Ministry Of Sound : The Ultimate Workout - Pump It Up, Burn It, Lose It [DVD]

I have all the Pump It Up workouts and am extremely glad that I discovered them. I am now studying to be a gym instructor and it was these Workouts that motivated me right from the very beginning and I attribute my fitness, weight loss and even future career to these Ministry of Sound workouts!
They are fantastic and all have something differant to offer. They vary in difficulty and length which makes them ideal for alternating.
The first Pump it Up with Deanne Berry is the longest and probably the most intense in places (especially the Pump It up section). It is great if you are wanting a long workout to burn off lots of calories after indulging yourself at the weekend! You would have to be fairly fit in my opinion to get through the whole workout but you can always alternate sections on differant days if you wish.
The second, Beach Body Pump it Up with Fiona Fagan is shorter and less intense. It's great fun with excellent music and ideal to do on days where you don't want a heavy workout.
The third Pump it Up with Fiona Fagan has been criticised for being too difficult to follow especially in the dance section but I really enjoyed the challenge of learning the choreography and found this one really kept my interest and motivated me to keep doing it. It has excellent music and a great tums and bum section at the end. Definitely worth persevering with.
I gave out a whoop of joy when I saw the latest Pump It Up on the shelf in a local store! I am a fan of Deanne Berry as she had a lovely natural manner and is a great instructor.
My verdict is that this one is the best yet. Firstly the music is excellent which is important to keep you motivated. Secondly it has more sections and lots of variation. There isn't too much repetition within the sections which is a major plus. Thirdly the choreography is extremely well thought out and is easy to follow but with a bit of challenge there too. The BPM (dance moves section) is excellent and you really quite fancy yourself as a dancer whilst you are doing it! Easy to follow with great moves which you could even use on the dance floor if you had the nerve. The boxing section is the best one I have done out of my VAST selection of workout DVD's. Excellent music and the moves are set so well to it. It isn't repetitive and tedious like other boxing sections can be and has a bit of a dance twist to it with the choreography.
You can also design your own workout which is great. If I want a short intense workout and am lacking in time I just to the Aeroburn and Boxing sections with the warm up and cool down. That works well as a shorter workout which burns lots of calories.
If you are looking to buy just one DVD this year to get started then get this one. You will not be dissapointed.
Written by a 33 year old mother of two who has changed from an overweight, negative couch potato into a fit, postive and motivated person.

Of the four `Pump it Up' titles, this one is my firm favourite. Here's why;

Each workout segment lasts around 15 minutes, great if you've no time to thrash through a long routine. There's also the option to customize the workout so you can do as much, or as little, as you feel - a fitness Pick 'N Mix, if you will. And not forgetting the music - a major boon - being neither cheesy nor hardcore and really making you wanna get into that groove.

Warm-up - Thorough without being dull, getting you limber for what's to come. In short, does exactly what is says on the tin (or DVD sleeve, in this case).

'Aerobox' - A low-impact (so they say!) aerobics routine that definitely gets the blood flowing. As an office worker I'm fairly sedentary, but try to do 45 mins of cardio 3-4 times p/week. As such I found this segment quite tough. However, as with all the sections, there are a variety of intensity levels you can choose from (beginners keep your eye on the girl in orange shorts - she's a life saver!). The routine is varied and there's plenty of encouragement from Deanne to keep on pumpin'.

'Pump it Up' - A dance orientated section focused on having fun and really getting into the music. It's not as intense as the previous segment but still provides a good workout. It will take a few goes to perfect the moves, but once you've mastered `Crazy Legs' there'll be no going back. A great way to build up your fitness level without leaving you on the verge of collapse.

'Beatbox' - If done correctly this workout - a mixture of Tae Bo and Boxercise - is fantastic for toning. I noticed a difference within the first week, particularly in my middle section (flatter tummy - rejoice!). It's a brilliant stress-buster (`your opponent is right in front of you,' chirps Deanne at one point, leaving you free to conjure that boss/bus driver/annoyingly laden woman in the ten items or less aisle) that makes you feel virtuous (and `ard as nails!).

'Below the Belt' - Many squats and lunges ahoy, although the abs section is relatively short. There are also a number of press-ups and some static and not-so-static planks. It's challenging, but hey - that's what gets results. As toning sections go, this is tough but doesn't have me reaching for the `skip' button.

Cool Down - Deanne's cool downs are thorough and pleasingly zen-like. There's a lot of deep breathing and stretches and I had very little soreness the next day.

So there you have it - a very thorough workout that's great for those on the go, and has plenty of longevity. Definitely worthy of those 5 shiny stars.

I have just invested in this fitness DVD to shed my unwanted Christmas weight. First of all I will explain that I am of average weight but did not do any form of exercise before this. This may obviously influence my opinions so thought i'd make this clear.

Firstly the DVD is good in that is has a warm up section and then there are various other sessions including a cool down. There is also a section dedicated to legs,bums, tums, a section of combat style and a dance section. You can choose to do the whole DVD or just choose to do some of the sections so you can choose a workout suitable for you.

My first impression of this workout is that it is high impact and so if you are new to exercise you will probably find this difficult. Some of the moves are quite difficult to pick up and as it moves quite fast it can be difficult to follow. As I am new to aerobics I have been finding many parts of this work out hard to follow.

On my first go I managed to do the warm up and most of the bums and tums session and had to miss everything else out, I was cream crackered.

But as I am looking to get fit and lose weight, I feel I can keep building up with this work out and am sure I will eventually pick up the moves.

It has a good soundtrack to work out to.

If I could go back in time I probably would have opted for another workout video which was a bit easier going. For me this is just a bit too difficult to follow.