10 Minute Solution Cardio Hip Hip

THE WORKOUT: 10 Minute Solution Cardio Hip Hop

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Fine for beginners who can handle choreography.

THE BREAKDOWN: I realize that hip hop is a music genre and not a race, but I can’t help but note that lanky, blonde Heather Graham is not the person who pops to mind when I hear “hip hop.”

But never mind.

I enjoy the first two of five segments of this DVD, but Heather lost me in the last three. The problem for me throughout is that the steps that change too quickly. A couple more reps of each step thrown into the complete dances, and some better cueing (which foot, please?), would help. And, I realize, so would having more than one person demonstrating—sometimes tricky steps are easier to grasp out if I see them done by different people with different styles and bodies.

I think what we have here is the classic problem of the professional forgetting how hard some stuff can be for the amateur. Slow this down a little and have a little sympathy for the beginner and it would be lots of fun.

That said, I’m sure if were determined, I could grasp the dances eventually. But the harder the choreography is to get a grip on, the less of a workout I get, so I am not terribly patient.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I worked up a sweat—from dancing and also from frustration.

BUT IS IT FUN? Parts, yes. And it was a lot more fun when I figured out what the “downbeat” she kept mentioning was.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I have to pop in another DVD to get a full workout.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Nothing but rhythm.

FINAL WORD: Could be better. Wish it were. But I'll keep it around for those first 20 minutes.
--
I have a new book out! It's called The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World, and it's available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and a bookstore near you. (I hope. And if it's not, ask for it.)

Leslie Sansone: Walk Off 10 Pounds

THE WORKOUT:   Leslie Sansone: Walk Off 10 Pounds

REVIEW BY: Kritter

 

UPFRONT:  There are LOTS of Leslie Sansone DVDs, and I own plenty of 'em. Leslie on her own, with a group, with weights, with stretch bands, without any props at all---a Leslie DVD for nearly every mood or level of fitness.  No matter how long it's been since my best of exercise intentions have fallen by the wayside, Leslie's always there to help me get back on an exercise program, and lately this DVD, from 2010, is the one I start with

WHO CAN DO THIS: If you can walk, Leslie will get you moving. Beginners can keep it low impact and you can choose a one, two, or three mile walk.  You can get a good aerobic workout without feeling inadequate---no fancy steps and combinations to trip you up.

BEFORE YOU START: Particularly as the pace picks up, focus on making sure your heels hit the ground.  You won't notice you're spending too much time on your toes until you pay the next day with very sore calves.

THE BREAKDOWN: This is Leslie as personal trainer, putting you through a 45-minute "multi-muscle" walk. You get a five-minute warmup of Leslie basics---walk in place, side steps, kicks and knee lifts---then the pace picks up and she leads you through a three-mile workout that includes lower body variations like hamstring curls and grapevines plus plenty of arm movements to up the intensity.

There's a cool down toward the end and a short series of calf and hamstring stretches that you'll probably want to supplement with some favorites of you own (she completely ignores your quadriceps).  Should you have energy to burn, there's a five-minute/five hundred step bonus segment.

Through it all Leslie coaches you through a motivational seminar on physical fitness, spiritual fitness, and "smart" food choices. So, yes, Leslie talks constantly.  If it gets on your nerves there's an option to exercise to music only

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I sweat plenty. As my fitness level improves I just put more effort in.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You'll be glad you got into your workout gear and walked the walk

GEAR AND APPAREL: A little floor space and a decent pair of shoes.  She doesn't use any extra gear, but if you wanna throw in some very light hand weights, no one's gonna stop you

BUT IS IT FUN? It's about as "fun" as a cardio workout's gonna get.

FINAL WORD:  Anything that gets me moving is a "smart choice".

10 Minute Solution Hip Hop Dance Mix

Sophia started out writing these reviews for The Dallas Morning News, and now she's back in there. What goes around comes around or something like that.

Read the review of 10 Minute Solution Hip Hop Dance Mix here.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through to Amazon from here.

Dance Off the Inches: Country Line Dance Party

THE WORKOUT: Dance Off the Inches: Country Line Dance Party

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Beginner friendly—not too taxing, not too tricky.

THE BREAKDOWN: Dressed in Daisy Dukes, cowboy shirt tied to reveal her midriff, straw cowboy hat, and braids, instructor Amy Blackburn looks a little like a refugee from a girly mag. She’s also very low key, at one point emitting what has to be history’s most laconic “Yee-haw.”

No matter, this is a fun little workout: three easy 10-minute dances (plus warm-up and cool-down) with kicks and shuffles and sneaker scoots that feel more dancey than exercise-y. If you can’t pick up the steps right away (and I found most of them pretty easy to get), this series includes a step guide that breaks everything down. Blackburn’s cueing is excellent. This works primarily lower body and core, since most moves are done with thumbs hooked in your waistband, country-style.

The music, as always, is a bland approximation of the theme, which is a pity, as always.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: You sweat out what you put in and I’ve managed to work up a sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Yep.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Daisy Dukes and cowboy hat are optional and yes, it’s done in sneakers, not boots. You’ll need enough uncarpeted floor space to go about four steps in every direction.

FINAL WORD: Fun and different enough from other cardio dance routines to make it a great addition to a fitness DVD library.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through to Amazon from here.

Keeping Fit in Your 50s

THE WORKOUT: Keeping Fit in Your 50s - Aerobics, Keeping Fit in Your 50s - Strength, Keeping Fit in Your 50s - Flexibility

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Anyone

THE BREAKDOWN: I was excited to hear about this three-DVD collection. Like many people in their 50s, I've been working out since the 1980s, when Ken Cooper coined the term “aerobics” and Jane Fonda first put on legwarmers. But, also like many of my peers, I find that programs aimed at people half my age can be rough on some parts of my anatomy--in my case, my knees, which have been doing their job for a long time and are wearing out. So I thought this program would factor in our changing bodies to help us keep active ("Keeping Fit...") while not hurting ourselves.

Well, no. The name for this series should be “Getting Fit in Your 50s,” since it is basic, basic, basic, presented in a Romper Room voice by exercise physiologist Robyn Stuhr. Model Cindy Joseph also demonstrates, but she looks awfully fit. She probably isn't starting from scratch, either.

The workouts, backed by throbbing porn-movie music, are repetitive and tedious. I managed to go into a Zen state during the strength training with weights, but I had to push myself through the aerobics and the flexibility program was so drab, I gave up. If they're trying to inspire couch potatoes, who might benefit from this basic training, shouldn't they have made the workouts a little bit fun? Shouting “Woo!” and “Yeehaw!” doesn't help. And for me, advanced add-ons weren't enough to salvage the workouts.

And perhaps most misguided are all those lunges. Lunges! Even Jane Fonda in her legwarmer days hated those, and here they go on and on and on and on … oy, my aging knees. Of all the standard exercises, that's the one for which I most need a substitute. Besides, after all these years working out, haven’t we earned something less odious?

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Yes, I got sweaty.

BUT IS IT FUN? No, I didn't have fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I was pretty sore for a couple of days after all those lunges, lunges, lunges. I have no doubt these workouts would do their job if I ever did them again.

GEAR AND APPAREL: The strength workout requires weights, a strap or towel, a chair.

FINAL WORD: I still think a series tailored to people in their 50s is a great idea.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Fighting Workout Boredom

 By Sophia

Here's why I love having a library of DVDs, and why I love 10-minute formats.

My workout this week is a little cha-cha warm-up with Dance off the Inches: Dance It off Ballroom. Then I get some upper body with a chapter from 10 Minute Solution: Knockout Body. Then 10 minutes of lower body with 10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix. That's 30 varied and somewhat vigorous minutes.

It's a beautiful day so I look forward to walking the dog later. (He insists.) That will add another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on my mood and schedule. And if I need to get the kinks out later, I'll try to squeeze in a few yoga poses.

Variety works for me.

For my full reviews of the DVDs:

Dance it Off Ballroom
Knockout Body
Fat Burning Dance Mix

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Give a Gift of Fitness '09

By Sophia

First, my standing disclaimer when it comes to buying fitness videos as gifts: Be sure the recipient actually, actively wants a fitness DVD. Otherwise, it’s just an ugly hint.

That said, here’s a gift list of DVDs that I’ve tried this year (or that I tried too late to put on last year’s list) and would recommend. And since a good workout never goes out of style (not so the fashions), check out last year’s list as well.

Just starting out

Nobody cues better than Petra Colber which makes Cardio for Beginners that much better for beginners. Broken into two ten-minute segments (one dance, one “athletic”) and two 20-minute segments (ditto), the workout is fun and useful.

Hemalayaa is one of the more appealing fitness pros out there and her Bollywood Booty is just a silly fun way to get the heart going.

Dance Off the Inches Dance it off Ballroom also makes the workout more frolic than work for the dance-friendly.

Needs new motivation

I love Ten Minute Solution Knockout Body. You get to punch out some aggression, the weighted gloves are a fun gizmo, and it’s a good upper body workout. Because the gloves are included, this is a gift with a little extra flash.

Fat Burning Fusion is an interesting Pilates flow that melds strength, stretch and cardio. Familiarity with Pilates and yoga are a plus.

I don’t know about you but, for me, lifting weights is tedious. But brisk and efficient Kathy Smith: Total Body Lift makes the job less onerous.

Only the strong survive


Jeanette Jenkins will charm the pants off you while kicking your butt. Jeanette Jenkins Sexy Arms, Abs & Legs is a full hour of smiling through the pain. “How do you think Madonna got so hot?” Jeanette taunts amiably.

I can’t finish all the reps of anything in the excruciatingly subtle Core Fusion Pure Abs and Arms, but I keep trying. This is not only a tough workout, but you need to know how your muscles work to do it justice.

Element: Yoga for Weight Loss is not my favorite-ever yoga DVD, but it’s a sensible, brisk flow that would surely live up to its promise if you stick to the program.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.