Dream Body Workout Series: Bikini Bootcamp

Amy Person
Year Released: 2013

Categories: Ballet/Barre, Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


Title: Dream Body Cardio Series: Bikini Bootcamp
Instructor: Amy Person
Time: 63 Minutes
Level of Difficulty: High Intermediate/Low Advanced
DVD menu: Play workout
Production quality: high
Equipment used: light weights (2# each)

This workout is part of the first Dream Body DVD set, led by Amy, who also leads the updated Bikini Bootcamp in the second (cardio) series. They titled the workout exactly the same but they are two different workouts (with a very similar format). The cardio series workout is a little tougher than this one as it utilizes the band for some of the standing cardio, and has a little more dynamic exercises. The original BB, in this review, is more steady state cardio followed by some tough floor work.

The first 40 minutes or so are spent standing and holding the light weights (modifier uses no weights and keeps it low impact) and Amy leads you through four long circuits that include a lot of punching with the weights (jabs in the first circuit, then upper cuts in the second, and hooks in the third, and a mixture in the fourth) and some other arm toning (shoulder presses, tricep kickbacks, speedbag circles overhead, punch up to the diagonal and down, etc.) while jumping, kicking, hopping, speed skating, fast feet, lunging, squatting, and running in place. It is a good cardio workout that you can make as easy or hard as you want by going deeper into the squats and making the jumps more explosive, or lightening up and making it less intense. The circuits start on one side, then repeated on the other side, before moving to the next circuit. I feel like the time goes by pretty fast and like that it is not really choreographed (more drill based) than say, a Turbo Fire workout that might be equally challenging but in a different style.

The last 20 minutes is spent on the floor targeting the outer thighs, glutes, and abs. She starts laying on one side with various leg lifts to hit the outer thigh, then into a long one-leg bridge series to work the glute of the stabilizing leg, and then into some ab work (scissors, cross crunches) before repeating on the other side. She finishes with more bridge work on the toes, and raise and lower alternating the legs. The stretch concludes the workout.

I enjoy all DB workouts but the two BB workouts are probably my least favorite – they are fun and tough but don’t have quite the “fusion” feel of the other workouts, that make the DB workouts so unique and challenging. I’d rather have all five workouts feel like real fusion workouts, and look for kickbox-inspired cardio in other workouts. Be that as it may, it is still a challenging workout that I would say is high intermediate/low advanced.

Instructor Comments:
Amy talks very fast and seems to yell more than the other instructors, but I think it is just her voice (some on VF said she sounds like Denise Austin, and I think she does too! I like Denise but she does have a notably breathy voice). She is a little calmer in this workout than in the second set. She points out the modifier, but suggests you can half-modify (one rep low impact, one rep high impact) to push yourself harder.

Emily B.

01/23/2015