SparkPeople 28 Day Bootcamp

This is a typical Acacia dvd...lots of main menu choices. From the Main Menu, you can access Coach Nicole's 28 Day Plan, which is an "interactive" calendar with preset premixes for each workout day of the month, each ranging from 20-60 minutes long....with the majority being under 40 minutes. Also from the main menu, you can "Choose Your Own Workout" which leads you to the titled workout segments described in detail below.

Bonus features on the dvd: Seated Ab Exercises, 3 Tricks to Burn More Fat, About SparkPeople, About Coach Nicole, Excerpt from Exhale CF Thighs & Glutes ("Turned Out Thigh"), Excerpt from Erin O'Brien "Strong Body, Ageless Body"

About the set:

Large, bright loft-type room. Wooden floor.

Coach Nicole is front & center w/ 2 backgrounders that show different levels of difficulty.

There is a count-down clock on the bottom of the screen.

Warm Up (6 min)

Well-cued, begins with a basic move and then becomes progressively more intense/complex, taught add-on style. So a march becomes a traveling march --> add on a knee hop --> add on arm movement. Or a plie squat --> add on prisoner arms --> add on a torso twist --> arm swings.

Very non-intimidating, even when it becomes higher impact. Coach Nicole always gives "permission" to remain at a lower level or without specific add-ons.

Cardio Burst (12 min)

Some of this reminded me of Gay Gasper's Fat Burning for Dummies (who remembers that?). Basic, old-school moves to start (march, grapevines, mamba, mamba with a push-turn). Then it progresses to some more intense moves (jacks, cardio paced lunges, jump lunges, squats, boxer shuffle w/ punching variations); low-impact mods always shown.

Again, all taught in add-on manner, often goes back to march between moves.

Short Cardio Sculpt (12 min)

This segment alternates cardio with strength moves. The moves start simple/small and then build up. Some cardio moves: side taps with arms, lunges with kicks, burpee (with mods shown), high knees/skips. Some strength moves: squat w/ clean & press, biceps curls/kickbacks, bridge, pushups, planks.

Tone & Burn (20 min)

This one has more strength work with some cardio bursts thrown in. Most of the moves start off basic and then add more body parts or planes or levels (again, taught add-on style and with mods offered). Some examples:

curtsey lunges --> add a side kick at top of move -->add a press overhead

seated bicep curls --> add a lean back to engage abs --> add alternating leg lifts

Total Body Challenge (30 min)

Coach Nicole refers to this as a "kettlebell inspired routine" using dumbbells. Again, variations are shown for different levels, the advanced modifier often showing higher impact or more balance challenge. Some moves shown: squats (pick up/put down dbs, 1 legged), swings (2 handed and 1 handed, stationary and traveling), windmill, woodchops, lunges, rows. The dumbbell swings (with all the variations done) are sprinkled in between more strength-focused moves as the "cardio burst".

Cool Down (4 min)

Marching --> forward and back. Side steps --> add on arm movements. Stretching in lunge position, quad stretch, hamstring & side stretch. Basic and pretty succinct.