Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Workout: Does the Real Housewife Deliver a Real Workout?

Even though we focus on being fit over being skinny here at Fit Bottomed Girls, I’ve learned not to judge a workout by its DVD cover. Plus, Jenn reviewed Bethenny Frankel’s first DVD, as did I, and we both found it to be pretty decent. So, despite the fact that I have yet to watch an episode of “The Real Housewives” of anywhere, I fired up Frankel’s newest DVD, Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Workout, with high hopes.

Frankel introduced a new format—three 15 to 20 minute long yoga workouts that can be done individually or one after another for a longer session—and a new instructor, Mike McArdle. Once again, the set was fantastic with clean lines, great lighting and artwork on the walls that I totally wanted to steal.

Often, multi-section yoga DVDs feel repetitive, with sun salutation after sun salutation, but I was happy to find that was not the case here at all. Each section hit multiple muscle groups, so if you only have 15 or 20 minutes to exercise, you can work a lot of muscles by doing just one section.

Frankel offers quite a few surprisingly helpful insights, giving reminders to breathe right when it’s easy to forget and asking about modifications for several poses. She’s a trooper—these workouts, especially the second one, are no joke, and she pushes right on through them with very little complaint. Fine, I’ll admit it. That skinny Real Housewife kicked my yoga-challenged butt, even though she mentioned several times that yoga is all about doing what you can, and that she enjoys it so much more when she pushes just a little instead of trying to be too bendy. Yeah, easy for someone who touches her toes with ease to say, I guess.

All jesting aside, I honestly enjoyed this workout. It was a great mix of strength and flexibility, with a bit of balance thrown in for funsies. Although, I must say my favorite part is when Frankel’s dog, Cookie, makes a surprise appearance in the background. I love a good canine cameo!

There’s just one thing, and I’d love to know if I’m just being nit-picky or if this bugs you guys, too—the instructor cued left and right based on his left and right. This is a huge pet peeve for me. It’s just not that hard to switch the cues, is it? There were several occasions on which I was listening and following along just fine, but got a little confused upon looking up and finding myself on a different foot.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

Instruction: ★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★1/2

Fit Bottom line:  Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Workout DVD is a step up in difficulty from Frankel’s first video, and I think she’s not only gotten better at yoga, but also at being in a yoga video. It’s a video I’d definitely do again!

So, tell me: Do you have any workout-DVD pet peeves? And if so, do they bother you enough to keep you from getting a good workout? —Kristen