Beginner Dance Cardio

Tracy Anderson's "Beginner Dance Cardio" is a dance-inspired cardio workout that is composed of 4 different combinations (range from 8-15 min.) created & led by Tracy Anderson and three of her trainers (w/ her gym/company). Tracy states that the cast has not viewed or learned any of the combinations, assuming this was done to make the home exercisers feel more comfortable w/ learning the combinations (have something in common w/ the cast). Each lead demos the combination w/out music, and it's practiced w/out music and later w/ music. None of the leads mirror cue, and there isn't a cool-down or stretch.

I really liked combinations 2 & 4 (both had a good flow & felt more dancy than the others, and the leads for those were good (easy to follow their cues, they both had good energy & seemed excited/positive to teach & perform their routines). My only other experience w/ Tracy Anderson's dance cardio workouts is w/ her Meta program, but that has a different format (not choreographed w/ combinations like this workout, primary set of exercises that repeat in different patterns). There are no modifications demoed for low impact/lesser intensity options, but users can choose to not add a jump/lift w/ certain movements, and not all of the exercises are high impact (but there are hops & jumps). I thought that all of the combinations were not hard to learn, most exercises are cued for 4 counts each, and there is a lot of repetition & time to practice (all do teach add-on style). This would be a great workout for people interested in trying Tracy's dance cardio workouts due to the format, and one can select to just do 1-2 combinations vs. the entire workout.

Cast: Tracy & 3 female background exercisers

Set: wooden floor, white walls, black equipment (mats, dumbbells) in background, few small windows (real).

Music: fast-paced dance music w/ vocals.

Introduction (1:31 min.)

Warm-up (4:47 min): led by Tracy

Some of the exercises:

Ribcage isolation exercises (ribcage moves to one side w/out waist or hips moving), side to side, & front/outward chest.

Single arm reach to side, single arm lift overhead then lower to side> alternate crossing arms in front & opening to push back.

Single arm reach overhead & to side of body, other arm held out to side.

Hip isolations: hip moves to one side, other side leg is turned out w/ a bit of a bent-over, flat back, then reverse to upright position> plie/sumo squat w/ alternating hip isolation & single arm extension.

Hinge at hips, lower w/ flat back: tap floor on inside & outside of feet, both sides.

Torso circle (Ragdoll): hinge at hips, lower flat back to one side, then to floor (upper body is loose, hands on hips) and move the torso around to other side (back stays flat) & lift torso to upright position, alternating sides.


Triangle pose

Shoulder roll forward> w/ arm flick/extension forward.

Shoulder drops from lowered position of squat.

Adductor stretch

Combination 1 (9:46 min.): led by Tracy

Walk to right (4 counts), two alternating step tap (faces front), then step & rotate to face right> hip shakes (twists), 4 counts, front leg kick & turn w/ it leading (3 step), face front & jump feet together> repeat on other side.

Alternating heel tap (turned out) to front (1 per side)> alternating lower leg lift (1 per side), jump out to wide stance legs> alternating hamstring curls w/ jump (2 per side)> alternating knee lift (2 per side, turned out leg).

3 step turn, then two hip shakes, repeat on other side.

Combination 2 (15:10 min.)

Walk forward (4 counts), 4 jumps in place, then walk back (4 counts), 4 jumps in place> Walk forward, 4 jumps, 4 (hip) twists left, walk back, 4 twists right> Walk forward, 4 jumps, 2 twists, right hop turn (one bent leg taps floor w/ ball of foot w/ turn, other leg straight), reverse motion w/ left side lead.

Step touch, step out into plie position/sumo squat & touch w/ alternating single arm punch down (same side arm as leg stepping to side)> 4 big steps forward on a diagonal, then 4 steps back.

4 leaps to left (right leg leads), 4 steps back, front kick then side kick w/ right leg, repeat on left side.

Two traveling plie position/sumo squat w/ single arm extension to side (right), repeat on other side.

Combination 3 (8:52 min.)

Walk forward (4 counts), two alternating heel tap forward (start right), two jumps on diagonal (first left)> face right: walk forward (4 counts), chasse (traveling triple step) to center, two jumps (cued as hop but jumping on both feet), repeat on other side.

Hop turn to face left (right leg is bent), then repeat w/ other leg to face right (left leg is bent), two jumping jacks facing front> two alternating lower leg lift (45 degree angle, body faces side), two alternating heel tap (both w/ jump).

Combination 4 (9:51 min.)

Two hop/jumps (right leg bent w/ the tap, other straight) w/ single arm punch forward (right), jump feet out w/ arm overhead (right), jump feet in w/ other arm extended overhead, step touch to right w/ left arm sweep (front out to side), then repeat on other side> 3 (hip) twists facing left, two jumps to face front> repeat on other side.

Grapevine (right), then left, 3 twists facing front, hop traveling forward (4 counts, right leg bent)> repeat on other side.

Two Jumping jacks traveling back, walk back (4 steps).

Interview w/ Tracy (6:47 min.): Tracy discusses the purpose of her method of training, and how it developed.