Customer Reviews

Donna-Mite Aerobic Workout [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fitness level: intermediate Breakdown: 5 minutes warm-up; 35 minutes floor aerobics; 5 minutes cool-down; 5 minutes stretch Impact: mixed, but one exerciser demonstrates low-impact through-out Soundtrack: Covers of classic Motown hits from 60's and 70's Setting: Studio

Donna promises "serious fun" in her intro, then she sucks you in and you're hooked from the first "Temptation walk" to the final step-tap and lunge. I haven't done this routine for nearly three years--I outgrew it and went on to more advanced tapes. But I remember it fondly. For about a year, it was just about the only cardio routine I would do. I honestly could not WAIT to get to it, it was so much fun.

This is definitely a serious workout--and some folks will find the choreography's a bit challenging the first few go-arounds. I personally got most of it the first couple of times I did the routine, but I think my perspective on the complexity was different because I learned this one after spending three months trying to master Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance. Donna packages it as a "big old fat-burning party." And what a party it is! The timeless sounds of the Temptations and the Four Tops, the high-energy group accompanying Donna, and especially the cool-down routine all remind me of the all-girl all-nighters and college dances I enjoyed in my junior high and late teen days.

Donna enjoys herself throughout the routine. Her love of the music is obvious and she cuts up with the crew throughout. But none of it distracts her from her instruction. She's very conscientious about cuing for the changes, giving pointers for proper alignment, and encouraging you to keep moving even if it means doing low-impact or reducing your range of motion.

While her focus is on fun as well as fitness, and this video comes across as a bunch of friends getting together and dancing, the workout itself is not as complicated as, say, Kari Anderson or Christi Taylor. You can always repeat the base moves rather than add the little nuances that are Donna's trademarks. I enjoyed her adding her own flair to basic stretches and aerobic moves.

The cool-down is all dancing, but trust me, none of it is hard. Most of the steps, such as the pony, the popcorn, and the washing machine, I remember from eighth grade. In fact, I get so caught up in having fun here that instead of cooling down, this turns into five more minutes of aerobics! The stretch includes more of Donna's attitude moves built into the routine, and she advises the exerciser to balance this tape with muscle toning and stretching. Of course, Donna's the star here. But her troupe of exercisers--some of them her pals from Crunch Fitness- deserve a hand for their enthusiasm. They're all in great shape, but encouragingly, they're not all hardbodies or youngsters. The lady who does the low-impact version here is built a lot like me--petite and a little bit busty. Another exerciser is taller and a very shapely size 12 at least. These are real people, all right!

Donna, if you're reading this, how about a more advanced sequel for the diehard aerobic animals in the room?

Grade: A+ and 10 points extra credit

I purchased the Donna-Mite exercise video and enjoyed it very much. Donna Richardson seems genuinely upbeat and fun-loving (unlike the sometimes "canned" look of Jane Fonda). The music was energetic Motown which is great to dance to. The only negative I saw was in the complexity of dance steps and the frequency of upper body camera angles. It was difficult at times to get the hang of the foot moves because the cameras moved off the dancer's feet and legs and focused onto arms and faces. It wasn't like the camera crew was trying to give the male audience a good look at the dancers' bust lines--it was just poor planning I thought. Other than that I'm sure I'll figure out the moves in time. There are no after workout crunches, push-ups, etc. You have to do that yourself.

If you like Motown and you love to dance, this is for you. The first time I did it for the first time this morning and it was so much fun I couldn't believe it. I had a little trouble learning the routines, which is par for the course for me because I'm kind of klutzy. However, I just kept moving and I know that after I've done it a few times I'll get it down. Donna is a very upbeat and encouraging instructor. If you don't like "dancey" aerobics, or hate Motown, this isn't for you. Otherwise it's the best workout I've ever done, and I highly recommend it.

I have several workout tapes, but this one is my favorite! The music is wall-to-wall Motown and Donna gets you dancing from the start. She is a fabulous instructor whose enthusiasm will keep you smiling, and I love that she has a variety of different sized exercisers in her class.

Don't be discouraged if it takes time to get all the moves down, some of the routines are challenging. But you will burn fat and have fun, which is the point of exercise anyway. :)

I checked this video out of my local library so much I'm sure the tape will give out soon. It's so much fun that even though I intended to work out for 10 minutes the night I brought it home, I ended up doing the entire 53-minute workout. Richardson is charming and her choreography would move the dead. And I love the Motown songs this video is set to. If ever there was such a thing as having fun working out, this is the closest I have ever come. I'm buying the tape now because I'm sick of having to surrender it to the library. I'm a big Denise Austin fan. I learned classic moves from her and how to zero in on probelm areas. She has the best upper body strengthing exercises around. But when you've mastered the classics and you're ready for a good time, Donna's tape is the one.

This tape is very upbeat and easy to follow. It is very dance oriented. However, you do need a lot of room to do all the steps. I am constantly running into furniture. It would be better if the routine could be done in an area the size of a normal house room, not a gym.

I think this video would be fun if: 1. Donna had a "how to" section at the beginning or end of the tape. The moves are complicated if you don't have a dance background, and just as you think you might be getting the hang of it, she changes the move. She never slows down to show you what she's doing, and she goes from move to move very quickly! I have to wonder how much the team had to practice before filming. 2. The camera would not costantly move to the exerciser's upper bodies. If it wasn't already hard enough, you can't see their feet! I found this tape a little frustrating, but maybe with a little more work I can get it, and it will be fun. She is a good instructor, though.

I've done a lot of workout videos over time, and with very few exceptions I've been able to learn them within just a few tries. Not this one. I've gone through it about five times, and I still get so frustrated I want to kick the TV (which might burn off some calories, come to think of it). The problems:

-- The camera work is awful. It focuses on faces, not feet, far too often. Moves change, and I have no idea what I should be doing because I'm watching someone's happy, singing face.

-- Donna does a move once or twice -- and then moves on to another move. Later she'll come back to the first move, but I never did it often enough to remember it. This is typical for dance, especially when you've got a while to get a routine down. But it's frustrating when you just want a good workout in the morning before you go to work.

-- Donna uses the same terminology for different moves. This adds to the confusion.

On the bright side:

-- Great music. You can't beat the Motown hits for inspiration.

-- Donna's very perky, very supportive. Not irritating. I enjoyed her personality and found her motivating.

-- She provides a low-impact alternative to almost all the high-impact moves (although the woman doing the low-impact moves can't help herself at one point and does jump off the floor).

-- I would imagine that once you got the moves down, this would be a fun workout and one you could do often. It remains to be seen whether I'll have the patience to keep tripping over myself long enough to finally learn the routines.

-- If you never do learn to do the steps on this tape, I suppose you can still boogie down to great music and get a good workout doing your own thing.

I give this five stars because when I first used the tape, even though it was challenging to learn the moves at first (but got it after the 2nd or 3rd time), I was having so much fun I found myself surpised when she said they were going to do a cooldown and I had actually sweated (wearing a sweat shirt)! This is intermediate because she moves fast even though it's low impact. I consider this to be at a steady and consistent space not an up and down (interval) heart rate like in the Firm (which I love). It's a great non-impact, "no equipment needed" and fun workout to do on non-strenous days or in conjunction with strength training! You'll learn some great dance steps in the process too!

I had so much fun working out to this video, when it was over I wanted to do it again. The routines are challenging, but it just makes it more fun to do. If you love to dance, you will love this video.