Customer Reviews

Crunch: Best Abs & Arms [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a great workout! The first time through, I thought I wasn't working - but the next day I could FEEL how hard I'd actually worked. After a month of doing this video about 3 times per week, I see a noticable (visable) difference in my arms and I can feel how much stronger my abs are.

Some of the moves and exercises are on the intermediate level, but I believe anyone could do this video (with some minor modifications to take it down to beginning). Buy this video if you want great arms & abs - it WORKS!

I didn't find this to be a good workout video. I often felt lost and had to rewind to understand what exercise we were doing next and how to do it. There was poor explanation, you have to learn by watching and then doing. This could take multiple watchings before the viewer understands. I would skip this video, I've used much better ones.

I've seen alot better videos out there. The moving the legs and arms were not effective exercises and the abs section is not challenging. I'd skip, this is the worse review I've ever done.

ANNOYING INSTRUCTOR, NOT HARD ENOUGH, AND A WASTE OF TIME. NO INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPER FORM OR ANYTHING. KATHY SMITH TIMESAVER LIFT WEIGHTS TO LOSE WEIGHT IS MUCH MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THIS AND IS ONLY 20 MIN FOR THE UPPER BODY 20 MINUTES FOR LOWER AND 7 MINUTE ABS. KATHY YELLS ALOT BUT I THINK ITS FUNNY. I CANT STAND THE "OH YAH, UH HUH, THATS RIGHT, UH HUH."

I loved this video! The instructor, Faith, was incredibly motivating! As an experienced excerciser I can say that the moves in this video really do work. This is no beginners video... it's a tough but fun workout. There are four sections to it the first and third focusing on arms, the second and fourth focusing on abs. I really felt my muscles working throughout the video. Yet another fabulous Crunch video!

As someone who has worked out regularly, for over a decade, I would not recommend this video to the beginner or the advanced fitness person. The primary review of the video is correct, that the instructor does not offer adequate instruction and gives no clear direction on how to perform the movements, so the video will be too confusing for the beginner. For the intermediate and advanced, the video is far too short and is limited (and elementary) in the exercises performed, so that one is not truly getting a good workout for abs or arms. This video should not be entitled "best".

This video doesn't give the burn for the abs and arms like other videos. The instructor does more of a routine instead repeition of exercises therefore making it ineffective. The only part that I got a good workout was the arm floor exercise even then you have to be careful not to drop the weights on your head (smiles). I'm sure there are better abs and arms workout on the market.

ANNOYING INSTRUCTOR, NOT HARD ENOUGH, AND A WASTE OF TIME. NO INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPER FORM OR ANYTHING. KATHY SMITH TIMESAVER LIFT WEIGHTS TO LOSE WEIGHT IS MUCH MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THIS AND IS ONLY 20 MIN FOR THE UPPER BODY 20 MINUTES FOR LOWER AND 7 MINUTE ABS. KATHY YELLS ALOT BUT I THINK ITS FUNNY. I CANT STAND THE "OH YAH, UH HUH, THATS RIGHT, UH HUH."

I have mixed feelings about this video. First of all, I'm not crazy about the style of the "Crunch" series; the participants always seem a little TOO enthusiastic to me, to the point of coming off as very fake. However, the instructor, Faith, seemed more genuinely motivating; she reminded me of Donna Richardson in exercise style and of Julianne Moore in appearance. I also don't like the extended warm-ups (close to 10 minutes) in the Crunch tapes, as I usually warm up via other exercise before doing toning tapes.

The workout itself is divided into four sections, two for arms and two for abs. Faith starts with standing arms work, and this is the section I liked the least. The main thing I disliked was that while working the arms with light weights, you are also moving your legs--lunges, side steps, etc. Fans of "The Firm" series may like this style, but I found that it unncessarily complicates the workout, especially since it isn't really adding much of a leg workout. The arms exercises themselves aren't very challenging, but unforunately, they are done in such a way that it wouldn't be easy to use heavier weights. The second section moves on to floor abs work. In this section, the moves were less complex and better cued. The third section returns to workout the arms, this time on the floor. Again, the moves here were easier to follow and included some tough triceps work. This section includes a brief set of pushups as well as bicep concentration curls done in a kneeling position. In the fourth and final section, Faith returns to the abs--for those of you familiar with the Quick Fix Tight Abs video, you'll recognize the music! In both abs sections, Faith does a variety of moves that are easy to follow and well-cued.

So overall, I liked the abs parts of this workout better than the arms parts, and I especially didn't like the more complex choreography in the first section. Those who enjoy The Firm videos might find the style of video more enjoyable than I did, although they might also be disappointed with the difficulty level.

This Crunch tape is fun and I really like the instructor, Faith. The triceps are worked the most, but that is also the area that gets the least amount of exercise in a daily routine for me. The chest gets one, and the biceps and shoulders get the rest of the workout. I've been using this tape every 2-3 days for a couple months and have seen my fat & wobblesome triceps tighten up and my shoulders have shape like never before!

The ab work is great, but really like this for the arms!