Do you think Bum Bum is advanced or intermediate?

[cooldham]

What "level" do you think Bum Bum from the BBL series should rank?

I'm just curious to know what the general consensus is...I saw in another thread that quite a few people thought it was too easy and preferred Tonique.

I think Bum Bum is a pretty difficult workout! I have to take breaks and get water and it leaves me sore for days. I always comfort myself on the pauses by saying that if I was doing Cathe, we would have pauses for the equipment changes...and if I was at the gym taking a class, they have pauses in between songs. So I shouldn't feel bad for not being able to do the whole thing without stopping.

Don't get me wrong, I can keep up, I just find Bum Bum a challenge (in a good way).

Thoughts?

[steakhousegirl]

I don't have the whole set but I did get the Bum Bum disk on loan. I think it's hard to clasisify. While I worked up a good sweat I wasn't spent. However, I think I got a great workout with big time DOMS.

It's like the barre workouts to me. You're not on the floor thinking you can't go on but you are truly working your lower body. I really loved Bum Bum BTW and am considering the set.

[susan p]

I think Bum Bum at least verges on advanced. If I do it the whole way through, without pauses, without breaks, doing every rep, without modifying, it slays me. Now I am a SOLID intermediate of many years, who at times has bordered on being a low advanced exerciser. So if a workout is that tough for me, I figure it is more than intermediate.

For instance, I consider most older Cathe step to be low advanced; it's challenging for me, but not killer (not outside my HRZ). Most of Cathe's endurance strength workouts are my favorites, things like Power Hour and Muscle Endurance, and I can do all the reps with a medium weight and while it's tough, it's enjoyably tough (no real dread factor, I really LIKE these).

So with that as my context, I'd consider Bum Bum low advanced. Like any workout, you get out of it what you put into it...

I've begun to realize when reading VF lately that a lot of people don't do workouts as-is; they modify, lighten up, skip some reps, pause to stretch between sections, etc. And that's all FINE. But when it comes to comparing intensities of workouts, it can REALLY affect your perception! The first three times I did Bum Bum, I paused several times to catch my breath. Doing the whole things without pauses, doing all the reps, it's just killer for me because there is NO downtime whatsoever. It isn't the strength aspect of it that is so hard; it's the cardio aspect of it, because you just don't get any breaks.

[Sarah-lara]

I think it's intermediate. But I don't mean that as an insult in any way, as *I* am intermediate and have been doing only beginner workouts for a couple of months (I have Tonique but am too afraid to try it!). I just know there are things like running, Insanity, Newport, etc., out there that are more advanced, both in intensity and length than Bum Bum.

These labels are helpful but of course also very subjective. Nobody should feel badly about their own level because of them. It's just a guide.

[aerobidiot]

I'd classify it as high intermediate/low advanced. Love this one, it is seriously tough!

[MARIKA]

Originally Posted by steakhousegirl

I don't have the whole set but I did get the Bum Bum disk on loan. I think it's hard to clasisify. While I worked up a good sweat I wasn't spent. However, I think I got a great workout with big time DOMS.

It's like the barre workouts to me. You're not on the floor thinking you can't go on but you are truly working your lower body. I really loved Bum Bum BTW and am considering the set.

There are quite a few moves that are difficult in this workout. When I first got it I thought I would add weight to some of the moves! HA!! Haven't felt the need so far.

[cherimac]

Originally Posted by aerobidiot

I'd classify it as high intermediate/low advanced. Love this one, it is seriously tough!

I agree.

[toaster]

I just want to chime in to say that I hope some people who have this set will write reviews of the workouts! I have been following along with some of the threads, but despite all the raves, in the review section, there is ONE review (for High & Tight), I believe, and that's it. Please, add your reviews so that other users will have an easier time making decisions about these workouts!!!

[susan p]

One problem with rating workouts is HOW each individual does the workout (how much they modify, pause, etc.) But another thing is that the leading edge, the most extremely advanced stuff, keeps getting tougher. I'd say that in 2000, people considered Power Max and Cathe's Pure Strength Series advanced. But with everything else that has come out since (Insanity, STS, Shock Cardio, etc.) I'm not sure people would classify those as advanced anymore.

Since I came of age as a vidiot in the late 90s, I think Bum Bum is low advanced. I'm seeing others calling it high intermediate/low advanced (and I wouldn't disagree with that either, it's a pretty good assessment), and I think the difference is that the definition of advanced has changed very much in 10 years.

So there is individual subjectivity, but also the subjectivity of the passage of time and the evolution of what is considered advanced. I just finished Pyramid Lower, pyramid up only and I can remember when I thought that was really hard! --But it's way easier than Bum Bum imho. Again, though, what slays me about Bum Bum is not the strength aspect of it, but the cardio aspect. It's tough strength-wise, but tougher cardio-wise.

On edit, I also wanted to mention the whole slow twitch/fast twitch muscle fiber thing. Lifting heavy weights slowly recruits one and fast endurance, "springy" stuff like Bum Bum recruits the other (pardon me for not remembering which is which.) So I'm sure the perception of the workout is somewhat dependent on individual physiology. I have always been a tortoise, not a hare, which is probably why Bum Bum is so hard for me. I can go and go and go and go and go for a really, really long time, as long as I can go at a moderate pace.... But I'm definitely not a springy, sprinty type of person!

[steakhousegirl]

Originally Posted by MARIKA

There are quite a few moves that are difficult in this workout. When I first got it I thought I would add weight to some of the moves! HA!! Haven't felt the need so far.

Of course you would be here to enable me!!!