I''ve been using the rebounder for years. Recently, I decided I wanted to break up the monotony and see what was out there for rebounder videos. (The last time I looked, the field of choice was almost nil.) I was delighted to see some more choices of which the Urban Rebounder series is part.
I should admit that I hadn''t been exercising a whole lot lately. So, I had to bring myself "back up to speed". By that, I mean that I needed to get myself up to my normal level of work-out intensity. Having done that with the use of this DVD as well as other means of exercise, here''s my take on this DVD.
First off, the workouts on this DVD range in time... more so than I expected. In fact, most workouts of any series tend to keep to a close range of times. Not with this one. The workouts ranged in time from 13 minutes to 31 minutes.
Now, that might seem like a short time period in terms of exercise. However if you''re not already a regular user of a rebounder, I will submit to you that this is PLENTY. You see, the rebounder works on your whole body by the use of gravity but in a non-pounding way. When you have the downward force as you hit the rebounder mat, this places extra exertion on your body you would not experience in any other form of exercise. No, not even jogging can give you a workout like this. I may not be eloquent in explaining this aspect but trust me. If you''re a beginning to intermediate, shorter workouts will be what you need until you get really proficient.
That said, I''ll comment on each one of these workouts on this DVD.
First off, there are 5 workouts in total. 3 are performed by Charles "JoJo" Tyler, 1 by Allison Nolan and one by Tracie Finan.
1) The Hip Hop Bound was my LEAST favorite workout. It was also the shortest at about 13 minutes. Now, the short time is one reason for this workout falling out of favor with me but... the main reason is the timing used for the footwork. Once you get to bouncing a bit on the rebounder, there''s a certain rhythm that you begin to maintain. I found the rhythm of Charles'' workout to be too slow to easily maintain and follow. It really annoyed me throughout the workout to the point where I just began going with my own natural rhythm till the video ended. This isn''t a workout I''ll likely repeat anytime soon.
2) The African Bound is another one of Charles'' workouts. It, too, is a bit longer workout at approximately 17 minutes. (My times do NOT include the "intro" and are only of the actual workout.) The DVD jacket claims this (and the Hip Hop) to be an intense workout. Are these people taking about the same workout I''m using? Apparently not as I found this to be a beginner level workout. (Btw, if the rhythm of the Hip Hop Bound wasn''t so "off tempo" that would be classified as a beginner level, too.) The footwork I found to be very easy to follow. However once this workout was complete, I did not feel like I got enough. So, I pulled another workout up and did that one.
3) The Latin Bound is Charles'' final workout on this DVD. It''s also the best one that HE did on here. The workout lasts 20 minutes. It''s at a slightly higher level of intensity than his previous two. I liked it and will do it, again. On days when I want a "light" workout, this will be enough. On my "heavy" workout days, I''ll combine it with another form of exercise. (For example, I did this one this morning and then went on to walk for an hour with my toddler in the jogging stroller.) If you are a beginner, this single workout will be plenty for you.
4) The Ballet Bound with Allison Nolan is my next favorite. It''s the second longest workout on the DVD at 23 minutes. I found this workout to be at the level of intermediate to advanced. She uses plenty of ballet moves altered just enough to work on the rebounder. The main reason I label this one at the level I have is because of her heavy use of arms in upper positions. Fair warning: you WILL have sore shoulders, especially, from this workout the next day. This is a terrific cardiovascular workout, too. Allison, herself, is a pleasant instructor... not too boring and not at all cheesy. One drawback for me is that the ballet moves get a little mundane during the workout. (Not in terms of exertion but in terms of interest. I like workouts that are interesting as well as med-high intensity.) Regardless, I will use this workout a great deal b/c it kicks butt.
5) The Dance Bound by Tracie Finan is my favorite workout on this DVD, in terms of intensity, time and interest. This workout is an excellent intermediate-advanced level workout and is 31 minutes long. I like this one b/c I can do it over and over again and still find it interesting. Once I get bored with a type of exercise and find no way to liven it up, I tend to drop it for quite a while. So, this is a big factor for me. One comment on the instructor: the first time I did this workout, I thought "Oh my gosh! This lady is going to drove me bananas." Tracie is very perky... even a tad cheesy. Since doing this one some more, I''ve come to find that her manner isn''t as annoying as I once thought. However, she will really annoy some people while other folks will absolutely love her. Her style can be that polarizing. For me, I''m middle of the road. She''s good enough to keep me interested in the workout and not too over to the top.
Oh... one comment to the DVD itself. For some reason, this DVD will NOT play in my 5 year old Sony DVD/VHS combo player. Don''t know why. The surface of the disc is clean and free from any marks what-so-ever. So, I think it may be due to the style of recording they did. Perhaps they didn''t "close the session" when they recorded this batch? Who knows. However, I have a Sony PS2 upon which I am able to play these workouts and for now, that''s what I use. The DVD will, also, play on my DVD-R drive for my Dell laptop. So, that''s 2 out of 3 and good enough for me. [My other 5-disc Toshiba gave up the ghost recently. I''m sure it would have played on that one b/c it was usually a very forgiving player whereas the Sony combo player is rather picky.]
Even so bear in mind that if you have an older or finicky DVD player, this DVD might not play for you. If that happens, there''s always the Amazon returns.
If/When I get a new DVD-player, I''ll update this review with the DVD''s ability to play on that machine.
Despite any potential player hiccups, I highly recommend this compilation. In fact, I''m looking at more of their DVD''s to purchase as I just LOVE variety. So, as I add them to my collection, I''ll do my best to post my experiences.
HTH! :)
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The product arrived cracked on one of the band''s hooks. We saw the crack and poked it. The hook broke completely off. We returned it with no problems what so ever, great seller.
