All Rise...

Judge Christopher Kulik encourages you to pick up a copy of his new exercise video Abs Of Flab.

Editor's Note

Our reviews of Denise Austin: Body Burn With Dance And Pilates (published February 28th, 2009), Denise Austin: Body Makeover Mix (published January 9th, 2010), Denise Austin: Get Fit Daily Dozen (published February 28th, 2009), Denise Austin: Hot Body Yoga (published October 2nd, 2010), and Denise Austin: Sculpt And Burn Body Blitz (published September 11th, 2011) are also available.

The Charge

Kick-start weight loss with two supercharged workouts!

The Case

In an attempt to re-energize my body since leaving the military, I decided to check out Denise Austin's 3-Week Boot Camp. While not nearly as physical draining as Navy boot camp, it's a solid flex-fest full of cogent cardio routines.

Two workouts are provided:

"Cardio & Strength Intervals" (20:00)
A hodgepodge of aerobics focusing on everything from the abs to the buttocks. Also included are push-ups, shadow-boxing, and jumping jacks. Closing out the workout are a series of stretches.

"Athletic Training" (22:00)
After some warm-up stretches, Austin teaches a variety of moves utilizing hand weights. One of the highlights are "Romanian deadlifts," which specifically attack the cellulite on the thighs.

These are both excellent workouts, although they will take a couple of days to master, due to Austin's speedy instruction. Some of her drills start and stop a bit too quickly, so more attention needs to be paid to keep up. She still teaches everything well, exhibiting a bubbly attitude. Yet, considering this DVD is labeled as a "boot camp," I would have preferred Austin to tone down the chirpiness and occasionally bark orders, military style. It would have been highly amusing, if she yelled stuff like "Do those push-ups, bitch!" to one of her four assistants. Talk about real motivation!

As usual, Lionsgate provides a decent presentation. Shot on digital video, the exercises look good in the 1.33:1 full screen print. Audio-wise, we have a 2.0 Stereo mix along with closed captioning. Labeled an extra is the 7-minute "Ab Fat-Blaster," introducing such strokes as the Elbow Plank and Starfish. Two of her assistants decided to hit the locker room, while Austin points out what her other assistants are doing to accomplish these distinctive, and somewhat challenging, strokes. At one point, one of the assistants almost hits Austin in the head with her weight! Whew, close call, folks!

Other extras include an music-only option, trailers for other Austin DVDs, and some workout recommendations. The latter is basically a handful of tips describing what you should do each week, plus a maintenance note which says to "do the routine 3-times a week combined with a healthy diet." Austin doesn't get specific about this diet, which is kind of a disappointment. A detailed plan would have been helpful, as common sense dictates that nutrition and exercise work hand-in-hand.

The Verdict

Not guilty. Now, get down and give me 50…on the double…RIGHT NOW!

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