Long, long ago I reviewed Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home workout DVD series. And, I was a little harsh in my review. I still stand behind everything I said and the two-star rating, but after receiving a very kind suggestion (and plea) from Nicole, a reader who is a big Leslie fan and is ACTUALLY FEATURED IN THE DVD, I decided to give the series another go. And to be totally fair, I didn’t review just one LS DVD but two: 5 Mile Fat Burning Walk and The Big Burn. You know, best out of three.
5 Mile Fat Burning Walk
This 65-minute DVD is set up, best as I can tell, as most are in the Walk at Home series: a warm-up worked into the first mile, more miles that alternate between marching/walking in place and simple choreography like step taps, knee lifts and kicks with a “boosted walk,” which consists of light jogging and high-intensity versions of her previous moves during the final two minutes of the mile, then a quick stretch.
For someone without exercise ADD (read:
not me), this could be awesome. In Leslie’s DVDs there’s a process, a sequence and you usually know what to expect. The moves are simple, and she’s great at encouraging you to do things at your own pace and your own speed, often saying, “Don’t worry about what leg you’re on. This workout isn’t about choreography.” Her postural alignment and cuing is perfect, and she’s naturally made to lead workouts. I give her props there. Although her continuous talking in an East coast accent got to me by mile three—and my husband who was working in the other room and could here Leslie’s signature laugh (hey, at least she’s happy, I told him).
However, if you can’t take LS for a whole 65 minutes or have a hard time devoting a chunk of time like that to exercise, you’ll like the menu options. The menu lets you choose as many or few miles as you want. When I reviewed it, I did miles one to three one day, and four and five the next. For me, small doses of Ms. Sansone help me appreciate her more.
The DVD also includes an interview with Nicole, the aforementioned kind reader. Leslie asks the questions, and talks over Nicole a bit, but Nicole’s inspiring story of weight-loss and getting healthy and active rings true. Besides the boosted walks, this was probably my favorite part of the DVD.
The Big Burn This one is set up similarly to the above DVD, but covers just two miles. Plus, it includes interval work (more sporadic “jogging”), and although there’s no menu to speak of, the workout is just 33 minutes, so that’s a plus. For me, this setup seemed just right. Not too long, not too short, and although Leslie does get pretty kitschy in a few parts, it’s pretty solid.
After all, I’d be remiss to not note that Leslie is a totally normal-looking, in-shape lady who no doubt likes to have fun. And I like fun.
While I didn’t get the greatest workout from the DVD, my heart rate was elevated, and I even sweat a little. The music is good, but this one’s product quality was a bit low as I swear I could hear the boom mic or Leslie’s mic thumping from time to time. Granted my DVD player died the next day, so maybe this was more DVD player error than production error.
Overall, both DVDs were better than the first one I reviewed. I may not be jumping on the Leslie Sansone bandwagon yet, but she’s got skills. And one heck of a laugh.
FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★
Music: ★★★★
Fun Factor: ★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★
Overall: ★★★
Fit Bottom line: I’m still not a huge fan of this series (although this round of reviews did earn one more star than the last), but if you’re a beginner or someone who loves to walk and is okay with a strong personality and laugh, walk yourself out. —Jenn
Want to try out these DVDs yourself? Comment below with why you want them or email us at contact@fitbottomedgirls.com by June 4, and we’ll pick two lucky readers to try one of these titles. U.S. residents only, please! And if you don’t want to risk not winning, pick 5 Mile Fat Burning Walk and The Big Burn up on Amazon today for cheap, cheap! 