I live in the Midwest, and, on the whole, I love it. I have a house, yard and a 10-minute commute. I enjoy four seasons (I could do with a shorter winter, but whatev) and generally people are friendly, holding open doors for you and genuinely wanting to know how your day is or what you think of "
that Britney Spears." The one downside to living in the Midwest though is that we don't typically have the big, fun gyms here. There's no
Powernap+ to attend, no
Cirque du Soleil to fly away with. I even once saw a poster for Crunch Fitness (
a super fun club, if you've never had the privilege to work out at one) that showed a map of the country, marking the club chain's locations, with the headline "Sucks to be Kansas." (Note: The only Crunch location in the Midwest is Chicago.)
What does this all have to do with a DVD review, you may be asking yourself? Well, I know that my living situation is probably not that different from a number of our readers. And I want to let them know that there is hope for those not living on the coasts—fun gyms like Crunch can come to you, in your own home and in DVD format! I've been a big fan of the Crunch DVD series for awhile now, but
Crunch: Yoga Body Sculpt sealed the deal. Granted, the moves are nothing groundbreaking (
like some of Crunch's in-house classes ), but the DVD is S-O-L-I-D. It's the definition of what a great DVD should be. It's easy to understand, cued well, shows modifications, has effective moves, features good music, and the instructor doesn't drive you nutters.
The 40-minute yoga workout is said to target the thighs, butt and core, but I found it to be an good all-around power yoga session. While it is challenging in parts, it's never too challenging, with a nice mix of moving poses, planks, standing lunges, and deep stretching (including
pigeon pose, which I ADORE and rarely see in a DVD). The workout doesn't have any extras or much of a menu (really—you push play and go straight to the instructor's intro and then directly to the workout), which are always a nice feature, but I'll take a solid 40-minute yoga session with no menu over a non-effective workout that is divided up nine ways to Sunday. And just like any good yoga session, this DVD lets you blissfully lie in corpse pose at the end. Nothing like feigning death to make you feel alive.
FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
Fit Bottom line: While there's nothing stand-out about this DVD per se, it's a solid yoga routine that is sure to become a go-to fave. Plus,
it's less than $8 on Amazon! —
JennInterested in more FBG-approved yoga DVDs? Check out Element: AM and PM Yoga for BeginnersandThe Biggest Loser Workout: Weight Loss Yogawith hottie Bob Harper.
The 40-minute yoga workout is said to target the thighs, butt and core, but I found it to be an good all-around power yoga session. While it is challenging in parts, it's never too challenging, with a nice mix of moving poses, planks, standing lunges, and deep stretching (including pigeon pose, which I ADORE and rarely see in a DVD). The workout doesn't have any extras or much of a menu (really—you push play and go straight to the instructor's intro and then directly to the workout), which are always a nice feature, but I'll take a solid 40-minute yoga session with no menu over a non-effective workout that is divided up nine ways to Sunday. And just like any good yoga session, this DVD lets you blissfully lie in corpse pose at the end. Nothing like feigning death to make you feel alive.
FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
Fit Bottom line: While there's nothing stand-out about this DVD per se, it's a solid yoga routine that is sure to become a go-to fave. Plus, it's less than $8 on Amazon! — Jenn
Interested in more FBG-approved yoga DVDs? Check out Element: AM and PM Yoga for BeginnersandThe Biggest Loser Workout: Weight Loss Yogawith hottie Bob Harper.