Customer Reviews

Hemalayaa: Bollywood Booty

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I had alot of fun with this one and came online to mention one thing that would be important to city-dwellers: this workout is tiny-apartment-friendly. You can do the entire workout in in a 5'x5' space and the only thing I couldn't do for respect for my neighbors was the hopping which was quite minimal anyway.

This DVD is taught by Hemalayaa Behl, who appears along with two female background exercisers. It actually offers four short workout segments (each less than 15 minutes in length) in addition to the warm-up and cool-down, thus allowing users to customize the total length of their workout time. I have broken down each of these segments in greater detail below.

>WARM-UP (4 min). Here Hemalayaa introduces the "walk," a move that replaces the basic march seen in many other workouts. This is sort of a hip sway from side-to-side, and she uses it in place, moving forward, and moving back. She also performs mini-pliés and teaches the arm movements that are used throughout the workout. Although Hemalayaa gives the Indian names for these exercises, she explains them by asking users to envision everyday movements--e.g., lightbulb arms, painting the walls, etc.
>WORKOUT 1 (5.5 min). Hemalayaa calls this segment "Butt Monster Moves." She returns to the mini-plié introduced in the warm-up but adds many different variations, including toe taps, side reaches, butt kicks, leg lifts, etc.
>WORKOUT 2 (8 min). The first half of this workout includes a series of side-to-side lunge variations; Hemalayaa cues different arm movements (including "Indian vogue arms") and moves at a relatively quick pace. The second half includes some pliés as well as mini hops. Hemalayaa has you hop around so that you are facing away from the TV, and then you swivel just your head back over your shoulder while doing some fast hip flicks--this was a lot of fun!
>WORKOUT 3 (12 min). This workout begins with the swan, a figure eight move with the hips. Hemalayaa adds in a hip flick, going back and forth from side-to-side and constantly changing up the tempo. However, because the swan and the hip flick were the only moves in this longer segment, it started to feel quite repetitive after awhile.
>WORKOUT 4 (11 min). For this final section, Hemalayaa does not teach anything new; rather, she incorporates parts of each of the three prior workout segments above.
>COOL-DOWN (3.5 min). Hemalayaa concludes the workout by leading fluid, yoga-like stretching.

Overall, Hemalayaa and her two female background exercisers really do seem to be enjoying themselves during this workout. Although some of the moves WERE fun, I didn't find the workout to be very intense, and I didn't really find that it targeted my "booty" more than any other area. This DVD is probably best suited for those looking for a very light, fun cardio workout--if you don't mind shaking your booty, Hemalayaa is likely to put a smile on your face.

I had a lot of fun with this workout but yet I was getting a real burn. I like the fact that you can choose to do 1, 2 or all of the segments depending on your mood and time constraints. It is nice to know you can fit in a workout even if you only have 15 minutes. I also like the music only option + the bonus workout (slower yoga style). This was new and different and I think it will be easy to stick with. I liked it so much I bought all the other newer workouts as well. Highly recommend!

I know that probably makes me sound like a spambot, but I'm not kidding. This DVD was an impulse buy at a store, and it was so much fun that I have bought a whole slew of dance workout DVDs here since. I had hit a plateau in my weight loss before I started doing this workout, and I lost 20 pounds--a conservative estimate--after I started to do this workout everyday. (I was rather heavy, so if you weigh 140 pounds, don't blame me if you don't lose as much.)

This is the best of the Acacia Bollywood series that I've tried, which are the Bollywood Dance Workout and Beautiful Belly. I haven't tried Bollywood Burn. The others are too hard on my knees, but there is little hopping around in this one. It still gets your heart rate going, and it is easy to do in a small space. I highly recommend it!

I also adore the bonus Odissi dance piece, and I wish I could get my hands on more of that.

I have to start by saying that Hemalayaa's workouts have changed my life. I hated every form of physical activity (except dancing) and had never found a video that I enjoyed and that provided results. I'm so glad I found Hemalayaa's DVDs because now I do one a day and I already feel beautiful and in much better shape. I even walk with more confidence, and I'm pretty sure my butt is rounder!

I already owned two Hemalayaa DVDs (Bollywood Burn and Beautiful Belly) and so my only decision was which one to try next. Bollywood Booty is, in my opinion, her best yet, for 1) how much fun the exercises are, 2) how sexy and varied the movements are, 3) how awesome the music is, and 4) the bonus dance Odissi in the special features.

Bollywood Booty is a lighter-weight workout than Beautiful Belly (which is the best for quick abdominal results). Hemalayaa is, as usual, joyful and the perfect instructor for those of us who don't like to take ourselves or our workout too seriously. You can't help but smile and feel great while doing a Hemalayaa video!

After trying The Bollywood Dance Workout With Hemalayaa and finding it fun albeit inadequate with regard to its ability to raise my heart rate and sustain it at an injury-free level, I was reluctant to devote 45 minutes of my time to "Bollywood Booty" and be disappointed. Happily, I wasn't.

Whether this DVD will reshape your backside as it promises, I do not doubt, but this depends upon the level of your fitness. Repeated movements of this sort cannot help but redefine your butt. However, Hemalayaa's derriere workout is limited to fast plies and side to side lunges that she incorporates to work within the pacing of a dance that she threads together in four separate segments that when played back to back equal the entire 45 minute program. Squats are mentioned on the back cover of the case, but other than a repetitive backwards motion where one's back is flat and the rear end is thrust out with exaggerated hip movements, I do not recall any of the classic move being incorporated. Hand and arm movements abound as well as full body undulations that Hemalayaa explains in exuberant voice-over as she stomps through the segments in happy abandon that one cannot fail to want to emulate. Caveat: Hemalayaa and her dance team do perform barefooted as I did. Simply don exercise footwear to prevent problems if your knees experience pain during jumping movements.

Bollywood Booty is not billed as a cardio workout, therefore I did not expect to have an elevated heart rate throughout the routine. With that thinking put aside, I was able to enjoy the DVD for what it was worth--as an do-able and entertaining routine that introduces the participant to Bhangra dance. As I sashayed, tic-toked, jumped and elked my way through the routine with a big smile on my face, I realized that Bollywood Booty delivered the fun it advertised. Maybe I wasn't sweating, but I got my body moving and felt good for the rest of the day.

In addition to the four individual "Booty" segments, Bollywood Booty includes bonus dance features that act as advertisements for other Acacia products. Dance and Be Fit: Brazilian Body looked particularly appealing to someone like myself who wants to feel a little more intensity while performing simpler moves within the framework of dance.

Bottom line? If you are in reasonable fitness health, don't expect to be sweating profusely at the end of this 45 minute boot-ay sculpting session. If you are accustomed to performing repetitive squats, lunges and other butt building exercises, you may be a little disappointed in Hemalayaa's offering. Here, the moves fit together to enable the participant to perform a facsimile of a Punjabi dance (think the vibrantly happy dance fest in Monsoon Wedding or the train station stomp in Slumdog Millionaire) and relish the ebullient sensual feeling of moving sinuously with the beat rather than focus on slowly perfecting form. Recommended as a smile-cracking alternative to the usual larger moves utilized in other butt sculpting DVDs.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

I haven't had much luck with workout dvds in the past but I look forward to trying to master these workouts so I can be as graceful as Hemalayaa. Sometimes she does move a little fast but she always makes sure to mention that you should go at your own pace. I also like the fact she is very conscientious of people with knee problems (I don't have any though) and makes sure to announce with certain moves that you shouldn't bounce if it will cause problems. I really like that. Hemalayaa is fun and engaging and even though I look like a klutz right now trying to dance, she makes me want to keep on trying. The only problem is that I wish she had a separate section where she shows each move a little slower so I can practice them more before the actual workouts. I definitely recommend this dvd to anyone who wants to have fun and laugh while trying to learn fun exercises.

I was a little nervous about buying this video because I truly did not think I would get a good workout. I was obviously wrong. This is one of the best videos I've ever purchased. I didn't expect a hardcore workout and that's not what you get. What you get is a fun, sexy video that makes you sweat and feel great. The video flies by so fast I just want to do it over and over again. Definetly a good purchase for someone who wants to dance to lose weight.

I did this workout a few times. It is a good workout if you're a beginner to exercise...but if your already a frequent exerciser, this workout may be a little boring.

The workout is VERY repetitive...which is great because you feel it in your booty...but it also becomes tedious and dull doing the same moves over and over.

If youre a beginner, definitely try this. If your looking for something with higher impact that offers more conditioning, definitely try her other bollywood workouts!

As someone who works out normally 5-6 days a week, now that Im in my first trimister I dont always feel like goin to the gym and have found myself a little tired lately. However this tape is so fun, time goes by fast, and I feel that this DVD works my glutes. A good tape to have to add varity.