Customer Reviews

Reebok: Rhythm Section Aerobicaliente [VHS]

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

 

 

I also bought this because I loved the Reebok Sweat Factory video, but was pretty disappointed. I thought it was a great idea to have a salsa workout and it sounded like lots of fun. But the workout is not very intense and is pretty boring. The moves are more like variations on marching than actual salsa steps. Besides, the female instructor impresses me as acting stereotypically latina--almost like Charo. The only time she really seems human is when she says, "Don't lock your knee out," during the stretching scenes (which are very short). She and the male instructor start flirting towards the end. It's not a pretty sight.

I did not like this tape at all. I bought it because I love the Reebok Sweat Factory w/Petra and thought this would be excellent also. You can barely hear the music because of Mauro's constant talking, he and his co-star seem to be faking the fun and the movements didn't thrill me. I'm very disappointed with this tape.

This workout frustrated me no end in the beginning because the instructors take no time to explain the complex dance moves they are doing - they just expect you to catch on right away. I finally had to stop the tape and do a couple sessions in slow motion to get the moves, which I thought was a waste of time. That said, once you have the moves, it is a lot of fun, although only a moderately intense workout. If you have a dance background, you'll probably like it. If not, be prepared for some practice work before you dive right in!

As a former aerobics instructor, I get a bit tired of the same old moves... I loved this tape so much I recommended it to all my friends! The music is great, the moves are fun. A great cardio-workout and tons of fun!

I have had this video since 1996 and no matter what new salsa dvds I buy this is the one I continue to go back to and enjoy. When I am cleaning out my workout videos to give away, I always go back to this one to donate since it is almost 11 years old, but I can't seem to part with it.

4 stars for the workout itself,
2 stars for the annoying stuff.

This is a fun & energetic workout; I like how it is different from usual aerobics.
But I would ONLY recommend this video to individuals with prior dance/aerobics experience because of the very FAST FOOTWORK. The latin dance inspired steps aren't super complex, but they are done so quickly that it will frustrate beginners (even the warm-up "intro to the steps" section has quick steps). I personally liked the fast footwork a lot because it keeps the video from being a boring drag, and also I got a great workout in less than half hour because of the constant moving (will get your heart rate up and make you sweat).

Basically the instructor does a few moves, then adds on a few more moves, and then you're doing a whole mini-routine.
Then he goes through several other mini-routines, and at the end you do all of the parts together.
This is NOT at all boring or slow like some other videos that use the repeat-and-add method. The differences are 1. in this video there is never a break where you're just standing around watching the instructor do a move, instead you are doing the new move as he does it. 2. you only "practice" the "new" move once or twice, so it doesn't feel repetitive. 3. Since you are constantly moving and adding on new moves, you get through a variety of moves before the end.


Now for the disclaimers about the stupid parts of the video (I was able to ignore these things, but some people may find it very distracting):

Overall I liked the way the male instructor taught/cued the moves, but him and his female sidekick were annoying. The guy occasionally randomly yells out spanish words like Proud! Water! Windows! Heart!. The girl is mostly mute except every once in a while she will yell out random words like Dinero! Brazil! 3-2-1! They were also flirting with each other.

The armwork choreography is very cheesy. I opted to just swing my arms to the music instead.

Behind the instructors there are several women and a man doing some strip club dancing in the shadows. I have no idea why they are there because they are not doing anything relevant to the moves the instructor is doing.

The music is upbeat dance club music(which was fine), but it isn't any real "latin sounding" music if that's what you're expecting.

This is a great work out if you like Latin music and you have some rhythm in your soul! The only down side was the music was not loud enough. If you can't move those hips, leave this one alone - guess that's what the previous reviewer should have done. Dance and Latin moves are entirely different!!