xiphoid's Full Review: Dance Off The Inches - Sizzling Salsa
I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to work out. I usually go for a run, spend some time on the elliptical, or do my Core Secrets, but I like to try something new when it comes to cardio, because it's easy to get in a rut.
I have always wanted to learn how to dance, so I got the idea to research dance workout DVDs. I headed to the store to pick up the Dancing with the Stars dance workout DVD, but it was out of stock. I looked around for something else, and I came across this Sizzling Salsa DVD. I've seen people salsa dance, and those Latin moves really seem to engage the whole body, yet it is still comprised of moves that can be done in a small living room.
The Latin Learning Experience
I immediately put this DVD on when I got home, and I had no idea what to expect. The DVD has an instructional section, and the dance workout section. I obviously chose the instructional section first, because I know zero moves. The dance instructor is Stella Sandoval, and she is a great teacher. She works slowly through each move before taking you up to tempo. There were about 10 or so moves overall, and the rest of the DVD is based on those moves. Once you're comfortable with each, she encourages you to add your own spice to them. Some of the moves were more challenging that others for me, but you can easily rewind and fast forward as you learn. The whole learning section is about 17 minutes long. Try to remember the names of the moves, because that will come in handy during the dance section!
The Dance Experience
Once I finished the entire instructional section, I moved right into the dance workout. Stella takes you through a warm-up with a Latin twist, and by the end of the warm-up, I was feeling the heat. Stella is joined by 4 additional dancers, and it's interesting to see how they interpret the moves. Everyone adds a little something personal.
There are three different routines (to different music), and you can select the dance section chapter by chapter if there are some you prefer more than others. Stella will start you up with a routine, working through it move by move, and then she will put it all together and call out the names of the moves so that you know what is coming next. With each move, she adds small little tweaks to make them special, and she also adds arm movements to give it more "Latin flavor" as she calls it - and it becomes a full body workout, for sure! The whole workout is about 38 minutes long, with a 2.5 minute cool-down at the end. Be prepared to screw up a few times and have your arms flailing around, but also be prepared to have fun, learn something new, and get a workout in the process.
I do want to add that this is not strenuous cardio. This won't burn calories like running for the same amount of time, but it's still a cardio workout. I did feel like I was exercising, but I didn't feel like I was straining. So, I will definitely use this as a light/moderate workout opposite days of running or other heavier cardio, or when I simply need a change!
Recommendations
This workout kept my heart rate up and made me sweat, but it won't make me too sore. I think I can recommend this for anyone, because you can do the moves to your ability. None of them are too strenuous, and your worst enemy will be coordination, not fitness level. I might not recommend this as much to people who are more advanced in the choreography aspect, because you might find it a little repetitive or easy.
One more thing to note: you may need to move the coffee table. I found myself needing a bit more space during the "travel" moves.
If you're looking for something fun and different, I would definitely check out this DVD. It's not very expensive, and if you're inexperienced like me, you probably won't master the techniques on your first try, so you know you'll be able to get some use out of it. Who knows, you might even be able to take it to the dance floor!
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