Ministry Of Sound: Pump It Up - High Energy [DVD]

I’ve got to admit that this DVD is a challenge. If you want to be able to buy a fitness DVD and follow along straight away, or after a few goes, then DO NOT buy this one. As I tried to follow the workout for the first time I felt like a fish out of water, my legs and arms flailing in different directions as I stared at the TV screen thinking ‘What the ?’ However, after a few watches I was able to do most of the first dance section without too many problems.

The second dance section, as explained on the DVD cover, is ‘professionally choreographed’ and is supposed to be a challenge. Believe me, it is. Fiona, the instructor, explains each sequence only once and then all the other dancers follow it. If you’re anything like me then explaining a whole complex sequence only once is not enough and I had to use the pause and rewind button millions of times. But so what? I was having lots of fun learning the moves and working up a really good sweat. I decided to learn the second dance section by breaking it up into smaller sections which I practised in the evenings on top of my normal workouts 4 - 5 times a week. Now, a month or so after buying the DVD I am able to do a lot of this second dance section although I still have some moves to learn properly, which I find motivating. I have not got bored of this DVD at all because it is so varied and fun.

I DON’T agree at all with other reviewers who have said that the instructor, Fiona, is a show off and more interested in showing how she can dance than instructing us. The truth is that Fiona has been told to perform a routine devised by two choreographers that is too fast for her to explain it all in great detail. You have to watch the DVD many times and use the pause and rewind buttons lots in order to understand the moves. In the long run, this is really good because when I’ve learned the routine I won’t have to go through all of the boring step-by-step instructions for each move every time I do the DVD. Fiona performs the routines brilliantly and cues the moves well. I really like her; she is sweet, upbeat and passionate about dance. The other dancers are sexy and good movers, which is inspiring.

The workout lasts about an hour and the sections are:

1) 5 mins, warm up. Pretty standard stuff – some movement and stretches, a bit tricky at first.
2) 18 mins, first dance section. Made up of two different dance sequences, one involving grapevines, mambos, knee lifts and turns and the other involving a v-step, jumps, kicks.
3) 20 mins, second dance section. Made up of lots of difference dance sequences, very fast and energetic, lots to remember and lots of different variations of each sequence. Not for the faint hearted! (Or people who can’t jump up and down on their knee or ankles because it is quite a high impact routine)
4) 10 mins, toning section. Squats, sit-ups, butt raises (no press-ups).
5) 5 mins, cool down. Relaxing and stretches.

Together, all three Pump It Up DVDs are perfect to alternate. Pump It Up 1 concentrates on aerobic moves with basic dance moves thrown in – it is super effective and one of the hardest workouts I’ve tried. Pump It Up 2 (Beach Body) is lower impact and is not as exhausting as Pump it Up 1, which is good because you don’t always want to push yourself to the limit, and it introduces some more dance moves. This one, Pump It Up 3 (Hi-Energy) is more about learning more complex dance routines and is a challenge. It is very rewarding though and as long as you keep moving you will sweat and burn calories. Highly recommended for people who don’t mind putting the work in to learn the routines.

And, finally, of course, the music for this DVD is sensational. The recognisable dance tracks will keep you moving and feeling inspired. Some of my favourite tracks are ‘Feel the Vibe’ ‘Listen to Your Heart’, and ‘Make A Move’. The dance sequence for Make A Move is absolutely amazing and I feel energised and upbeat while doing it, which makes it lots of fun. Superb!

JoAnne