Customer Reviews

Island Girl Dance Fitness Workout for Beginners: Tahitian Cardio

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I did Tahitian dance years ago and always thought it was a wonderfully sensual dance form. Now years later I wanted to try to get back into shape so like many people I wanted new fitness DVD's for the holidays. Island Girl Dance Fitness Workout for Beginners is a *best buy* because it lives up to its name in every way. It is an exciting dance fitness workout not too challenging for beginners, nor is it slow for those familiar with different forms of dance. Kili is beautiful, spiritual and fit and her assistants are inspirational. Tahitian style is appropriate for a wide age range--no jumping, kneeling work or sudden shocks for tender joints. All and all the DVD brings the warmth of the islands and sunshine to the homes of those of us living far from the sea in cold climates. Well done! I'd buy another of her DVD's in a heart beat and highly recommend this DVD.

I loved her since her first DVDs "Hula Workout" though those used cutsy 60s music & added 60s american dance moves but still have a lot of authetic hula dancing.

These "Island Girl" hula workouts are more authentic. Just like her other ones, you get a great workout, your abs burn, your hips, legs get a nice workout. It's all authentic dance moves with some added quick squats, etc. added in so you barely notice it for adding toning. The authentic drum Hawaiian music is beautiful & does keep you stimulted too keep going just like a dance/rock beat would.

I had no trouble following & learning the steps, there are plenty of dance DVDs that I have had trouble with, but she breaks everything down well & shows it slowly several times before speeding it up. She even cues YOUR left & right, not hers.

There's a trailer for her "Hula Workout" DVDs & another authentic Hula workout like this called "Island Girl: Hula Abs & Buns" at collagevideo com

This is the kind of thing I was looking for. I sweat, and I don't spend the whole time looking at the clock, waiting for it to be over. The moves are fun and sexy, and not too hard to follow. I didn't get all of them the first time around, but a few more tries and I'll have it all down. Just staying in motion and doing my best gave me a nice workout.

The island beat of the music is very pleasant and fun. The scenery is lovely. The sound isn't perfect--wind noise is sometimes heard, but it doesn't detract at all from the quality.

I like this workout a little better than the cardio hula one. The cardio hula seems a lighter workout, while this one makes you work a little harder.

Forget other dance workout DVDs--Tahitian Cardio really -is- a fun DVD that gives you a nice workout.

UPDATE: I am still using and just loving this video. I originally bought it to get back into shape after having a baby. I recently bought The Firm's Transfirmer system for a tougher workout. I was surprised to find that (in spite of several people telling me how hard the workout is) The Firm workout wasn't that hard after all of my Island Girl workouts. I guess Island Girl is deceptively strengthening!

Hula dance choreographer Kili and her 2 assistants are delightful and professional. The dance workout is well structured and paced. You learn a complete hula dance, which is broken down into sections so you can practise it and get a good workout at the same time! You'll feel it in your hips/thighs and abs (in fact, your whole body!) as you sway, bump and step your way through. The inspiring music and beat of the drums motivates your hips to keep moving! Towards the end you get to put it all together in a graceful, flowing, complete hula dance - fantastic. I love this DVD! Meitaki ma'ata (thanks!) Kili.

I recently had a baby and have tried nothing short of everything to target those stretched muscles of my lower abdomen--fitness balls, bands, dancing crazily to music to maybe accidentally touch on something that hit them--but THIS . . . I love it. Kili is upbeat, without being corny, and the way she teaches the moves makes them so easy. Her workout targets my baby problem areas within minutes of starting it and I've never been happier to work out. I would recommend this to all new mothers who are sick of having little pooches hang over their pants, and who are tired of having people ask if you're pregnant again just because you wear baby doll shirts to hide that pooch!! Very effective, fun workout!!

This workout definitely isn't for any major fitness buffs looking to get even more buff, but for the regular gals, it's very fun, motivating, and relaxing, even though you're sweating at the end! After just one week, I'm already seeing my hips and waist start to slim down. I've been working out nearly every day for the past 2 months and had hit a plateau. Then I tried this and in one week, it kick started me back into losing weight - I lost 2.5 lbs just this week and my only exercise was doing this video!

Unless you're familiar with hula dancing, it will take 2-3 watchings to get the routine down. The first 2 times, I was constantly rewinding to try to be able to learn what they were doing. But just go for it and you'll pick it up quick. Just remember to keep your knees bent and it will be that much easier, as well as more effective. After a week, there are still a few places where I have trouble (I'm not the most coordinated when it comes to moving my hips and arms and feet all at the same time) I've found that the better I get at the video, the more of a workout I'm getting. I'm usually dripping with sweat at the end, but didn't feel like I'd worked that hard, until the next day :)

What I really like about the video is that it's broken down into 3 parts - the workout, where Kili shows you the dance, then breaks it down over the course of about 27 minutes; then there's the dance itself, where the routine is repeated 3 times for a total dance time of 3 minutes; and finally the cooldown, which brings the total video time to about 36 minutes. I find that I have so much fun doing the workout, that I will keep rewinding to do the dance 3-4 more times before moving on to the cooldown.

Kili is an excellent hula instructor, and her two assistants are beautiful. Seeing how graceful the three are and how beautiful the dance looks really motivates me to try to get to their level. Kili has a very soothing voice and not at all annoying like a lot of video workout instructors.

What I don't like about the video is that in a few places, especially towards the end of the dance portion, the camera angle makes it harder to see what the girls are doing below the waist - but once I got the routine down, that wasn't an issue anymore. Also, when doing the bumps towards the end of the dance portion, the girls start moving a lot quicker and it's kind of hard to keep up, but that's getting easier the better I get.

Overall, I highly recommend the Tahitian Cardio with Kili. I love it so much that I'm planning to buy more of her Island Girl DVDs and have recommended it to all my friends

This is a great workout to add into your rotation! I'm more of a circuit training girl, but this was a fun change of pace. Kili and the other two instructors are beautiful and have perfect moves.

The workout is about 45 minutes. She guides you through the basic steps and then you actually do a full Tahitian dance at the end. I couldn't believe it, but I was actually sore the next day... especially in the abs, outer and inner thighs - moreso than a lot of my other workouts in these areas. Definitely recommend this one.

This video is a challenge. I have not worked out at all in a VERY long time and I am over weight and out of shape. This video seem's to be fun, like the other viewer's have said, BUT, don't expect it to be a cake walk. I just did the video for the first time today and I could only do about 5 minutes and after that my legs were so shaky and burning that I had to stop. There is alot of squating involved in this video, which one viewer said there wasn't, but there is. I watched the whole video before I did it and there is ALOT of squating, that's how your able to move your hip's the way the instructor show's you to. Also, there is a brief hopping move, but this you could probably just not do and keep moving through it (which the same viewer that said there was no squating or kneeling also said there was no hopping, did they even watch this video?) I did love the music it's very cultural and "get's you moving" Good drum beat. I just think they should rename this video for intermediate level and not begginer. It's defanitly NOT a begginer video. I will have to do little by little of this video each time to try to complete it. 4 stars because it's "begginer" title is misleading, but I loved the music and moves.

I bought this DVD as part of the two pack with Tahitian Hip Hop, but the workouts are so similar, I could have easily skipped the Hip Hop one. This is by far my favorite anyway. Not only do you get the opportunity to learn a fun dance routine (that will probably never be used in any real life situation, but it's still enjoyable), you also use muscles that you don't often use in traditional workouts.

Because much of this workout is done with bent knees in an almost squatting position, I really felt the burn in my thighs. Even with the knee problems I've had my entire adult life, I had no problem with any of the moves, but I was definitely sweating when it was over!

This is something that has never *ever* happened to me. But this video is truly fun and challenging. It takes a bit of work to get the moves right, but it has improved my overall dancing ability which is a great plus.
I'm not in great shape but don't find this a particularly strenuous workout, which at times can be nice. It a good intensity level for me, tough enough where I don't get bored but not so tough that I feel dead afterwards.