Dance Your Pants Off: One oldie that is still a goody!
Written: Jan 24 '05 (Updated Feb 07 '05)
Product Rating:
Pros: Good music, fun atmosphere, "real" people of all sizes
Cons: Dancers don't break a sweat or look like they're really working out like I am
The Bottom Line: Although it was released in 1996, this remains a fun and effective dance/aerobic workout for all ages, sizes and fitness levels -- if you enjoy Simmons' unique style.
PattyTherre's Full Review: Richard Simmons - Dance Your Pants Off!
Richard Simmons has been churning out aerobic (and toning these days) workouts for years. I still have the very first Sweatin’ to the Oldies tape and it’s still fun even though I have moved on to other types of workouts.
Because I need variety and because I also need FUN when I do aerobics, I have kept all my Richard Simmons tapes. Tonight, I revisited Dance Your Pants Off which was released in 1996.
This 56-minute video by workout guru and king of the tiny shorts, Richard Simmons, dubs itself “An Aerobic Concert” and fits the description quite well.
The Set
Usually I don’t really care about what a set is like. Most workouts are set in studios or outside in a park or a beachlike area. This set is vastly different. It is set up to look like a neighborhood, complete with a park, a diner, and at the middle of “town” where the live band shows up and the singers and instrument players jump in and out of the workout. It’s a fun change of pace and keeps your mind off the fact that you have no idea what you’re doing because it’s totally uncued and you just have to follow along as best you can.
The Music
Richard Simmons has some of the best music because it is more than instrumental “porn tunes” as I call it. Many aerobic workouts tend to have pulsating instrumentals that really sound cheap and boring. This video has songs most people know like Celebration, Sweet Dreams (are Made of These), Flashdance, She Works Hard for the Money, Gloria, All Night Long, Conga, Call Me, Total Eclipse of the Heart and The Rose. Unlike many other workouts, the music is loud enough to really get into. I only wish there was a “turn Richard’s voice off” feature because his high-pitched singing and comments can grate on the nerves after a while.
The Background “Dancers”
As in all Richard’s workouts, he has a group of people of both genders and of all sizes. Throughout the video, some people leave and new people join in. They are having WAY too much fun for my liking (because, no matter what people say about Richard Simmons’ workouts, they are NOT easy!), but it’s always nice to see everyday average people working out rather than hard bodies who look like they workout 14 hours a day. I always did like the “all shapes and sizes” element to the Simmons workouts.
The Workout
The workout begins with a warm up of your whole body. All work is done standing in this video (Sweatin’ to the Oldies 2 has floor work integrated into it). You will do standard moves such as modified lunges and calf raises, stretching, and then slowly move to a quicker pace as the music picks up.
The actual aerobic part of the video is about 33 minutes long. You really DO dance your pants off as you go from the park to the diner to the center of town dancing to the faster songs. There is very little cuing throughout and you really just have to follow along and be a step behind everyone else for a while. Richards says we will eventually learn the moves and adds “I had to!” Ha, I am not getting paid millions to memorize the moves so I just improvise and do the best I can. Any movement is good movement if your heart rate is in the target range and, even though I don’t do the workout exactly as everyone else does, my heart rate definitely is up there.
One thing I wish this workout had that Sweatin’ to the Oldies II had, is a chart telling people what their target rate should be. In this video, you do pause three times to check in on your heart rate but it is based on level of intensity you are feeling like “Moderately Challenging”. That is too fuzzy for me so I take my heart rate during those times to be sure I am exerting enough energy to burn calories without overdoing it. For those who want to calculate their own target heart rate, an easy way to do it is to subtract your age from 220 then multiply that number by 60% and 80%. You should be within that range when working out aerobically. You can take a ten second check of your pulse, multiply that by six and know if you need to amp it up or slow yourself down. Working above your target heart rate puts you in anaerobic state and could be dangerous so do pay attention to that. You can also buy a heart monitor that tells you the rate at all times if you really want to be sure of what is happening. But the easiest way to know if you are overdoing is the classic “talk test.” If you can still talk while you are working out, you’re doing OK. If you become breathless and can’t carry on a conversation, slow down!
The moves consist of some familiar things like grapevines and “window washing” as well as some things that take a bit of practice to learn. But don’t worry, just MOVE and you’ll be doing great. The good thing about any aerobic workout is that, as long as you keep moving, you don’t have to do the workout move for move. Dancing is fun, just dance even if it isn’t exactly like what you see on the screen. You won’t be able to follow this one step by step so expect to add your own flavor to the workout.
The cool down is actually quite good. While The Rose plays and the singer is standing nearby, you will stretch out your muscles, slow your heart rate and get your mind in a peaceful state.
But Don’t Turn Off the Video Yet!
Most of Richard Simmons’ aerobic workouts include a line up of the people in the video dancing down to the front of screen where you see their name the amount of weight they lost. Some lost none, some a little, and some a whole lot. It is very refreshing and motivating to see that people really do lose weight with exercise (and, of course, proper diet) and that these are “real” people not just people plucked from an audition because of their “look”.
On one of his videos, Simmons has a man who lost – I kid you not – 785 pounds! Talk about humbling!
What I Liked and Disliked About This Workout
The music, the atmosphere, and the set were all great assets to Dance Your Pants Off. Richard seems fairly invigorated here but not as over the top as in some of his other videos. I could have done with a little less of his chatter and his singing but that’s Richard for you.
The live band and the singers/band members joining in on the workout floor is a fun diversion.
I could have done with a tad less enthusiasm from the people working out. While I know this was supposed to be fun and be a party, it’s hard work and they were just way too happy and totally fresh faced to be feeling as challenged as I was. Richard, though, does work up a sweat and declares it is “real” which I believe. Of course, the video is done in several takes so the background dancers can take it easy, unlike those doing the workout, which accounts for their over the top expressions, smiles and lack of evidence that they were working out or even really moving much. But that’s OK. You can’t help but like the people on the video, particularly when you see how far they have come at the end.
Bottom Line
Although this workout is nine years old, it’s every bit as effective now as it was in 1996. There is no new innovation that has changed the way we burn fat. Aside from the idea that interval training – slower and then much faster routines alternated -- supposedly burns fat at a higher rate of speed, Dance Your Pants Off is as effective today as it was the day it was released.
If you like Richard Simmons, or if you never tried any of his videos and want to, this is a good one to try. While my favorite is his Sweatin’ to the Oldies III, this one has all the elements to make a workout fun and move quickly. If you need a lot of instruction and get frustrated if you can’t get the steps in a couple viewings, be warned, you will be frustrated. You just need to watch and follow along – and add a few moves of your own if you want.
There is nothing high impact here that will injure bad knees or ankles and, if you work at your own pace, march in place when you feel winded and join back in when you’re ready, a beginner can enjoy this video. Intermediates should be able to do this with no problem.
It’s not a technical video – you rarely hear the names of muscle groups nor are taught anything in particular about what moves are for what part of the body (you can tell by the feel, you really don’t need to be told), but it remains a solid, fun, fast paced aerobic workout suitable for anyone.
Richard’s workouts aren’t for everybody. Some people positively despise his rather unique style. If you’re one of those people, obviously skip this video. If you want to have fun and burn calories, this is a nice addition to your workout collection.
You can get information on many of Richard's videos, DVDS, and equipment at www.richardsimmons.com. Also, most outlets that sell exercise workout videos and DVDs sell at least a few Simmons workouts. Lastly, ebay is great for trying out any of Richard's workouts for a relatively low cost. A quick search brought up literally hundreds of listings for his workouts starting at $1.99.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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