Crunch: Turbo Sculpt

Debbee Sharpe
Year Released: 1995

Categories: Total Body Workouts



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This short (30-minutes, about 20 minutes isactual workout time) tape might be good for an advanced beginner or low intermediate exerciser. A pair of dumbbells, 2 to 10 pounds,are used in this total-body workout. Movesinclude one-legged squats with tricepextensions, plies and lunges. Unlike inFat Blaster Plus, the camera actually focuseson the instructor instead of cutting awayto the exercisers behind her at an inopportunemoment. The instructor gives sufficientpointers on form, and the workout is easy to follow.

Instructor Comments:
Rather chatty (compared to, say, Karen Voight), but not annoyingly so. She gives goodpointers on form

Elaine C.

03/11/1997

I was very surprised to like this beginner video. I really recommend it to the beginner exerciser because it uses weights to sculpt the upper body while you do lower body work at the same time. Very effective and reminds me of the Firm. I would suggest that you use this video with the Firm Basic series for added variety. The whole workout lasts 30 minutes total including warm up and cool down. Debbee is such a great instructor that when I was doing it, I felt like a Firm instructor was leading. No nonsense. Although the background exercisers were hooting and hollering , it wasn't too loud. Just like background noise in a real class that just had some caffeine! The workout does upright rows with plies, calf raises then back to plies with front lifts. Lunges with static lunge pulses. Side squats are next with biceps. It is a great beginner workout. Then you go down to the ground for chest presses, bridge work and lat pull overs. The ab work finishes the workout. The cool down is super and well deserved. I like the music in this workout too which I feel is very important.

All the other Crunch video's I've seen were dissappointing but I highly recommend this one for the beginner!

Instructor Comments:
Debbee Sharpe is an excellent instructor. I was surprised how well she cued and had such great form. She has a "Firm" type instructor quality which really stands out. She kinda looks like Chris Evert

Mandy Lee

02/11/1998

This is a half-hour long video with a five minute warm-up, combo shoulder and leg work, shoulder presses, squats lunges, tricep kickbacks, bicep curls, some calf raises. Then floor work with chest exercises and then a surprisingly effective bridge section where you cross your leg over the other, lift your buns all the way up from the floor and then go down and up. This really hits the hams. Then some ab work - usual stuff. Then a cool down.

At the beginning she recommends 3 to 10 pounds, but you could go heavier and there is usually a few seconds to change weights while she gives pointers. Since I'm used to doing the Firm and Cathe, I modify to increase the intensity. In fact I pretty much modify all Crunch Videos to make them harder, add more weights or do reps while they are explaining form.

All in all this is a nice short video. I like doing arms and legs at the same time, make me feel like I'm accomplishing more in a shorter time. Good for days when you just don't have much time. These Crunch videos would be good for moms to fit in on the run during a short nap or Barney.

As you can tell, I've been on a crunch binge. I don't like to do weights, so I'm trying to get weights and toning in shorter videos. That way at least I'm doing some weight training.

Typical Crunch crew and comments including whoop track. None of this bothers me, but be warned.

Instructor Comments:
Debbee is a good instructor. I was surprised that she appears to be in range between late 20's and 40's where age isn't really apparent, instead of young eye candy as are most of the background exercisers. Good cueing, good form, nice personality. Although I get sick of those typical Crunch look comments - "When you wonder why you're doing this, try on your favorite outfit". Gag.

Lynn

07/07/1998

This workout starts out with a thorough warm-up then goes on to a standing routine that works the shoulders, calves, biceps, legs and buns. Then its on to the floor for chest, lats, hamstrings, and abs. The moves are easy, nothing to fancy. I was surprised by the hamstring and calves exercises because it something I don't see in a lot of videos, even advanced ones.

This is one of the first exercise videos I ever bought. I was so out of shape it was not funny and this was a solid introduction to weight for me. I would recommend it for beginners. (This tape is so easy for me now I could do it with my eyes closed)

Instructor Comments:
I really liked Debbee a lot. She was friendly without being to bubbly and her cueing was excellent (although I didn't really care for her red thong leotard).

Nicollette

06/23/1999

I'm an active beginner and I've been working out with weights for several months. I've been using this video as a total body, heavy weight, low rep workout. Its great because its so short. Good for times when you over sleep and don't have time to do a longer workout. Its also good because it requires no other equipment than your dumbells. I use 8 pound dumbells for everything except the sholder work. For sholders, I use 5 pound dumbells.

As I have become more advanced, I'm not positive anymore that this is a heavy weight, low rep workout versus an endurance type of tape. The reps do seem slow enough that you can go as heavy as you need on the weights.

The most recent time I did this tape the leg work didn't seem to be quite tough enough. But the tape does a pretty thorough job of working your biceps, triceps, sholders, lats, quadracepts and abs. The workout starts with lunges, squats and calf raises combined with some upper-body work. Then you lay down on the floor for chest flies and lat work. You also do some interesting hamstring work as described by another reviewer here. I haven't really felt this in my muscles yet.

The tape is one of the most annoying I own. It has an actual whoop-track like a laugh track. I guess they have to overdub the whooping since the particpants other than the instructor aren't miked.

My favorite part of this tape is the ab work which is quite thorough and intense. You do regular crunches and then progress to extra intense crunches in which you raise higher and hold for 3 counts. Then you do reverse curls and oblique curls.

Overall, despite it's annoyances, I think this is a good total body workout for such a short tape. Its especially good for beginners.

-Jennine

Instructor Comments:
This is the most annoying instructor with whom I have worked out. There is something about her intonations that stay with me all day when I do this tape. I also disliked the way she talked about how these exercises will make you look good in a mini skirt or bikini. The annoying aspects aside, she provides good form pointers.

Jennine

11/09/1999

I did this video this morning. I had not done it in a while and didn't have much time to work out, it is an excellent fitness routine if you are short on time and just want to get some exercise in.

Instructor Comments:
Great motivator, excellent cuing.

nora

04/12/2000

I only got through the first 3 minutes of this video because there was so much whooping, I couldn't stand it. So I can't comment on the actual workout, but if whooping bothers you, be warned! This video is CONSTANT whooping.

SassyGirl

02/03/2003