Belly Dance For Body Sculpting - Abs (All Regions) (NTSC) [DVD]

Three 15-min. workouts built entirely on abs-toning, abs-sculpting exotic belly dance moves. As a system of movement, belly dance is the ideal, natural method for abs toning and shaping. Learn and practice belly dance steps during the workout, then follow Neon as she demonstrates a real choreographed 2-min. dance! The dance can be accessed separately for review before leaving for a dance club or party. First fitness product to offer continuous 3-D geometric rendering of exercise movements throughout the program, plus a progress bar for counting reps. Throughout the program personal trainer Andy Troy CSCS offers exercise safety tips.

Who this DVD is for: -a student of belly dance who wants to get more strength and tone in her abs, make her belly dance movements stronger, or wants a great abdominal workout, or -a follower of the bellydance aerobic fitness trend who wants an intense workout, or -someone who owns both of Neon's instructional DVD's and is comfortable with the moves taught there, or -someone with previous dance experience who is good with "monkey see, monkey do" style learning Who this DVD is not for (yet): -if you want a video to LEARN belly dance -if you are new to belly dance and don't yet have a grasp of the basic movements. -if you don't want to get a great abs workout. (No kidding around here!) Before beginning this workout it's important to keep in mind what it is -- a workout. Although you will practice bellydance, as all of the sections are completely comprised of bellydance moves, don't expect to buy this DVD and have it be your one-stop shopping for instruction and workout. They haven't made anything like that yet. The pacing required for instruction is way too slow to get your heart rate up for a cardiovascular or fat burning workout. Stopping to explain the movements would disrupt the flow of the workout and would keep it from being nearly as good. In order to work the abdominals, one must drill them without taking breaks for explanation. Neon is an excellent Bellydance instructor but the purpose of this DVD to get your abs in shape, not to learn how to dance. There is absolutely no bellydance instruction on "Belly Dance for Body Shaping: Abs." This workout was designed for someone who already knows bellydance and wants to be lead through a great workout; it's difficulty would be considered at the Intermediate level. The movements are all done quickly in succession leaving no time for instruction. Although instruction is beyond the scope of this video, Neon does give pointers as to what muscles to be contracting for the different movements -- more like good reminders than instruction. Andy Troy, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, pops in throughout the workout with helpful, real-time tips for getting the safest and most conformable workout. This is important so you don't strain your knees or lower back. Two sphere shaped diagrams representing the ribcage and the pelvis are always on the left side of the screen to show how each movement relates to the muscle groups in the area. Although they will help you understand what move you are doing at any given time, they will by no means help explain. A basic knowledge and competency with belly dance are required here. You don't have to be the star attraction at the local Mediterranean restaurant here, you just need to have a basic working knowledge of belly dance. A progress bar counts the number of moves you have done so far and shows you how many left till the next change. This is helpful for both cueing and motivational purposes. If you already know what you're doing, bellydance wise, this is as good of a practice session as it is a workout -- excellent overall. --amazon.com (US)

Neon presents a challenging workout that will leave you thinking "what belly?" Your stomach will tone so fast you will wonder why you didn't take up Belly dancing sooner. Not only do you train your abdominal muscles to do advanced moves, the dance itself stimulates muscles that may not be fully appreciated during other workouts. Andy Troy (certified strength and conditioning specialist) joins Neon on this playful workout to explain the abdominal muscles and he adds his own touches of creativity and humor while Neon dances in her creative, amazingly coordinated way. He is a personal trainer in New York City. There are three 15-minute exercise sessions that include a 2-minute warmup, 9-minute exercise session, a 2-minute dance sequence and a 1-minute cooldown. At times Neon appears in two sections of the screen so you can see if you are doing the moves correctly. Onscreen graphics give 3-D geometric renderings of the dance combinations. This was extremely helpful and creative. I've been enjoying Belly dance workouts for years, but this one took my exercising to a new level. Not only are the moves fast and challenging, you can see them working and even your posture will improve substantially. You will feel sexier, more confident and have a renewed appreciation for your feminine essence. If you love belly dance, also try Ultimate Bellydance Fitness Workout. The costumes and atmosphere is especially beautiful. --amazon.com (US)

Wow, I bought this as a curiosity, it really surprised me in a good way. I've been belly dancing with an instructor for 4 years. I noticed that the belly dancing really did work the abs, and really took the pounds off with (seemingly) less effort than classic gym moves. This DVD has a great combination of a professional gym teacher and a 3D technique showing the muscle movements, with the oriental dancer doing the moves. There are different short workouts, each about 15 minutes, you can mix them up and to them with other parts of your cardio or weight lifting routine. Definitely a great buy. Totally new, not like any other workout DVD I own. --amazon.com (US)