Customer Reviews

Crunch - Cardio Salsa

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This workout is a lot of fun and aerobic enough to get me into my training heart zone (moderate level; this isn't Tae Bo!!)I've only had it a month, and I can't stop working out to it! It's made my weekly rotation--and I'm picky.

I do exercise videos 5-6 days a week and have lost 40 lbs doing them (with a reasonable diet). So, I take my video selections seriously. I've purchased more than 100 videos, but many of them are rejects because the workout isn't aerobic enough, it's boring, the instructor is uninspiring, etc. This Cardio Salsa Video, on the other hand, has so much going for it:
1) The instructor is lively, and breaks down the moves so they are easy to learn.

2) The workout is presented in six segments--so the time flies. Before you know it, you're off doing the next segment, Salsa, Samba,Merengue (my favorite)and more. This short segment approach keeps the workout very fresh for those like me who want to do a video regularly and not just once or twice.

3)The workout incorporates large arm movements and some jumps, so even someone who is fit (like me) can get their heart rate into the moderate intensity zone. Put some energy behind the moves, and you will get a good workout! OK, it's not the strenous workout of Tae Bo, but it's not too easy like a lot of Latin tapes out there that are only good for "light days" or are in my reject pile.

4) The live drummer Ravi and his drumming add something special to the video. He's on several other Crunch videos, and I've liked all the ones he's on.

Are you a beginner or someone who does not like dancy videos? Stick with it; you'll learn these short routines in 2 or 3 times through the video and you WILL be converted to an Aerobic Latin style enthusiast thanks to Giselle and her good choreography.

There's a lot to say about this compact little video. Overall, it's a great little workout for days that you want something a little less intense, and it's good for people who are beginner/intermediate. Ultimately, you really get out of it what you put in to it. It's fun and lively, and if you really use your muscles, you'll work up a sweat. The key here is to contract your muscles as you're moving them, so you get a bit of isometric work while you're dancing. If you just flop your arms and legs around, you won't work up a sweat at all. Experienced exercisers and athletes will know this automatically, but some beginners or even intermediates will become frustrated with the level of this workout if they don't do this, and the concept is not really explained in the video.

As an instructor, Giselle is right on top of things. Some of the steps and combinations are a bit tricky, and you have to really pay attention to do the routine well the first or second time, but expect to have to do this video at least three times before you really get it. If you find yourself messing up, just laugh and go back to your basic step. Giselle does have a bit of an accent, but I find her very easy to understand.

Overall, I enjoy this workout. It's fun, and features a variety of women of different shapes and sizes - some not even wearing real workout clothes. The message of this video seems to be that no matter who you are or what fitness level you're at, you can have fun and get a great workout. I don't know about you, but I find that incredibly inspiring.

Crunch Cardio Salsa is a lively mix of Latin dance styles reworked as cardio exercise moves. The instructor for this workout is Giselle Roque de Escobar. This workout is broken into 7 segments:
1. Warm-up
2. Salsa Combination
3. Merengue Combination
4. Merengue Salsa Combination
5. Samba Combination
6. Latin Funk Combination
7. Cool Down

In general: This is a fun and active workout--I definitely worked up a sweat and, at one point, my legs felt like rubber. Both the instructor and the backup dancers are VERY good at this and most really get into it, so you get a great flavor for Latin dancing in general as well as the workout. Can't say that I would recommend this workout to guys because there are a lot of very feminine hand and hip gestures throughout the workout.

A few details: I found the Samba portion (#5) the most challenging by far. Until that point, I didn't have a problem learning the steps or keeping up with the pace, but the Samba beat me into submission. Whew!!! I think the music/pace is at its fastest during this portion, so that didn't help. I think that this whole workout would have been easier if done on an uncarpeted surface. That is true of most cardio workouts but triply so for this one. Because of the fast footwork and because you need to stay on your toes for much of it, carpet is especially fatiguing (my calves were screaming by the time I got through Samba). The cooldown is longer than most cardio cooldowns and I kind of liked that. I especially liked the flamenco flavor added in the cooldown.

In summary: If you like to dance and have a good sense of rhythm, I'd suggest you try this. I had fun with it (except for Samba, which I could not follow on the first try) and with all the arm movements going along with the dance steps, you really do feel like you're dancing as much as working out--I liked that. Right now, after having done the workout once, I'm leaning toward buying it, but I will do the workout another two times or so on rental before I make my final decision.

I worked out at a Crunch gym for 2 years and was excited to learn about this new video. unfortunately, I tried it today and was very disappointed. I've had several dance classes throughout college and high school and found this instructor extremely hard to follow. I agree with other posters that she "yells" the instructions at you and it's very hard to stay on task. She also doesn't take the combinations step by step as they do in most classes. She does one part of the combination, then another part, then expects you to link them up immediately.

The music was great and the workout did go by fast...but I've been doing TaeBo workouts for the last 2 months and found TaeBo to be a much more vigorous workout than Cardio Salsa.

I'm writing this review for beginners, because that's where I'm coming from. People who dance salsa or have 800 fitness videos might not relate :) So...

This DVD is awesome. I love it. I've done it every day since I got it!

I have been doing Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds workouts for the past month (?) or so, mostly doing the 3-mile walk, and recently jogging instead of walking in place. I'm not in great shape, but I've been gaining cardiovascular strength, so I think that has helped me follow this DVD without being winded. I think most people with a moderate level of stamina could make it through this DVD without falling over. Even if you do fall over, you will want to get back up because the workout is so much fun!

I am not a super-coordinated person, and there are a lot of workout styles that I won't touch because they involve nutty footwork or require you to have each of your limbs doing something different. But after two or three times through this DVD, I can do almost all of the moves! Yay! You have to pay attention to figure out some of the things she's doing (the square step comes to mind), but you'll get it. Just keep at it! The first time I tried the workout, I did what I could do, and just danced around when I couldn't keep up. That also was fun. But eventually, it clicked, and now my smugness level is through the roof.

Giselle Roque de Escobar is a great instructor and a real dynamo--she never stops moving. She's adorable, and watching her elegant versions of the moves you're clumsily imitating is really inspiring. Her voice and accent are also enjoyable. A+!

This is the most fun I've had doing a workout DVD. I'd do it even if I weren't trying to get in better shape!

I've been getting into more dancey videos lately, and I have several other Latin-themed ones that I enjoy, such as Kathy Smith's Latin Rhythm Workout. Unfortunately, I found Crunch Cardio Salsa to be mostly disappointing. The chapter menu breaks down the workout into nine total segments (times are approximate): 1) introduction (1.5 minutes), 2) warm-up (6 minutes), 3) salsa combination (6 minutes), 4) meregue combination (5 minutes), 5) merengue salsa combination (5 minutes), 6) salsa combination (5 minutes), 7) latin funk combination (5 minutes), 8) cool down (4.5 minutes), and 9) credits.

The warm-up, which I thought was too long, didn't get my heart rate up at all; the moves were very slow, although easy to follow. The first dance segment was better, and I started to get into the workout a little more. The merengue moves kept my heart rate up, yet there was a lot more jumping/hopping, and the moves became a bit harder to follow. The second merengue section was better, but then again followed by a more complex segment, and by the "funk" section, I wasn't feeling very funky. Even the cool-down seemed kind of slow and boring to me, although it was shorter than the warm-up. But the thing that disappointed me the most about this workout is that after I was finished, my HR monitor showed that I was in my zone for less than HALF the cardio section!

Instructor Giselle Roque de Escobar was enthusiastic and seemed to be having fun. Initially, she taught each move in a way that was easy to learn, but when she began stringing the moves together in combinations and taking it from the top, she was much harder to follow. Also, she often had you move sideways to the right, come back to the middle, and then move sideways to the left, which took up quite a bit of space--more than I have in my workout room, anyway. So, for a workout that clocked in at 38 1/2 minutes total, I really didn't feel like it was time well spent, and I probably won't be keeping this one.

I agree with most of the criticisms on the video, except I didn't find the instructor's style abrasive. The beat was great, at times it is fun (when you figure out the moves), just even after doing it a week straight I am still lost at times during this workout. I am not a natural on dancing, but capable of learning. Even at best, this would appear to be a moderate itensity workout, if you are looking for intensity go elsewhere.

The two main failings, in my opinion, were: (1) I think the camera on this sort of work out needs to give a near constant full body view of the instructor, sometimes that would cut when I really needed it to stay on her or would cut to her upper body only when I needed to see her feet and (2) think it would have helped to have more time on the moves before trying to integrate into the series.

Maybe a section of the DVD dedicated to only showing each move and letting you practice that over and over would help. If you have two left feet I would suggest a good kick type workout for both ease of learning and intensity of the workout.

I have not taken very many dance classes, but I really enjoyed this DVD. The time really flew by and I was getting a workout. I would not classify it as a hard one, but a good moderate workout.
As far as the instructor not breaking the steps down enough, I did not think it was that hard to follow. I would rather have a little trouble the first few times I go through routine then be bored to death the next thousand because it is so slow.
Overall I really enjoy this DVD and look forward to using it often.

I bought this video thinking it would be fun and would break up the monotony of other cardio workouts. I have to be honest, this was on of the most boring cardio workouts I have ever purchased. For those of you who have little to no background in dance, I think you would be dissapointed in this workout. I love salsa dancing as I am Latin myself, but I could never get into this workout. PS: If you do purchase this video though, make sure you have enough space in your home, as you will need more than with most cardio workouts.

I don't usually call any form af exercise fun so I bought this video hoping that dancing my way to fitness might work for me. I really like this video because even though I am not coordinated and I have no sense of rhythm I can actually do this video and enjoy myself in the process. It took me about 3 times doing the workout before I was comfortable with the steps but even if you mess up the steps you are still getting a good workout. Maybe exercisers that are used to an hour of heart pumping, high impact aerobics might find this video a little easy and maybe authentic salsa dancers might think that the moves are not true latin dance but if you are like me and want a fun, fast easy to follow video, this is a great choice.