Caribbean Workout: Abs, Buns & Thighs
Shelly McDonaldYear Released: 2005
Categories: Lower Body Strength
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While IMO the title of this DVD is wildly
inappropriate, it's a great workout. I've
always thought the Carribean workouts have
great bang for the buck.
There are two 20-minute hi-lo workouts plus
one circuit workout. The first hi-lo features
Shelly and two unfamiliar backgrounders,
one of whom seems to be auditioning for
something more sexy than a workout video
(but certainly performs the moves well even
with her sultry come-hither demeanor). It's
by a resort pool, where you can see some
lady sunbathing in the background. This is
the easiest of the 3. Lots of grapevines,
mambos, V-steps and march-forward-and-
backs. A few jacks is as hi-impact as it gets.
At the end you do brief sets of weight work
combined with balancing, i.e. bicep curls on
one leg, one-arm military press with one leg,
some of them done with the one leg lifted
behind you (there's your "bun" work).
Hi-Lo 2 is on the more familiar beach by the
sailboat with waves crashing in the
background. Shelly's rapport with Jo and the
other gal is much more relaxed and fun here.
The hi-lo is more intense, as well. There are
more plyo jacks, side-to-side lunges, jogs in
place, kick forwards and knee up-side, knee-
up back moves (the typical higher-impact hi-
lo moves). It ends with a 2-minute ab section
(there's your "ab" work).
Circuit is also up there in intensity, a great
hi-lo workout interspersed with very brief
weight moves like delt raises plus side
abductor lift or lunges with curls. I would not
recommend expecting much from the
"toning" part of the workout. The hi-lo is
what shines in this whole DVD. Calling it
"Abs Buns and Thighs" seems a little
disingenuous to me. By doing all three
workouts, I basically got almost an hour of
professionally done, meticulously executed
hi-lo (up to high intermediate) with a
charismatic instructor in a beautiful setting.
Plus about 15 minutes total of negligable
toning. Although as with previous workouts
the cameraperson's tendency to linger
lovingly on ultra-close-up shots of various
body parts is still there, it's usually not so
bad that you can't figure out the cues (there
are a few moments where you do have to
wait for the camera to pull back so you can
see what Shelly is doing next, but it's
bearable). Also, since these are basically TV
episodes with commercials, sometimes when
you "return" to the workout, they're no longer
on the same side or exact move you were
doing when you "cut." But these are simple
enough hi-lo moves that you can catch back
up quickly. For the cheap price, it's a great
workout and I would love to see Shelly do a
full-length, non-commercial break video
someday.
Instructor Comments:
Shelley is great. She's classically beautiful
with a down-to-earth attitude, and cues
quite well in these workouts, only a few slip-
ups here or there, nothing serious. I like her
interactions with her two more frequent
backups (Jo and another girl) rather than in
Hi-Lo 1. She's definitely constrained by the
TV show format; in Hi-Lo one she ends up
having to tell you to finish off a set of tricep
work on the other side by yourself.