Jeanette Jenkins- Bikini Boot Camp
Equipment needed: one light and one heavy pair of dumbbells (3-5 lbs and 8-10 lbs)
Level: Advanced if done as presented (all three segments, no breaks); intermediate/advanced if segments are done separately
Bottom line: Despite the bikini reference, this is a surprisingly strenuous workout that would surely whip someone into shape quickly if done religiously- but its enjoyability is subjective.
Yeesh, this was hard, and not just physically. I normally have my DVD player set so I don’t see the timer while I’m doing the workout, but during this one, I was literally counting down the minutes for each segment. Part of it was that the drills were just that grueling, and the lack of breaks made them even more difficult.
The other part of it was that I was just bored. There were lots of repetitions of simple moves, which isn’t my usual style but can be made tolerable for me if the intervals change quickly or there’s good music. This workout offered neither. In addition, I found Jeanette Jenkins’ instruction style to be rather shrill, and the whole concept and set were cheesy (notice there aren’t any other workouts whose names include the word ‘bikini’ on my list).
That said, I don’t want to be too harsh on this workout, because it does provide a phenomenal cardio workout regardless of how much effort you put into it. In other words, the intensity is built right in- do the workout as it is sequenced and you are guaranteed a very challenging workout. It consists of 25 minutes of (sometimes agonizing) cardio drills such as squat thrusts, kickboxing combinations and jumping, followed by 25 minutes or so of aerobic trength training, including many compound movements, and then an ab section.
I’ll admit, I was rather gung-h0 about the strength training since I’ve been doing a lot of aerobic weight training lately, but this was a whole different ball game because it came right off of a very intense, sustained cardio workout. I’ll admit, I had to reduce my weights and take some breaks in order to get through the whole thing. Be aware, if done as sequenced, the weight training segment is very aerobic and should be considered cardio plus toning, rather than strength training. Also be aware, you will be gasping through the whole thing if you use appropriately heavy weights!
Overall: this isn’t my cup of tea, but it is admittedly a very good, compact, all-around workout that provides intense cardiovascular training and full body toning in about an hour.