Welcome to Legwarmer Central! Right here's where you start paying - in SWEAT (Ministry Of Sound: Pump It Up! The Ultimate Dance Workout (DVD))

Member Name: kate_smith

Product:	Ministry Of Sound: Pump It Up! The Ultimate Dance Workout (DVD)
Date:	15/09/09 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Deanne berry presents it, the music is fab, the workout is great and it's never boring

Disadvantages: Occasionally, whilst squatting, you may wish you were dead

We bought this DVD about a year ago from eBay and it cost us about £12. I have seen Amazon prices of anything from around £10 upwards which is good value. It still retails new for £19.99

I wanted something that would make me feel like I was doing some exercise but that would be fun, with dance moves I might actually be able to do, (albeit from the comfort of the lounge and with no-one looking) and with great music to boot. It certainly ticks all of those boxes.

*What is it then?*

A fitness DVD released 28 December 2004 in which the dancers from Eric Prydz's 'Call On Me' video (yes, that one) strut their stuff with a dance work-out to 17 club anthems, including 'Call on Me' itself, which I find an uplifting track that always makes me want to move. (NB If 'Call On Me' has the effect of making you want to (a) sleep, (b) vomit, (c) have a nice cup of tea and a custard cream, (d) all of the above, then this may not be the best work-out DVD for you, as this track is played a lot).

Heading up the team is Deanne Berry, a twenty something, endearing (despite the slighty grating voice) blonde, fit, Australian dancer who instructs her audience (us) while doing the work-out with you. Behind her are 6 dancers. Apparently she once dated Robbie Williams. So there you go. There is one lone boy, Juan, and very nice he is too, in his little green shorts. Play my game, if you wish, as you work through the DVD - spot the one who looks a bit like Cher, the impossibly skinny one who looks a bit like Barbie, and the other ones who look a bit like they're sometimes a teensy bit bored when they're not HAVINGAGOODTIMEWHOA! This is legwarmer city and there is always something new to spot - fab.

If that makes it sound like I hated it, I didn't, I love it. Still doing it a year later. That's got to be a good sign hasn't it.

*What's on it?*

The following:

Usual warnings/ recommendations about who should/shouldn't undertake the exercise programme, and about seeing your GP if you're worried etc. Standard stuff. This lasts a few mins and is a good opportunity to let it run while you get a glass of water.

Then there are 5 main sections:
1) The Warm Up: lasts about 12 mins
The routine comprises aerobic stretches, grapevines etc (don't worry if you don't know what these are - I didn't either) plus some punching to music, hip gyrating (this is hard) and forward lunges.
The music is great and so is Deanne. As warm-ups go, I think this is quite tough, especially towards the end when your things will burn. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to cope with the rest of the DVD if the warm-up was that tough but actually it evens out (see below). Deanne's voice is quite loud, and she says 'that's the way' a lot, her instructions repetitive but she's encouraging, she smiles and you can always focus on whether the dancers are bare-legged or wearing flesh coloured tights if you want to distract yourself from any teensy tiny amounts of agony you might be experiencing...

2) Dance It Out- Dance Section 1: Lasts 20 minutes.
This routine is fun and builds up gradually. There are lots of lunges, a box step, lots more hip gyrating and rib isolations (moving the top of your body keeping the bottom still) and some nice easy Salsa moves. It ends with a more high energy section which gets you puffed again. Doesn't feel like 20 minutes - the time flies by.

Sometimes with DVDs like this, I find it can be hard trying to follow the move whilst also actually doing it, but with this one it was fine. Plenty of repetition and encouragement and whooping from Deanne. I found myself, grudgingly at first and then with gusto, trying reallyreallyreally hard like you would for a favourite teacher who you want to notice you. Or that might just be me. I'll get my coat.

3) Pump It Up - Hi Energy Dance Section 2: Lasts about 20 mins
This comprises comedy fast dancing. The first few times I wondered whether there was something wrong with the DVD, but found it do funny that I didn't realise I was working quite hard. Lots of jogging based movements, punching, some pendulum swing stuff and other things at a zillion miles an hour.

Then things slow down a little with some repetition from the previous dance section, which is good - makes you fee like you've remembered something. Then there some more Salsa moves, then things pick up again (jolly good...) with the eagerly anticipated 'Call on Me' itself. Enter sexually charged (and therefore hilarious if you're doing this first thing in the morning in your pants with bad hair) moves, which also give you a pretty good work-out.

Took me a while to get the hang of these moves. I probably still haven't but I love them. By this point I'm still going but it's tough. Makes you feel great when you do it. You might want to miss out, eg the high energy section in order to do the beginning and the bit below, or mix and match as you wish. The DVD allows you to do that, or to play the whole thing from start to finish.

4) Bums and Tums - Toning Section: Lasts 8 minutes
This comprises lots (32) of 'three quarter/lady' press ups and 64 stomach crunches, done in different ways. The press-ups are done in 4 reps of 8 and by the last rep I want to cry. Then there's a plank (lying face down with forearms and toes supporting you, sucking tummy in. Hard but great for a flat tummy). Then you do lots of hip thrusts/bum crunches whilst lying on your back. This sounds hard but isn't. It's even a bit disappointingly easy (??)

As a toning section this is pretty good, although personally I think that fewer repetitions and slower moves would be more beneficial and just as taxing. This was the only bit where I thought a complete novice might pull something (Juan? Wishful thinking?) if they didn't know what they were doing.

5) Chill - Cool Down Section: Lasts about 13 minutes
This comprises several relaxing yoga style stretches to lovely slow music. Again it would be better if the stretches were held a little longer but I often find that with any exercise DVDs. It's pretty good, though, and definitely necessary if you've just done the rest of the workout. Even makes you feel a bit like a real dancer, and I am so not one of those.

*Extras*

Has 5 videos on here: 'Call On Me' (of course), then Danzel 'Pump it Up', Angel City featuring Lara McAllen 'Do You Know (I Go Crazy)', Intenso Project featuring Lisa Scott-Lee 'Get It On' and Benny Benassi presents the Biz 'Satisfaction'

*Should I Buy it then?*

Yes, you jolly well should. This is now 5 years old yet feels new and fresh, even for all its cheesiness and stripey leg-warmer stuff. A Feel Good (when you're not feeling like death that is) DVD that will make you feel fitter and better in a couple of weeks. Go get it! Whoo!

Summary: A really good fun dance work-out to an addictive soundtrack