Customer Reviews

Dancing With the Stars: Ballroom Buns & Abs

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having done every DVD in the "Dancing with the Stars" (DWTS) workout series of DVDs and not being too impressed with the last toning-focused DVD, I was very surprised when I popped this one into the DVD player and found out that I got a great cardio workout, felt my legs tone up, AND had fun all at the same time in this DVD.

"Ballroom Buns and Abs" is divided into four sections: Rock, Paso Doble, Argentine Tango, and the Cooldown. Here is what I thought of all the routines seperately:

Rock'n Abs - Led by Edyta Sliwinska this routine is largely composed of Jive moves with a few other styles of moves mixed in. Edyta, who is upbeat and encouraging the whole time, teaches very well by slowing down the moves to half tempo and doing them with the viewer several times slowly before moving onto tempo and then the next step. The first 5 minute section is spent teaching you combo 1, and the second 5 minute section teaches you the first part of combo 2. Then the third 5 minutes finishes combo 2 and puts both combos together for a high cardio routine that you do a few times through. Although the moves are taught slowly, you will still get a cardio workout because the moves are really fast and high-impact with kicking, triple-stepping, and twisting included in them (very reminiscent of the moves in Jive sections of the previous DWTS DVDs). These moves are designed to work the abs, but I mostly felt this workout in my calves even though the twisting worked my abs a bit, too.

Paso Doble - Next up is the Paso Doble with Chelsea Hightower. The majority of the moves are traditional Paso Doble and Flamenco moves taught with leg-toning in mind. Chelsea is just as chirpy (without being over the top) as Edyta is, but she has a different teaching style. Instead of slowing down one move to teach at a time, she will slow down the whole combo to teach. At the end of learning all of the combos, they are all put together for a full routine that you do three times through. This actually doesn't bring down the cardio too much, for most of the moves (like the moves in the previous section) are high impact to keep the heart pumping. There are lunging moves, kicks, and cape moves (no cape required), and some of the moves are quite difficult to pull off, especially since no modifications are offered. Ultimately, I felt this routine mostly in my thighs and on my quads.

Argentine Tango - In this Argentine Tango routine, there are no real cardio moves in it, but it still manages to work the legs very well. When Kym Johnson, the instructor of this routine, announced that the chair you use as a prop during the routine was the "man" of the routine, I was afraid this was going to be a very feminine section, but it really wasn't. I used the chair as my "woman" and really enjoyed all of the moves that Kym taught; the chair actually made the routine more fun, making it seem like I was dancing a real routine, instead of exercising. Kym teaches one move at a time, and at the end she puts them all together to do one time. Kym is probably the cheesiest of all three of the instructors, but you will really overlook that as you work your body doing the flicks and lunges of this routine; I mostly felt these moves on my abs and buns.

Cooldown - Finally, all three of the girls get together (with the four background dancers that had been present in all the routines) in order to do some stretching and cooling down of your body. There are some stretches for the abs, calves, quads, chest and hips; and I really felt like they did a sufficient job of stretching my body out.

Overall, this is an amazing workout with 2 cardio/toning sections and 1 section dedicated to just toning. I really felt my legs and abs work in this workout, and I also had a great time, making this DVD 5 stars in my book.

The DVD: Dancing With the Stars: Ballroom Buns & Abs

The PROMISE: Tango, Paso & Rock your way to sexy dancer's curves.

If you watch Dancing With The Stars (or So You Think You Can Dance), there's no denying that the lady dancers have, well, insano-bods. I mean seriously. LOOK at them! No wonder their outfits are so, barely there. Hell, if I were them, I'd be naked all the time!

Aside from wanting to live in their abs, I also wanted to learn how to move the way they do. I've been on a bit of a dance kick lately, so I was really excited to try this workout. Like most new dance workouts, I did this one twice before writing this review. And while my dreams of being ballroom dancing superstar are perhaps a little unrealistic at this point (lol, who am I kidding!), I might still be able to get a ballroom bum bum. Bring on the Tango!

The RUNDOWN:

* Running Time: 60 minutes total, broken up into 3 sections.
* # of Workouts: 1-3
* Equipment Needed: A chair for the Argentine Tango & a mirror will help.
* Trainers: Chelsie Hightower, Edyta Silwinska, Kim Johnson
* Bonus Features: Ability to customize your workout & a music only option (YAY!)
* Approx. Cost? $10 - $15 on Amazon.com

Music: Instrumental ballroom, matched to the style of dance. Very much in the background.

Style: Choreographed cardio & dance, with a focus on sculpting & repetition.

Difficulty: Intermediate. Moves are fast at times and not always well explained. Unless you're a dancer, expect a few run-throughs before you feel confident.

Best Suited For: Dancey peeps or those not afraid of a challenge.

The Morning After: Really felt some soreness in my tush & thighs. It wasn't terrible, but noticeable. Soreness will depend on your intensity & length of the workout.

The Workout

Dancing With the Stars: Ballroom Buns & Abs is a dance workout with a focus on toning your middle & lower body through classic ballroom moves (Tango, Paso Doble & Rock). There are 3 distinct sections that start by teaching you the basics of each dance routine, no partner required (the Argentine Tango substitutes a chair for a partner). You will build intensity & speed as you learn the routine, and there's no shame in doing the same section 2-3 times before you get it (you'll still get an intense workout).

The workout is challenging, will get your heart-rate up & tone you all over (in some surprising ways!). I liked the swivel steps in the Rock portion a lot, and some moves were a lot of fun to do, even when I felt like I couldn't keep up with the tempo or instructions.

HOW TO USE IT: In rotation with other workouts. It's a lot of lower body, a lot of cardio & a lot of coordination. Use it as cardio until you get used to the moves (the better you do them, the more toning benefits you'll get). Bonus? Add wrist weights for intensity and to get more out of the core elements.

HIGH FIVE FOR: Three completely different & challenging routines with a unique ballroom twist. They really focus on real dancing!

CAUTIONS & CONCERNS if... you've got lower body or joint issues. There's a lot of twisting & jumping about. If you're prone to lower back issues, feel free to take it easier in some sections. Push yourself but don't kill yourself. Protect your body. Also, because of the difficulty of some moves & the pace, those who are easily frustrated may have a tough time, especially if you're not naturally dance-y. Take it on as a challenge, it gets easier the 2nd & 3rd time around.

WINS

The dances were fun and the moves were challenging. I really felt like I got an intense lower body workout and learned a few new moves I could take to the dance floor (whether or not I should is a different story). I LOVED using the chair for the tango. I felt like a sexy, latin dancer with a bit of a stripper feel. Some moves I picked up right away and others took a little work. I like workouts with a learning curve (helps with boredom and it feels AMAZING when you "get" it later). The production value was good and I adore the option to have music only! (should be mandatory for all DVD's! Once I learn the moves, I wanna just have fun with it!)

FAILS

For one thing, there was no warm up or pre-workout stretch. Considering the kind of moves you start with, I was kinda surprised. The second time around, I did my own warm-up before starting and I found it easier to jump right in to the choreography.

I would have liked a slower tutorial for some of the moves, especially for the Rock section. I was LOST on some of the moves, or couldn't do them at tempo right away. The instructions and cueing are lacking & inadequate for beginners or those who really need the instruction. I found myself having to adjust often & rewind to observe the moves. Edyta was the hardest to follow, likely because of language barriers (sorry! It's true!). The second time around was much easier, the third was even easier and so forth.

MY VERDICT

I liked this workout, but it took me a few tries to felt confident. Despite problems with the instruction & cueing, I still picked up most of the moves by the second time around. My roommate (who is NOT dance-y) liked the workout, but found it frustrating to keep up with the fast pace of the workout. Not sure that she'd do it again (at least not without some nudging from me). I would have liked more modifications but overall, it was still fun & energizing.

If you're like me, you like a challenge. While it's not as intense as a bootcamp, per se, it's still a good workout that got me going.

Overall Grade: B-
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When I first bought this dvd, I tried the Paso Doble combination, and after stumbling through the first 5 minutes, stubbing my toe on everything in my path (and on the ground itself) and catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I laughed and gave it up for lost. But later on when I was more motivated and energized I picked it back up and kept trying. And it turned out to be a lot of fun! Challenging, but very rewarding. This is definitely not a workout video that's very easy to do the first time around, but if you have some rhythm and some will power, you can shape up, and get your heart pumping. (And maybe learn a few very sexy dance steps to go with those abs in the process *wink*)

I have no prior dancing experience and read the reviews that said you would need some but bought this product anyhow. I do like this dvd, i am not very good at it but i strive to do better and it is fun. I would hate to have put it in and been able to do everything right the first time i like a challenge and this is. I have not had the dvd for very long but i have had fun learning and laughing while i make mistakes but also i feel the burn and my heart is racing when i am done.

I have never reviewed any workout DVD before, but I was so impressed with this one I had to let people know. I have bought previous Dancing with the Stars workout DVDs before, and if you're in the right mood they are a nice modest workout. This one, Ballroom Buns & Abs, is much tougher and much more enjoyable. Coming from a dancing background, I love that it feels like an actual routine versus just learning steps and doing them consecutively, AND that the routines are fun! If you want a dancing workout video with good cardio and toning, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed,

I ordered this video when I ordered the Julianne Hough Cardio Ballroom and after falling in love with the Cardio Ballroom video I decided to give this DVD a chance. I wish I could get my money back. There is no instruction which leaves me sitting there trying to figure out what they are doing rather than actually moving. I am not a dancer so that could be part of the problem, but from now on Im sticking with Julianne.

I'm working hard to shed some pounds. I'm already down 25 lbs by working out at home to dance videos and monitoring my food intake on sparkpeople.com (FREE). It took me three months to lose that weight. I wanted something challenging and high cardio to help me over the plateau.

Well, I guess I got what I wished for. The problem is, I can't do these moves yet. I can learn them quickly enough, but I'm not in good enough shape to do them (not even close). Most workout DVD's I've seen, the instructor gives some modifications for those who are not quite ready for the hardest moves.

In this video, the instructors go very quickly, and the moves are intense. If you don't have at least some background in dance, I would not recommend this. I also don't recommend this to people who do not already exercise regularly or for people (like me) who are technically obese and trying to shed pounds.

I am going to keep this around, though. I plan to plug away at it, slowly, until I can finally do it. Until then, I think it's back to my other DVDs that I'm getting bored with. :(

Used this to help get off some post baby weight. I look forward to it. Instruction is great. After a few weeks I can do dances without instruction. My body feels toned and makes working out fun.

honestly i know so many people say this but it's true: i NEVER review things. but honestly im so disappointed that i need to voice my opinion. so much so that i would like to speak to these girls personally. this has to be one of the worst dancing dvds ive ever bought in my life. the first girl was seriously off beat and then when she was on beat, she would go so fast that someone who hasnt done the dance before cant do it. then the second girl was so dang boring i didnt even bother doing it. the last one was actually decent but bc i just moved, our chairs arent put together, so i didnt do that one either. all and all, it's going back TOMORROW. NEVER BUYING THIS AGAIN. i'll give the DWS series one more chance bc i have the latin dance one but omgee that was terrible.

I could definitely feel it in my legs and glutes after doing this workout. I would reccommend this to anyone trying to tone the lower body and slim down. It does work!!!