I'm still scratching my head over this one.

I read some promising articles about Urban Rebounding in national magazines over a year ago. Then I read raves about this video on Cathe Friedrich's forum. Someone on Collage's forum excitedly asked when the NEXT Urban Rebounding video was coming out. So, of course! I just had to buy this video! I'm always on a quest for intense, low-impact workouts, and I hoped this would be the Holy Grail.

Well. So much for all that. This is the first workout video I could not even complete. I stopped the VCR after 15 minutes or so. I couldn't warm up to JB Berns, either, though I can't put my finger on why. I did enjoy the cast members -- there is one dark-haired blonde exerciser to JB Berns' left (near the front) who has a radiant, natural smile and looks like she's having fun. She really sold this workout to me.

Unfortunately, I did not have nearly as much fun as she appeared to be having. There did not seem to be enough room for me to FULLY execute the moves without giving anxious looks to see if I was going to bounce off the mini-trampoline onto the floor. This compromised my ability to have fun and to really get into the moves. And because I compromised my moves to accomodate my anxiety, I couldn't get much of a fun workout.

Keep in mind that I've used my mini-trampoline on very high impact videos (e.g., Charlene Prickett's Rev It Up: Sequel) and still have managed to have fun. Not so, here.

In all fairness, I might not have the right rebounder for this workout. Mine is the sort you find in rummage sales or K-mart blue-light specials for $45. The springs squeaked loudly as I jumped and jumped and jumped. (My husband later told me that my Urban Rebounding experience sounded like a lovemaking session gone awry on a bad mattress.) The Urban Rebounding video used a $200 - $300 rebounder that was larger and of much better quality. So it's possible that the type of rebounder used may make a difference for you during this workout.

The music is okay. Nothing stands out about it. The production quality is CIA'ish/ Body Bar'ish. Not the best ......... A mini-trampoline doesn't lend itself to much creativity, but JB Berns does a good job exploring every avenue, here. He also gives good instruction and does some interesting ab work at the end, bouncing off the rebounder in a sitting position.

I just couldn't get that far.

Michelle Easton