Walking Workouts

Blast Away the Pounds - Indoor Walk
Denise Austin
Year Released: 2005

On the whole, I like this DVD. I used to exercise every day using Gilads DVDs for yrs and am now just starting to get back into shape after 3-4 of yrs of slacking off. All I am looking for right now is a few gentle routines that make me want to get up and get moving, so this did fit the bill. All of the moves in all 3 sections are very easy for me, but that's a good thing when you are just trying to get motivated. I don't do the Power Walk and Tone section because I believe that upper body toning with hand wts should be done while standing still. The steps in that section are less strenuous than the Fat Blast Interval Walk, so I say why bother to do it. You might as well repeat the Fat Blast section if you don't have any other fitness DVDs to mix this up with.

What I like most about this DVD is Denise Austin's "Stepford Wives" personality. Maybe it says more about my sense of humor , but I feel like I'm I'm watching a "Saturday Night Live" skit with Sherry Oteri as instructor. The other thing that makes me want to get up and turn this on is the beautiful use of color in the studio, both the set and the outfits worn by the group. The music is very subtle, but ok for me. It seems to blend well with Denise Austin's soothing way of instructing. I borrowed this DVD from the library for 3 wks and am thinking of buying it. I had never seen Denise before, so I'm also previewing her more intense workouts. I don't know if I'll like them better than this though. It has a unique quality all of it's own.

Instructor Comments:
Denise has a gentle soothing way of coaching that I liked very much. It's a bit comical, but that's what I loved about it.

Shella

01/08/2012


This dvd has three 15 minute walking workouts on it. You can mix and match and customize your workout-the dvd is programable. This w/o is beginner/ low intermediate. It has more variety than a typical walking workout but still very basic moves: march in place, walk forward and back, knee ups, kicks,

The set is very nice-tile floor with a yellowish wall and an outdoor mountain setting in the background. Denise works out with 4 different female background exercisers. One looks like she is doing slightly more moderate moves, but Denise doesnt point her out as a modifier.

The first section is "basic walk" and it is the easiest of the bunch. You will see your typical walking w/o moves in this section.

The second is "Interval Walk" where Denise adds in some power bursts to walking moves to get your heart rate up.

The third section is "Walk & Tone" and you use light dumbbells to get your heartrate up even more. The dumbbells she uses are so light and you dont do many reps so IMO you are not really getting a toning benefit from the dumbbells but it will get your heartrate up more than w/out them.

I like to use the segments as add-ons to tougher cardio or as a warmup or cooldown to other w/o's. Denise is not too perky or over the top but she is Denise. Her cueing is so-so (as always) but the moves are so simple it would be tough to get lost.
lindseylu8

01/18/2010


I did all 3 walking miles and they are solid beginner-intermediate level walking. More variety of moves than your typical Leslie Sansone videos. I added more impact to the moves and used heavier weight so I would say this video gave me a solid intermediate intensity. BTW, the Easy Walk segment is not solely a beginner walk but more beginner/low intermediate; I'd say it is similar to a 2 mile Leslie Sansone walk in terms of intensity; not bad at all! I disagree with the other posts that say she has very bad cueing. Someone mentioned she had very bad cueing in the Interval Walk segment. I think it's an exaggeration. Actually, her cueing is a lot better here and I only noticed very few missteps (a feat considering she's done worse in the past!)I am a solid intermediate/high intermediate/low advanced exerciser. This walking video is for days that I don't want to do a lot of high impact (which I love)but still want at least intermediate level intensity. Cons: The low level of music, I can hardly hear it. It's okay since the music is not great anyway. She also does a couple of seconds of stretching while still marching on each mile.

Instructor Comments:
More mellowed Denise. Better cueing compared to her other workout - with a few missteps (which is not surprising since this is just walking!)

Janelle

06/09/2006



The specifics have been given of this DVD already. I will just give my comments.

This workout is not as good as "Ultimate Fat Burner", "Personal Training System". The cueing is the worst ever of her workouts. We all know her cuing has never been her best feature. However I know she is capable of cuing to some extent. Of the above workouts I've listed, I enjoy "Ultimate Fat Burner" the most. She can cue.

The "Easy Walk Mile" & the "Power Walk Tone" are the better of the three. The "Interval Walk" has the worst cueing and you don't even know it is an interval walk. There is nothing interval about it.

The 10 minute stretch segment is done on a chair. It is not as relaxing or good as her 10 minute stretch segment in "PTS".

You'd be better off buying Madeleine Lewis "Get Moving" or any Leslie from her Power Series & 4 Mile Super Challenge.

True beginners will have bad cueing to deal with. Other exercisers who might do this on their light workout days will be frustrated and annoyed. Not just about the cuing issue but the fact that what is supposed to be a workout is not. And the interval workout is nothing more than moving in place to non-existent music. I say this because in this whole workout you can barely hear any music so their will be no beats to follow.

Also the clip you can see on Collage Video is deceiving in that you can hear music. Once you buy this workout that is another story.

If all of this is not bad enough. You will have wasted your exercise time. Because this workout will not keep you in any zone other than the couch potato zone.

I am furious with myself for reading threads on how this was a good change from a Leslie workout or any light day walking workout. Because that is what led me to buy this when I saw it at Walmart. I did this workout twice just to be sure that I was not mistaken as to its workout horridity. Both of those times were excruciating for me.

This will be sold on ebay immediately. I have learned my lesson to not be misled by these simpleton, horrific workouts. Besides how many light workouts does a girl really need for those sick days or sore muscle days anyway? I don't need all of these simplistic workouts that are less than beginner level at best.

Now I have said my peace on this matter. I will speak of it no more.

Instructor Comments:
She is still a bubbly personality. Always the coach.

Sundari

05/24/2006


I have been exercising to videos for 20+ years but this is my first Denise Austin video/dvd. I used to catch her show on Lifetime and didn't think that her personality was a good fit for me. I bought this because I have been looking to add rebounder friendly videos to my collection. This dvd has three 15 minute walking segments and a stretch segment. I did the whole dvd on the rebounder.

Pros: It's low impact and has a greater variety of moves than Lesley Sansone walking videos. I was able to get a moderately intense workout using the rebounder. I substituted running in place for some of the walking. Dvd is nicely designed and chaptered so that you could easily use 1 or 2 segments. Denise is more subdued than I expected her to be. The stretch at the end was nice.

Cons: Music isn't great. Denise has trouble staying on the beat and at times is on a different foot than her backgrounders. I was really amazed that her backgrounders could stay with her because her cuing wasn't very good.

Overall grade: C+. I stick to low impact these days and this gives me another option. The variety of moves makes it more fun on the rebounder than Lesley's videos are for me. Not sure if I would buy it if it cost more than I paid ($8 or $9 at BJs).
Instructor Comments:
KathyS

03/31/2006


If you like walking workouts and would like a workout that is a step above Leslie Sansone's walking videos, this may be the workout for you. I'm an advanced exerciser and Blast Away the Fat Indoor Walk is excellent for those days when I don't want to go full blast or think about complex moves. It also fits into my collection perfectly when I'm looking for a cardio workout to add to my strength training days.

This workout is divided into three, 15 minute walking sections. Section one is "Easy Walk." This section contains simple moves such as marching in place, knees up, stepping side to side, and marching back and forth.

Section two "Interval Walk" is a little more intense. It contains brief thirty second intervals of jogging in place, kicks, jumping, skipping, and rapid knees up.

Section three I think is called "Tone and Walk." It consists of walking and toning moves with the use of light weights.

I did break a sweat in sections two and three and section three even worked my upper body a little. While Denise's cuing is not the best, the moves are easy enough that you can still follow along. You also don't need a whole lot of room to do this workout.

A nice ten minute stretch section is added at the end. I can see myself using the stretch section just by itself. You stretch with the use of a chair and the exercises felt great.

This dvd is chaptered so you can program the sections in any order. The music is so-so. Actually it is pretty unmemorable so I can't comment about it so much.

All in all, I believe this workout is well worth the money. I got mine for $14.99 at Borders but I know others have gotten theirs at Target for as little as $9.99. Blast Away The Fat Indoor Walk is a keeper for me.

Instructor Comments:
Denise is sometimes off beat and she doesn't cue that well but her personality and enthusiasm are genuine in this workout and she is extremely supportive and encouraging.

Tiffanee

01/01/2006


This video has set with two arches in the back with views of the desert showing through them. The room is Southwesty looking with a redish tile floor and light terra cotta colored walls with wood on the lower 1/3 of the wall.

There are 4 background exercisers that stay throughout the workout. They appear in be in their 30s+.

The Easy walk includes "sidewalk" which is really a double side step with arms, knee lifts andleg lifts.

Fatburning Mile is a little more intense with side steps with kicks (I liked those),kneelifts, walking with punches and side taps.

In the Power Walk and Tone Denise uses weights. She gives a 1-3 lb recommendation. I found the music annoying. I also didn't like the hold the weights at your side with the elbows sticking out. It was uncomfortable. She covers triceps, biceps, back rowing, and overhead presses.

The stretch part has Denise alone. She uses a chair and gives no modification for not using a chair. A personal pet peeve is that if I need a chair, it should be noted on the package.

I think this video works the thighs more than Leslie tends to. I'll probably use it a few times to put the moves in my mind so that I can add them into my Leslies and give this to someone. It is a beginner level other than the fact that Denise can't cue so one is behind while doing it and working to figure out what she's doing.

Instructor Comments:
Denise doesn't tell you what is coming up very well. She's her usual perky self and usual lack of cuing well self.

J'Ann

12/22/2005


It is made up of 4 segments:

Easy Walk - 15 min = 1 mile of lite walking in place with some added steps

Fat Blasting Interval Walk - 15 min = 1 mile of walking at a more brisk pace with frequent "intervals" thrown in to get the HR up

Power Walk and Tone - 15 min = 1 mile of walking in place with lite upper body moves throughout

Stretch - 10 min of total body stretching

I have kind of mixed feelings about it.

The good: perfect for "sparks". Each 15 min segment is its own, with a kind of mini warmup and cooldown. Nothing official but you can tell the pace is gradually picking up and then gradually slowing down. Plus, you can pick the 15 min segment you're in the mood for. I did all 3 plus stretch so it's a nice easy 55 min workout. The stretch is a fabulous one after any workout but especially after an outdoor brisk walk. She really gets the legs, hips and back stretched well. Also, the choreo is extremely simple but yet not as dull as Leslie. Much, much more variety. I kept thinking something like this would have been perfect for me when I was a beginner.

The bad: Well, it is Denise Austin. Lord help her, she cannot stop that idle drivel: "Burn that butter!" "no bra overhang" "You can do it. You are worth it." Mind you, it's motivating but it gets old after say, 2 minutes. Her chit chat is entirely different that Leslie's and to me, much more annoying. She doesn't talk to you like a normal instructor. It's all coaching, all the time. The 4 background exercisers are smily drones most of the time. The cueing is typical Denise-not so great. But still, her background exercisers could stay with her so that means it wasn't so bad. Usually, they're lost too in her videos. That woman cannot keep a beat or rhythm to save her life. Speaking of which, the music was non-existant. Just background filler so to me the workout seemed much more dull and draggy than a Leslie video.

In a nutshell: I couldn't help but constantly compare it to Leslie. In some ways, it was much better and Leslie could take some lessons. Each 15 min segment was chaptered and had a theme, which I liked. Also there was such variety in the moves without it being at all complicated. However the inane chatter and cruddy music made it drag some. So, in small doses, like 15 min in the morning or evening, I think it would be perfect. Plus, as I said earlier, that stretch was fantastic.

I think I'll keep it.
Instructor Comments:
Kathy A. (juneaucat)

12/19/2005

10 Week 360 Plan: Walk With Me Workout
Denise Austin
Year Released: 2015

Denise leads this 35 min walking workout with 2 backgrounders. You wont need any equipment for this routine. The workout includes a warm up, three routines that flow into each other, and a cool down.

Easy Walk: exercises include walk & punch, V step, grape vine up & shuffle back, side step, and Denise uses big arm movements to get the heart rate up. Quick Burn & Firm Walk: step knee up & floor touch, side taps, ham curl & tri arms, step behind, march with push & pull arms, step touch. Metabolism Boosting Walk: side step, walk up & back going low & high and big arm movements, mambo cha cha, marching, charleston, and chasse.

This is a low intermediate routine. Denise keeps this walking workout interesting and keeps you moving for the duration of the workout. I like all of Denises walking workouts that I have tried and this one did not disappoint. I received this dvd to review.
lindseylu8

09/01/2015

Checkout Workout
Jenny Ford
Year Released: 2015

This workout may be for you if:

1. You are a beginner to intermediate exerciser and you want workouts that are solidly at high beginner to intermediate levels.

2. You want workouts that are super easy to follow and that don't require much thought or equipment or room.

3. You like feeling like you got a deal when you buy a workout DVD.


This DVD offers multiple workouts and they are all solidly high beginner to intermediate. In each, there are three exercisers, including Jenny, and one of them shows modifications that are lower impact, effort, etc. The options include:

Upper/Lower Body Weights (30 min) - This workout starts with the lower body and then brings in the upper body. I liked the lower-body emphasis.

Core and Abs (11 min): This workout offers ab and core work on the floor. I don't do floor work, so I didn't do this option.

Cardio Intervals (30 min): This option mixes steady state cardio with interval bursts you’ll take your heart rate up and down. It was the most exciting workout on the DVD (to me) and it was nice to have an interval workout that wasn't confused with a circuit workout (workout that alternates cardio and weights sections).

Marching with Moves (25 min): This workout uses marching moves, knee lifts, ham curls, and kicks. She keeps you moving steadily through the workout. To me, it got repetitive.

Restorative Flexibility and Stretch (17 min): I didn't try this segment.


All of the workouts are well constructed and offer many options. She is clear in her cueing most of the time and is encouraging. I just found the workouts to be more mindless and repetitive than I enjoy.

The set reflects a small room. They don't have much room on the set. Some people will enjoy this. Others may feel claustrophobic.

Laura S.

07/07/2015

Get Moving: Walking for Weight Loss
Madeleine Lewis
Year Released: 2004

There are 3 cardio segments, "walking" type movements with a strength move at the end of it. And, there's a stretch. You can play the entire workout or customize it by choosing which segments you want to play.

Madeline is backed up by two exercisers, one does the "easy" modifications and the other does the "harder" modifications. Madeline, despite saying she'll be the intermediate exerciser is all over the place.

I keep this workout because it seems really well planned to me. It seems to just flow from one move to another. And, I enjoy that. I also can find it somewhat boring some days, so I keep it for the days that I'm in the mood for it.

Instructor Comments:
I really like Madeline as an instructor. She gives good form pointers and she's encouraging, but she doesn't chatter.

Laura S.

01/29/2015


Cardio Burn Weight Loss with Madeleine Lewis

This DVD is a re-release of Get Moving Weight Loss. I dislike changing titles from the VHS version and releasing the DVD with a new name. It appears the intent in changing titles is to fool people into purchasing the workout twice. Not cool.

All of the other reviewers liked this DVD, me, not so much. First, I am 61 years old and I’ve had knee surgery. I exercise in the morning, I’m looking for a cardio workout I can follow (hopelessly uncoordinated) that will get my heart rate up, not leave me behind, and not cause my knees to cripple me for the rest of the day. I cannot put this DVD in that category.

The DVD is broken down into 3-10 minute cardio/toning workouts and one 10 minute cool down. According to the back of the DVD, the cardio segments are 8 minutes each and the toning is 2 minutes each. My timing shows differently, but it’s not worth arguing about. You can customize your workout and take the segments in any order you chose.

Madeleine gives a short presentation at the beginning of the DVD to discuss the benefits of exercise for weight loss. She explains that exercise is cumulative at that three short workouts during a day are as beneficial as one longer workout.

The setting is a lovely park pavilion. There are three exercisers, Madeleine, Amy, and Robin. Advanced moves are supposedly shown by Robin, beginner moves by Amy, and intermediate moves by Madeleine. In actuality Madeleine is generally doing either advanced or beginner moves, she rarely demonstrates moves between what the other two are doing.

This walking workout uses basic moves. Madeleine says by the end of each 10 min. segment, your heart rate will be a 5 or 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. I believe this to be true, Madeleine moves briskly. She also includes short bursts of faster movements to raise the heart rate early on.

Workout 1, the usual marching with hand/arm moves in the cardio section. The toning section has squats, pulsing squats, and then moving squats with a twist. Robin is using a weight bar, Amy is using hand weights, Madeleine is doing the moves without weights, and I wasn’t sure who was actually demonstrating the intermittent position.

Workout 2 starts at a quicker pace than workout 1. Madeleine quickly moves into mambo, toe taps, and adds small hops. She says Robin will jump, Amy will stay low impact and she will keep the balls of her feet on the ground, but she doesn’t – she jumps the same as Robin. During the toning part of workout 2, there are moving lunges, more squats, then more lunges with a raised knee, followed by one legged squats. While Madeleine says fewer moves are necessary if the exercise is done correctly she never actually gives much in the way of form cues and does them too fast for anyone to be cognizant of their form.

Workout 3, Again the workout begins with marching, for the first time Madeleine talks about body alignment. She does V steps followed by Step Knee then moves into Repeater Knee. Madeleine tells us to keep the back strong but doesn’t really give any further form cues to instruct exactly what position is best to prevent injury. Madeleine then moves into toe taps with twists. The toning section includes more lunges with twists.

The back of the DVD packaging calls the next section a flexibility workout, but the workout itself is labeled “Cool Down”. This is 10 minutes of basic stretching. The cool down is the best section for actual cueing and form alignment tips.

I understand many people like these workouts. What is the point in explaining if you do an exercise correctly, you don't have to do many repetitions then doind the same move over and over with slight variation? For anyone wanting to do all three workouts in sequence there are too many squats and lunges. I find these workouts downright painful and will add this one to the trade pile.


Instructor Comments:
The other reviewers praised Madeleine’s cueing but I thought it was marginal. I’m comparing to Leslie Sansone's walking workouts. In the beginning of each of Leslie’s walking workouts she goes over the leg movements during the warm up phase and during the workout tells you what is coming up. In Madeleine’s workouts there is no learning or introduction to the movements before the workouts begin or during the warm up. Consequently, Madeleine transfers from one movement to another with no real cueing at all. Since the workouts move briskly, you don’t know what’s coming up until she’s doing it. I always felt left behind. Since the movements are simple, I suspect this would cease to be a problem if you do the workout enough times.

PaulaC

06/06/2012


this is a really good cardio workout for beginners! the moves are simple, madeleine cues everything very well and also gives tips on proper form. also the workout is done in a pretty outdoor setting.

madeleine choreographed kathy smiths (and others) workouts for years and even has one of kathy smith's background exercisers with her in this one (robin).
there is another woman in the background too and between the 3 of them they demonstrate beginner, intermediate and more advanced versions of all of the
moves.

personally i found this workout to be pretty easy but it was a good one for me to do today as i havent worked out much this week and needed something gentle to get back in the swing.
i think that this workout is much easier than michelle dozois' 'walk your way slim' so if you are looking for something that is more at the intermediate level then get 'slim' instead.
yet 'get moving' is more
strenuous than leslie sansone's walking workouts and has a much lower yawn factor than leslie's workouts as well.

madeleine's walking workout is broken into four 10 minute sections and the dvd will allow you to do the four sections together or you can program the
disc to do the sections in a different order, even programming it to do one or two sessions twice in one workout.

at the end of each aerobic session, madeleine does a bit of strength training for the lower body... squats and lunges... to which you can add dumbells if you like. at the end of the 30 min workout, she does a 10 min stretch session.

Instructor Comments:
madeleine is a very pleasant instructor... it is a shame that she was
behind the scenes so much for so many years.

Carolyn Visser

04/07/2005


This has been well reviewed, so I will simply add my impressions.

I really liked this workout. It had me sweating more than a Leslie or one of the Walk it Off with Georges. I tended to follow the advanced version, but when it got to be too high impact for me, I went down to the intermediate version.

I added arm movements with weights to the toning section to try and cover more of my body.

I liked the cool-down at the end, though I am kind of partial to yoga, so not sure I'll do it again.

The workout went very fast and I loved the setting. I would definitely recommend this to a high beginner to a solid intermediate.

Instructor Comments:
Great cueing, very likeable without being too perky or chatty.

Krista (benemma)

04/04/2005


Madeline's Get Moving for Weight loss has been a nice low impact cardio addition to my collection. The DVD is 40 minutes long - three 10 minute cardio sections, plus one 10 minute stretch section. The DVD is well chaptered and is programmable.

I like that this is an outdoor setting which I find as a nice change from both Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds and Prevention's walk your way slim. The music is insturmental, not bothersome in anyway. Each cardio section has approximately 8 minutes of cardio and 2 minutes of lower body exercises. The choreography is simple - side steps, knee ups, forward and back marches with knee ups, etc. The lower body work can be intensified by adding dumbbells, or a body bar (as shown in the workout). Madeline leads the workout, with background exercisers Amy and Robin. Amy demonstrates the beginner level, and Robin shows the intermediate, or walk/run version of the workout. The workout concludes with a nice 10 minute stretch. It's a nice break from the high impact, and high intensity. This has become my no excuses - "go to" workout.

Instructor Comments:
Madeline is a breath of fresh air for me. I was not a fan of Prevention's walking workout. I like Leslie, but sometimes she can be too animated for my tastes. Madeline motivates you to do your very best without being overly chatty. Her form pointers and cueing are excellent.

Valerie

12/30/2004


This has three 10-minute walking workouts. But the "choreography" is more low-impact aerobic type movements than Leslie Sansone type walking movements. Each segment has actually about 8-1/2 minutes of "walking" then a minute+ of lower body strengthening. The "walking" portion includes several 8-count intensifiers.
#1 - basics: marches, side taps, ham curls, knee lifts. The strength move is squats, then add knee lift, then add rotation.
#2 - the pace picks up a little bit. I found this segment to be somewhat boring. The initial mambo sequence has too many reps before switching sides. My mind wandered. The strength move is lunges.
#3 - I liked this segment. The pace is a little quicker and there's more variety of movement, such as twist torso and "throw a baseball" while doing side taps. The strength move is lunge, twist, knee lift, twist to other side. Reminds me of TLP.
#4 - This is a nice 11-minute stretch.

The setting is outdoors, an Asian garden setting. Two background exercisers. The one who is supposed to be doing the easy version usually doesn't. Madeleine does, or just tells you what the easy version is. The music is rather subdued; I'd have liked it a bit louder, especially during the stretch - I really like the music selection for that portion.

I thought I'd be bored by this workout, but wasn't (except for segment #2.) I'm in a low-intensity rotation right now, and this kept my heart rate up to where I wanted (between 100 and 125). I'll use this one again.

Instructor Comments:
Madeleine is pleasant and cheerful. I find her graceful and I like her tone of voice. Her cueing is fine. The choreography is fairly basic.

FirmDancer

12/01/2004


The setting is on a patio with a lovely garden in the background. The day was overcast but not gloomy. The music is pleasant, but low keyed.
Madeleine is joined by Amy on your left, showing the low/no impact moves, but using dumbells in the toning segments! On your right, is Robin, who demonstrates higher impact and uses a body bar in the toning segments. Madeleine uses no weights, but in the cardio she's somewhere in the middle.
The first thing that struck me as we came to the end of the warm-up is that I don't recall any stretching...we went straight from the warm-up right into the workout...which I liked. As I'm recovering from a knee injury, I was following Amy(and wearing my 1# wrist weights) I was concerned with keeping my heart rate up; no problem there and I worked up a nice sweat!
Madeleine cues clearly so I had no problem following. You are barely into the foot pattern when you can see Robin (had a clearer view of her) doing the advanced arm movements, which was nice. If you're familiar with Kathy Smith's cardio workouts, you will recognize a lot of the routines here! Madeleine choreographed a lot of her best stuff.
Each of the three segments ends with some light, lower body toning. Madeleine stresses quality not quantity and balance.
The cooldown and stretch are thorough, done in bare feet on mats.
I can see myself reaching for this one often. With the three (rather ambiguous) levels, you could go easy when not feeling very energetic, going all out when you're ready to rock and roll.

Instructor Comments:
Madeleine is livelier than any Gaiam instructor I've seen so far. Some places she reminded me a little of Denise Austin! But she's much more comfortable to workout with. Make no mistake though, she's no nonsense and she wants you to work! She keeps chatter to a minimum, but cues beautifully. I had no problems following her and her two background exercisers.

Lydia Jasper

07/27/2004




My background, relevant to this review: By VF standards, I’m an intermediate-level exerciser. I’m not limited to low impact cardio, but I don’t like to do a lot of high impact. I tend to use larger movements to get my heart rate up. I can do complex choreography, but I choose basic choreography when I don’t want to think. For stretching, I enjoy both athletic stretching and yoga.

I’ve only done this workout once, but I wanted to go ahead and write a review because this is a new release.

I really enjoyed this workout. Madeline cues well and has good personality, and the garden setting is beautiful. My only complaint about the workout itself is that the music isn’t loud enough. There are three 10 minute cardio segments. The cardio can be done entirely low impact. Robin shows higher impact options (and sometimes Madeline does too). The other background exerciser always does low impact. Each cardio segment has a couple of minutes of lower body toning at the end. For the most part, my heart rate stayed up during the lower body toning. Using weights for the toning segments is optional.

The first cardio segment begins with a brief warmup (marching in place with arm movements for a minute or two) and ends with squats, including low ends and one-legged squats. The second and third cardio segments don’t have warmups. The second cardio segment ends with dips (advanced version: dip, and lift the knee as you come back up). The third cardio segment also ends with dips, but they are done at a slower pace because this time Madeline adds upper body rotation to the exercise. My heart rate started coming down during this part of the workout, so it was kind of like a cooldown. Madeline also slows down a bit at the very end of the third cardio segment.

The last segment of the workout is a very nice 10 minute total body athletic stretch. Madeline does a few standing stretches, then does the rest of the stretches on the floor. This would make a nice add-on to any workout that lacks a good stretch.

So, how does this workout compare to other “walking” DVDs currently on the market, such as Leslie Sansone’s DVDs and Prevention’s Walk Your Way Slim? In terms of choreography, Madeline’s workout is most similar to some of Leslie’s older workouts such as her 4-mile Weight Loss Walk. Back in those days, Leslie’s choreography wasn’t as basic as it is now. She included additional basic steps such as mambos, repeaters, and out-out-in-in. Madeline’s choreography is more basic than that in WYWS, and Madeline doesn’t build combos. Like Leslie, she does one move for a little while, then moves on to something else. In terms of intensity, I think that if you follow Robin (who does the advanced versions of everything) this workout is probably equivalent to doing WYWS at Level 2. At level 2, the movements are larger and there is some impact added, but not a lot.

As for DVD features, the menu allows you to choose four workout segments to play in any order. You have to choose four segments, but you can choose a particular segment more than once. You can also play the workout “as is”. I’ll choose this option if I plan to do the entire workout because the first segment has a brief warmup and the third segment has a slower-paced toning segment that can serve as a cooldown. The segments (three cardio, one stretch) do not have unique title-chapter numbers, so you can’t use your DVD player’s program function to program them. I’m disappointed because I was hoping to cross-program the cardio segments with other DVDs!

I think this workout would be an excellent choice for beginners and intermediates that don’t mind basic choreography. In addition, any of the 10 minute cardio segments would make a nice warmup for weight training or yoga. The 10 minute stretch segment would be a great add-on to any workout.

Instructor Comments:
Madeline is friendly and cues well.

Colleen

07/16/2004


This workout has been compared to Leslie Sansone's walking workouts and the Prevention "Walk Your Way Slim" workout. I would say that it falls somewhere between the two. The movements are pretty basic and repetitive, although maybe just a tad harder than Leslie's choreography. I don't agree that the workout shows 3 levels of intensity. I would say 2 levels is more accurate. Madeleine and the two background exercisers - Amy and Robin - always do the same arm movements, but on some movements Robin is doing high impact by hopping off the ground and Amy stays low impact. There really is nothing in between the two for Madeleine to do at an "intermediate" level. I think Madeleine is even aware of this as at one point they are doing a step and she says she's keeping the balls of her feet on the ground, but she's not - she's actually jumping off the ground. I think it's also a bit strange that Amy is supposed to be doing the "beginner" version, Robin the "advanced" and Madeleine is supposed to be doing the "intermediate", except that during the toning segments, they switch and Madeleine is doing the "beginner" version and Amy is doing the "intermediate".

I like the workout - I would consider it a low intermediate workout. The outdoor setting is pretty and Madeleine does a good job leading. The music is nothing special.

Tammy

07/07/2004


I love that they filmed this outside. It was such a pretty background. I liked that alot.

The workout is really good. Its very much like the WATP vids, but with the WYWS aspect of having 3 exercisers doing 3 different levels. (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced)
There is a difference in this workout, though, that sets it apart from WATP and WYWS. There are 3 short toning/strength segments for the lower body. They go so quickly that you couldn't use heavy weight, and I don't think its meant for that anyway since its mostly a cardio workout.

For those of you who don't know what to do with your FIRM Sculpting Stick, this is the perfect video to use it, IMHO. During the toning/strength segments they show Madeleine using no weight, the Beginner level exerciser using dumbbells, and the Advanced exerciser using a body bar.

I didn't find the volume of the music to be a problem. I didn't think it was too high or too low. I thought it was just fine.

This is a new favorite for me. Its definitely something anyone could add to their collection. I highly recommend it.

I do want to add that there was just one negative. It isn't about the workout itself at all, though. I had the same thought with Kathy Smith's LWTLW2 vid. Robin is in this video as well. She appears way too thin. She looks like she could break in 2 if a strong wind hit her. I found that just a bit distracting.
Instructor Comments:
Madeleine is really likeable and cues very well. If Leslie Sansone gets on your nerves, Madeleine will be a welcome change. (I personally love Leslie, but I know some people think she's too chatty and annoying. I don't think anyone can accuse Madeleine of this.)

Melissa

07/05/2004


I love this DVD. I am just getting back to working out after an injury and this was so easy to follow but really got my heart rate up. This is not for the Cathe crowd but it is fun and no dancing.

The DVD has 4 ten minute segments, three aerobic segments and a cool down. They can be done individually or together, kind of like Quick Fix. Each aerobic portion has 2 minutes of lower body toning but done at an aerobic pace. The cool down is great on its on, very relaxing. I do one segment in the morning and one after work so that I can get something in even when I'm really busy.

Instructor Comments:
Very down to earth. Motivating but not
annoying. Really cares about form
and posture.

Emilie

06/26/2004


I have been really enjoying Leslie Sansone workouts. I am fed up with traditional aerobics and just want a brisk walk intensity workout. This dvd was just the same ole aerobic workout for me. I guess I just feel the 'walking' part of the title is misleading. One lady was doing the same jumping for intensity stuff that I left behind with my other cardio workouts.

The workout in itself is fine for what it is, but I don't feel it fits into the same category as a 'walking' workout.

Instructor Comments:
Madeline is fine. She's not annoying in any way and cues well.

Tammy

Dance Walk Disco Mix
Jessica Smith
Year Released: 2013

OK. I absolutely love this workout. It does to that irrational place where you just click with a workout beyond the reasons you think it's good. So, take this opinion with some salt.

It features - you guessed it - disco music! Although some of the later songs I couldn't remember if they were disco or just the 80s in general. By that time though, I had bopped around to the disco songs I would have expected to hear. The music is fun. The moves just flow. It's like working out with a friend who is a much better dancer than you, but who is great about showing you moves you can do.

Every time I do this workout, for the next couple of days I hum:

Young man, blah, blah, blah, blah.
I said, young man, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Duh, duh, duh, duh the Y-M-C-A.
Duh, duh, duh, duh Y-M-C-A.

Instructor Comments:
She is encouraging and like a fun friend.

Laura S.

04/29/2013

Hip Hop Walk
Amy Bento
Year Released: 2012

Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this workout.

OK. I'll start with a little about me that might explain my reactions to this workout. I am a 49-year-old woman with basically no rhythm. I am a regular exerciser and don't have the best hands or knees. At this point, I consider myself an intermediate exerciser. Hip hop is NOT my style of music; I do not listen to it in real life.
When I first heard about this workout, I was intrigued. Amy Bento Ross is one of those instructors whose workouts I avoid because I just do not click with her. I've tried several of her workouts, thought they were pretty well done, but didn't keep them because I just couldn't get into them. But, the premise of this workout sounded promising and I liked what I saw in the clip at Collage. So, I decided to try it.

Amy is by herself in this workout. At the beginning of the cardio section, she says, "Try to have some fun. Throw your inhibitions out the door. It's just you and I and we are here to sweat and let go. Look, no one's watching. So, I don't care if you're an 'A dancer' or an 'F dancer'. Hip hop is just about exaggeration and that's all we're going to do." Throughout the rest of the workout she reminds you of this premise and encourages you to really get into the moves. For me, it worked. When I do this workout, I feel like one of those "A dancers" and there is no one and no mirror in the room to tell me differently! For those that simply don't like workouts with just the instructor, this premise might not work as well.

The set is the standard CIA set that has shown up in recent workouts. It is the one with the windows in the background. The set is light and airy and I have no had no problem seeing Amy. She is dressed in a black top, black pants, and black shoes. I've seen comments about loving or hating her outfit and just don't get it. It's a black outfit. (Can you tell I don't have a lot of fashion interest? It must be in the same place as my rhythm... LOL) There is one place in the workout where she does a move when the black pants and black shoes works against her because I couldn't see exactly what she was doing. It was sort of a kick move into a tap back move and is pretty quick. The music seems like standard standard techno exercise musis with a hip hop flair. To me, it seemed repetetive. I didn't really care because I don't like hip hop music anyway and focused on the moves. It did seem to fit the workout very well.

Throughout the workout, Amy compares standard walking moves (vanilla) to more intense options (spiced up). She encourages you to:

> vary the level of your body as you walk and move
> engage and move your core as you move
> include and move your arms once you have gotten the lower body down

Throughout the workout, she points out how doing these things increases your heart rate - and it did for me. She varies the pace and intensity of the moves throughout the workout. She starts with a move and the introduces a more intense move and then backs off of it and then does it again. She also includes intensity segments where she does a drill-type move for 30 seconds. Amy tracks the time on her watch in those segments. She does a combination of moves for awhile on one side and then repeats those same moves on the other side. For some, this will make the workout repetetive and/or boring. There were several places where I was ready for her to move on before she did, but it didn't mar my enjoyment of the workout overall. Many of the moves are basic (very basic) dance moves, but this is not a dance workout. They are included in the walking type workout and they help to increase the intensity and variety of the moves.

The workout is almost entirely low impact. There were a couple of places I didn't do a hop she added and she pointed out those options when it occurred. She adds intensity in other ways.

Overall, I really like this workout. Instead of doing her version of a Leslie Sansone workout, she created her own walking workout and I think it's fresh and different.

Instructor Comments:
I've seen comments about Amy trying to act cool in this workout. Personally, it seemed to me that she is having fun remembering her earlier years and the fun she had doing various moves. She is encouraging and engaging throughout the workout.

Laura S.

06/01/2012


I really like this workout. I like the idea of walking workouts, because they are good for days when you don't want to think about what you're doing. They don't have choreography to learn. They're lower impact. But, I don't like a lot of walking workouts on the market because they are usually just a lot of marching in place. I wanted something with more movement variety, but without more choreography. And that's exactly what Hip Hop Walk is. It's perfect if you find Leslie Sansone too repetitive. The clips I've seen look a little cheesey, but actually *doing* the workout is a lot more fun than watching the clips.

I think the workout is more intermediate than beginner, because of the intensity bursts.

Instructor Comments:
Amy is just "having fun" in this one. I like her cueing, instruction, and personality.

PeakFitness

06/01/2012


I’m reviewing this workout after doing it twice.

General workout breakdown: This almost 55-min. workout involves just what it claims to: walking-style moves with hip hop flavor.
After a 6.5-min. warm-up with some basic cardio moves and a few static stretches (something I’m not too fond of in a warm-up, so I change them to dynamic moves), the main portion of the workout lasts about 40.5 min. You’ll then enjoy a cool-down of basic moves lasting just over 3 min. and an 4.5-min. stretch focusing on the hamstrings, hips, upper back, chest, and low back (what is it with walking instructors forgetting to stretch the front of the leg?) and releasing stress.
During the workout Amy takes basic moves and gradually amps things up, then backs off to marching in place or another simple walking-based move before ramping that up, and so on - or, as Amy says, she takes something that’s “vanilla” and “spices it up.” To make the moves more intense you might go a little lower (“variate” [sic] the level), change up the arms, engage your core a little more, add some hops, that sort of thing. For example, instead of just walking up and tapping, then walking back and tapping, you’ll hunker down a little and groove, then add in some pumping arms. Or instead of just stepping side to side you’ll pick up your knee, add a little brush off move and turn in your shoulder, and then change the arm movement to pump them above your head. Amy also includes intensity moves, some of which she times (was no one on the sidelines able to do the timing for Amy so she didn’t have to spend half the interval watching her watch?), some of which she does for a while until she switches. She asks her “DJ” to slow down the music so you can get into the power moves a little more. The intensity moves include a running man, a throwdown move (kick into a step behind move while one arm crosses the body), a side to side move with a dip in the middle, and a series where you move one leg back and forth while standing on the other. Amy has some good ideas for low impact intense moves, and I like that she shows you don’t have to jump around frantically to get the heart rate up.
Amy does one move for a while, then moves onto the next or switches sides, so there’s no really complicated choreography to learn, although the throwdown move can be kind of tricky to pick up. She does moves on both sides, although she may not do them exactly evenly on both sides, but she’s pretty close. For what it’s worth, Amy does a tap switch to change sides.
Amy bills this as low impact, but she does include some hops, although she tries not to get airborne. I would caution those working out on carpet, especially those with cranky knees, to be careful; you may want to swap out your normal sneakers for your dance sneakers or your shoes that you’ve put a piece of tape over the toebox or put down your puzzle mats or whatever you need to do to make sure your feet don’t catch during the quick partial pivots and other moves. Also, those with cranky joints will want to be careful and smooth out some of the movements so this doesn’t feel so herky jerky, as it’s liable to do if you’re more of the “F” dancer rather than a dancer.

Level: I see Collage has this listed as beginner/intermediate, and compared to some other beginner/intermediate workouts I have, like the PowerFit sets, I feel this one is a wee bit more challenging because of the length and the power bursts. Personally I think this is more of a low intermediate workout, and with some effort you can nudge this up closer to solidly intermediate by really getting into the moves – in other words, doing this as Amy does it – and maybe also adding in some more to the hops, that sort of thing.
Normally I’m happily at the intermediate/advanced crossover point, but currently I’m closer to the beginner/intermediate point, working my way back up to my usual level after a year and a half of, well, life happening. I usually pick up choreography pretty quickly, assuming it makes sense and is taught decently. My first time through I was able to keep up with Amy, although I wasn’t able to do the full power bursts; my second time through I was able to get more out of all the moves. This will continue to be a decently challenging workout for me for a little while longer, especially as I become more familiar with the moves and am able to get more into the moves. Once I’m at my usual fitness level I can just see myself pulling it out on “easy” days and finding myself getting a more moderately challenging workout than I anticipated.

Class: Amy is alone, doing the whole routine as she instructs live. The idea is that it’s just you and Amy having fun, and she often reminds you, “No one’s looking,” “I can’t see you,” and to worry about getting sweaty rather than being perfect. (This will test your dedication to the maxim, “Dance like no one’s watching!” This won’t be much fun if you can’t tune out any peanut gallery, real or imagined.) Personally I think Amy pulls it off, and she convinced me to let loose and not care what I looked like, so long as I was moving and having fun. Heck, I even clapped with gusto, and I don’t usually clap.
I get those who say Amy should have pulled at least one other friend onto the set with her for this. However, I will say that sometimes with workouts where you’re encouraged to “do your own thang” having too many people on screen can be distracting if they are each marching to their own beat or can be intimidating if they are all in perfect synch and you suspect you are not.

Music: hip hop covers with a decent beat, more old school type stuff (I guess you’d call it – I’m no hip hop expert, but I can tell you this soundtrack doesn’t sound like the latest Beyonce or Jay-Z hit); there are a few vocals, but they’re not overwhelming, and there’s nothing offensive (I remember hearing “Get Down,” for example). Amy occasionally sings a lyric or sings a cue in place of the lyric.

Set: the open, bright, airy studio space with wooden floors the CIA has been using lately, with three frosted windows along the back wall (through which you can see bushes and passing cars) and some exercise equipment and plants and that sort of thing neatly arranged around.

Production: clear picture and sound, with Amy’s voice just louder than the music so you can still hear her and the music. The vaguely MTV-style camera work (there are a number of close-ups of Amy that move in or out, for example) is somewhat unusual for CIA, who usually keeps the camera pretty steady, and is one of the few nitpicky things I don’t really care for in this video. It’s not so distracting that I can’t figure out what’s going on, although there were a few times I didn’t see feet when I wanted to see feet, for example, and over time I’ll probably be able to tune it out, especially since it’s not constant. Still, the vote of the person who decided the hip hop vibe should inspire the music video-style camera work should be overruled in Hip Hop Walk 2 (if Amy decides to do one, which I hope she does – although I hope she first does more of her usual step, hi/lo, kickboxing, kettlebells, etc., workouts).

Equipment: You’ll just need supportive sneakers and a jogbra, if applicable. (See my advice under “General Workout Description” if you’re workout out on carpet.)

Space Requirements: At 5’8” I was able to fit this within 9 2’ by 2’ puzzle mats, or an area 6’ by 6’, and I used up most of that area, especially the side to side space. You could squeeze it into a slightly smaller space if needed, but if you have room use it.

DVD Notes: After the intro plays, your main menu options are Play Program, Chapters (Warm-Up, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Cool Down, and Stretch), and Credits. There are no premixes. I don’t normally use a lot of premixes, so I don’t really miss them here, although I wouldn’t have minded a premix that took out the intensity moves, for example, for those days when I didn’t feel up to them. For those that want to shorten the workout, I agree that a good place to bow out is at the perceived exertion chart, which pops up about 30 min. into the workout (including the warm-up), skipping forward to the cool-down and stretch.

Comments: I’m so happy to see someone reinvent the walking workout. OK, so I’m not the biggest walking workout connoisseur, and I’m sure someone will dispute that statement, but for the casual walking workout user this feels different compared to most of what’s out there. Leslie Sansone doesn’t need to quiver in her sneakers, though, because there will always be a place for her “walk, walk, walk.” But for those of us who’d like some real variety that’s more than Leslie doing some “new” moves (Ooh, Leslie is doing half jacks!) or someone trying to put their stamp on a Leslie-style workout (Debbie Rocker, Chris Freytag, Ellen Barrett, even Petra Kolber with George Foreman), this feels like something fresh. HHW sort of reminds me of Michelle Dozois’ Prevention Walk Your Way Slim, which was basically a basic hi/lo or floor aerobics workout in the guise of a walking workout, but Michelle built up little combos, something Amy doesn’t really do, at least not to the same degree.

This workout became quite controversial on the board, notably when the first clips came out. Honestly, there’s not much controversy for me. No, it’s not my most favoritest workout ever, but it fills a niche for me, and I’m happy to have it, especially since I got it at the preorder discount price. No, it’s not Amy’s bestest workout ever, but Amy not at her best is still better than some other stuff I’ve seen, so I’m fine with that.
OK, let me reword that in a positive way, since I have a positive take on this: I think this is a perfectly good little workout that is different enough from so much out there, and I’m glad Amy was the one who had the vision to create and lead it.

This is NOT a dance workout. I’ve read some criticism of the choreography, etc., mostly based on what can be seen in preview clips, from those who are dance instructors, and they have a point – up to a point, ‘cause this is not meant as a dance workout, hence the word “walk” in the title. Personally I’m totally fine with the fact that this is not a proper dance workout. I’ve been trying so hard to get into Jennifer Galardi’s Dance Off the Inches hip hop workouts, and I’ve tried a few other hip hop dance workouts (one QuickFix one, some by Evolution instructors), and I just end up feeling frustration rather than fun. I have a background in ballet, tap, and jazz from my early youth, but a hip hop dancer I am not; as I like to say, there’s little hip in my hop. That said, hip hop has some great moves and a style all its own that I’d like to pretend to be able to do in the privacy of my own home. For me, this is the right amount of funky without the frustration of trying to be too authentic or learning how to dance for the club or doing it properly.

Instructor Comments:
Amy is a true natural on camera; she’s completely at ease and able to hold her own on a large set all by herself. She’s encouraging and has a good sense of humor, cracking some jokes, but never getting too goofy.
In the past I’ve found Amy hasn’t been the most precise cuer during her floor cardio workouts, but I found her to be good here, cuing just ahead of move changes, giving notice of which side we were now on, mirror cuing, and giving a decent description of the new move (she might forget to mention the tap in a move, for example).
Amy mentions calorie burn a few times, but there is no sexy talk whatsoever. She’s more interested in plain old sweat and straightforward fun.

KathAL79

05/24/2012

Heart Healthy Walk
Leslie Sansone
Year Released: 2001

This is a review of the two tape set “Shape Your Body” which consists of the Walk With Me one mile tape and the Heart Healthy Walk two miler. I am posting this review because there are no reviews on these tapes and someone recently asked about them on the Forum. This is essentially my reply.

Leslie Sansone’s website describes this set as
“Start your regimen with "Walk With Me" a relaxing, gentle one-mile walk with Leslie Sansone beside you all the way. Then pump it up with "Heart Healthy Walk" a super-energizing 2-mile workout that helps you manage your cholesterol and raises your stamina.”

I have this set but I have permanently loaned it out. It is one-on-one with Leslie. I found these tapes to be slower than any other Leslie tapes I have. I felt these two were beginner beginner tapes. I think Leslie’s chatter is even more directed toward the beginner than in her other tapes (if that is possible). They were filmed in the original WATP era on the same set as Walk and Jog and Walk and Kick.

I started working out to the original WATP set in June of 2001. I bought the Heart Healthy Walk and Walk with Me as a set in August of 2002. I was treated for Lyme disease with IV antibiotics (overall very fatiguing and my arm movements were restricted) August through October 2002. I did not use either of these tapes after my treatment because they were too easy, even during treatment. I still use every other Leslie tape I have, including one-milers from the various WATP sets.

I would only recommend these tapes to a extremely sedentary person or someone with restrictions (post heart surgery or something). I think the “Heart Healthy” title is directed at people whose doctors have insisted they exercise.

Instructor Comments:
Candi

04/20/2005