Barre Fitness with Jessica Smith

THE WORKOUT: Barre Fitness with Jessica Smith  ($14.95, In Wellness Systems LLC)

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: You'll need good balance and enough experience to protect your back during some of the moves in these mostly low-impact workouts.

THE BREAKDOWN: Three 20 minute workouts—cardio, standing, and floor—are based on ballet moves. Lots of turnout, pointed toes, relevés, arabesques, and graceful arm movements (considerably more graceful when Jessica does them than when I do) require strong core, arms, legs and even feet. The cardio segment has high-impact options.

Jessica is a real charmer and currently my favorite fitness pro. A trained dancer, she makes everything look easy and it’s not, but she does it with a smile and no preening so I never feel like a clod even as I flail and wobble. The cardio segment is most challenging of the three for me; my arabesque combination is not something to which I would want witnesses. I particularly like Barre Burn, the standing segment, because I usually find working with weights tedious and this is a pleasantly fresh approach.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Ballerinas only look like they're floating on air. This is all hard work. And it's not even real ballet.

BUT IS IT FUN? It is, although I enjoy the floor and standing strength workouts more than the cardio because I'm such a klutzy ballerina. But I hope to master it someday.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You will feel it, shoulders to toes.

GEAR AND APPAREL: All three segments are done barefoot. The standing segment uses light weights and a sturdy chair, the floor work uses a small soft ball or a pillow.

FINAL WORD: This one is in heavy rotation for me these days; a new favorite.

Elements of Yoga With Tara Lee

THE WORKOUT:  Elements of Yoga: Earth Foundation; Elements of Yoga: Air & Water Flow; Elements of Yoga: Fire Dynamic, all with Tara Lee. Sold separately. 

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS:  These three DVDs (sold separately) can build a yoga practice, as long as you already know the basics, since form is not discussed. Earth is aimed at beginners, Air & Water take it up a notch; Fire is for intermediate and advanced yogis.

THE BREAKDOWN: Each of these three DVDs has three practices to be done one at a time or all together. Earth is basic, with lots of slow, deep stretches; Air & Water requires a little more strength and includes a lot of twists and some balance; Fire requires strength and stamina, with lots of planks and binds.

Tara Lee is calming in voiceover. She doesn’t provide instruction on form as much as yoga talk what opening the body can do for the mind and how fire in the belly can provide strength and motivation.

Earth and Air & Water are in a pretty lakeside setting (a flock of white birds that flies by is a nice touch); Fire in done at night, lit by flaming pots.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: The first practices of Earth and Air & Water are gentle and you probably won’t work up a sweat, but the other practices on each add a little more challenge. Fire starts energetically and just gets harder. I had to throw in several unauthorized child’s poses to catch my breath and give my muscles a break, and at some points all I could do was laugh. You want me to do what?

BUT IS IT FUN? I love Earth and Air & Water and they have gone into heavy rotation. Fire is too challenging to qualify as fun for me, though I might do the first two practices when I feel like working hard.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Doing all three practices of Earth or Air & Water leaves me feeling calm and loose and I sleep well those nights. All three parts of Fire leave me panting and drenched in sweat.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat and optional block.

FINAL WORD: Air and Earth are two of my new favorite DVDs. I respect the Fire DVD and it’s every bit as good, but it is a workout to which I can only aspire at the moment.

Ellen Barrett Live Fusion Floor Workout

THE WORKOUT: Ellen Barrett Live Fusion Floor Workout (Buff Girl Fitness, $15)

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Anyone—provided beginners don’t expect to complete all reps of all movements. It’s not as easy as you might imagine.

THE BREAKDOWN: Just because this entire workout is done on the floor doesn’t mean you won’t work hard. This is an extremely creative 40 minutes—even familiar stuff is given a twist. For example, instead of doing full pushups the regular way, you do them one arm/side at a time, keeping the other side low and working pecs, lats, deltoids and probably more. Moves all work multiple body parts and are flowing and repetitive; they stretch and strengthen simultaneously, and they feel good while they work you out.

Lots of these exercises are done leaning on one or both hands. Pay particular attention to Ellen’s instructions about distributing your weight across your entire hand so you don’t end up with wrist pain.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Keep up with Ellen—who is cheerful and friendly without being frenetic—and you should sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? The novelty makes it fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You might be surprised by how well worked out you feel.

GEAR AND APPAREL: A mat.

FINAL WORD: Having adopted a standing desk about a year ago, I’m ready to sit down by the end of the day, when I usually work out. This DVD will probably get a lot of use.

Pilates Towel Workout for Strength & Mobility

THE WORKOUT: Pilates Towel Workout for Strength & Mobility

REVIEWED BY: Sophie

WHO CAN DO THIS: You.

THE BREAKDOWN: This is a lot more mobility than strength, unless it’s been a very, very long time since you’ve done anything harder than sitting, in which case you might get a bit of a core workout.

The towel adds extra stability and resistance to side stretches, sit-ups, hip openers, and leg lifts in this very gentle 30-minute workout. Moira Merrithew, who with her husband developed a system called Stott Pilates, talks mostly about working out morning kinks, but I sometimes do it at the end of a long day in front a computer.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: No sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Stretching is always fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I felt a little looser around the neck and shoulders. How much you feel it will depend on how tight you are and how long it’s been since you’ve moved around like this.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat and a towel that’s maybe four feet long.

FINAL WORD: A perfect slow start if you’re fixin’ to start thinking about maybe embarking on a fitness program.

Petra Kolber's Liquid Grooves

THE WORKOUT:  Petra Kolber's Liquid Grooves

REVIEW BY: Kritter

WHO CAN DO THIS: If I can successfully attempt it, anyone can. Petra's encouraging attitude and excellent cuing got me through a blend of modern dance, tai chi and yoga---all movements I've never explored. 

BEFORE YOU START: Make sure you have plenty of space.  There are leg and arm movements in all directions---you don't want to break the flow backing away from a piece of furniture. 

THE BREAKDOWN:  You can do just the warm-up plus one of the sequences, but if you've got the time the four sections really shine as one long workout. Awakening (the 4 minute warm up) flows easily into Sequences 1 and 2 (about 22 minutes per sequence), each section ending in a gathering of energy and a change of music, not a break in movement. It all ends with a 5 minute Moving Meditation of easy flowing moves, just music, no cuing.  I was surprised how much "taking it from the top" this DVD has, though thankfully she doesn't use that phrase and break the mood. New moves combine to make short routines, leading to two rounds of all the moves from both sequences.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Not fat-burning cardio, but you can work up a light sweat.  The movements are simple, you decide how much energy you're going to put in---how far you'll stretch, how deep you'll bend. Surprise arm toning bonus---by the end you realize you've been waving your arms around for nearly the entire 56 minute workout.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You'll not only be glad you did it, but surprised how quickly the time went by.


GEAR AND APPAREL:  No special props, no special clothes.  

BUT IS IT FUN?  Now it is. I had performance anxiety my first few attempts because dance-y moves and take-it-from-the-top routines are not my strong suit. It became fun once I relaxed and could focus on my breathing and enjoy the movement. 

FINAL WORD: Revitalizing

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".

Element Power Yoga

THE WORKOUT: Element: Power Yoga

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Intermediate level yogis.

THE BREAKDOWN: One of a fine collection of yoga DVDs (here’s another I like and you'll find others on this site) , this hour long workout is a workout indeed. Poses that other DVDs work up to—crescent pose, for example—are just the beginning here.

Ashley Turner, working out with a view of  the Pacific Ocean (lucky dog), is pleasant and reassuring, telling us in the voiceover that “Inner power is knowing what we need and giving it to ourselves.” In this case, she’s referring to taking a break in child’s pose whenever necessary.

The pace is not frantic but it is brisk, though one-leg down dogs, lots of planks, breath of fire, warrior three, pushups, an interesting balance challenge done crouching on your toes. There’s a long core segment, including situps into boat pose, and just when you think you’re nearing the end (if you’re not a clock watcher), you’re back in down dog, then chair pose, sidearm planks, more pushups. Turner's instructions are clear and helpful and every now and then she reminds you to smile, which is a nice thought. This is a no-kidding workout. No kidding.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: It’s sweaty all right.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s not not fun. It’s hard work fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll feel it all over your body.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat and perseverance.

FINAL WORD: This one requires discipline that I hope to find in myself.

Crunch Latin Rhythms Fat Blasting Dance

THE WORKOUT: Crunch Latin Rhythms Fat Blasting Dance

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Anyone who’s gotta dance and enjoys learning choreography.

THE BREAKDOWN: Jennifer Galardi (and you know I'm a fan of hers) leads three Latin-flavored routines with her usual skill and likeability. Choreography—with interesting footwork, lots of hip action, and upper body flava—is not dauntingly complicated, but does require enough practice to present a pleasant challenge.

Galardi builds the dances at a reasonable pace, her cuing is excellent. Repetition as you learn the steps is part of the workout, and Galardi lets you know what body parts should feel the burn, which is helpful. (And we can all aspire to the pancake-flat abs she shows off in hip rolls.)

The DVD is the usual good-looking Crunch scene: a loft-like room with exposed bricks, lots cute cool chicks (and a guy). They’re fun to watch, too.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: As much as you want to, it’s all about your energy.

BUT IS IT FUN? So much fun. This has been among my two go-to DVDs for the past couple of stressful months. What better way to blow off steam than a little cha-cha-cha? (My other go-to these days is Kristi Yamaguchi.)

WHEN IT'S OVER: I’m sweaty and cheerful.

GEAR AND APPAREL: You’ll need a decent amount of floor space.

FINAL WORD: Love, love, love.

Xtend Barre Lean & Chiseled

Sophia reviewed Xtend Barre: Lean & Chiseled for The Dallas Morning News...you can read the review here if you have an account with the paper. Short answer: It's a challenging, unusual workout and I like it.

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.

Billy Blanks Jr.: Dance With Me Groove & Burn

THE WORKOUT: Billy Blanks Jr: Dance With Me Groove & Burn

REVIEW BY: Sophia


WHO CAN DO THIS: Easy enough for beginners, fun enough for intermediates. I found a couple of steps a little bit tricky to master, but not terribly.

THE BREAKDOWN: Three 10-minute dances—disco, African, and Latin—with warm-up and cool down. Each dance ends with a short toning “blast.” The DVD is customizable, so you can program the segments you want to do, and the order. You can also turn off Billy Blanks’ instruction if you want and just listen to the music. Not that the music is so great, but options are always nice.

I’ve been enjoying this DVD tremendously—well, most of it, at least. I can do the disco and African segments but things go horribly wrong every time I try the Latin segment, so I’ve been programming that one out. (This is an ongoing problem for me. I just don't have the Latin beat in my blood.) I also stick mostly with the low-impact alternative, to save both my knees and the bric-a-brac, since I can shake the floor with too much leaping around.

The routines are built slowly enough but energetically and the steps are fun. The dancers are much less distracting than they are in the last Billy Blanks workout I reviewed. Blanks has a likeable, happy vibe and his cuing is good. The cardio toning segments are a good touch—arm toning after the disco segment (ouch), lotsa squats after the African segment, thigh toning after the Latin segment.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I can work up a good sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Absolutely.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I’m not in peak condition at the moment, so two segments (done energetically) plus warm-up and cool down leave  me pleasantly wobbly.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Most of the workout can be done on a fairly small area of uncarpeted floor, although parts of the Latin segment takes more floor space than I have to go forward and back.

FINAL WORD: I’ve been doing this one lots and probably will do it lots more.

Step-by-Step Strength Training with Petra Kolber

THE WORKOUT:Step By Step Strength Training with Petra Kolber

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Beginners can do it but, with the right weights and attitude, intermediates will find it useful too.

THE BREAKDOWN: So much going for this DVD. It has four strength and toning workouts: two 20-minute full-body workouts; a ten-minute upper body; a ten-minute lower body, and a bonus five minutes for abs. It's just enough to be effective but short enough to not be as incredibly boring as strength training can be. Plus, I always like Petra Kolber’s workouts. Every one I've tried has been snappy, efficient, and creative.

One full-body workout combines upper and lower body moves—your basic lifts and squats. The other adds balance challenges, which is a useful novelty. Balance is increasingly important as we age, and it can be improved with practice. Here, Kolber has you stand on one and foot and then the other as you lift and squat, and adds some diagonal moves that further challenge balance. Very smart.

The 10-minute segments are nothing earth shaking, but Petra is chipper and helpful and it all goes by quickly and pleasantly. Five-minutes for abs is not a lot, but at least you can feel good about yourself if you tack it on to whatever else you do. Sort of.
THE SWEAT FACTOR: The more segments you do, the more you sweat, of course, But one 20-minute segment, if you really try, can give you a good glow.

BUT IS IT FUN? Fun enough. It’s not not fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: If you’re hit-or-miss about strength training, as I tend to be, you might feel your muscles for the rest of the day.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Light weights (I used five pounds), a chair, and a mat. And you don’t even really need the chair if your balance is good. Or the mat, actually, if your floor is carpeted.

FINAL WORD: Yay.

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

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.

Dance Off the Inches: Dance it off Ballroom

THE WORKOUT: Dance Off the Inches: Dance it off Ballroom

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: This low-impact cardio workout is suitable for beginners who enjoy mastering footwork.
THE BREAKDOWN: Ballroom dancer Kristina Milova starts the workout with a fairly slow cha-cha, moves into a moderately paced salsa and culminates with a brisk jive segment, each about ten minutes long. She builds each routine slowly and if you have experience with dance aerobics you’ll probably be able to master the steps fairly easily. A step guide can help with any steps that give you trouble—which for me was the entire salsa segment. The cooldown ends with a flourish: the ballroom dancer bow. I plan to master that for use in a variety of situations.
My only quibble is with the cueing—it’s always a beat too late and sometimes unclear. Which beginning are we taking it from--the beginning of the entire routine or of the segment she’s teaching? And if we’re going back to the very beginning, a little reminder of where we start would help. I suppose if you do this DVD regularly you’d learn and this would no longer matter.
THE SWEAT FACTOR: If you’re not a rank beginner you’ll want to give it your all and do all three segments to work up a sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? It is.
WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll have a glow.
GEAR AND APPAREL: You need enough uncarpeted floor to go about four steps forward and side to side. But you can fudge it in a smaller space.
FINAL WORD: A pleasant little workout for anyone who doesn’t really like working out.

Remember, you can help support this site if you buy DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Exhale: Core Fusion - Pure Abs & Arms

THE WORKOUT: Exhale: Core Fusion - Pure Abs & Arms

REVIEW BY: Sophia


WHO CAN DO THIS: Not a rank beginner. An aspiring intermediate, certainly. An insane hardbody, yes, you too.

THE BREAKDOWN: This is all so low-key and quiet; no jumping around, no flailing, just voiceover instructions and lots of little bitty intense moves that … oh my, they hurt. I have yet to complete all the reps in any one of the ten-minute segments. That’s right. I can’t complete ten minutes. Core Fusion creators Fred DeVito and Elisabeth Halfpapp very gently and genteely kick my ass.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m always in the market for upper-body workouts and the chapters in this one are Upper Body Weights; Upper Body; Abdominals; Abdominal Curl with Leg Variations (that even sounds hard); Upper Body, Back, and Hip Stretches. The workout is done barefoot (they’re wearing socks—maybe the studio is cold) with light hand weights and a resistance band, which comes with the DVD.

I’m a big fan of the band. For some reason, I find it much less tedious than hand weights. Still, I can hang with their weight segment—even if I don’t agree that moves working more than one set of muscles are “double the fun,” as Fred claims. For him, maybe; I just keep my eye on the prize and push through.

The second upper body segment uses the resistance band. As with the first segment, there’s nothing tricky to most of the moves; you gotcher hammer curls, yer rows, yer flies, yer triceps (“one of the defining moments of the section,” Fred says).

Exercises in the abdominals segments, which also use the resistance band, are more unusual. Some of the moves barely move—they’re about “strength and stillness.” The second abs section ups the exertion. Even Fred admits to “burning.” Reminders about form are helpful, as are variations for the weaker or stronger. The final stretch is nothing fancy, just pleasant.

Sit and watch this DVD and it looks like these two aren’t doing much. Try it and you realize that every little bit hurts.The presentation is pretty but I could live without the tedious porn-soundtrack music.

By the way, Core Fusion is a proprietary class of the Exhale Spa, so if you have one near you, you can try these moves in a class setting.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Who would think moving so little could make you sweat? It’s the sweat of exertion.

BUT IS IT FUN? Not fun like dance aerobics but not tedious.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Ooh. Ouch. Eek. Can’t wait to do it again.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Light hand weights; resistance band (included); mat (optional); towel or yoga block.

FINAL WORD: A big YES for this one.

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

10 Minute Solution Dance Your Body Thin

10 Minute Solution: Dance Your Body Thin Kit w/Weighted Dance Belt

WHO CAN DO THIS: The coordinated and fluid hipped.


REVIEW BY: Sophia

THE BREAKDOWN: The gimmick here is that the DVD comes with a two-pound weighted belt that rests around your hips to engage core muscles and give the workout extra oomph.

Dance Your Body Thin! is standard format for the series—five 10-minute segments than can be programmed to do individually or in any combination or sequence. Regular readers here know that 10 Minute Solutions is among my favorite workout series.

I’m spoiled from doing a lot of DVDs. If baby can’t nail the moves pretty quickly, baby gets sulky. With some DVDs, I feel like I’m dancing the first time through, even if I don’t have the steps exactly right. But the first time through this one (one or two segments at a time), I mostly felt awkward.

While tiny dancer Andrea Leigh Rogers’ arms were sinuous, mine just flailed. The footwork is simple, but moves rely heavily on hip action. That didn’t go well, either. Compounding my problem, Rogers’ cueing is a little off—some counts would have been helpful and she tends to announce changes just a speck late. Everything slows down for the ballet sculpt segment, which is interesting and definitely challenging, though tough on my hinky old knees.

The workout is designed to work well with the weighted belt (hence all the hip action) and that is a plus. The belt is not a finely crafted piece of workout equipment, but I like it and plan to use it with some of my other DVDs. And the dance workout is not bad, it’s just not me. Maybe it’s you.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I definitely worked up a sweat, but it was partly frustration.

BUT IS IT FUN? It could be for anyone who masters it. I probably won't put in the effort.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You may feel it in your abs if you wore the belt. Not a ton, but nice.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Enough space for about four steps forward and side to side. I wore aerobic shoes.

FINAL WORD: I might choose one of the chapters to master and use as a core workout. (That’s the great thing about these 10-minute workouts—you can mix and match.) It might not be able to compete with other dance DVDs I enjoy more, though. The belt’s a keeper.

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

Jeanette Jenkins Sexy Arms, Abs & Legs

THE WORKOUT: Jeanette Jenkins Sexy Arms, Abs & Legs

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: This isn’t suitable for beginners. It’s a taxing workout and requires good form and balance.

THE BREAKDOWN: The hour-long workout is sort of broken into eight chapters. You can do segments one at a time, although starts and endings are a little abrupt that way because they’re designed to do together. There’s a little bit of dance, lots and lots and lots of squats and lunges, some weights, some yoga, some pushups, some leg lifts. The resting segments, interspersed with sculpting segments, are an easy little anyone-can dance.

It’s a little bit of a lot of things that add up to a challenging workout.

"Sexy Sculpt Part 1” starts with a full body workout: weights for the arms and shoulders, lunges for the lower body, rotations for the midsection—all at once. Getting through the segment is a goal rather than a given for me. “Sexy Sculpt Part 2” starts with a leg kick/lift/twist move that combines cardio, strength and balance, then moves onto squats, rotations and shoulder presses. Even the yoga segment is unusually challenging. (“Why do you think Madonna’s so hot?” Jenkins asks.) The floor work includes 16 tough pushups (down to a two-count followed by two quick down ups, then reverse the pattern). And I can only dream of completing the abs workout someday.

If you’re experienced enough to do this workout, you also know that the high-speed stretch at the end is inadequate. Turn it off and take a leisurely stretch. You earned it.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I predict sweat even if you’re in moderately good shape.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s not fun-fun but it’s challenging without being grim. I like Jeanette Jenkins—she’s fun and giggly and personable. She’s helped out here by a typical crowd of cuties. The music…not so much. I thought the generic rock guitar was irritating, then they pull out the harmonica, which doesn’t improve matters.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You will limp and groan with pride.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Room to move about four steps side to side, mat and light weights

FINAL WORD: I’ll keep this around, along with Jenkins’ circuit-training workout, for days when I need my butt kicked.

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

Dance Off the Inches: Hip Hop Party

THE WORKOUT: Dance Off the Inches: Hip Hop Party ($10.99 at Amazon.)

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: The steps are not terribly difficult and you don’t have to be in great shape but you’ll need the will to dance in order to get a real workout. A lot of the sweat is in the flava.

THE BREAKDOWN: Here she is again, Jennifer Galardi, reigning queen of the dance workout. (She’s also here and here.)

The Dance Off the Inches series includes a nice little Step Guide, which breaks down the 10 dance steps necessary to do the three 10-minute dance routines. The guide is a clever addition because it allows the workouts to keep moving at a good pace instead of slowing for teaching.

I’ve never needed the Step Guide on other DVDs from the series, but I did need help breaking down the Body Roll and a couple of other things in these routines. Some of these moves don’t come naturally to this very white girl. (OK—white middle-aged woman.) The guide definitely helped, now it’s just a matter of practice, practice, practice.

I’m a fan of Galardi and a fan of the series and this DVD is no exception. While I’m never going to give Beyonce any competition, I managed to hip and hop adequately. I did the first two workouts—Basic Hip Hop and Sexy Smooth Hip Hop—a few times before tackling World Hip Hop, which is the trickiest of the bunch. Galardi breaks everything down but she doesn’t baby you—you’ll have to catch on to some details yourself.

The dances use a lot of contractions and body rolls, which have a learning curve for me. Galardi looks like she’s dancing, I look like I’m convulsing. Still, as long as nobody’s watching, I have fun. A lot of the style is in the shoulders, too.

These moves allegedly work the abs, though I don’t feel like I’m getting all that much of a core workout. Maybe I’m not doing it right. I do feel my legs by putting a lot into lungy, squatty steps. Arms don’t get much of a workout, though they do help keep the heart rate up.

The set is decorated as a living room (a really big living room) and Galardi is assisted by your standard gang of girlies, none of whom is particularly hip-hop but whatever.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Dance like you mean it and you will sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Yes it is. The dances are easy to learn but not so easy that they get boring quickly, and they really do feel like dancing. As always, better music would be nice but that’s just the way it is.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Depends on how many segments you do. Do one and you’ll have a nice sweat sheen. Do all three (plus warm-up and cool-down) and you can feel well worked out.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Workout shoes and a small amount of uncarpeted floor—the workout doesn’t cover a lot of ground.

FINAL WORD: A welcome new addition to my dance workout library.

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