Hemalayaa Bollywood Booty

THE WORKOUT: Hemalayaa: Bollywood Booty

WHO CAN DO THIS: All you need for this one is lowered inhibitions.

THE BREAKDOWN: I like that Hemalayaa. She’s pretty and sexy, she has a pretty voice, she’s happy, has fun, and her workouts are not too hard.

These is four belly-dance-inspired workouts are so short and easy, doing one seems like a waste of time. Do ‘em all. They’re a wiggle-wiggle here, and a wiggle-wiggle there, some squats, some exotic hand movements, some vamping. Essentially the opposite of a boot-camp workout.

These are suppose to target the buns. Lunges and things might do that, but you won't develop buns of steel with this alone; the benefit here is probably aerobic.

The cuing is not great and I could swear I was hearing a different beat from Hemalayaa and her friends—it seems voiceover and music were done separately and things don’t quite match up. S’aright. Banish any Type A tendencies and go with the spirit of the workout. As long as you keep things wiggling, you’ll get your heart rate up.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I worked up a glow, though I wasn’t panting by the end.

BUT IS IT FUN? Yes, it is. Probably more fun than effective if you’re already fit, but a nice little cardio workout for days when you need fun for a motivator.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Your heart will be happy.

GEAR AND APPAREL: The workout is done barefoot, a carpeted floor is OK, and you don’t need a lot of space. A little something diaphanous is nice, but not necessary.

FINAL WORD: Fun, probably not tough enough to stay in my rotation.

Jeanette Jenkins Sexy Arms, Abs & Legs

THE WORKOUT: Jeanette Jenkins Sexy Arms, Abs & Legs

WHO CAN DO THIS: This isn’t suitable for beginners. It’s a taxing workout and requires good form and balance.

THE BREAKDOWN: The hour-long workout is sort of broken into eight chapters. You can do segments one at a time, although starts and endings are a little abrupt that way because they’re designed to do together. There’s a little bit of dance, lots and lots and lots of squats and lunges, some weights, some yoga, some pushups, some leg lifts. The resting segments, interspersed with sculpting segments, are an easy little anyone-can dance.

It’s a little bit of a lot of things that add up to a challenging workout.

"Sexy Sculpt Part 1” starts with a full body workout: weights for the arms and shoulders, lunges for the lower body, rotations for the midsection—all at once. Getting through the segment is a goal rather than a given for me. “Sexy Sculpt Part 2” starts with a leg kick/lift/twist move that combines cardio, strength and balance, then moves onto squats, rotations and shoulder presses. Even the yoga segment is unusually challenging. (“Why do you think Madonna’s so hot?” Jenkins asks.) The floor work includes 16 tough pushups (down to a two-count followed by two quick down ups, then reverse the pattern). And I can only dream of completing the abs workout someday.

If you’re experienced enough to do this workout, you also know that the high-speed stretch at the end is inadequate. Turn it off and take a leisurely stretch. You earned it.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I predict sweat even if you’re in moderately good shape.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s not fun-fun but it’s challenging without being grim. I like Jeanette Jenkins—she’s fun and giggly and personable. She’s helped out here by a typical crowd of cuties. The music…not so much. I thought the generic rock guitar was irritating, then they pull out the harmonica, which doesn’t improve matters.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You will limp and groan with pride.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Room to move about four steps side to side, mat and light weights

FINAL WORD: I’ll keep this around, along with Jenkins’ circuit-training workout, for days when I need my butt kicked.

Cardio for Beginners

THE WORKOUT: Cardio for Beginners ($13.49 at Amazon, release date March 10, 2009.)

WHO CAN DO THIS: Anyone—it’s fun and easy.

THE BREAKDOWN: Way back when Reebok was a fitness fashion statement, the company released a step video workout called Reebok Versa: Dance Step that remains one of my all-time favorite 30-minute workouts. I haven’t seen fitness pro Petra Kolber since—until now, in this equally fun (but not nearly as challenging) collection of four mix-and-match cardio workouts.

The DVD contains two 10-minute segments—one “athletic” and one dance—two 20-minute segments, also athletic and dance, and a five-minute stretch. The athletic segments are somewhat less dancey than the dance segments, although both use similar, very basic choreography—step-touch, grapevine, hamstring curls and the like. Not only that, but in deference to rank beginners, Kolber actually breaks these steps down so nobody gets lost. Well, you might get lost now and then, but not often and not for long and once you learn the choreography, the workouts are lots of fun—particularly the dance segments.

And except for her tendency to say “last time” when it’s not actually the last time, Kolber’s cuing is particularly good. She tells you what comes next just as you need to know and she cues through the entire workout, which means you can relax and just dance without worrying about whether you will remember the steps.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Doing all 60 minutes, I managed to work up a glow. Beginners should sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s so much fun that I’m kind of sorry I’m too fit for it. Even the music is very slightly better than much generic workout DVD music.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll look forward to next time.

GEAR AND APPAREL: I had to adapt some steps due to lack of space—the choreography uses a lot of floor. You’ll need good shoes and a mat or carpeted floor for the final stretch, although that’s the least interesting part of the workout and I usually skip it.

FINAL WORD: Love it. I might let myself get out of shape so I can justify doing it.

Kathy Smith Total Body Lift

THE WORKOUT: Kathy Smith: Total Body Lift

WHO CAN DO THIS: This isn’t suitable for rank beginners not only because it’s fairly strenuous, but also because a level of body awareness is required to do the moves effectively and avoid injury. (For example, when Kathy cautions against “taking it in the back,” you should know exactly what she’s talking about.)

THE BREAKDOWN: Well, Kathy Smith, as I live and breathe. Where you been, girlfriend? Long time no see.

Kathy is old school like Tamilee Webb, minus the cocky machisma. While Tamilee is boastful about her feats of lifting, Kathy acts like starting the arms segment with 20 slow pushups (done in sets of five) is no big deal. She’s pleasant and friendly but never perky or even chipper.

Even the dance-inspired warm-up gets warm real fast. Kathy doesn’t candy coat these five strength segments—warm-up, upper body, leg, butt and abs—which range from about 12 to 15 minutes each. There’s nothing flashy here, but keeping up requires concentration and discipline. You gotta want it. Kathy uses just two-pound weights for biceps, shoulders, pecs and triceps but the segment is long with few breaks and I felt the burn using just one-pounders. (The upper body segment is the only one that uses weights.) Butt and legs segments use lifts, lunges and isometrics. The abs segment includes crunches with Pilates-ish exercises. Your muscles will like the attention even if your fun buttons aren’t pushed.

Kathy’s patter is mostly instructional with just a little bit of motivation here and there. She makes her fitness chicks do much of the work while she stands by, explaining form.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: You will generate heat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Strength training is never terribly fun to me but it’s a necessary aspect of fitness. This is a broccoli sort of workout—I like it because it’s good for me.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You may feel proud of yourself.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat, chair, towel (optional).

FINAL WORD: A solid workout and a keeper, though I probably won't do it as often as I should.

Give a gift of fitness

I receive lots of fitness DVDs for review. Lots and lots. I do every DVD I review all the way through, unless it’s tragically awful, and I review as many as I can, considering this is a non-paying gig. I also do more DVDs than I review.

Believe me, there are lots of bad DVDs out there and even more mediocre ones. But a few make it into my regular rotation, staying interesting for the long-term and accommodating my fluctuating fitness needs. One fitness DVD is good but a library of them is even better.

Yoga: Element: AM & PM Yoga for Beginners are short and gentle workouts for when I want to tuck something small in the beginning or end of the day.

Do I have to tell you again that Livingroom Yoga is my favorite yoga DVD? The intermediate-level workout is compact, pleasant, effective and just challenging enough for an unhurried afternoon workout. Similarly, Stacey McCarthy’s Yoga Body Fat Burning Workout is a straightforward intermediate practice.

When I’m on the brink of buff, I pull out Crunch Yoga Body Sculpt, which has cute girls and enough challenge to keep it interesting.

Bootyshakers: DanceX Everybody’s Workout Total Body Cardio is dance fun for anyone, with super-simple moves and lots of room to increase or decrease the cardio challenge. This one might make a reappearance post-holidays, when I’m hauling extra junk in the trunk. Dance Workout for Dummies is just that and so gentle that I shouldn’t admit to doing it, ever. But sometimes I do. And then I feel guilty. But it’s fun.

My number one, never-get-sick-of-it, all-time favorite dance DVD (so far) is 10 Minute Solution Fat Blasting Dance Mix. I am so damn fly when I do this and it’s great for remotivating me after I’ve fallen off the program. After a couple of weeks of this, I can tackle the higher energy and trickier choreography of Crunch Cardio Go Go.

Strength: Strength training is my least favorite facet of fitness and the one I am most likely to neglect. If it’s been a while since I hoisted a weight, I start with 10 Minute Solutions Fitness Ball Workouts for a gentle re-introduction. When I’m feeling more confident, I graduate to The Best of Tamilee: Buns, Arms & Abs Workout. This can keep me busy for a long, long time. Tamilee doesn't mess around.

Finally, on my most ambitious days, I tackle Jeanette Jenkins: The Hollywood Trainer, 21 Day Total Body Circuit. It's a helluva challenging workout, but Jenkins is so cheerful, she almost makes it fun.

Crunch Yoga Body Sculpt

THE WORKOUT: Crunch: Yoga Body Sculpt ($12.99 at Amazon.)

WHO CAN DO THIS: You’ll need some yoga background to get it right and some strength to make it through.

THE BREAKDOWN: This is nice balanced combination of stretch and strengthen, with emphasis on the latter. Crunch DVDs are always great looking with good-looking instructors and classes (hey, is that Jennifer Galardi back there?) and I’ve yet to meet one I didn’t like. Here, instructor Bethany Lyons pleasantly walks a line between yogi tranquil and aerobics instructor upbeat.

The 40-ish minute workout take you through several vinyasas, starting slow and speeding up. This is the kind of workout where the down dogs are your moment to rest and catch your breath. You get lots of planks, lots of crescent lunges, warriors every which way, some side-arm planks, all done at a nice clip. Some boat and bridge poses finish it off.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I work up a good glow.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s fun because it hurts just enough to feel effective but not so much that I dread doing it.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll feel energized and that much more muscular.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Nothing special—a mat if you have one.

FINAL WORD: This is a new favorite, as I try to balance my need for strengthening and stretching workouts with the time demands of life.

Stacy McCarthy Yoga Body--Fat Burning Workout

THE WORKOUT: Stacy McCarthy Yoga Body--Fat Burning Workout

WHO CAN DO THIS: This intermediate workout presumes you know your up dogs from your down dogs.

THE BREAKDOWN: Stacy McCarthy her very self was disappointed by my disappointed review of her beginner’s workout and sent me this DVD, thinking I might like it better. She was right.

This straightforward, vanilla yoga workout doesn’t try to get creative—which is a plus. Sometimes, I don’t want to learn anything new. I just want a workout and this one offers a nice balance of strength and flexibility. It’s not strenuous but it’s solid.

In 50 minutes (give or take) McCarthy gives us what we know how to do at a smooth pace, allowing time to breathe and get deep. She starts with a few vinyasas with forward bends, planks, up and down dogs. Then, on to a warrior and triangle series, some balance, and to the floor for pigeon, head-to-knee, twists, inversions and bridge. McCarthy says only as much as we need to know, reminding us what to straighten, what to twist, how to breathe, where to look.

I rarely looked at the TV through the workout because there’s little there I haven’t seen before. And again, that’s a good thing. I could drift along on McCarthy's instructions but focus on my own body instead of hers. And the whole series went down easy, like yogic comfort food.

My only quibble is that the abs section is tacked on after savasana as a special feature. It should have been part of the workout. Who wants to keep going after the relaxation? Or screw with the remote mid-workout?

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I worked up a glow during the warrior and triangles series.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s very pleasant.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll feel good like yoga can make you feel.

GEAR AND APPAREL: A strap and block if you’re a strap and block kind of person. I used a tape measure ‘cause it was handy.

FINAL WORD: Sometimes I don’t get to my workout until late afternoon. This DVD will be perfect for those days, to work out all my desk-job kinks and get my blood circulating again.