I am currently reviewing all my exercise DVDs as I have quite a collection!! Please note that I am a...
I am currently reviewing all my exercise DVDs as I have quite a collection!! Please note that I am also a member of Dooyoo and publish my reviews on there also x
Member since:26.03.2007
Reviews:10
Members who trust:9
I bought this DVD after seeing it advertised in a magazine just after Christmas. What attracted me to it was the fact that Charlie had lost 2 stone from doing this workout so I thought I just had to give it a go!! I paid full price for it (£16.99) as it had just been released but now they are selling much cheaper and of course there is always amazon, Ebay etc. which are reasonably priced.
The front of the DVD is very attractive and shows you Charlie's figure before embarking on the workout, and after she had been doing the workout for a little while. It inspired me and I was convinced that I could do it too - I was quite excited about the prospect and couldn't wait to give it a go.
WARM UP Charlie and her instructor Dee are in a light, airy and very pink studio which is very girly. They are wearing white and pink outfits and Charlie looks extremely toned, tanned and very slim - this inspires me even more! Charlie is very smiley and enthusiastic and the instructor takes us through some basic dance moves which she says will be also used in a later section.
We also do stretches and a few squats. The warm-up lasts quite a while and I do begin to get slightly bored as I just want to move on the main sections. However, once the warm-up is over I do feel prepared and motivated to carry on, and I am not too out of breath which is always a good thing!
DISCO This is the aerobic section and features lots of simple dancy moves. I wouldn't say it was very 'disco-ish' and if I'm honest, a lot of the moves are very repetitive and boring. I know it is just meant to be a bit of fun and to get your heart rate going, and I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy this section, but it's just not for me unfortunately. It's not very challenging and didn't get me very out of breath. The moves consist of 'cha cha', knee lifts, claps, twists and various other dance-type steps. Don't worry if you are not much of a dancer, as it's not very complicated and is very easy to follow. The music isn't very good either and maybe this was part of the problem.
COMBAT This section consists of lots of boxing moves and kicks which definately gets your heart rate up - I prefer this section to the 'Disco' one and usually just do this section for my cardio workout. Dee takes us through jabs, hooks, leg kicks, charges and side kicks. Easy to follow and does get you out of breath. Also good for getting some aggression out if you have had a bad day!
HI-INTENSITY This section is brilliant for toning you up and the first few times I did it I had to keep stopping for breath as it always exhausts me. We do lots of squats, lunges, skipping and a move called the 'sumo' which involves you jumping in the air and then landing in a squat position - you can really feel it in your legs. Brilliant section for cardio and toning.
PILATES This section is all about toning the abs and cooling down. You do exercises such as press ups, the plank, leg lifts (you can really feel this in your stomach) and some stretching. The music is nice and relaxed and it finishes off the workout nicely. I like the fact that the cool-down is included in the floor work rather than having a separate cooling section as it means the workout is over quicker! Dee speaks in a very soft voice and makes you feel very chilled out.
EXTRAS - BEHIND THE SCENES We go behind the scenes with Charlie and show her getting measured and weighed before she started the exercise regime. You can definately see how much weight she has lost and it's nice to see that she wasn't skinny to start with so inspires you to do the workout and shows that anyone can lose weight if they perservere. We see her beginning the routine at home and getting mixed up with the moves etc. She then gets weighed and measured two months later and tells you how much she has lost.
EXTRAS - EATING PLAN I thought this was going to be a proper section showing Charlie taking you through a diet and nutrition plan, but was rather disappointed. The diet plan just comes onto the screen for you to write down and that's it! No explanations or talking, so I felt a bit cheated in that respect. It's not really a proper plan either, just stuff like cornflakes for breakfast and jacket potato for lunch, which I could have worked out for myself!
OVERALL I did enjoy this DVD and would recommend it if you are new to exercise and enjoy dance and aerobics. It's not the most challenging DVD (apart from the Hi-Intensity Section) but it is fun and good to do if you just fancy a bit of light exercise. If you prefer more intense workouts then it's probably not for you as it's quite short and not very high impact. That said, it's easy to follow and Charlie isn't remotely annoying, they don't chat too much - they just get on with the exercise!
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Advantages: A fun, easy to pick up workout, like the pilates section Disadvantages: Bad camera angles, annoyingly perky trainer, doesn't push you that hard
Advantages: A fun, easy to pick up workout, like the pilates section Disadvantages: Bad camera angles, annoyingly perky trainer, doesn't push you that hard
![Charlie Brooks - Before And After Workout [DVD] [2005]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78486328.jpg "Charlie Brooks - Before And After Workout [DVD] [2005]")
Jul 4th, 2007
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