Customer Reviews

Startin Simple: Easy Aerobics [VHS]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This video is a very enjoyable 30 minute standing aerobic workout with simple moves and great encouragement from Greg Smithey. It is not flashy and there are no difficult dance moves. It is a great way to get back into exercise for people who are out of shape or have never exercised much. Good for people with knee problems also. Wonderful video for a warmup before dong weight training.

I am an overweight woman with arthritic knees, and I was looking for a tape that wasn't too challenging, that included a warm-up and cool-down, and that wouldn't put too much stress on my knees. This workout definitely provided all of that.

The workout begins with a warm-up routine, where you stretch out your muscles and then begin moving at a slow pace. It then moves into marches, side-to-side movements, and lunges. None of the movements were too difficult to follow (although sometimes they seemed out of synch with the music) and none were too hard on my knees. The workout then ends with a cool-down and stretch.

The leader is unusually encouraging, in a cheesy fashion, but for some reason I found it endearing rather than irritating, and the simple fact is -- the routine is perfect for me, so I can put up with anything. There simply aren't enough routines out there for people woefully out of shape who are dealing with knee problems.

All in all, if you're in good health and in any kind of reasonable shape, this routine will probably bore you. However, if you get winded walking up a flight of stairs, but want to get started on some kind of exercise routine, this is a great way to begin -- challenging but not too difficult.

This video gets high marks for content: it's do-able for those who need to exercise, regardless of age or level of physical fitness. It's also the right length, long enough to work up a sweat but short enough to fit into a busy schedule. It loses points, in my opinion, though, because Greg Smithey talks and talks and talks, through the entire routine. Chatter, like you're wonderful, etc. He's pompous and vain, for example he asks you to guess his age and then says he's over 40. That's so obvious and his attitude is just annoying. He also sings off-key! The chatter goes to the point where it's hard to want to use this video, even though it's great in other respects.

My husband and I bought this video to help us get started in a workout routine. We love it! Greg Smithey is an enthusiastic leader who makes you feel good about exercising. His group of people look like regular people and not supermodels. We were couch potatoes before starting this tape and it was a tape that we could actually finish without collapsing in those first few weeks of exercising. We each lost 15-20 pounds in 4 months using a combination of exercise tapes we bought here. It is also good to do this tape on those days you need something easier even if you get to be more advanced. We have used it so much that we can now talk along with the tape which amuses us when we're exercising. We would love for Greg Smithey to put out a new video with a difficulty level between this one and his Buns Steel tape.

I started using this video about two years ago. Most of the other tapes I have used have either been too confusing or too hard for me. This tape has helped me lose 63 pounds and become more active. I strongly recommend this video to anyone who needs a little motivation to get going. Greg Smithey is enthusiastic and fun!

Of the three beginner-level aerobics tapes I recently purchased (Denise Austin's Xtralite Aerobics and Fabulous Forever with Mirabai Holland are the other two) this one is clearly the best. The instructor, Greg Smithey, is funny, knowledgble, and easy to follow. He is accompanied by a great class of very real-looking women and men, which I found inspiring. I felt that I "fit in" with the other folks in the class. The steps are simple, but what a workout! My heart rate definitely reached my target zone and stayed there. The tape is a bit dated -- 1995 -- but holds its own very well. I truly hope that Smithey will do another Easy Aerobics tape soon!

The production values are crummy and Greg Smithey is flat-out embarrassing. That said -- I really enjoy the workout. It's enough to get my heart rate up and make me sweat a bit. The steps are not at all complicated, which is important when you're as uncoordinated as I am. And I must admit laughing at Greg is all part of the fun.

I bought this tape many years ago and used it almost daily for 2 years. As the title suggests, this is EASY aerobics -- great for people who have trouble keeping up with other fast paced routines. Most people (even people who are seriously overweight)should be able to follow along without a problem. I was never bored with the tape or the workout.

Some people have complained about Greg Smithey's dialogue and, many mornings I have chuckled at some of his comments ("...go ahead and HUG yourself"). But, even if it is over the top at times, I personally love his postive attitude and "love yourself" message is sometimes just what I need to hear first thing in the morning. I wish Greg Smithey would come out with another aerobic tape like this -- I would buy it in an instant!

I have been using this video for over a year with excellent results. After a car accident I could not afford traditional physiotherapy and decided to buy this video to rehabilitate myself. At first it was very challenging, due to my condition., but soon became very comfortable. The versatility of the program has allowed me, as it became easier and easier, to modify, like adding hand held weights with even more incredible results. Best workout video I have ever tried. The only one that motivated me to watch for more than 2 or 3 times. Good luck everyone! And Thanks Greg Smithey!

I orignally started using this video when I was quite overweight. Now, 80 lbs lighter, I feel I owe a lot of my weight loss to this video. Before buying Easy Aerobics video, I wasted tons of money on exercise videos. They were all too complicated and fast paced. This was exactly what I needed to get moving!