Bun Shaper is from the One on One series. I previewed the DVD yesterday to determine what props or equipment I would need, and found the workout somewhat intimidating. I usually get that feeling prior to doing a workout for the first time. This workout consists of a series of 9 moves, repeated for two rounds. Some of the individual exercises are found elsewhere in the P90X or P90X+ series; others are new to me. Some of the moves are Plyo-like, some Kenpo-like, some Yoga-like, but they are reasonably varied and sufficiently well-paced to keep the workout interesting and challenging.
The warm-up is insufficient. We find Tony at the start of the DVD completing 5 minutes of skipping rope out on his porch. He stops his skipping, hangs up the rope on a purpose-made peg, enters the workout studio and does a very short series of limited stretches. This is one of the few DVDs where I felt that the warmup stretch wasn't enough for me. Having previewed the tape, I was prepared in advance to do my own stretching, so I did so for about 6 minutes (running in place, jacks, lunges, bent-over stretches, hamstring stretches, etc.). Then, on to the individual exercises.
The first exercise, a side-to-side squat, was challenging, as my legs weren't quite warm enough to really get into the squat. Note to self to lunge more during the warm-up. The exercises moved a bit slowly, which I liked, because it offered an opportunity to watch for form and to ensure that the buttocks are being effectively targeted. The repeat round moved much faster, due to the time consumed during the first round and Tony was in danger of running out the clock. This made the second round even more challenging, as a fair amount of energy was expended during the first round. There are some leg extensions done when bracing against a chair, which drained my energy and zapped my glutes. That hit the spot.
Overall, I enjoyed this workout and, as I'm writing this, don't feel immobilized due to gluteal pain; however, we'll see what tomorrow brings. My initial reaction following the workout was that I was rubber-legged. That brought thoughts of not doing Kenpo Cardio tomorrow, but substituting Medicine Ball Core Cardio instead. I'll see how I feel tomorrow morning. I am pleased to have this workout in my collection, and look forward to doing it again.
Ab Ripper X
Again, I did this workout to my own musical selections. The workout didn't go as well today as it did yesterday; perhaps due to some fatigue because I had done the workout two days in a row. In the future, I'll be more conscious of doing this workout on schedule, so I have the necessary day's rest between ab days. I managed to survive the workout, and actually had a pretty strong showing throughout the exercises, but flagged during Mason Twists. Funny thing, though, I noticed that The Four Seasons' "Rag Doll" has almost the perfect beat for doing Mason Twists, nearly matching Tony's moves.
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