DVD%20Review: So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk & Tone and Grove
My wife is a big fan of So You Think You Can Dance, so I end up watching it as well, and I must admit some of that dancing is pretty cool. Well, So You Think You Can Dance has recently released two different Get Fit DVDs, one called Cardio Funk and another called Tone and Grove, both of which are supposed to help you get in shape while at the same time teach you to dance. Sounds good, no? Kill two birds with one stone, getting super toned and learning mad dance skills... yeah, right.
First off, you have to already be in shape if you want to tackle these DVDs. I do half an hour of cardio almost every day, in addition to some weight training, and I was exhausted before even completing a single workout routine all the way through. By the end, even the dancers looked tired! So if you're not already in good physical shape, this is going to be tough and frustrating, so to make any progress you're going to need some real determination. Unfortunately, I don't have it. I kinda want to learn how to dance, but I don't have that burning desire to NEED it, so after trying it for a week, I just went back to my old workout routines which are way more enjoyable because I can watch TV and movies during the cardio part, and listen to rock and heavy metal for the weight training.
The next problem with these routines is that you need space, and a good amount of it. I had to move the coffee table out of the way, and push back the desk chair and the dining table. And then my area was part carpet and part linoleum, since the dining area is on linoleum. A non carpeted area would have been ideal, but I wasn't about to pick up and move everything off the dining table, move the table itself, all four chairs, and then adjust the length of the hanging light so it wouldn't hit me in the head. So if you don't have the space, or just have really thick carpets, these DVDs aren't going to work out so good for ya.
As for learning the routines, that was done pretty well. Instructions are given at a reasonable speed, one or two steps are added at a time and then the instructor backs up and repeats what you've learned so far. As with most learning, repetition is the key, getting that muscle memory down so you don't have to think about it. If you're anything like me, you'll end up constantly rewinding the DVD, because my muscles seem to have Alzheimer or something. I swear, it takes forever for me to learn physical movements! I had the same problem with my Tai Chi class I took in college.
There is a wide variety of styles here, but they are all definitely a workout, and feel like they were designed to be as such. If you watch the interviews, you'll learn that they don't really expect to learn these routines in a single session. And while I pretty much got that concept from the get go, I didn't expect to hear that it would take months! So like I said before, you have to have some extreme DEDICATION. Nigel Lythgoe said in one of his interviews that when people ask him if it's too late to start dancing, his answer is usually YES... but that it's not too late to start moving, to FEEL like your dancing. Holy crap... so these DVDs won't teach you to dance, they'll just teach you to feel like your dancing.
Okay, so if you like the show, have a strong desire to learn some routines, have enough room in front of the TV to move around a lot, and are in shape enough to do say about 30 minutes of heavy cardio, then you may want to try out these DVDs. For the other 95% of the population, you're probably better off setting up your own workout routine and then just going to an amateur dance class to learn whatever style of dance you're actually interested in.
Cardio Funk DVD:
- Introduction
- Warm-Up
- Workout: Hip Hop - Lauren
- Workout: Contemporary - Travis
- Workout: Disco - Courtney
- Workout: Cardio Funk Bonus Workout
- Cool Down
- Interview with executive producer Nigel Lythgoe
- Interview with Lauren
- Interview with Travis
- Interview with Courtney
Tone and Groove DVD:
- Introduction
- Warm-Up
- Workout: Hip Hop - Twitch
- Workout: Jazz - Katee
- Workout: Cha Cha - Dmitry
- Workout: Tone and Groove Bonus Workout
- Cool Down
- Interview with executive producer Nigel Lythgoe
- Interview with Twitch
- Interview with Katee
- Interview with Dmitry
