Get Addicted To Sweat with Nicole Winhoffer

With temptations around every corner, there are many things to be addicted to in this world. My No. 1 addiction though has been my solution for relieving stress, curbing my (sometimes) excessive love for food and is always a big part of getting together with my girlfriends. My addiction is sweating—well, kind of! It’s not that I necessarily love getting my T-shirt soaked and smelly by the time I leave the gym, but I love the way a good sweat makes me feel. And most times it means that I’ve just completed a kick-butt workout, like Nicole Winhoffer’s newest four-workout DVD collection: Addicted to Sweat.

As Madonna’s go-to trainer, Nicole has created a workout DVD that gets your body moving—and not just to the boring side step. With her four DVDs that build on one another, you’ll find two energized dance workouts, one towel workout and one chair workout. Each workout runs between 45 to 55 minutes and includes a warm-up and cool down. The breakdown of her DVDs include a quick tutorial to go over the moves you’ll be doing in the dance sequence, and then you jump into the workout by shaking, turning and grooving over and over.

Don’t be alarmed if you can’t seem to get all the moves down from the tutorial. Once the workout starts, you’ll practice each move continuously until you’ve got the hang of it, and then you’ll build on what you’ve established. Trust me, it took me countless wrong turns, a few random thrusts and a dog staring at me in confusion for me to finally get most of the moves down—and even after completing them I’m still going to have to practice! The nice thing about these DVDs though is that they’re different and challenging. You won’t be shuffling back and forth or waving your arms up and down; you’ll be doing those dance moves that you’ve only wished you could do when you watched Channing Tatum in Step Up. Yep, those sexy moves! You know what I’m talking about.

Nicole takes you through the workout by herself, and probably for a good reason…I don’t know many people that could keep up with her intensity. She runs through the moves quite quickly, but if you go at your own pace, I promise you’ll have tons of fun jamming out, swinging your hips and dripping with—you guessed it—sweat.

Addicted to Sweat: DVDs 1-4

Addicted to Sweat DVD 1, Get Wet: This is a 50-minute dance DVD with three fun routines. Before you take a stab at the dances, Nicole runs through a solid warm-up, which is especially good for Fit Bottomed gals like me who aren’t the most versed in these moves. Each dance starts with a quick tutorial that runs through each move in sequence. Nicole does move fast, so don’t get discouraged. You’ll go over each move multiple times and build a routine worth remembering when you hit the dance floor at your next party. In this DVD, you’ll run through Nicole’s version of the Step Together, Cha Cha, and Electric Slide. I found the Electric Slide to be the easiest, but that’s because I love me some good slidin’ while at a Bar Mitzvah or wedding! The DVD ends with bonus performances, which show Nicole doing each one of these dances flawlessly. I guess it’s a good reminder of what I’ve got to work on. There’s always room for improvement! Like each DVD or workout, Get Wet ends with a relaxing cool down.

Addicted to Sweat DVD 2, Jaw Breaker Towel: When I read this title, I had no idea what I was in for. Nicole’s towel workout runs about 40 minutes and begins with a tutorial so that you don’t go slippin’ and slidin’ all over the place! This workout is best done with towels on a slick surface, but if you’re like me, you can also use paper plates. You’ll need a few towels handy; I suggest having two hand towels and one face towel close by. The movements are very fluid once the towels (or plates) are underneath your feet. Each exercise is still very dance-oriented, and many of these movements are much more difficult than they look. Be sure to really focus on keeping your core tight. You never want to overextend, and trust me, you’ll need a caution sign close by saying: Slippery When Wet! There are a few modifications, which can be found in the tutorial. I find that most of the exercises required lots of flexibility and speed. Do your best to work within your limits to make sure you get the most out of your workout—and get you ready for the next Addicted to Sweat DVD!

Addicted to Sweat DVD 3, Wet, Wet, Wild: This DVD is the second level of routines built off all the skills you learned in the Get Wet workout. Nicole takes you through 55 minutes of three awesome new dances including, Ride the Horse, Drop Down and Hop Forward. These three workouts definitely push you to the next level, but isn’t that what we want? We want a workout that builds on itself and doesn’t get boring—and these definitely don’t. The intensity of these three dances will definitely have you dripping…and hopefully “dropping down” in the routines. Just like the first DVD Get Wet, you’ll run through the tutorial quite quickly, but I believe that if you have any muscle memory you’ll be running through these moves faster than you did before. But if you’re still struggling with the moves, don’t fret! Take as much time and practice as you need to get this routine down pat. My personal favorite was definitely the Drop Down, but that’s probably because I’ve always been the girl to drop it low on the dance floor. I mean, come on: a deep squat is definitely a calorie blaster!

Addicted to Sweat DVD 4, Jaw Breaker Chair: This DVD is much easier to follow than the others, but it’s just as challenging. In this workout you’ll use a sturdy chair with a wide base to enhance your calorie burning. You’ll do step-ups, leg lifts and kicks, and also use the chair as your stability partner to get a solid burn in your abdominals. The key here is to find an unbreakable chair (not your grandmother’s antique rocking chair), place the chair in the middle of the room so you don’t kick the art off the walls, and, of course, push yourself. This workout does require good form, so remember to engage your core and watch your knees!

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★1/2

Fit Bottomed Line: The Addicted to Sweat DVDs are perfect for intermediate and advanced Fit Bottomed Girls. The tutorials rush a bit through each exercise and move, but you can get the moves with some practice!

I thoroughly enjoyed these dance DVDs, even if I’m not exactly the most graceful. Do you dance to break a sweat? ––Raquel