Aerobic Striptease

Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: Vegas Strip (2003)

This is an additional workout from the Aerobic Striptease series, but not numbered like discs 1-5. This one is filmed in a Studio 54 set. You are learning a sexy routine, but it's more like music video choreography, not stripping. There are no "take your shirt off" type moves in this one.

First Carmen and her 2 background dancers go through a segment of the routine slowly, with Carmen cueing and explaining the moves. Then you learn it "with counts," with Carmen counting off 8 counts. Then you do it "with music" : they run through the segment with the music on, no cueing. After this, as you add on more segments, you will run through all the segments you've learned from the top with music.

At first I thought it wasn't going to be much of a workout, because you have to wait for the music to come on to do it "with music." I'm high intermediate, and I thought it was going to be too much time standing around doing nothing. But I was sweating throughout the workout. I ended up really liking this approach, it was just like learning a routine in a real dance class. Some people might not like it, if they prefer to just keep moving non-stop, and if they are bothered by TIFTing.

One thing I didn't like, the very last run-through is shot like a music video, with lots of close ups of the face, and lots of slow motion shots. I can't follow along because half of it is in slow motion. So I have to end the workout with the run-through before last.

Disk 1:

I bought the 5 disk set but have only completed the 1st one so far. I wouldn't use this as a "workout". It's great for a rest day or something 'extra'. After the warmup, Carmen teaches each series of moves a couple of times through (very, very easy to pick up) and then you go through them as if you are performing with the music, no voice. I liked the style in which it was taught. I consider myself a little awkward and offbeat regularly but after this, I actually felt like I was moving right to the music and the beat. Not sure if I'd ever feel bold enough to 'perform' this for my SO but you just never know. If you are like me and just like variety and collecting workouts, I recommend it for your collection.

Disk 1: This is the only DVD in the set that I'm keeping. It has 3 routines, and isn't much of a cardio /strength workout when all is said and done.

But if you enjoy learning different dance styles, and want to learn some sensual moves - this is a decent dvd for that.

I also liked the music.

I don't recommend buying it to someone who doesn't have it - try sfactor, which got good reviews here, or maybe Jeff Costa's cardio striptease.

I have only tried Dvd 1, 3, and 4 Disc 1 and 3 are the four aerobic striptease routines with 2 on each dvd. These were pretty fun. The routines on the first disc are basic and cute, I think more for fun than to perform for a special someone. The routines on DVD 3 were role playing, one as a librarian and the other a lapdance with a hat, tie, and "your man's shirt" I think the first dvd was much better than the 3rd because I didn't really like the role playing dances at all. I thought they were cheesy and hard to follow because Carmen wasn't very specific about each move. She also said "ass" instead of butt which I guess I didn't mind, but could be bothersome to someone else. She didn't cue from the viewer's side either, she said left when she was on her left side, so that was alittle confusing for me to follow.

DVD 4, The Lapdance, was really fun. I enjoyed the routine, and will definatly try this one out on my bf. It was easy to follow and very sensual.

All the dvds take place in a small dance studio with good lighting, a beautiful view thru the windows and mirrors. For all of the dvds, during the instruction there is a "heads-up display" which is a light blue banner at mid-bottom of the screen showing you a timer and important tips. After the instruction sections, you will perform the routine as a run-through without instruction, no voices, just the music and no heads up display or timer.

Each dvd (except Fit 2 Strip) contains chapters of instruction and run through/routine. You can also preview a clip of each when you are in select chapter mode.

The dvds have 3 choices of music which you can change anytime in the workout and the routines flow very well and always on beat to the music. You can choose: techno beats, hip hop beats or rock beats. No vocals. The beats sound good and some of the discs have different beats for those 3 genres. None of the beats are familiar except on the Hip Hop disc 5, the hip hop beat is great, an oldie from the Queens, NY rap group Mobb Deep (I think, but it's been a while since i heard the song and I forgot the name of it)

Disc 1 - Aeorbic Striptease

I sure am disappointed in Disc 1, which is an introduction to Aerobic Striptease. It starts with Carmen and 2 girls instructing a warmup/stretch routine. After the instruction, I expected to jump right into the choreography but Carmen then repeats the entire warmup as a run-through, no instruction just instrumental music. This lasted at least 10 minutes. Carmen does a good job teaching and knows her moves well, no mistakes,but after the routine run through in the instruction chapter she giggles a bit. There is no giggling during the run through chapter so that shouldn't be a problem. Like usual dance routines, there is constant counting, the good thing is there's no couting during the run-throughs (you don't hear Carmen's voice at all).

Then Carmen instructs 2 routines with run-throughs separately. First you do the routine slowly. She'll show you a sequence of 1-3 moves and then you will repeat it from the top, and then she'll add-on and you repeat from the top. The first routine is standing, kinda cute and contains hip sways called dips (which is Carmen's favorite move, to me it doesn't look that sexy) and hip bumps, freaky head/neck spins (which look sexy when a real stripper does it but the way Carmen and her girls do it, it looks awkward). The routine was fun, but only lasted 2 minutes when you did the runthrough.

Routine #2 you learn floor moves and uses some core strength and flexibility. It was quite fun. There is some butt slapping and she puts her finger in her mouth for part of the routine. The routine run through is 2 minutes, you repeat each routine twice and it's done. My heartrate reached 55-60% during the run-through although it was short.

Disc 4 The LapDance:

The Lap Dance was fun and sexy!! My pulse was starting to rise a bit about 60% for a few minutes. I felt it in my abs when we lay on the chair and raise up slowly. You have to use your abs to balance so u don't fall off the chair. Unfortunately, the routine is short and when you do the run through of the routine it is only about 2 minutes (she repeats it 2x).

Disc 2 Fit 2 Strip:

I felt like I got a good workout. Michael carson is a good trainer and it was circuit like, had some creative exercises and was very pleasant to do. Michael instructed the whole routine, while Carmen did the moves with him and occasionally she'll do modifications. It worked the whole body and had 3 additional chapters which featured 5 minute isolations of lower body, abs, and upper body. The next day my buns were sore, i sure felt it in the area between the butt and the upper thigh. I felt like I had my own trainer and watching Carmen along with him gave me some serious motivation! There is a slight problem which is easy to correct, you do a one leg squat on the right leg, but after a few reps they somehow end up finishing the set on the left leg then he moves on to a new move - so i did the set on the right leg and while he was introducing the next move, I did the set on the left to make up for it. Overall, I believe it is a good intermediate lower body workout (standing & floor), but the upper body isolations didn't fatigue the upper body well since he used no weight (shoulder presses, rear delt flys, push ups, tricep dips,etc) so you would need an additional upper body workout.

Disc 3 - Advanced Aerobic Striptease:

This disc includes the moves you already learned in disc 1 & 4, and are role-play routines.

The first routine, Carmen is in a librarian outfit and you do a striptease removing your tie, glasses, and shaking out your hair.

The lapdance routine, Carmen is dressed in a man's hat, tie, button down shirt and dancer underwear w/ stockings. It was fun, not a real workout but more like a sexy cooldown. Similar to the Lapdance disc but had a few different moves. You strip off the hat, tie, and shirt. In my opinion, this is the only routine besides the Lapdance disc that is sensual enough to perform for somebody.

Disc 5 Hip Hop:

It was fun and Hot! There are a few sexy moves, but the rest is fun, doable, easy, intense hip hop choreography that is not corny, outdated or complex. This is the kind of routine I can see J Lo doing. She teaches a move, you repeat it, and then she adds on. My heartrate stayed up to 75-85% for 10 minutes. This is the only disc in the series that was a real aerobic workout, it was really intense w/ running in place turns, kicks and hops. Mostly low impact and definitely modifiable.

I like the feature where you can select techno, hip hop or rock beats. The whole instruction is 15 minutes, the first 2 minutes of the dvd starts out with Carmen's intro and clips of the other dvds in this set. After the routine, at 17:01 you perform the run through with music and no instruction. You repeat the routine 2x, which only lasts about 1.5 minutes. I repeat the routine 3 times so I get a complete 20 minute workout. There is no warmup, but you have the option to choose the warmup from disc 1 which is included somewhere in the chapters.

I think hip hop, fit 2 strip and lapdance are a keeper. The other 2 I don't need (Aeorbic stiptease disc 1 & 3) because it's mostly slow instruction, no intensity, and the moves aren't fun enough to consider keeping, especially since the whole routine is only 2 minutes. I waited 4 weeks from the time they shipped it for it to arrive to the east coast via media mail and there is no customer service # only email.

Disk 5 Hip Hop:

The actual workout is only 2 minutes long! The instruction is 15 minutes and she stops between each routine. There's only boring instrumental music. I am so disappointed that I wasted money on this.