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DVD Review: "Core Fusion Thighs & Glutes"
Posted on Jul 27th 2010 2:00PM by Kristen SeymourFiled Under: Fitness
"Core Fusion Thighs & Glutes," led by the husband-and-wife team of Fred DeVito and Elisabeth Halfpapp, consists of five 10-minute segments filled with exercises and stretches focusing on the lower half of the body. Generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of videos that focus exclusively on one body part -- if I'm going to spend time working out, I'd like to tone everything, thank you very much -- but I've found Core Fusion workouts solid in the past, so I had high hopes for this video.
Level of Difficulty
Intermediate with modifications offered for beginners.
Next-Day Soreness
Not much, which surprised me because my muscles were seriously fatigued during the workout itself.
Who's It For?
If you enjoy yoga and Pilates, this will probably be just your speed. It's a lot of small, repetitive movements followed by stretching, so you get a real strength workout without needing a lot of space or going into any cardio.
Likes
Halfpapp and DeVito lead the video in a beautiful, peaceful room -- a far cry from the chaos in my living room -- and watching them do the moves really helped me focus. They rely on providing instruction via voice-over, so there's no break in the cuing due to their being out of breath or switching positions. Also, they're great about telling you where you should be feeling the burn and letting you know what kind of discomfort is normal -- always helpful, but especially for beginners.
Dislikes
I really hate to say this because, generally speaking, I've been a big fan of Core Fusion, but I was bored out of my skull with this video. In each segment, you complete a short warm-up (always the same), do lots of tiny movements on the right and then on the left, and stretch. The movements and changes were so subtle that, at times, had I not been paying careful attention to the verbal cues, I would have never noticed the fact that we had continued to the next move. None of this means the workouts weren't effective -- just looking at the instructors, who developed the Core Fusion program, leaves no doubt in my mind that it works -- but I can't imagine spending another 50 minutes on it.
Bottom Line
This is a challenging workout that had me trembling and shaking at times, but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't find it enjoyable, but you might. To see what you think, be sure to check out one of the workouts from the DVD in the video below.
Looking for a move you can do right now to shape up your stems? Check out this Shape Move of the Week!
Level of Difficulty
Intermediate with modifications offered for beginners.
Next-Day Soreness
Not much, which surprised me because my muscles were seriously fatigued during the workout itself.
Who's It For?
If you enjoy yoga and Pilates, this will probably be just your speed. It's a lot of small, repetitive movements followed by stretching, so you get a real strength workout without needing a lot of space or going into any cardio.
Likes
Halfpapp and DeVito lead the video in a beautiful, peaceful room -- a far cry from the chaos in my living room -- and watching them do the moves really helped me focus. They rely on providing instruction via voice-over, so there's no break in the cuing due to their being out of breath or switching positions. Also, they're great about telling you where you should be feeling the burn and letting you know what kind of discomfort is normal -- always helpful, but especially for beginners.
Dislikes
I really hate to say this because, generally speaking, I've been a big fan of Core Fusion, but I was bored out of my skull with this video. In each segment, you complete a short warm-up (always the same), do lots of tiny movements on the right and then on the left, and stretch. The movements and changes were so subtle that, at times, had I not been paying careful attention to the verbal cues, I would have never noticed the fact that we had continued to the next move. None of this means the workouts weren't effective -- just looking at the instructors, who developed the Core Fusion program, leaves no doubt in my mind that it works -- but I can't imagine spending another 50 minutes on it.
Bottom Line
This is a challenging workout that had me trembling and shaking at times, but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't find it enjoyable, but you might. To see what you think, be sure to check out one of the workouts from the DVD in the video below.
Looking for a move you can do right now to shape up your stems? Check out this Shape Move of the Week!
