His Stare through the TV is intimidating. And he doesn't give water breaks.
But After completing T25, Insanity Max 30, and even Cize, I have learned to embrace him. Shaun T is good for my body.
I've also become quite fond of Hybrid workouts since my Cize/21 Day Fix Fiasco. It means I become less bored, and stay motivated with a different instructor daily.
I know my only fallback on this Hybrid will be the lack of working out my arms. I just REALLY want to get my mid section under control this year. Arms will come later.
So I'm reviewing Hip Hop Abs here, and Brazil Butt Lift in a different blog page.
What Does Hip Hop Abs Promise?
"Dance your way to hot, sexy abs.
If you love to dance and you want to lose weight and tighten your midsection without doing sit-ups or crunches, Shaun T can show you how. Shaun uses a technique called “Tilt, Tuck & Tighten” to help you burn fat as you dance your way to six-pack abs.In Hip Hop Abs®, Shaun breaks the dance moves down into steps, so almost anyone can do them. And the workouts are set to hot dance music, so they're high energy and fun.
You’ll get 4 routines (plus bonus routines) to learn Shaun T’s training techniques, burn calories, sculpt your abs, and lose fat all over. And you’ll have fun dancing to the hottest hip hop music.
Hip Hop Abs also includes the Step-by-Step Nutrition Guide to help you lose weight, the Results on the Run Diet Guide that shows you how to eat at your favorite fast food restaurants, the 6-Day SlimDown plan, a 30-Day workout calendar, 24/7 Online Support, and measurement tools to keep track of inches you lose." - Beachbody Site
The Routines
Fat Burning Cardio - 30 minutes
30 minutes of stand-up ab crunching moves! The dance moves were simple, and set in about 5 minute increments with 3-4 moves incorporated into each set.
After Cize, this was a breath of fresh air. I could actually keep up and one doesn't have to be super co-ordinated to keep up.
I think I have to crunch more, as a day after the routine, I expected to feel my abs from all the side crunches...but I don't feel the pain from the routine the following day. I probably just have to up my game and add some weights in.
Hips, Buns, and Thighs Workout - 25 minutes
Lift and firm those stubborn problem areas.
I did this the first time after completing Brazil Butt Lift's Bum Bum. My Boom Boom was quite stiff getting off the bus on the way to work after 2 days of extreme booty workouts.
I got a bit of sweat on with Shaun T throughout this workout. We learn some "dancy" type moves to get our behinds into gear - for REAL!
The last 5 minutes of the workout were intense - with pulsing and holding the entire time. I LOVE it!
I don't get the cardio I normally do with Shaun T, but I am enjoying the variety of moves in this workout.
There is a "modifier," but she doesn't really modify anything. So I just went full out in my squats and pulses. The 25 minutes just flew by!
Secret to Flat Abs - 13 minutes
Shaun's exclusive training techniques target your upper abs, lower abs, and obliques while you burn fat.
No, it's not a miracle cure like the Ab-Hancer pictured above...but it's all about the standing up and moving while getting an abs workout. I felt this one mainly around the sides with some funky oblique twists, which is good, as these love handles have to go!
If you have done a Shaun T Abs workout before, this one isn't as intense as his other abs workouts, but it does target some different areas that the other don't.
I recommend this program after one of Shaun T's other routines within the program to get a full body (minus the arms) workout.
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Total Body Burn - 45 minutes
A head-to-toe workout that combines cardio and total body sculpting with even more ab-defining moves.
This workout includes weights. And a LOT of squats and oblique twists. And push ups near the end.
I am glad for the arm workout, as I was beginning to get a bit weak in the arms without my regular fix.
Near the end, my hips were getting quite tight with the movements - I found the cure for this is not the flimsy "cool down" exercises, but I did a quick You Tube search for Hip Opening Yoga which has been my saving grace lately. I think too many squats leads to tight hips for me.
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Ab Sculpt - 25 minutes
More moves to get you the six-pack you've always wanted without a single sit-up or crunch.
First off, by this point, I dance and sing along with Shaun T to his corny rap at the beginning of the workout. I can't help it.
Don't judge me.
With this workout, I feel I could do a million of these abs moves and still go. Obviously that would lead to me not being able to walk the next day. So, just follow the program.
I am sweating like anything after the first 10 minutes - moving all those big muscles definitely works.
The majority of the workout is standing up abs, with lots of hip lifts and gyrating your mid-section.
I do not feel I could do this in a fitness class with others, as I would be giggling too much. How old am I??
The last 5 minutes before stretching is on the floor - and includes more oblique-type twists and a fun move called the bow & arrow (it's pretty much the movement you think it is - like shooting a bow an arrow from the ground).
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Conclusion
I give Hip Hop Abs a 4.5/5.
It's slowly getting rid of my one pack, and I'm starting to tuck in in all the right places. I don't feel pain in my abs the following day though, hence not the 5*.
I need to feel pain for there to be a 5*
You can make the moves harder with light weights - and feel ALL the pain.
This program also taught me that my hips are really quite tight and I need to focus on more stretches and releases for them - hence incorporating Yoga into my programs instead of the flimsy "stretches" the Beachbody programs offer at the end of each workout (that's another Blog Post for another day).
The dance moves were easy to follow, and I always get my sweat on with Shaun T. It's not his most intense program by far, but part of exercise is having fun with it and exploring new programs so your body doesn't plateau.
Again, I just feel pressure with meal planning, so I didn't follow the meal plan. I try my best to eat well, and that's all I have the energy for.
I am looking forward to finishing up Hip Hop Abs/Brazil Butt Lift so I can score myself another t-shirt!
***I am not a Beachbody Coach (nor will I ever be), I just really enjoy Beachbody Workouts for a fuller, healthier lifestyle***
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