Bum Bum is supposedly the "signature" workout in the Brazil Butt Lift set. Although classified here as "lower body strength," Leandro actually calls this a dance workout. Bum Bum didn't feel very dancey to me, but IT did feel like an unweighted strength training workout with a cardio effect.

In this workout, Leandro and his six female background exercisers are working out in a small, bright indoor studio with windows and wood floors; however, the cameras alternately shift to an outdoor beach scene. I found Leandro's cuing to be easy-to-follow; rather than mirror cue per se, he has a tendency to say "this leg" (similar to Leslie Sansone). As with other Beach Body workouts, the times for each segment and names of the exercises appear on screen.

Leandro begins with a brief (1.5 minute) warm-up of wide-legged plie squats; this move transitions into a passe and then adds a rear lift (arabesque). This is followed by a rear lunge with front kick. Next comes one of the signature moves, the "Walking Ipanema." This is basically just a rear lunge moving into a front lunge, but you are exaggerating the move but lifting your knee up high and coming down on the heel first, then bringing your foot all the way to the floor.

The next series begins with squat/side touch and moves into a squat/lunge combination. This is followed by a squat knee lift and then a squat hold with rotation. A squat to the rear moves into cocorinhas, which involves putting each hand down on the floor behind you in turn (so that you come into a sort of face-up crab) and then getting right back up again--I could not do this! Squats moving into burpees finish up the squat sequence.

Moving on to lunges, Leandro starts with front lunges, picking up the pace into an optional jumping scissor lunge. Next comes alternating side-to-side taps moving into side kicks. You then travel side-to-side on tiptoes (a.k.a. "high heels") before moving into the Afro Brazilian Lunge, a bouncy lunge side-to-side. Next comes knee pulls, with skater leaps between the two sides.

Leandro then adds a bit of fun with "shake your booty" (similar to football runs), spicing things up even further by having you "play the drums" with your hands. From here, he has you move forward and then take 4 frog jumps back, repeating several times. Next comes capoeira (deep alternating lunge back while touching the floor) and then the shake your booty is repeated, this time turning around (i.e., shaking your booty towards your TV).

With 5.5 minutes left, Leandro begins a cool-down stretch. He starts with a standing quad stretch, eventually bringing this into a more of a yoga dancer's stretch. Continuing with the same leg, he performs a standing hamstring stretch and a forward bend, then repeats all of the moves on the other side to finish, bringing the entire workout in at about 29.5 minutes.

I really enjoyed this workout. Although you are doing quite a few squats and lunges, because Leandro keeps you constantly moving, the moves feel fresh and varied. Bum Bum felt somewhat like a barre workout to me (probably because of the rear lifts and leg kicks), yet I definitely felt it in my glutes more than with any barre workout I've ever done! I also liked that there was a strong cardio effect to this workout (my heart rate monitor put me in my target zone for at least 23 minutes of this workout). Bum Bum is the only DVD that I have from the Brazil Butt Lift set, but it has definitely interested me in obtaining others!

Instructor Comments:
I found Leandro to be a bit goofy, and his heavy accent can be a little hard to understand at times, but overall, I didn't have any problems with him.

Beth C (aka toaster)