Rockin' Body

This is the first time I have tried Beach Body instructor Shaun T, also of Hip Hop Abs and Insanity Fame. The DVD includes three workouts that can each be selected off the Main Menu and which I have described in detail below. The Main Menu also has a "Special Features" option offering things such as Meet the Cast and previews of other Beach Body workouts (e.g., P90X, Yoga Booty Ballet).

For each of the workouts, Shaun is teaching live with a group of 8 background exercisers, one of whom (Tania) shows low-impact modifications for all three workouts. The group is up on a stage under spotlights (a bit distracting), with the different exercisers situated on different levels and Shaun frequently moving amongst them (although the camera does a good job of following him around). When you select a workout, you are given a "Music Even LOUDER?" option; I found that even though I chose "no," the music was quite loud, and I had to turn up the volume to adequately hear Shaun's cuing (which is mirrored left-right). As with most Beach Body releases, there is a timer bar at the bottom of the screen counting down each segment, and the names of the various moves appear on-screen as well.

Here are my workout descriptions along with approximate time breakdowns:

ROCK IT OUT, 47.5 minutes

This workout wasn't quite what I had anticipated: from the research I had done into this DVD, I was expecting a dancey cardio workout, so I was surprised when Shaun and crew picked up weights! Rock It Out begins with a 5-minute warm-up. Shaun does start getting the heart rate up right away with a low lunge, adding a hook, a side step with ab pump (the abs are definitely worked throughout this workout!), and "Fight the Power," an arm pump overhead; this sequence is repeated several times.

The weight training begins immediately after the warm-up. It appears that everyone, including Shaun himself, is using fairly light weights, possibly 5 lbs. (with the exception of Tania, who does not use weights at all). Given this, I would say that the weight work is more like AWT (aerobic weight training), and I kept my own weights light (5#, then 3#), to concentrate more on the cardio effect. The first several moves emphasize the back, starting with Fly Squats and then moving into a 1-armed raise, adding in a rear leg lift and then a hamstring curl (Shaun is constantly moving both the upper and lower body, keeping the heart rate up). Shoulder and triceps work follows, again keeping the lower body moving throughout. Shaun then incorporates standing abs work with "Rocker Abs," which includes knee ups and kicks. As the song "Eye of the Tiger" plays, you'll do squats with a step back/arms push forward, bringing you to about the 30-minute mark in the workout (the time does fly!).

Shaun then goes to the floor for 3.5 minutes of push-ups (several sets with rests in-between) and 3 minutes of plank work; given that I was considering this more of a cardio workout, I didn't like this interruption. Coming back to standing and picking up the weights again, the next move is "Roundhouse," which brings alternate arms under a raised knee. This is followed by "Donkey Rock," a back kick with alternate arm raise, and then "Core Burn," or more standing abs work. With about 4 minutes left, Shaun begins to cool down, introducing some nice static stretches for both lower and upper body to conclude the workout.

NOTE: Shaun and the other male exercisers in this workout are shirtless; some of the women appear to be dressed in cheerleader garb.

HARD CORE ABS, 10 minutes

Wow, for a short workout, this is TOUGH! The entire workout consists of standing ab work, and it is very simple: you are basically just doing knee-ups and kicks (alternating as well as remaining on one side) for the whole workout. It sounds easy, but both your abs and your hip flexors will pretty quickly become fatigued. The final 1 minute of the workout is a dancey cool-down focusing on stretching the abs muscles.

BOOTY TIME, 30 minutes

I think this workout is more what I expected Rock It Out to be like, as it is definitely a dance cardio workout. The one difference is that it is a bit higher impact--i.e., Shaun works in quite a few hops/jumps--but Tania modifies everything to low impact. Many of the moves require you to be in a low squat (sort of a crouch) while you are swinging/pulsing your booty. Some of the moves include Booty Swing, Quad Burner, Hop Squat, Glutes Squat, Squat/Floor Tap, and Guitar Lunge. This workout features the song "Push It" by Salt N Pepa, and unlike the previous two workouts, it has an all-female cast backing up Shaun. Also, it was the only one of the three workouts in which there is the clear presence of a live audience, as the camera frequently pans over the audience and their presence is often heard.

Overall, I liked this DVD. For the most part, I found the workouts fun yet challenging, and the time flew by. I was a little disappointed that Rock It Out wasn't a cardio-only workout, yet I think I can still use it to meet my needs. I would recommend this DVD for advanced beginners through intermediates.