The Blast Off pack is another installment in Simmons' exercise/nutrition packs. It comes with a foodmover and all its instructional materials and a cookbook (different from the Broadway cookbook). A toning gadget- a pair of wrist/ankle weights- 1.5 pounds per, that have a fabric pouch where you can insert a gel pack (included) to help you feel cooler while wearing them. It also has three videos- they each have a cardio session about 25 minutes long and are followed by a toning session that, I think is about 15 minutes long.

The cardio tapes each have a different musical theme- disco, latin and hits. Most of the songs are recognizable hits like Believe and Evil Ways (hits) and Need to know and shake your bon bon (Latin). Hits and Disco both are set in an exercise studio with some funky panels and colored lights, latin looks like a Don Pablo restaurant with a bar and terrace level. In hits and disco, most of the exercisers wear standard workout apparel, but a few wear drapey blouses over shirts and pants. In latin, most of clothes are skin tight, garishly loud colored, low cut tops and plenty of short skirts. There isn't a sports bra in sight. There were moments when I wondered if anyone would fall out since the necklines were low and the cleavage- plentiful.

Combined with the heavy make up and the fact that the participants sit down at the tables, then join in and then sit down again, the latin tape doesn't really look like a workout. And it barely feels like one. The choreography is very simple, low impact and consists of lots of standing around and waving your arms or lightly shaking your hips. what makes this tape complicated is that Richard's cueing is nonexistant, and when he does cue, he uses the names of arm motions, not foot work, or he uses terms for various moves, like salsa, and does a move that is completely different from the salsa step you might know from other workouts. Confusing!

Baillaimos (spelling?) is a fun cool down but Richard is so wrapped up in the choreography that he barely even tries to cue, and occassionally, the filming goes black and white and the cast dances with veils (while doing the same choreography). Yeah, its a little odd. Regardless, the moves themselves are easy and the routines are repeated alot so it isn't impossible to catch on.

The other workouts are more straightforward. Though Richard still has a tendency to cue by arm pattern and not foot steps, the steps themselves are more straightforward and the movement more continuous than in the latin tape. Some of cast members do high impact variations of many steps, but these are low impact routines. The confusing part in the hits and disco tapes is that Simmons has a move called the signature, each song has one and each one is different. So when he cues signature, you may do the signature from the previous song and end up way off in the choreography. However, like all Richard's tapes, each song has a routine, repeated a fair number of times, so you can catch on.

I like the music, but found the camera angles added to the confusion from the lack of cueing. I don't know if its lack of cueing or a choreography issue, but I found the transitions awkward and overall I never had as much as I have when doing Simmons' broadway tapes or even his classic oldies tapes.

The toning portions border on useless. Most exercisers will quickly find the 1.5# weights too light to see body changes, but the reps are far too fast to add much weight (if any) and still be safe. The instruction is lacking as well, especially for the lower body. Richard says "plie" or bend your knees but never gives any instruction on form or safety, and uses questionable form himself. In other words, buy a seperate weight training/sculpting tape, like from Tamilee, Donna Richardson, Gay Gaspar (dummies) or Kathy Smith.

For Richard fans, this pack is more difficult (both choreography and intensity) than the oldies but much easier intensity than broadway. I thought the routines were harder here than broadway, but it was not because of the steps- they were easier here, but didn't flow as well so they felt awkward. I think the cueing may be worse here too. This isn't a bad collection for cardio workouts, but its far from his best.

The food mover is a wonderful tool to intro nutrition info. Exercisers would definitely want to add a weight training program and maybe a stretch tape. Richard ends with a stretch song but uses more gentle movement than stretches. These are really motivating tapes, with good music, happy exercisers and an enthusiastic, motivating instructor. It wouldn't be the first Richard program I'd reccommend to an exerciser, but for folks willing to put in the time to figure out the choreography, the recognizable pop music and happy faces will probably keep you coming back.

Instructor Comments:
Richard is his usual self in this pack. He's goofy, funny, motivating. He can inspire you to get off your butt, though his cueing leaves a great deal to be desired.

linda

11/30/-0001