Cardio kickboxing. Hip hop dancing.
School starts tomorrow. I plan to also take a cardio kickboxing class for the first time! The sport---which combines aerobics, boxing, and martial arts---is supposed to burn up to 800 calories/hour, and it exercises both anaerobic and aerobic parts of your body. Plus you dance to fun, fast music.
(Even if you're in decent shape, doing hard-core jumping, kicking, and punching for an hour can be extremely exhausting! I learned my lesson at the YMCA last year, where I once joined this all-female "super cardio step" class. I noticed a few elderly women there. At first, the teacher said "Just walk back and forth across the room." I laughed and thought: "This class is so wimpy. Plus I'm the only man." Well after just 30 minutes of non-stop jumping, lunging, ab work, etc. I was gasping in pain, ready to collapse. But she made us do 30 more minutes of lateral leg lifts, thigh exercises, heavy ab work, etc. I collapsed in fatigue before the hour was up.)
Now I'm in better shape than last year, but I'm much more humble. I had tried taking a hip hop class at DeAnza, but the teacher went too fast for me and said I kept wiggling my hips too much. It's a habit from my salsa training. And many classmates were teens. Some in my "beginning" hip hop class had danced since they were kids, and others already performed in a local hip hop group.
Thus I'm gonna try hip hop at home alone.
I found two awesome fitness DVD programs that combine aerobics with dance, so I can continue dancing at home. Couldn't decide which was better, so I ordered both. Beachbody.com sells them.
1. Hip Hop Abs, by dancer/choreographer/fitness expert Shaun T. His MySpace page.
Shaun T (or Thompson).
He combines basic hip hop dancing with a strong ab development and fat burning program. Go to Hiphopabs.com to see the main infomercial.
Watch one of his videos, "Take it to the dance floor."
2. Turbo Jam Maximum Results, by dancer/TV fitness expert/choreographer Chalene Johnson.
Turbo Jam is a combo of calorie-blasting kickboxing, body sculpting, and catchy dance music. "We guarantee you'll lose up to 10 pounds and 10 inches in your first 10 days or your money back." Sounds unrealistic. Both Turbo Jam and Hip Hop Abs have a 30-day money back guarantee, minus $13 shipping costs.
Here's the Turbo Jam infomercial:
Chalene also started Turbo Kick in 1997, which includes extra kickboxing, and Piyo, which combines Pilates, yoga, and dance. These programs even certify and train customers to be instructors.
You MUST see Chalene's dance videos on YouTube. She is such an inspiring, skilled, and fiery dancer! She'll blow you away.
Chalene Johnson Turbo hip hop practice, with two of her girl dancer friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxIDkaV0ths
Another Turbo dance practice. From left to right: Mcayla Sarno, Monica Gray and Chalene Johnson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07svcQ8imTY
TJ also includes a pair of weighted gloves (one-pound each) I'll wear while dancing.
HHA only includes them if you buy Hip Hop Abs Ultimate Results---the next level of difficulty.
Also, check out these AMAZING and FANTASIC dance performances on YouTube:
A bunch of Singaporean children do an amazing hip hop routine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72IT-V6kcBs
A Korean jazz dance class. These girls kick butt!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrJqWt7WumM
Jazz dance group, performing "You Can't Stop the Beat." Very professional:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfigjLzsnTQ
Japanese Kiaro Dance Company, dancing "Nightmare" (Scream). Brilliant and beautiful! In fact, please watch more of their beautiful dances here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9z3Dvpw6W8
Winners Girls, a Korean Hip Hop Dance Team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyjkwOj5iw4
Finally, if you forgot that Britney Spears was a fantastic dancer/singer/showman, just see her spectacular performances at past MTV Video Music Awards:
Britney in 2000, singing "Oops I did it again":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGZbR_83H8Q
Britney in 1999, singing "Hit me baby one more time," immediately followed by Justin Timberlake singing "Tearin' up my heart" with the old boy band he used to lead, 'N Sync:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1msjOYWTiI
If I inspired you to try some of this, great! Get a feel for what dancing like a pop singer must be like. This exercise is NOT boring.
(Even if you're in decent shape, doing hard-core jumping, kicking, and punching for an hour can be extremely exhausting! I learned my lesson at the YMCA last year, where I once joined this all-female "super cardio step" class. I noticed a few elderly women there. At first, the teacher said "Just walk back and forth across the room." I laughed and thought: "This class is so wimpy. Plus I'm the only man." Well after just 30 minutes of non-stop jumping, lunging, ab work, etc. I was gasping in pain, ready to collapse. But she made us do 30 more minutes of lateral leg lifts, thigh exercises, heavy ab work, etc. I collapsed in fatigue before the hour was up.)
Now I'm in better shape than last year, but I'm much more humble. I had tried taking a hip hop class at DeAnza, but the teacher went too fast for me and said I kept wiggling my hips too much. It's a habit from my salsa training. And many classmates were teens. Some in my "beginning" hip hop class had danced since they were kids, and others already performed in a local hip hop group.
Thus I'm gonna try hip hop at home alone.
I found two awesome fitness DVD programs that combine aerobics with dance, so I can continue dancing at home. Couldn't decide which was better, so I ordered both. Beachbody.com sells them.
1. Hip Hop Abs, by dancer/choreographer/fitness expert Shaun T. His MySpace page.
Shaun T (or Thompson).
He combines basic hip hop dancing with a strong ab development and fat burning program. Go to Hiphopabs.com to see the main infomercial.
Watch one of his videos, "Take it to the dance floor."
2. Turbo Jam Maximum Results, by dancer/TV fitness expert/choreographer Chalene Johnson.
Turbo Jam is a combo of calorie-blasting kickboxing, body sculpting, and catchy dance music. "We guarantee you'll lose up to 10 pounds and 10 inches in your first 10 days or your money back." Sounds unrealistic. Both Turbo Jam and Hip Hop Abs have a 30-day money back guarantee, minus $13 shipping costs.
Here's the Turbo Jam infomercial:
Click to viewChalene also started Turbo Kick in 1997, which includes extra kickboxing, and Piyo, which combines Pilates, yoga, and dance. These programs even certify and train customers to be instructors.
You MUST see Chalene's dance videos on YouTube. She is such an inspiring, skilled, and fiery dancer! She'll blow you away.
Chalene Johnson Turbo hip hop practice, with two of her girl dancer friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxIDkaV0ths
Another Turbo dance practice. From left to right: Mcayla Sarno, Monica Gray and Chalene Johnson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07svcQ8imTY
TJ also includes a pair of weighted gloves (one-pound each) I'll wear while dancing.
HHA only includes them if you buy Hip Hop Abs Ultimate Results---the next level of difficulty.
Also, check out these AMAZING and FANTASIC dance performances on YouTube:
A bunch of Singaporean children do an amazing hip hop routine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72IT-V6kcBs
A Korean jazz dance class. These girls kick butt!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrJqWt7WumM
Jazz dance group, performing "You Can't Stop the Beat." Very professional:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfigjLzsnTQ
Japanese Kiaro Dance Company, dancing "Nightmare" (Scream). Brilliant and beautiful! In fact, please watch more of their beautiful dances here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9z3Dvpw6W8
Winners Girls, a Korean Hip Hop Dance Team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyjkwOj5iw4
Finally, if you forgot that Britney Spears was a fantastic dancer/singer/showman, just see her spectacular performances at past MTV Video Music Awards:
Britney in 2000, singing "Oops I did it again":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGZbR_83H8Q
Britney in 1999, singing "Hit me baby one more time," immediately followed by Justin Timberlake singing "Tearin' up my heart" with the old boy band he used to lead, 'N Sync:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1msjOYWTiI
If I inspired you to try some of this, great! Get a feel for what dancing like a pop singer must be like. This exercise is NOT boring.