Sorry guys for my month-long hiatus. I've been so busy with work and staffing changes that mean recruitment + training!
So, I'll start back by discussing the other Crunch dvds that I have.
*
Super-Charged Kickbox Party with
Jeanette Jenkins: Love, love, love this dvd as it combines my 2 favorites, dancing and kickboxing. I attempt to limit kickboxing to maybe 1x per week but with this dvd I can pretend that it's not the same as kickboxing. The workout is maybe 40-45 minutes in length and also features men, so you can do this with your hubby, too. Jeanette Jenkins seems really fun and engaging so I am curious about her other dvds that are discussed here. The format of this dvd is a warmup (which is a bit awkward) with maybe 30-35 minutes of workout. The dancing and kickboxing are intermixed. Meaning that there's no kickbox and then dance sections per se. Rather, she choreographed a dance routine that includes kickboxing as part of her routine. Consequently, more dance than kickboxing but super fun. It tends to be more hip hoppy so if you don't like hip hop or if you don't like plyometrics or jumps, you'll want to avoid. The choreography isn't complex but can be fast-paced at times. NOT a light day workout. I felt extremely sweaty afterwards and I had burned a lot of calories according to my HRM. There was a cooldown but I remember wishing that the the cooldown was longer and more intense (read: more stretching) given the intensity of the workout. Do your own cooldown. I don't remember anything about the music.
*
Cardio Salsa with
Giselle Roque de Escobar: light day workout. My understanding is that Giselle used to work closely with Beto, the founder of Zumba, prior to him creating Zumba. Well...this workout certainly isn't Zumba. The music is good (again DRUMS!) but I find Giselle to be a bit dry. She's soooo serious during the workout, which kills the fun for me, personally. No laughing and joking here! The choreography and movements are not difficult at all so a beginner can do it without any problems. The routine is broken into 3 or 4 main sections based on the type of latin dance (merengue,salsa, samba). TIFT is limited to each sections so it won't drive you crazy if you hate that. This workout is inconsistent as there are good moments and then awkward moments that Giselle's personality could not save. Like I said in my prior review of Donna Richardson's Brazilian Workout, the moves here are not real; they are just Latin-inspired. But unlike DR, I couldn't look past it because Giselle is so boring herself. It's fortunate b/c the workout has the typical Crunch look (bright set, brighly clothed dancers), drums and good music, etc etc etc. I guess I also was annoyed because I thought that these defects could be cured by making the workout more athletic in nature, rather than dancey, but from watching the background exercisers, it was very apparent that they thought that they were dancing and not working out. I kept watching the other people, thinking, "Fix your form! Move your hips!" So it was "eh" to me. I am tempted, however, to try another one of Giselle's dvds that seems more athletic in nature but I'm on the fence. Anyone with any thoughts?
*
Cardio Dance Blast! with
Marie Forleo: Love this dvd! Marie is such a fun instructor. I believe that the dvd is targeted towards a younger market, probably the same market as the PCD Workout but there are no "slap your bootie, look hot and sexy, growl" type comments here (ok, PCD doesn't say growl but hey
). Marie says stuff like point at that cute guy, etc., etc. and she gives the steps cutsey names. So if that annoys you, you've been forewarned. Ok, format: workout is a little less than 40 minutes in length. The warmup and cooldown also are dancey so you don't have that weird transition that you sometimes get with dance workouts. Like many of the Crunch dvds, the workout itself is broken into 3 sections, mostly latin-inspired. It comes off as club-dancing and many of the movements forces you to move your core, so if you like abwork, this is a good supplement. (Which reminds me, I also have her
DOTI Tummy Zone Party but haven't yet tried it. Will reserve for a later review). Choreography is not complex and I believe that it's intermediate as there are a few moves that take it outside of beginner mode. It's enjoyable and many of the backgrounders seem to enjoy themselves. Let me just through in there however a major disclaimer: I don't know if this is symptomatic of the Crunch franchise or a reflection of the background dancers themselves but I really have serious issues with the clothing choices of the exercisers. This is not the club. This is not the park. This is not a MTV music video. Why are you wearing jeans? Why are you wearing a hat? Why are your pants ripped? Oh, so many whys. I'm visually oriented so I consider clothing choices and sets when I select dvds or review workouts. Other Crunch dvds also had this defect but I can't remember the worst offenders but this one in particular bothered me. As a positive, this workout (and a few other Crunch workouts) also have heavier people as exercisers and they were just as active and engaged as the thinner ones. So if you like to have that kind of inspiration, you may want to check this out. Hell, you may even giggle when she says "Watch out, Beyonce!"
*
Fat Burning Dance Party with
Jennifer Galardi: I think that I tried this dvd maybe 2-3 times as I acquired it around the same time that I had started these reviews. I enjoyed this dvd as it felt dancing and also included a lot of "old school" movements. typical Crunch format with warmup, 3 sections of workout, and cooldown. In this dvd, Jennifer focuses on 1970s/1980s type music, which I think just amped up the fun factor for me. Ok, the choreography can be complex as there are ball changes and spins and isolations. I don't remember a modifier being present but if you do it in sections, it's manageable. I remember this having a different feeling than her DOTI Cardio Hip Hop that I previously had reviewed. it seemed a bit more easygoing although the movements themselves were not. Oh, and this is dancey, not athletic, which I personally enjoyed but I realize that it's not for everyone. I also wanted to add that I also have her
Prevention Dance It Off! but it's still a virgin to me.
Ok, got to go to work. I'll return with my thoughts on DanceFit, Billy Blanks, Jr., and Patricia Moreno. These reviews are ridiculous, I think I'm just now understanding how many dvds that I have. I mean, I saw the number but it just doesn't compare to the act of reviewing them. Wow!
I also will respond to some of the comments left here for me a month ago (sorry!!!) and ask some followup questions.
Thanks!