Tracy Anderson: Cardio Dance For Beginners

This is a great video workout. I am 47 and have tried to find a workout to help with the lumps and bums without success until this one. I have lost a little weight but most importantly have lost inches, 8 in 2 months. So the good stuff first. As other reviewers have mentioned there is no bulking up just long lean muscles.I saw a difference after a couple of weeks. The videos are fun and she is positive and encouraging. I loved jazz dance as a child and this video is like an adult version of that. She also does a good job of explaining the more difficult moves. The video is divided into four 15 minute workouts. I usually do 30 minutes a day 5-6 days a week and alternate which ones I do. And I love it. I actually enjoy working out which was not the case with a gym, an elliptical and the metabolic workout. The bad stuff is what others have mentioned. She does not reverse her movements to sync with yours. So she says left but it's her left not yours. I just ignore the directions and do what she is doing. I highly recommend this.

As someone who took dance classes for years I had a hard time with this video due to her inconsistent style and misuse of common dance terms. There is no real routine, she just does what she wants when she wants, often without regard to count. That being said, it is fun and a good workout and I will probably keep it in my rotation of workouts.

This workout is composed of four 15-minute dance sessions. Each session begins with an easy/moderate intensity as she teaches you the moves, then has a tempo increase, and a very short cool-down. You can choose to do only one of the segments, or you can do several (or all) sessions as you wish. She gets you going right away, so if you need to stretch or warm up, you should do that beforehand. No equipment required, aside from supportive shoes. I like Tracy's personality - she is a lot more mellow than people in other workout videos (some of them can be obnoxious!), but she is still very positive and encouraging. I am a terrible dancer and have no sense of rhythm but who cares. I get mixed up all the time doing these videos. It doesn't matter - the point is to just keep moving and have fun. If you can't jump, then just step the moves. Also keep in mind that a lot of these moves are featured in her other videos as well, so as you learn these over time, it will be easier to pick up her other workouts. The mental challenge keeps them interesting.

I admit that I was one of the few who actually liked her first dance dvd but it took me over a month to get where I could actually follow it and some songs I was never able to get quite right. Several years have pasted and several pounds have come and there is no way I could even begin to do that dvd now. When I saw this on instant I thought it might be perfect for where I am now and it is. Although I have only done the first "dance", I can already tell I will be happy with this purchase. It was easy enough that I could get a workout doing it the first time but not so easy that I will be bored with it by the fourth time. Since I am just getting back into exercising after a long illness I am using this as an add on to easier dvd like Leslie Sanson. Today I did "3 "miles" with Leslie and then did the first routine on this one and cool down with her standing abs and arm routine from the first mat dvd. After a couple of weeks I will add a second routine and shorten the "easier" dvd time until I work up to 45 - 60 minutes of pure Tracy. So in summary, if you like Tracy's matt workouts and her method/style but have been turned off by her cardio because they were too hard to follow then this is the dvd you have been wanting her to made.

I have been doing Tracy's workouts for years, off and on, and I really like this cardio dance DVD to change up my 30 minutes of daily cardio! It is really easy to follow and she takes you through a little routine step by step in each of the 15 minute workouts (there are four 15 min workouts - so you can do 15minutes if you don't have much time, or 30 or 45 for a longer workout). I started out doing her cardio that is with the Metamorphosis and it is more bouncing around than the first 2 segments of this video, but by workouts 3 and 4 you are really bouncing around and breaking a sweat! I did this DVD with my sister, who has never done Tracy's workouts, and she could follow along pretty well. It is a great intro cardio for those new to Tracy's program, and a good DVD to mix it up if you already follow her!

Let me just say that I've really got out of working out since the cold temps have crept in and I have about 50lbs to lose. I did the first 15 min routine this morning and plan on doing more after work. It was pretty easy to follow along and definitely had me sweating by the end. I like her attitude and she keeps you going :) I plan on doing more than 15 minutes at a time though as I need to do more to lose weight :) Great beginners DVD!

Product came with a damaged case. There was a hole punctured through the front of the case but the delivery package it was in did not. As for the video itself, the workouts are good for beginner level but most of the moves require a fair amount of jumping so I wouldn't recommend for someone with knee or ankle issues. I love Tracy Anderson's strength training DVDs but she made a lot of mistakes in this video. She is inconsistent when repeating moves and doesn't explain what the next move is going to be until she is already starting the next move.

I'm a huge fan of dance related cardio activities. If you have to work out, it might as be something you enjoy. Since I can't always make it to the gym in time for the classes, I figured I'd give this video a go. While it's fun and informative, I did find the sequencing to be a bit confusing. In the classes I've taken in the past, they've always had you start with one move and progressively add more to the end until you have the routine memorized. Simple as that. In this dvd, however, Tracy randomly adds new sequences, whether it's towards the beginning, middle or end. This throws me off since I'm ready for the next move, but it ends up being something entirely different. I ended up stopping a lot and restarting, which I personally think takes away from the exercise. Overall, I like it and am sure I'll get use to the routine the more I do it. I just wish this was more structured and not all over the place.