Natalie Cassidy's Then And Now Workout (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Educational Value	Excellent
How good are the presenters?	Good
How good is the content?	Excellent
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	A Celebrity Workout DVD that really works !
Disadvantages:	The instructor, you need willpower

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

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Why I brought the DVD
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Most people have heard of Natalie Cassidy who until fairly recently had a major role in British soap Eastenders, playing dowdy Sonia Jackson. It's well known that she didn't have the best of bodies and since leaving Eastenders has appeared in a number of celebrity magazines showing off her fabulous new figure. Celebrity Workout DVD's have never appealed to me, they have always been airbrushed or don't eat to look like that and have never made me want to buy one, but Natalie Cassidy's weight loss was amazing, she has done so well and seeing pictures of her in magazines showed how well she was looking without being over the top, I thought this was one DVD that might actually be worth purchasing, if the workout could do what it did for her then it would do wonders for me!

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The DVD
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The DVD is mostly coloured in pink - appealing more to women than men although the DVD is also suitable for them too. It has a picture of Natalie Cassidy before the workout and also one after. The after picture is more dominant. It is apparant that she has lost a lot of weight and also greatly toned up but they have added some things to her after body such as fake tan, make up and a hair cut to make her look even better than she did before, it is just another selling point. And her boob job also helps to make her look even more fantastic, it's given her body more definition and helps with the appearance of a smaller waist. On the back of the DVD it explains what is on the DVD and how long each workout lasts for.

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The results of the workout for Natalie
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Natalie started off weighing 10st 8lbs, which is not actually that heavy at all, she just appeared heavier. Since this workout she now weighs 8st 1lb, and had lost 7 inches off her waist. These are really fantastic results but Natalie had to work really hard to achieve them and she has done really well, she should be proud - she looks fabulous! Obviously for the DVD she has added make up and a fake tan etc but you can still clearly see the difference in her figure.

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Natalie & The Instructor
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First things first, the instructor Natalie had coaching her was Dee Thresher, she annoyed me so much, she was awful at being an instructor, unless you knew the moves before you would not be able to follow them, she explained everything badly and just assumed everyone would know what she was talking about, it was so hard to follow her, she also said to do one step when she was doing another and was so confusing but then I took my eyes away from her and started watching Natalie doing the moves, this was much better, she did them so you could follow them and explained things properly when she knew people would not understand what the instructor was saying. It helps if you have quite good coordination too. Natalie was also really reassuring to you, explaining that she found it so hard too, and you could see even after her more toned, healthier body she was struggling sometimes, which made you feel better! If you're a regular celebrity workout DVD junkie then you may remember Dee Thresher from Charlie Brooks (Eastenders Janine) workout DVD, she helped her loose 2 1/2 stone.

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The Workouts
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I would definately recommend you have a large amount of space around you as theres lots of moving round involved, wearing comfortable clothes and having a large bottle of water nearby to have throughout the work out - you will definately need it! Brace yourself for a hard aerobic cardio work out! As some of the moves can be quite complicated it may be worth giving the DVD a run through and getting used to some of them, or just after watching it a few times like I did you will start getting used to it. At any point in the workout, as the instructor explains if you find something too hard then just march on the spot or something alike.

Warmup

"Warm Up AND burn fat with a fun routine"

The Warmup lasts for 15 minutes and consists of an aerobic routine, which is quite hard-going. It is quite hard to get used to at first, so you have to give yourself to get a chance to get used to it.

After just the warm up which was 15 minutes I felt out of breath and really quite worked out, I couldn't believe there was about another 45 minutes to do and it would get harder! I only managed the warm up the first time I did it and I ached for the next couple of days. I didn't realise that I was so unfit, so don't worry if you feel like that, you're not the only one! I would not recommend this DVD to beginners unless you have good will power to really push yourself to do the whole DVD.

Sweat

"15 minutes of power moves to really burn the fat".

I couldn't believe after that hard warmup there was anymore, but I pushed myself to contine to the Sweat section. This consists of alot of the same moves as the warmup continuing with the aeorobic moves adding some more intense and harder moves along the way, as you've had a chance to pick up some of the moves in the warmup you only really need to try get the hang of the new moves although this is easier said than done!

Punch

"15 minutes of boxing to punch away the pounds"

After sweat I really thought I couldn't go on, but still continued, this wasn't quite so hardcore as the Sweat section, so you get a little chance to cool down, but I did find this very hard to get the hang of, but I'm not the best with co-ordination, I have two left feet, so trying to move my legs and feet at the same time proved a difficult task. You can really feel this working your arms and working your bingo wings away while continuing to tone your legs.

Crunch

"Slim your waist and cool down"

Well. not so sure about the cool down, because although you are sitting down doing sit ups, crunches etc it is still hardgoing. This section also involves some stretches to cool your muscles down before finishing.

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Weight Loss
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I would imagine Natalie did this workout possibly every day to loose the weight she did, I have done it about once a week but also with a calorie controlled diet and sometimes going to the gym and I have lost half a stone in 3 weeks. Immediately after the DVD by body felt amazingly worked out, I could feel the muscles on my legs aching, especially my inner thighs and above my knee and it really works you hard and make you sweat! This DVD would definately be great for weight loss and toning if done more than I do, it works all over the body, but your legs do the most work, so its fantastic for legs and bums, the bit most women want to loose weight from or tone up. It is also great for those bingo wings and your arms are also used alot throughout the workout and it tones them up really well. It is a high intense cardio workout that burns calories and fat.

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Technical Information
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Format: PAL
Region: Region 2

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DVD Extras
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Natalie's Eating Plan
Health Farm Competition

I think the eating plan is great, because it's not just exercise that got Natalie that body and now you also know what to and not to eat, to maximise the results of this workout, even if you don't fancy always doing the workout, if you can keep to the eating plan, you're half way there.

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Warnings
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The DVD states that: "This programme and the exercise routines contained within it may not be suitable for everyone, these routines or any other exercise routines may result in injoury, particularly if they are not performed correctly. It is recommended that you consult your doctor before beginning the workout or attempting any of the exercises demonstrated to you in the video. Pregnant women should be especially careful and should consult their doctor before attempting any form of physical exercise contained in the programme".

I think this warning is a little exessive but they have stated it to cover theirselves. Most people are suitable for this, but if you are not sure due to a medical reason it may be worth checking with your doctor.

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Price & Availability
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I brought my DVD from Woolworths for £14.99, it is available at most stores like WHSmiths and Music Stores, it is also available on the internet on websites such as Amazon, Play etc. and if you shop around you are more likely to get it a bit cheaper than I did, for example on Play at the moment they have an offer of the DVD for £12.99 with free delivery.

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Recommendation
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I would really recommend this DVD to anyone wanting to loose weight or tone up, it is really a fantastic workout, althought it is hard going, but your not going to loose weight without hard work and sweat! Well done to Natalie for loosing all that weight and doing so well and good luck to anyone who buys it.