Customer Reviews

Yoga Booty Ballet Complete Workout System

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

The concepts are good. The attempt at blending ballet, Yoga, and Dance is merged together is admirable.

The video portions of the techniques and poses could be of better quality. The shots of the drummer don't really help in the instruction and seem to be more for artistic affect. The backdrops are beautiful, but I've have a Yoga DVD where the room is just a studio with solid lighting, and simple furniture and it was beautiful as well, and the video quality better.

The instructors know what they are doing. This I expected.
They give clear direction at points that if you need to take your time, or slow down, or go at your own pace you were encouraged to do so, which I appreciated. People need to know this.

The packaging and leaflets mentioned nothing about needing weights, which I find is a very important oversight that people should know about. What other props or accessories do I need to follow along in the video.

The daily guide to using the 3 DVD set was good. Without that I would have been lost as to how to arrange the usage of the 3 DVDs.

I've done ballet, Yoga, and Dance so this was just the DVD I was looking for. Its good, I can get a workout with it. Just wish the video quality was consistent throughtout the entire range of scences.

This is the workout I use when I don't want to workout. Yes, it's cheesy. Yes, it's corny *However*, and this is the most important thing--it's fun! The cardiomoves are easy, the ballet really works my rear end, and the yoga gives me a good stretch. Everyone looks like they're having a great time and then I end up having a great time and getting in my workout at the same time. It's not for everyone, but I think it's a keeper for me.

As a dedicated user of exercise videos since the mid-1980s, I've found that the newer ones are getting more & more effective. YBB is the best yet. The results are phenomenal -- a really pretty flattening of the abs, similar to Pilates but without the neck strain. My upper arms & thighs (always heavy) are thinning out too, after only 2 weeks.

A few warnings: the dance steps may be tricky for beginners. They move fast. Also, this is one workout that works the back as much as the abs. If you already have back problems, you should probably stay away from YBB. Finally, the instructors are "California goofy." If you can relax & enjoy that, fine. Their emphasis on the spiritual side of yoga might irritate some. I figure what the heck, it couldn't hurt.

I spent years convinced that the only way to change my shape was with weights. Unfortunately one of those changes is a certain bulkiness that I don't like. The Firm comes to mind: they're always saying weights won't give women big muscles, like men. Well, they do thicken you, and after more than 10 years of using The Firm, I backed away. I much prefer the look of a yoga/pilates/ballet body, and YBB incorporates them all. Other advantages: a stronger back (I can finally sit up straight in a cross-legged seat without bracing myself), better balance and an energy boost.

I rented this from Netfl-- from their 3 disk set, (didn't include, of course, the guide book) which had:
Disk 1: Rehearsal/Meditation, Beginner & Advanced
disk 2: yoga booty hip hop abs
Disk 3: yoga booty ballet cabaret

I love Teigh McDonough from her Yoga Fusion Abs & Power VHS that incorporated dance & Qi Gong with pilates & yoga. She has great body awareness & knows what stretches, poses, moves feel great in what order to keep you inspired to keep opening up your body. I always feel very energized & positive after doing any of their DVDs & it makes me want to exercise even more! Their positive words of encouragement are empowering & were helpful to make me want to do this again & again. Gillian & Teigh have great body awareness and have great focused energy while still reminding you to always have fun & have the correct intentions as great as any great guru yogi master. (Teigh studied studied Kundalini yoga and meditation under Siri Sat Nam Singh for over 8 years & Anusara yoga with Desiree Rumbaugh and John Friend.) This is not fluff or woo-woo but a spiritual connection to your own body & nature w/o sarcasm or fear.

Disk 1: Beautiful perfect colors/nature backgrounds, high production value, great worldbeat, new age music w/great beats
Rehearsal & Guided Meditation:
Intro - 3 min - of telling you about what the system offers & what they focus on.
Teaching - 6 min - of them teaching you uji simple deep breathing, proper posture for toning section, how to do downward facing dog, proper posture for ballet plies & squats, recommend barefoot except toning sections, to be relaxed & enjoy the workouts, a mudra & positive mantra to end. Ravi plays drums several yards behind them.
Guided Meditation - 5 min - of female narration w/watching a mostly paused by occasional moving sunrise over high altitude mountain tops & clouds guiding you to relax your body & be more aware of it.
I didn't learn that much, they could have taught more, what they taught was good, but they have great energy & true good intentions.

Beginner Workout: 45 min
Intro - 1 min - of disclaimers, short mudra to bring your focus to your body.
Warm up - 8 min - w/Teigh, Gillian w/1 guy & 1 guy in great shape & 1 girl who's about 40 lbs overweight w/Ravi playing in the foreground. They are outside by mountain side w/ocean behind them. Breathing, step touches, zig zag, hip circles, torso roll down & ups, side stretches/hamstring, torso 360 circle stretches, squat stretches, more leg stretches in a dance flow style. Very fun & easy & felt stretched out & refreshed.
Ballet - 7 min - of Gillian & Teigh alone w/Ravi in the back by small man made waterfall & nice trees. Raised single leg & pulsed forward & behind, repeat on other side, 1 legged squats that are a great stretch for the glutes, repeat leg lifts, glut stretch again, side leg lifts w/turn in instead of turn outs to focus on glutes, repeat on other side, stretch glutes, repeat side stretches. A little boring, but not too bad, my legs & butt felted more toned & increased balance.
Toning/Sculpting - 9 min - Teigh & Gillian & guy outside with beautiful greek/roman white columns & steps ala coliseum look w/beautiful red fabric draped on either side of columns. Ravi is sitting on top of columns playing drums. Basic 2-3 lb weights, squats/plies, squats w/arm raises to shoulder level, step touches w/same arms, squats w/same arms, step touches w/arms, squats w/arms raised to the sky, step touches w/those arms, standing oblique side torso bends w/weights in hands, squats/plies & step touches w/arms tight to ribs to chest, squats & step touches w/weights behind head for tricep toning, tight knees together squats w/arms outward to join together in middle & up close to chest for biceps, then weights dropped for a few seconds of light dancing flow for stretching out arms & legs. I don't do weights, too boring for me, so I skipped this section.
Yoga - 7 min - w/Teigh, Gillian & same other people as before w/Ravi playing to the side. They are outside by mountain side w/ocean behind them. Simple arms, standing fwd bend, downward facing dog, upward dog, beetle squat (move up/down a little, very good stretch good for reproductive organs), down dog w/alternate knee bends, single leg downdog, knee to chest from that 1 leg down dog & repeat 2x, child's pose, swimming up/down torso for stretch, swimming to side to side while down for side stretching, then raise to knees from side to side & kneel to end.
They move at a fairly fast pace, this is not for anyone who doesn't already know yoga by their names & can do the poses in only a single breath. I felt good stretched out & refreshed, could have been a little more varied. The guide book (I didn't see it) may spell out more detailed information about the yoga poses for those new to it.
Toning - 6 min - Gillian, Teigh & guy w/same location as the sculpting workout, using squishy ball, but a pilates circle or pillow is fine between knees w/crunches, then ball between thighs & more crunches, ball behind knees w/reverse sit ups w/upper torso relaxed & then upper torso crunching at same time, rest by just squeezing thighs, rest w/legs in butterfly, knees in chest, roll like ball & done.
Cool Down - 5 min - outside same beautiful place, w/all the people from before, reclined on elbows, knees in circles, butterfly stretch, sitting wide legged side stretches & fwd bend, kundalini torso circles, standing fwd bend, wide 360 torso circles
Ending Mudra - 2 min - Gillian & Teigh alone again by koi pond & pool for last positive affirmations.

Advanced Workout: 52 min
Intro - 6 min min - Gillian & Teigh alone again by koi pond & pool for mudra/affirmations w/kundalini torso circles w/breath, torso back/forth w/breath.
Dancing - 24 min - Teigh & Gillian, same guy from before, 2 in shape women, 1 from before who looks 40 lbs overweight, outside with beautiful greek/roman coral now columns & steps ala coliseum look w/beautiful white fabric draped on either side of each of the columns. Ravi is sitting on the top step playing while women on the bottom below the 4 steps. On hands/knees go to downward dog w/bended knees & heels up/down & some kinda squats, then standing w/arm stretch dance flow, more dance flow stretch arms, hip circles, hip bumps, standing wide leg fwd bend, side angle pose, hamstring/thigh stretches, plies, dancy arm & shoulder moves/stretches, walking backwards w/back kick, snake, couple small jazzy stuff, hint of hip hop, v step, mambo w/cha cha, etc., ends with some cool down plies. Very easy movements, but very fast paced, not much teaching, but you'll be able to get it.
Ballet - 15 min - Teigh & Gillian w/one in shape girl outside on hillside w/ocean background again. Backup girl using a pole/bar for balance. Side single leg lifts up/down on both sides 3x, then holding it steady up both sides, then side single legs lifts both sides like 5x, then single leg squat that stretches glut well, hip circles, glut stretch, yoga tree pose, dancing shiva pose (single leg lifted), knee to straight leg forward kicks & then with tightened belly, small plies, small plies w/on relieve (tip toes), tandu? (simple toe stretched touches & foot slide backs) both fwd & back on both sides, then simple leg lifts forward & back, simple plies & glut stretch, other side leg lifts fwd & back, repeat again 2x, standing leg glut stretches, ends w/deep plies. I felt it pretty well, not boring, love the glut stretches.
Hatha Yoga - 11 min - slow yin style, outside columns place again in coral, Teigh & Gillian w/2 in shape girls & 1 heavier. Starts w/pigeon stretch & goes to advance form grabbing back leg as well, regular sitting torso twist, indian style, but on top of each other simple fwd bend. Very nice deep stretches don't normally see on most yoga dvds except that torso twist is pretty standard.
Mediation - 3 min - outside again on hillside, narrated voice over, reclined butterfly & lying star pose
Mudra/End - 1 min - Gillian & Teigh alone again by koi pond & pool for last positive affirmations of self-love.

You can see the full 30 minute commercial ad if you look up yoga booty ballet on google video.

Look to the yoga booty hip hop abs & cabaret pages for my review there. I actually like those better then the beginner/advanced here since there seems so much focus on it looking beautiful & great fade in/outs & perfect camera angles & close ups that I don't get the same positive feel I felt from the hip hop abs, cabaret, light/easy, Latin, & Master Series - Goddess Booty/Yoga Core. I love the Master series the best with Teigh & Gillian alone w/o all the distractions. They have such great energy. Yes, they can be a bit too corny, mostly Gillian, but she CAN dance & wish they would keep the dancing more cool latin, sexy, bellydance, ballet, jazzy, hip hop... nothing purposely corny or silly/embarrassing. (The Latin & Light/Easy are the worst ones, the rest doable.)

Great! These DVDs were closed captioned for the deaf and hard of hearing which I personally appreciated. The exercises were led by two energetic gals and can be used for a variety of reasons: a morning uplifter, a quiet moment of solitude, a body toning, or a serious workout. Although parts of the workout were dance-oriented, I just thought of it as a funky way to exercise and had alot of fun!

AS AN AVID RUNNER/WALKER ON THE TREADMILL, I NEEDED A DIFFERENT EXCERSISE TO HELP LOOSE WEIGHT. YBB MADE ME FEEL "THE BURN" IN PLACES I DIDN'T THINK EXISTED. IT'S VERY FUN AND INVIGORATING. YOU WANT TO LAUGH AT THE CRAZY YBB GALS, BUT IT IS AN AWESOME WORKOUT. IT WHOOPS BY BOOTY!! YOU DO NEED TO BE PRETTY COORDINATED. A LOT OF THE MOVES Are dance and ballet. IT'S MUCH CHEAPER TO BUY YBB FROM AMAZON THAN THROUGH YBB.

I have several yoga and pilates videos but have found them very difficult to follow. I am recovering from a knee injury and was looking for a way to stay in shape while being out of action in ballet. I regularly take 5 advanced ballet classes a week, plus rehearsals, plus strength training and pilates after every class . Even for someone who has the "dancer's legs" these workouts are a challenge. You definitely feel the burn with these videos. The workouts also do not bother my knee at all so I would say they are pretty low impact.

I didn't really read many reviews of the product before purchasing it so I didn't know that there is quite a bit of focus on meditation. Being Buddhist I personally like the guided meditation sessions provided. I feel they are an excellent way to bring yourself down after an intense workout.

The only thing I don't really like is there is not enough time given on the cool downs. I regularly find myself stretching for a good 20 minutes after the workouts to feel adequately stretched out and cooled down. Other than that I would definitely recommend these videos to anyone.

I found the series to be challenging and fun! I recommend them for you wil get a workout...I just need to keep going and get the rest of the weight off! I like the music, the scenerey and the positive verbal usage of the two hostesses!

I recently purchased the YBB set and I really like it. The different workouts are fun, and there are modifications for beginners to advanced. There are a few moves that take a bit of practice but overall it is very easy to follow. The two instructors give a lot of tips to be sure you are using the proper form, and they just make it fun! There is a great "world music" beat with drums that is very soothing, too. I do think this workout is helping me tighten up problem areas, too!

I use this workout at home when I don't have time to go to the gym. It's sort of a guilty pleasure because the infomercials (and the workout) are so cheesy. The dvds are really fun and I love the instructors.

I have done both yoga and (a little) ballet and the moves they use are quite good. The ballet is basic and effective (they also tell you when they're doing a turnout that's not normally used in ballet, and you can tell from their movement that the instructors are experienced dancers). The yoga is good, could use better cuing in one of the videos (I spent an uncomfortable amount of time in chattaranga before realizing others had moved on).

The thing I like best is that they try to get your heart rate up during the toning videos, which makes those workouts very satisfying. I felt like the basic and advanced toning videos were of similar levels of difficulty (perhaps because I used heavier weights in the basic video), so if you can do one, the other is worthwhile too. Make sure you have a couple of levels of weights handy because the toning videos are more effective if you're using more weight on biceps and less weight on triceps. I used 10 lbs for some of the easier stuff, 5 lbs for most of it, and 3 lbs for the harder stuff.

The reason I docked them a star was because of the squishy ball. I guess if you have a nerf ball you can use that but I have been trying to use a medicine ball and it just isn't a good substitute. I pulled some kind of weird muscle in my butt after using a medicine ball and ended up doing other ab work instead during their abs sections. They suggest a pillow but maybe my pillows are too soft to be effective. It's probably worth it to pay the extra money to order the version with the ball -- the one I got had a coupon but you'd still have to pay extra for shipping.