Island Girl Dance Fitness Workout For Beginners: Cardio Hula / Hula Abs & Buns Set

Even though I had previously watched a demo of this on Youtube, I was surprised that I liked doing the workout as much as I did (still do) and I love pretty much the whole series. This is a great product for those who might be a bit lazy or struggle with motivation such as myself, just starting off with exercise, or hoping to do something mellow a few days out of the week. If done correctly, you get a mix of low-impact cardio in and also muscle toning, though this would not be ideal for someone who is looking for any intense calorie burning alone. This has also really helped my bad lower back area out tremendously and I often feel energized once I'm done. I tend to be lazy and get bored quickly with any and all exercise; however, I love dance-related workouts because they manage to make things fun and not just your cookie-cutter aerobics workout, and I think it's good to mix up your routines every now and then. In fact, when I'm feeling the least motivated, I just pop in an Island Girl disc and let the music play, then I'm suddenly all over it. The Island Girl series not only manages to keep things fun and has makes the time go by fast, but you even get a little bit of a sweat from it and feel it working your muscles. The scenery is beautiful and the women are realistically healthy-looking, which I also happen to find inspiring. I've been seeing results, especially where the obliques (love handle zone) are concerned as well as with other parts of the body, and relatively quickly, too. Even better is the fact that it doesn't feel like you're working out, making it so you're unlikely to give up halfway through. I do have some dance background from my youth, but little-to-no experience where this type of dance is concerned. It's a bit like belly or Latin dancing with the use of figure-eights and so on, which I also sometimes do, and does take a little getting used to, but if you just do what feels right you'll eventually get the hang of it. If you struggle with it, try doing the routine all the way through as best you can, and then practice in the mirror or on your own. Everyone that I've gotten in on this comments that once they get the hang of it they catch themselves doing it while doing other things about the house, which I am in the habit of as well. This set in particular is well-made, giving you the option to select parts where you want to start off. For instance, you can easily skip the introduction or move on to just the final routine if you wish to. You can also select for the disc to play without narration and music-only. Although the instructions and editing are not perfect, Kili gives far better cues and instruction than many of the other dance-type workouts that I have and seems easy to follow.

I wanted something relaxing and fun to ease into working out after having my baby....who is actually a toddler now (when I said "ease," I really meant it). I love this 2 disc set. The hula workout is very basic , and Kili spends a lot of time showing the basic steps and incorporating them into the routine. The choreography is easy enough to follow that even a not-so coordinated person such as me could get it after the second time. It's deceptively easy...after I had mastered the steps, I thought for a minute that I needed to find something harder. Then, I realized I had been concentrating on the movements while neglecting the actual form. Do the steps in the RIGHT way, with knees bent, back straight, core engaged, and bam--there's your workout! After doing this workout 4-5 mornings a week for the past month or so, I've noticed an improvement in muscle tone in my butt and thighs, and my abs as well, without doing crunches. Other things I love about the series: -Kili and the two other girls are fit, beautiful, and realistic--not annoying at all. -The beautiful outdoor Hawaiian setting: it really makes it enjoyable to do early in the morning for me to see sunshine and water, instead of some cheesy studio. -I can work out and I don't even have to put on shoes!

This is a very fun little set. I particularly like the Tahitian Hip Hop Video. I am a workout video junky i have tons of videos and in order to keep me interested i switch it up. These videos are the ones i do on days i don't feel like working out at all. They are fun and once i start them i will finish and have fun doing it. The dance moves are simple and although it's not a strenuous workout you feel like you have done something when you finish. Definitely a good workout for women who want to be in a little better shape but don't have a lot of motivation or drive to continue.

these are 2 fun work outs, they really do work your muscles and help you loose weight if that is your goal. however the instruction is very poor. you go from a basic step to a difficult variation with out any instruction on how to do it. in one section you go from a basic Kaholo (hip sways + a step) to a kaholo with level changes with out her actually showing you how to do the level changes. I actually have to stop my work out and watch her carefully over and over in some sections until i figure out how to do it. over all its a nice video once you have the dance down.. but getting there is not easy.

If you have lower back,hip joint and shoulder joint problems, I would not recommend this video for you. The structure of the video makes no sense at times.The angles of the photos had nothing to do with coordination with your arms, feet or legs. Felt like watching one of my children video taping their friends.

I've done the Island Girl Hula Cardio workout three times now and the Abs and Buns workout twice. I really like them both but so far have enjoyed the Cardio Hula section more simply because I felt the pace of the workout was better. I purchased these workouts because I wanted something different after doing the 30 Day Shred and Biggest Loser workouts and this is certainly a nice change of pace. The first time around, I stumbled my way through but not for lack of direction or spot on cuing from Kili-I just lack coordination. I definitely felt the burn and was perspiring by the end of the dance. The stretches in the cool down felt soooo good. Just a few hours later my thighs and gluts were screaming! But I couldn't wait to do it again. Currently I am sitting at my desk at work moving my hips as I try to mimic the fluid movement of Kili and her dancers. A few things I will say are that you may not enjoy this if you like hardcore workouts. I mean seriously this is hula dancing! If you prefer a relaxing workout that focuses mainly on the abs and lower body and don't mind working out barefoot, then I say try this workout. If you get easily frustrated or aren't that coordinated you may struggle with this. Just relax and now it doesn't have to be perfect as you will get better and more fluid with each time through. I still haven't done the whole dance without missing a couple of steps but I still enjoy the routine and the more I do it the more I sweat and the more I want to come back and do it again. I've even noticed that I walk differently because my hips are looser from doing this workout and I slouch less as well. Not too shabby after having done this for just a few days. The DVD allows choose which section you want to do; warm up, the workout, the dance, or the cool down. That's helpful if you want to combine both workouts, that way you don't have to go through the entire workout if you don't want to.

I bought this because my mother has been taking Tahitian Dance, and she raves about what a great workout it is. I couldn't find any decent classes nearby, so I saw this and figured it was worth a try - for the price, what did I have to lose? I wasn't expecting a whole lot for 2 reasons: 1. I get easily bored by repetitive work out/cardio videos. 2. While I've not really done Island/Tahitian dance, I've taken dance classes and Hip Hop for years, so I was a bit worried because the videos are listed as "for beginners". Well, I was pleasantly surprised! It wasn't the most intense work out ever, but I definitely felt it in my legs, and I broke a little sweat. Most importantly it was FUN. The time just flew by. It seems like beginners would be able to pick it up pretty easily - though I might not be the best judge, since I dance already. I loved it, though it would be awesome if there were Intermediate and Advanced levels available as well. EDIT: While I still agree with the above, I have one gripe about these videos. The music was probably dubbed over after the workout was recorded, and at times the movements Kili & Co. are doing don't sync up rhythmically with the music track. As a dancer that is really annoying. It's impossible for me to dance off rhythm. I have to stop watching her and do the dance movements whilst just listening to the music. This is only noticeable when they perform the full out dance sequences. During the work out/step instruction it seems to sync fine. For beginners, especially if someone is "rhythmically challenged" and hoping to learn/improve rhythm, this is not going to be helpful. The "workout" is still fun, easy, and low-impact. Just be aware that when you are doing the full-out routines, if you're in sync with Kili the whole time, there will be times when you're actually off-rhythm.

I love this workout! I use it mostly for core strengthening, but don't let that fool you. If done correctly I sweat a ton and it is a lot of fun. I've always wanted to learn hula because you don't need a partner, it's a beautiful dance form and you can do it almost anywhere. I have noticed some visible changes in my body since starting to do these dvd's regularly. I also do step aerobics and my hamstrings were stronger - hula involves quite a lot of leg strengthening. I enjoy the music played during the dance workouts. Kill has a wonderful manner of explaining things and she is very encouraging without being fake. I always smile (and she does too) when she says, "progressive bun burners" and then there's a thunder sound effect. :) I like both workouts equally, but it took me longer to figure out how to make the moves in "Abs and Buns" really work the areas they target. The professional dance performance included on each dvd is amazing and Kili's performances incorporate some of the moves from the video which makes them extra fun to watch. Worth every penny.

Not having heard hula dance advocated as an effective workout before, I bought this double DVD pack partly through curiosity about a dance form I hadn't tried, and partly tempted by the low price. Any preconceptions I had about hula dancers being rather plump ladies in grass skirts were soon dispelled; if the dancers on these two DVDs have achieved their perfectly toned torsos through hula dancing, then it must have something going for it. As the blurb on the DVD covers explains: "Hula is a graceful Hawaiian tradition that combines hip movements, footwork, and hand motions to speed up your metabolism and tone your entire body." "Hula is Kili's favorite way for sculpting hard abs and tight buns." The pack includes 'Hula Abs and Buns' and 'Cardio Hula'. In each of the two workouts, Kili starts by showing the complete dance which you will learn; the workout then begins with a warm up and moves on to seven basic hula steps (some of which feature in both workouts) which build up into a dance routine; once you have learnt all the steps, you have the chance to perform the complete dance before the cooldown section. For more relaxed viewing, you can sit back and watch Kili in performance. The idyllic-looking Hawaiian scenery with a gentle breeze blowing through it is uplifting, and the slim, fit dancers are inspiring. The movements are fairly gentle and can be comfortably performed in an average-size sitting room. The DVDs are very watchable and the workouts are enjoyable. Whether they really lead to abs like Kili's remains to be seen, but if nothing else the relaxed beachfront setting is soothing for frazzled nerves!

Das Workout macht Spaß und ist auch etwas fordernd. Die Tänzerinnen sind gut zu sehen. Den Anleitungen kann man gut folgen. Natürlich sollte man nicht immer dieselbe DVD nutzen, das wird auch mit der besten auf Dauer langweilig.

フラテイストのDance Workoutです。 それでもフラの動きを用いていますので、 各レイヤーを通して踊ると気分もでます。 自分はまだ《TAHITIAN HIP HOP》しか行なっていませんが、 タヒチアンは腰の動きがメインとなります。 腹直筋を楽しく鍛えるにはおススメです♪ バランスよく全身を整えたい場合は、同シリーズのハワイアン！ ４枚セットもありますが、私は下記の２枚で十分だと思います。 ☆ Cardio Hula with Kili ☆ Hula ABS & BUNS with Kili どのシリーズもwarm up含めて30分程のworkoutです。 ハワイアン＆タヒチアン、 効果を得る箇所・バランスが異なるので両方行う事をおススメします♪ JazzやHip Hop、LATINなどといったDance Workoutとは違い、 ゆったりとしたテンポで進むので迷子になる事は無いと思います。 しかし侮ることなかれ！このシリーズは地味にじわじわ効いてきます。(笑) また、他のDanceエクササイズとは違って バンバン飛んだり跳ねたりする事もなく、場所も取りません。 集合住宅にお住いの方でも安心して、存分に楽しめます！！ Kili先生の教え方も上手です。 直ぐに体が反応してついて行けずとも、 まずはリズムに身を委ねてフラの雰囲気を楽しんでください☆彡 このシリーズをきっかけに、フラを始める人もいると思いますよ♪ 商品の形態ですが、 ケースは通常の１枚入りの大きさに、２枚入っています。 場所を取らないので収納にも便利です。 音声は英語ですが、難しい言葉は出てきません。 特別難しい振り付けやテクニックもありませんので、 「英語は全くダメ！」という方でも、 見よう見まねで行えますので気にすることはありません。 ＝＝＝追記＝＝＝ 《Tahitian Cardio》の感想 １：Figure8 ２：Hip Bump ３：Omi この３つの動作を用いた３パートからなるダンスです。 最後は３パートを通してTAHITIAN CARDIO DANCEとなります。 下半身のトレーニング、 特に中臀筋やハムストリングスの強化にお勧めです。 (Hulaの基本姿勢自体がトレーニングになります)

If you're looking for a fun cardio work out that's a little bit different then this is a good choice. The three ladies leading the workout first teach you a series of moves based on the Hawaiian Hula (but also include classic aerobic workout moves). Each move is practised several times after being taught. All the moves are then strung together to create a dance. The dance is also repeated several times and will certainly get your heart rate up if you go for it. Set against a beautiful island background, this DVD is great fun. The principle teacher is very upbeat and will encourage you to keep going even when you feel like slowing down. If you're expecting a step by step guide to traditional Hula this is not the DVD for you. Equally, if you're someone who runs on a treadmill for hours everyday this may not be enough of a cardiovascular workout for you. But for someone wanting a good cardiovascular workout with moves that will help tone your tummy and bottom, it's excellent.

Das Workout macht viel Spaß. Man darf zwar am Anfang den Mut nicht verlieren und es erfordert etwas Übung, aber zum üben im stillen Kämmerlein ist es ideal.