Envy Girls - Workouts for the Spots That Really Count Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought "ENVYGirls" hesitantly. I had previously been dupped into purchasing Carmen Electra's "Aerobic Striptease" DVD (from the same producers) expecting a fun but somewhat effective workout, and have never forgiven myself since! Nonetheless, the reviews that I read on Amazon convinced me to take a chance on this one. And I am happy to say that I made the right decision!
This DVD is without doubt one of my favorite toning workouts. Period.
First off, as evidenced by the packaging, the production is first-rate. It is as clear and well-edited as any major Hollywood production, and the absolutely gorgeous island setting (South Pacific?? Carribean??) inspires me to work out even harder. You can practically feel the breeze coming off the ocean! :-) The music is GREAT, hip and modern; I love it! It's so refreshing to actually work out to a good soundtrack instead of the generic dance club beat that is so prevalent in exercise videos.
The entire concept of "ENVYGirls" is that of a "superteam of fitness" (their words, not mine), each one with a particularly good body part. Each girl then leads you through a 15-20 minute workout to help you get that particularly good body part. The parts are: Abs, Buns, Legs and Arms. There is an optional 4-min. warmup (it is the same on all four programs) and 5-min. express workouts for each program.
Make no mistake, this is not just an eye candy DVD a la Carmen Electra. It actually is a pretty effective strength workout. The moves are designed by celebrity trainer Michael Carson who is very knowledgable and inspiring but not drill sergeant-like (if you've ever seen "The Biggest Loser," think Bob, not Jillian!). Michael does a voiceover commentary on the warmup (as I preceeded this workout with cardio, I never really used the warmup) as well as a Trainer's Tips interview for each workout in which he guides you through correct form of some of the trickier exercises. Also, don't miss the Trainer Commentary Option on which you can have Michael give a voice over on both the Primary Workout and the 5 Min. Workout. He has a lot of important things to say, and don't worry, the music is still loud, and there is a repetition countdown on the screen, so you'll know how many reps you have left in a particular move!
ABS OF ENVY - My personal favorite! I still pull this one out from time to time, and I've owned this for over a year. When I initially viewed this program, I was skeptical because there are only a few crunches towards the end. However, when I did it, it was challenging, I broke a sweat, and when I went to stretch my abs at the end, they burned quite a bit! It utilizes a lot of standing abs moves, but if you concentrate on using your abs, your belly will become sculpted and flat and your waist will be cinched, giving you that hourglass effect. Done almost entirely standing with a few minutes of floorwork.
BUNS OF ENVY - Uses various squats (love that Helicopter Squat!), Lunges, Reverse Lunges (called dips in The Firm) and other moves to effectively shape your glutes and thighs. Done mostly standing with some floorwork about three-quarters into the workout.
LEGS OF ENVY - Uses lunges, plies, plyo jumps and even balance moves to give you shapely thighs and calves. Done entirely standing with stretching on the floor at the very end.
ARMS OF ENVY - Uses bicep curls, hammer curls and some fun, creative moves such as the Dumbbell Catch and the Gecko Pushup to work your upper body. Done mostly standing with some push-up variations and floor tricep work towards the end.
And Now For The Bad: The only real detriments that I could find: One- The packaging of the DVDs. Yes, plural. All four programs, unnecessarily, are recorded onto 4 separate DVDs. For anyone who wished to combine workouts, it can be quite annoying to have to switch DVDs and then sit through minutes of exercise advisement/legal jargon/Lionsgate material. Two-The repetiveness of the exercises. Though I found the exercises different and fun, each program actually contains about 7 minutes of moves that are repeated at least once halfway through. Depending on your attention span and the frequency with which you use this DVD, you may get bored quickly.
Three- The girls themselves. Though I found them pleasant enough, it is obvious that these girls are not fitness professionals and were simply cast due to their looks. Some viewers may find them a little Playboy-bunny-esque and not interesting. I simply was inspired to attain their physiques! If they bother you, you could always choose the voiceover option by Michael , who IS a fitness professional, and a charismatic one at that.
All in all, I highly recommend this DVD and don't think anyone who wants a great body will be dissapointed.


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