Product Details

• Actors: Cindy Crawford, Radu
• Directors: Peter Care
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: GoodTimes Home Video
• VHS Release Date: August 5, 2003
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (177 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303471714
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,487 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

At a time when we know so much about choosing safe, effective exercises, reissuing Cindy Crawford's 1992 best-selling disaster, Shape Your Body, is inexcusable. Swimsuit-clad Cindy puts herself through flings and gyrations that show off her body but aren't any good for anyone else's. She presents one after another of the exercises that fitness professionals threw out of their routines two decades ago because they're ineffective and risky to back and joints. Her alignment is awful; her control nonexistent. She rounds her back and flings her leg into high kicks. She does squats letting her knees go way past her toes. Even when the exercises are decently chosen and performed, she does them much too quickly, relying on momentum instead of muscle power, such as two-second bent-over rows. Trainer Radu, who designed and coached this workout, should be sentenced to an eternity of fast donkey kicks, leg swings, and trunk circles.

This "toning" video would be a joke, except that you really could get hurt following it. In fact, when Shape Your Body first came out, fitness expert Peg Jordan, author of Fitness Instinct, appeared on CNN warning viewers about the risks of this video. "I received a call from a chiropractor who had treated 12 patients' back injuries from that video alone!" she recalls. If you've got to have this one, watch it only, don't do it. --Joan Price

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two challenging workouts for intermediate and beyond, March 18, 2005

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shape Your Body Workout [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Shape Your Body was Cindy Crawford's first workout video, which she created in collaboration with personal trainer Radu. Shortly after its release, it was criticized for containing dangerous moves, largely because Cindy sometimes shows poor form and often moves much too quickly through the exercises; however, experienced exercisers who know how to modify should not have any problems. The video contains 3 strength-based workouts: a 45-minute workout focused on stretching and toning your legs plus working your buttocks, chest, back, and abs; a 40-minute workout aimed at building power and strength in your legs plus working your shoulders, arms, and abs; and a quick, 10-minute full body training routine using no equipment. Because the first two workouts target different muscle groups, they are designed to be performed on consecutive days, while the third workout is meant as a short bonus for days that you don't have time do more than that. The style of these workouts is high repetition, low weight training; you definitely don't have time to switch to heavier weights between the various exercises. Radu provides voiceover instruction for the first two workouts and occasionally appears on screen to adjust Cindy's form; Cindy herself also makes frequent comments throughout the workouts, which are filmed in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings to a pop soundtrack.

The first workout begins with a 6-minute warm-up containing fast-moving stretches. The next 12 minutes focus on standing leg work: you'll do a series of "leg swings" while holding on to a chair for balance and moving to the front, side, and back (these are sort of modified ballet-type movements). You then perform a lunge combined with a front kick. The leg swings and lunges are repeated for a total of three sets of each. Next, you'll move to the floor for 4 minutes of buttocks work, again doing a tri-set: pelvic lifts lying on your back with your heels on the chair, leg lifts lying on your side, and leg lifts back from an all-fours position. Moving on to the upper body, you do 3 sets of 10 push-ups. Next comes a lying tri-set of flies, chest presses, and lat pullovers, again repeating for 3 total sets. Continuing with back work in a standing position, you do a 1-armed row, a standing double row, and a seated row tri-set; total time for the upper body portion is 10 minutes. Last comes 7 minutes of abs work, and in this segment, Cindy moves particularly fast. She performs crunches, a full sit-up, reverse curls, and a side jackknife for 3 sets of each. The workout ends with 5 minutes of lying and seated stretches for a total of just under 43 minutes.

The second workout begins with a 5 ½ minute warm-up that is virtually the same as in Workout 1. Again starting with the legs, you'll perform an interesting side lunge series in which you lunge, lift, and turn, raising your back leg. This is combined with a plie squat, front lunge, and regular squat, with the entire series being repeated for 3 sets. To finish of the legs, you do just 1 set of leg swings from each of the 4 positions, bringing the legs segment in at a total of 9 ½ minutes. Next comes the 9-minute arms segment. Here, you'll do 8 different exercises (bicep curls, barbell press, flies, triceps kickbacks, reverse curls, shoulder press, front raise, French press), repeating the entire series 3 times total. Finally, there is a 9-minute abs section in which Cindy performs a variety of crunches at a lightning-fast speed; in fact, the moves are better thought of as pulse rather than crunches, as there is little time for a full crunch. The workout ends with a 4.5 minute cool-down stretch and comes in at just under 39 minutes.

For the last workout, Cindy is instructing alone without Radu. She does not use any equipment and is not even wearing shoes for this segment, but she addresses virtually the entire body in this short 10-minute workout. After a few quick warm-up stretches, Cindy begins with the legs, alternating squats and lunges for a total of 3 sets of each. Moving to the floor, she performs 3 sets of 10 push-ups using different hand positions. Next comes the abs work, and Cindy uses 4 different crunches to target the upper abs, obliques, lower abs, and entire midsection. Finally, she does some pelvic tilts to work the buttocks, and the workout ends with a brief stretch. I would rate these workouts as at an intermediate level and above; they would not be a appropriate for beginners who would be unfamiliar with how to modify the moves for safety. The exercises included are varied and interesting and I felt thoroughly worked out after each session. Despite these positives, this is not a video that I am interested in doing on a regular basis, mainly because the extremely fast pace made the workout feel more like a chore to me; I prefer Cindy's A New Dimension, which moves at a slightly more reasonable pace. However, if you are an intermediate-to-advanced exerciser who likes performing high repetition strength training workouts at a quick pace, you may enjoy these workouts. Overall, I rate the video as 3 ½ stars.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank God for Cindy!!, August 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Bay Area, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shape Your Body Workout [VHS] (VHS Tape)

i've been using this tape on & off for about 8 years. it works the bits it should, they ache and then u start and look great. no prancing around like some chicken on heat, just concentrated reps and sets targeting all those essentally "dangerous" areas for the female form! It's not too fast, in actual fact once u do this everyday, it's counted too slow. as for "unsafe" - where? i always feel stronger in areas previously weak e.g. lower back, so ignore that! (just don't push til it burns, reduce the amount of reps as recommended!) looking at cindy's figure throughout actually motivates me as she isn't a stick insect but has the body I want and can aim for (apart from the extra 5 inches in height unfortunately!) and the music is good, although if i had one dig - bring out another tape of similiar format, 2 new workouts and newer music...everytime i hear "crazy" by seal now i'm constantly reminded of kicking my legs in the air!!!! and one more thing - YES, for the first 2-3 days after the first workout dont be surprised if ROBOCOP can walk better than u can!! It hurts!

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly, a vigorous workout, June 7, 2002

By 

Rizzo (Nowhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Shape Your Body Workout [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Apart from Cindy Crawford's "New Dimension", this one is a vigorous workout! Included with two separate 45-minute sessions is a 10 minute session for those days when you are in a hurry.

RADU the fitness trainer is considered New York's toughest trainer. He has worked with models, actors and executives. Shots include the beautiful beach, rooftop, workout room

MUSICAL CHOICE is not the usual instrumental used in most videos; her choice is similar to her other video. Credits of musical selections are listed at the end, most songs performed by Primal Scream, Seal contributes "Crazy", "Ice" by Daniel Lanois, "State of Shock" Revenge and "Dis Moi Dis Moi" by Mitsou. It's unique and refreshing.

ALTERNATE DAYS - The video is incorporated to do on alternate days. The nearly 100 minute tape is structured in two separate workouts. Workout I- 45 minutes is focused on leg work, use a chair, swing the legs this way, that way, back, front, etc. This "legwork" isn't usually done in most other workout experts, but it is very effective. She then continues a vigorous workout with buns, abs, chest (with small weights). Workout II is similar with concentration to the arms and shoulders, and more abdominal work.

MINI WORKOUT - 10 minutes. This is done to get a real quick workout when time is essential. This is a challenging workout! I recommend it to anyone. It isn't difficult, it is just about getting to do it to make it easier! .......MzRizz.