Core Fusion Bootcamp DVD Review + Giveaway

Core Fusion Bootcamp was released last week. Another great Core Fusion DVD! I love how they are constantly filming more of these. More DVDs, more options for working out — and every single DVD is effective, I promise. I even got to go behind the scenes at the Core Fusion Cardio DVD rehearsal in October. I’ll share the details on that another time! Now is the time in Sprockets when we talk about Core Fusion Bootcamp.

The simplest way to describe Bootcamp: a mix of  Core Fusion Sport and Core Fusion Yoga and regular Core Fusion.

Like the others in the Core Fusion collection, this DVD consists of five 10 minute segments. Ideally, you would do them all together for a complete workout, but you also have the option of choosing which segments you’d like to do which is perfect if you are short on time.

The segments are:

• Cardio Flex
• Cardio Sun Salutations
• Jump Backs Part 1
• Jump Backs Part 2
• Abdominal Curl

With two bonus sections:

• Bonus: Stretch with ball
• Bonus: Thigh Core with ball

(1) Cardio Flex stretches, warms up and prepares your body for the hard work to come. I would recommend always doing this section before any other to get your body ready.

(2) Cardio Sun Salutations (you need a hand weight) is very much like the Core Fusion Yoga Energy Flow DVD. This section will get your heart rate up with a flow of down dogs, up dogs, chaturanga, swan dives, lunges and pushups. It feels really great to stretch and get your body twisting and moving like this. I love yoga and I know some people yoga isn’t a sweaty workout — but this type of yoga is. I especially liked the spin on the chair pose — holding weights while pulsing. Killer move! I’ve never done this before and it was hard but gooooood.

(3) Jump Backs Part 1 (you need a playground ball, hand weights and a mat)

Sidenote: Do playground balls remind anyone else of Sideways Stories from Wayside School?

This section will get you working hard! This is just like the Core Fusion Sport class — which I actually did not take during my Core Fusion Challenge, but I finally took it this past weekend and loved it!  I don’t know why I was so wary of Sport. I plan to take it once a week now and sporty my body up.

A jumpback is a series of six fast steps: raise the ball over your head, lower it to your chest & squat, touch the ball to the floor, jump back into plank (hands on the ball), jump into squat, stand and raise ball over your head. Imagine doing this fast, multiple times in a row, interspersed throughout other exercises! You use the ball to add challenge in planks, pushups, chair pose, lunges and more. Jumpbacks are incorporated throughout to get the heart rate up.

If you don’t want to use a playground ball, you can use a hand weight, nothing at all, or (what we use in Sport) — a weighted medicine ball!

(4) Jump Backs Part 2

This section is similar to Part 1 with all the jumpbacks, but the exercises in between vary. This part includes twisting lunges, wide second position, balance work and lots of full body squats designed to also work the arms and the core.  There are still lots of planks and pushups here!

(5) Abdominal Curl (with weight) because what would a Core Fusion DVD be without their signature abdominal curl?

All I have to say about this section is: BURN. You *will* get defined abs from the Core Fusion Curl. There is nothing else like it. The hardest part about this section is the variations for taking your arms off and moving them up and down. If this is too intense, you can always keep your hands on your thighs. You are still working, and eventually you will build up the core strength to lift your arms off. Uh, the planks and pushups will help too. The oblique work is especially challenging and Fred gives instructions on making it even more challenging if you want. I love all the options, and I love how quickly you start to see improvements.

But then Fred goes all crazy and picks up the hand weights to do the curl. No joke, this is intense! I recommend trying it with the weights and seeing how much you can do. No shame in putting them down — I had to! But I also surprised myself by holding onto them for longer than I would have expected. The weights add a whole new challenge to this already difficult exercise.

How Fred can talk the entire time while doing the curl with the weights and all the variations is beyond me. I suspect he is not actually human.

Bonus Sections

As a bonus there are two sections for deep stretching. I strongly recommend doing these because they will help you balance out the tightening work you did during the DVD. The stretch with the ball will stretch out your abs and will feel like such a relief after holding the curl for almost 10 minutes.

All in all, this is an amazing DVD. It incorporates cardio, strength, yoga, stretching and is truly a full body workout. It will get your heart rate up and keep you too busy to think about anything but the exercises. This would be a perfect addition to your workout routine in the new year because it will align with almost everyone’s goals. Since I really want you to try this workout, I am going to give away one copy of the Core Fusion Bootcamp DVD!

You can get up to two entries. I will choose the winner randomly and announce his or her name on Tuesday, December 21 (and there will be another amazing giveaway that day! Hint: Healing Cooler).

To enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me your #1 workout goal for the new year. It can be strengthening, flexibility, running a race — anything at all!  I’d really love to hear your goals for inspiration. (My goal for 2010 was the Core Fusion Challenge for one month, and a year I still haven’t stopped! I would say that was a success. My goal for this year is to run the NYC Marathon!

2. Tweet: I want to win the #CoreFusion Bootcamp DVD from @dysterious. Enter here: http://dorishinyblog.com/?p=5061