Before I bought the Hotpants workout I had scoffed at the idea that any of the ever-so-fashionable dance DVDs were actually a really good form of exercise. This is the workout that made me eat my words - even though I would still never go near a pair of hotpants....
I decided to give up my gym membership because of the cost and bought this second-hand from a seller on Amazon for £4 along with a couple of others to try working out at home. I have to say this was by far the least sensible of the ones I bought, mainly because of the name and the bum picture on the cover, and I was intending to give it away to a friend who loves wearing Hotpants after a few uses. BUT, when the DVD arrived I really got into it! Serious exercise buffs might think it was frivolous but for something that leaves you out of breath and sweating feeling like you've had a decent workout, and which lets you see a progressive improvement in your own fitness, this is great.
The workout starts with a health warning, which is worth listening to, though I just used the time to get my water bottle ready after the first couple of times.
The workout is led by Dan Karaty, a choreographer for Kylie, Britney and the likes. He's a great dancer himself and it's amazing to see someone perform really complex-looking moves and have them broken down so you can do them too. It took me five or six attempts at getting through all the routines before I felt like I was definitely getting them right, but I see this as a positive thing as some easier DVDs seem dull after a couple of gos. For an added bonus - the moves would definitely come in useful if you wanted to try them out on the dancefloor! It really is dancing, not conventional aerobics, and while I'm not sure my moves are as polished as those of Dan's four backing dancers, it does give you a good idea of how to move.
The workout is divided into six sections - Bounce, Glide, Rush, Groove, Twostep and a final section with exercises to target tums and bums. Each of the sections contains a different sequence of steps, all different types of moves to target different areas of the body, I found the Twostep section the hardest, as it was very fast, but I got to grips with it in the end. And even when I was struggling to get the steps right I was still getting an amazing workout. I particularly liked the fact that I could do this in my living room without moving the furniture - in a space of about four feet by four feet - and without any special equipment, just wearing unrestrictive clothes and trainers.
At 49 minutes in total (42 of those are the workout) this DVD routine is slightly shorter than the time I used to spend in the gym but I really don't think I could go on for any longer as you really feel the burn throughout. I was a regular gym goer before I started this and the workout is good enough for me - I think I might struggle if I were a beginner, but maybe it would just have taken longer to get the hang of it - and I might have stopped a few times, which would have been fine.
I have to say that doing this over several weeks I noticed my fitness improve - though there was none of the amazing and dramatic weightloss of the dancer featured on the DVD. I was doing the workout more easily and could feel my muscles firming up. However, I wasn't doing it every day, and maybe this is why I haven't developed the bum on the cover! I won't be wearing hotpants myself, but I do like it. And I still use it, unlike some of the other DVDs I bought.
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For the first few minutes ofThe Hotpants Workoutyou might think you've tuned intoTop of ... more
the Pops, as female dancers in skimpy, shimmery--yep you guessed it--hotpants dance around. Choreographer to the stars Dan Karaty maintains that Kylie and Britney h...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
For the first few minutes ofThe Hotpants Workoutyou might think you've tuned intoTop of ... more
the Pops, as female dancers in skimpy, shimmery--yep you guessed it--hotpants dance around. Choreographer to the stars Dan Karaty maintains that Kylie and Britney h...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Presented by Kylie's dance guru Dan Karaty (who has also collaborated with Britney Spears ... more
and Christina Aguilera) and endorsed by the elfin Antipodean songstress herself this workout programme addresses the required and relaxed methods needed to firm ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Choreographer Dan Karaty has taught moves to some of the world's most stunning pop stars. ... more
Now Dan is the man to help you dance away a stone from your B.L.T. in one month.Shot at the Ministry of Sound it breaks down into six mini routines...1. Bounce - ...
Advantages: cheap, good if you want to learn to dance Disadvantages: doesn't work
charlottetyne 25.11.2006 (25.11.2006)
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Review of The Hotpants Workout (DVD)
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May 5th, 2006
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