that, you may enjoy it. But if you go in expecting "results in a short period of time," you will be disappointed.

I like the way I feel after doing this sequence, but I don't like doing it. It's slow, boring and uninspired. The addition of Chi Gong into the mix is interesting, but it'd be nice if they would explain the art a bit rather than just taking us through the motions.

The most maddening part of this DVD is that they made Savasana and Stretches the Bonus Feature. If you practice yog...Read the entire review

General Overview
When I was asked if I'd like to review this DVD, I first laughed, then cringed and then finally said, "YES!" I figure few things could be more entertaining for my neighbors and cats than me prancing around the living room like an Indian princess, and since I'm here to spread joy at my expense, I went with it.

My cats actually hid under a chair most of the time and only came out to stare blankly at me. One neighbor walking his dog stopped and stared as well. What was I doing? How about a little "village idiot", "mermaid splash" and imaginary "canoe rowing" just to name a few of the many eccentric moves.

I actually had a rather enjoyable time jumping around like a fool and I'm definitely sweaty now. I especially like the rowing sequence and the mermaid moves for ab work. Sadly, the three 15-minute segments (Goddess Infusion, Hero and Heroine, and Boogie All Around) are pain...Read the entire review

General Overview
If you think yoga is just for new age hippie weirdos, you would be correct on this and all Shiva Rea videos. I've heard a lot of great things about Shiva Rea so I was excited to try Creative Core Abs. Unfortunately, I found it to be too far "out there" and subsequently inaccessible to most people.

The "workout" consists of three segments--Water Core, Spontaneous Core and Fire Core--all filmed at White Sands National Park to achieve that ethereal look, I suppose. The moves themselves are fairly simple but knowing how to make them really target your abdominal muscles is a more advanced practice than they let on.

Skip this video in favor of something a little more (dare I say) normal. I fear this will scare a lot of people off.

Equipment Needed
All you need is a mat. Or, in Shiva's case... a mountain of sand and a drummer man. Whatever you have handy.

Effe...Read the entire review

General Overview
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are at it again in what I would call the worst workout video of all time. The DCC Power Bod Squad Calorie Blasting Dance routine is best described as boring, easy and annoying, and I do not recommend that you learn that the hard way. Take my advice and skip this ridiculous workout entirely.

Now, I'm no dancer, but I was on the dance team from 7th grade through senior year of high school. Each summer we'd host a dance camp for little girls where we'd teach a routine that was exciting for the kids but for anyone over the age of 6 it was mind numbingly easy and repetitive. This DCC routine was reminiscent of those summer camps but with a lot more gyrating and "sexy walks."

The routine is taught in five sections with each cheerleader sharing two 8-counts of her signature move. At the end you combine them all together to create a routine that I ...Read the entire review

General Overview
This YogaWorks Beginners AM/PM routine is calm and relaxing to the point of exhaustion. Though this DVD is intended for students new to yoga, I fear it's so basic it may turn people away out of boredom. There are far more enjoyable ways to ease into yoga.

That said, I am having some trouble with early carpal tunnel pain from my excessive computer habit (desk job by day + blogger and DVD reviewer by night = disaster) and found that the slow pace of this routine gave me a chance to really focus on stretching what needed to be stretched. Unfortunately, a couple of fantastic wrist stretches are not enough to make me recommend this as a quality yoga DVD. Skip it and try their Body Slim routine instead. There are plenty of modifications that make that more advanced series appropriate for all levels.

Equipment Needed
You'll need a mat or non-slip surface. Beginners may...Read the entire review

General Overview
Yogaworks Body Slim is an enjoyable and effective 50-minute series starting with ab work and then alternating cardio and slow burn sequences. You'll feel your heart rate increase, your muscles burn and you may even sweat a bit. Not bad for a DVD, right?

I do find it odd that the video starts with ab work--most yoga sessions will begin with sun salutations. I also don't think you can just add "yoga" to the beginning of other exercises to make it a yoga pose--yoga bicycles, yoga crunches, etc. But who's complaining about a little extra ab tightening? Not me.

Despite a slow and somewhat unorthodox start, this is one of the better yoga DVDs I have reviewed to date.

Equipment Needed
Everyone will need a mat. Beginners may want a yoga block (or a big book if you don't have a block).

Effectiveness
I found that each section of this workout really does do w...Read the entire review

General Overview
This installment of Dancing with the Stars claims it will help you "dance off the pounds" with three 15-minute routines--swing, jive and quickstep. While following this DVD my thoughts ranged from "Sweet! I can kind of swing!" to "Whoa whoa whoa, slow it down Miss Fast Talk McJive" and finally to "HAHAHA! Oh Dmitry..."

You see, Kym's swing routine is pretty easy to follow, albeit ridiculous and not very physically challenging. Lacey's jive routine is impossible to keep up with (and not just because I was fast forwarding through it). I gave up on that one quickly. Finally, Dmitry's complete inability to count in the cues for his quickstep routine is quality laugh out loud entertainment. Unfortunately, none of these things makes for a quality workout DVD.

Ranging from impossibly boring to simply impossible, this DVD lacks the happy medium that would make it worth you...Read the entire review

General Overview
If you've been looking for a "workout" that teaches you how to walk in heels, "sit pretty with efforts," and get fit by dressing sexy, then have I got a DVD for you. Dance A GoGo: Sexy Nightclub Workout Series is just what you need... for a good laugh. If you're looking for a powerful and effective workout, carry on.

I tried Dance A GoGo one night when my boyfriend was out of town so he couldn't make fun of me. I stumbled and flailed my way through the Music Video Dance Workout, Latin Groove Dance Workout, and the Nightclub Fun Workout. While choreographer/instructor Andrea Lin and her skanked out GoGo girls look sexy and cool, poised, graceful and everything I am not, I just looked, uh, confused. Someone should probably tell them though that belly dancing is not "Latin."

On the rare occasion that I was able to get at least part of the series down, I did feel like a tot...Read the entire review

General Overview
I'm pretty picky when it comes to my yoga and I pretty much hated the last yoga DVD I reviewed. So when it came time to try out Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Power Bod Squad Body Slimming Yoga (really with that title??), let's just say I did not have high hopes.

And once again those cheerleaders have proven me wrong. The DCC Body Slimming Yoga DVD is a pretty decent introduction to the practice. The team's official yoga instructor, Kurt Johnsen, is an expert in the field and this comes across in his teaching.

The DVD includes a 25-minute routine and a 45-minute routine. If you're really looking for the supposed "body slimming" effects, skip straight to the longer options or, better yet, combine the two.

Equipment Needed
You'll need a mat if you're on a hard...Read the entire review

General Overview
Though I've never actually seen The Biggest Loser or completed a Jillian Michaels workout video (ie The 30 Day Shred everyone keeps talking about), I still managed to go ahead and pass judgement. Verdict: I don't like her.

But I'm a big girl and big girls can admit when they're wrong... sometimes. I may not like that Jillian endorses diet pills or that some of her super fake processed food recommendations make me cringe, but that doesn't really change the fact that she's a really damn good trainer. So with this review, I apologize to America's Toughest Trainer. I can only hope she won't make me do pushups with her on my back as punishment.

In this Last Chance Workout--designed to mimic the brutal final workouts contestants on the show endure before weigh ins--Jillian takes you through a 25-minute circuit workout alternating (and sometimes combining) cardio and strength in...Read the entire review

General Overview
If you, like me, dragged your awkward, uncoordinated, slightly chubby 7th-grade self to cheerleading tryouts and didn't make it, now's your chance to, at the very least, work out like a cheerleader--or so this video says.

Join several real life Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders (who look confused every second of the workout) and their trainer Sergeant Jay Johnson (who, of course, wears camouflage pants) for what I regret to inform you is a pretty great workout.

Try as I might to give this video a terrible review, it's actually not bad at all. I'll even go so far as to say "I recommend it." The most pleasant surprises came in the Special Features, which included a Total Arm Assault, Total Ab Assault (hard!), Intro to Yoga (very thorough) and detailed instructions for each workout move. Honestly, this video would almost be worth the price just for these extras.

The ...Read the entire review

General Overview
Despite my general distaste for Jillian Michaels and the whole Biggest Loser franchise, I was pleasantly surprised with the workouts on this DVD. My gripe with Jillian is not that she's a bad trainer--she's actually an amazing trainer--but that she endorses diet pills. But Jillian isn't your trainer in this video, nor is Bob Harper (though her makes a guest appearance in the Bonus Features). The five 10-minute workouts--Cardio I, Cardio II, Upper Body, Lower Body and Abs--are all taught by former Biggest Loser contestants. There's a 30-day workout plan feature that organizes the five different workouts into four easy-to-follow weekly schedules. I just did all five at once. Here's my take on each:

• Cardio Level 1: Don't be fooled by the beginner's level of this workout. Tara takes you though five different sets that each include two different moves and a...Read the entire review
  ]]> DVD Video https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/41875 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:14:22 UTC Skip It

  General Overview
  Despite my six years of dance team experience and a brief stint last year in an adult hip hop class, I still looked like an idiot flailing about my living room trying to Mambo, Tango and freestyle my way to a more svelte physique with DWTS instructors Kym, Dmitry and Lacey. Each instructor will walk you through a tutorial in their signature dance style designed to target different muscle groups, teaching several moves that combine at the end to create a short dance sequence. Latin is aimed at strengthening the core, Tango focuses on legs with lots of lunges and freestyle is a full-body cardio workout.

  The instruction is informative and makes sense in theory, but the actual application using your own clumsy body can be challenging if you've never danced before. In short, the moves in this video are too basic to actually cause you to break a sweat and transform your body but ...Read the entire review

  ]]> DVD Video https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/41467 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:45:59 UTC Skip It

  General Overview

  YogaWorks Fit Abs is divided into two sections plus an introductory Learning Guide for beginners. If you are unfamiliar with yoga basics, I strongly recommend starting with the 15-minute Learning Guide.

  The disappointingly brief "Fit Abs" section surprisingly lasts a mere 10 minutes. Wouldn't you think they would name the video after the longer, more substantial part of the workout? Well they didn't because the longer, more substantial 40-minute Core Yoga Flow workout that follows is filled with moves that surprisingly (again) barely even address the midsection. When paired with the Learning Guide, the Core Yoga Flow would make a nice Beginner's Introduction to Yoga Basics video. But marketed as an abs workout, this video falls short.

  As a somewhat intermediate practitioner of yoga, I can safely say that this is not a video for anyone with any knowledge of yoga, as it wil...Read the entire review

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