I had never heard of PopPhysique before but Popsugar/Anna Renderer had PopPhysique trainer Sam Harper as a guest trainer and I really enjoyed her 10 minute Leg & Butt workout, so I looked PopPhysique up on Amazon. There were two workouts with “butt” in the title that were cheap if purchased used. The covers of the PopPhysique DVDs say “Burn 500 Calories.” So I was expecting a barre workout with a cardio factor like The Booty Barre and Xtend Barre. Sounded awesome to me.
Well. Original Butt workout did not deliver a 500 calorie burn. Not even close. In 54 minutes I burned 99 calories according to my Fitbit. There was zero cardio, I barely broke a sweat, and it did not work my glutes hard as I expected. I’m not even sure why “butt” is in the title. This workout worked the upper body, the lower body (quads & hamstrings, too–not glute focused) and the abs. The butt didn’t get any more work than any other body part. In addition I did not enjoy it. Some moves I barely felt and others were kind of painful. I will definitively not be returning to this workout. And I no longer feel compelled to try the other PopPhysique workout I purchased: Cardio Butt School. So that one may sit on the shelf collecting dust for a while (or forever, who knows?).
Original Butt is led by Sam Harper. Her two background exercisers were wearing lace lingerie tops with workout pants. Lace one-piece thingies with lace bras. And close fitting sweat pants. Interesting combo.
I’m not going to do my usual break down of a workout because I disliked it so much that I know I will never return to it. So just the basics.
Original Butt is 54 minutes long. The warm up is one minute of knee lift variations. Since you stretch frequently throughout the workout, I’m not going to count the final stretch as an end stretch. I will just group each segment together. Equipment needed–light dumbbells, a chair and a fitness mat. Sam and crew used a set of 2 pound and a set of 3 pound dumbbells. Due to the nature of the exercises you cannot use heavy dumbbells but that is typical of most barre workouts. I used 3 and 7 pound dumbbells. The first segment is an elbow plank series, a lot of knee push ups that actually get a little painful, and tricep dips in tabletop; this lasts approx 5 minutes. Then you grab your hand weights for about 8 more minutes of upper body work. Next you grab your chair for 17 minutes of barre work. Come down to your mat for 13 minutes of ab work. The workout ends with 3 minutes of bridge work plus some leg raises while on your stomach to work the glutes. I would have to say this final segment is the only segment I actually liked, but not enough to bother with returning to this workout–not for a 3 minute segment. It ends with 2 more minutes of stretching, but like I mentioned before, you stretch frequently throughout this workout.
Me, again. So indecisive. Haven’t purchased yet. Found the full-length video on vimeo. The gals are just so young and their outfits are, admittedly, a bit silly or maybe I should just be polite and say non-traditional workout clothes. I wonder if that is going to distract me and/or prevent me from “connecting” with them on some level. The exercises do look good though, like something I’d enjoy……..
But there’s just a little to much peek-a-boo for me: https://popphysique.com/featured/pop-virgin
Well anyway. I feel like a nut for leaving so many comments. Maybe I should do my thinking out loud to myself 😉
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Feeling a connection with a trainer is so important, in my opinion. It is what always keeps me coming back to my favorites–Cathe and Jessica speak to me the loudest but I also love Barlates and KCM workouts. I find Mark Lauren workouts kind of soothing–even when he is kicking my butt!
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I’m 90% sure at this point that I’m actually NOT going to get the DVD. $2.99 is a deal for sure but I just don’t think it’s a good match for me.
I hate being judge-y or snooty or sound like an old lady (which I’m not, the old lady part at least, I suppose I am being a bit of the first two) but the three women in the video look so young that it makes me question their fitness background/certification/expertise, etc…. and their outfits are just silly and not practical for exercising in. One woman is wearing booty shorts that are just too short — I don’t need to see peeks of booty cheek whilst exercising. And one of the images that I found on their official website is just too much. (I should have put NSFW next to the link and I’m sorry I didn’t think to do that.)
I watched a good bit of the Cardio Butt School video via the vimeo link and it does look fun, I’m smitten with the pulsing and micro-movements but at the same time I’m wondering if I would end up hurting myself doing the workout with just extreme muscle soreness the same day and/or DOMS the next day(s).
So I guess after my multiple comments and this long rambling post, it’s a pass for me. I’m intrigued by Jessica Smith’s FEEL GOOD FUSION workout DVD. It’s mildly annoying (at least to me) that she and her company, In Wellness Systems LLC, only sells through Amazon. I rarely purchase on Amazon and thus do not have Amazon Prime. But obvious they chose Amazon for a reason to warehouse their inventory and handle taking orders, shipping, etc………
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Feel Good Fusion is worth it! I should probably buy stock in Amazon–I am probably one of their best customers!
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P.S. I love Jillian. She’s who I connect with. I’m on Day 4 of Workout 1 in 30DS. It’s tough but I am feeling slight increases in my endurance and that is keeping me motivated. I couldn’t imagine doing this DVD without having done Beginner Shred first.
I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do after I finish 30 Day Shred. I’m thinking I might not want to go into Ripped in 30, I might want something a bit less intense but still effective. (That’s why the Pop Physique Cardio Butt School initially caught my interest. All those micro-movements and pulses.)
I want to love Linda with Barlates but I’m still overwhelmed by her 100+ videos on Total Fitness DVD site. It’s. Just. Too. Much.
I want to get KCM Body Shop (and maybe some kind of KCM cardio) but I’m hoping that that the Total Fitness DVDs maybe has a sale in the near-ish future. College Video has it cheaper (never ordered from them) but I feel loyal to Total Fitness DVDs.
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You said: “Feel Good Fusion is worth it! I should probably buy stock in Amazon–I am probably one of their best customers!”
Is Feel Good Fusion an effective workout? And by effective I mean that it gets your heart rate up and you feel like you’re working your muscles. I ask this because on your other feel good fusion review post (which is a review for a video from jessica’s channel) you said,” But it’s still not a difficult or advanced workout. It does feel good. You are working your muscles, and you feel it, but there is no burn out, no real cardio but I did break a sweat. Overall, I loved it. The thing I liked least about it was at the end, there is a lot of balance work and my balance sucks. But otherwise, I loved it. Jessica says to think of this workout as “movement therapy”–not a workout to push yourself. She would also like you to do the workout barefoot. I did not do it barefoot.”
I guess since I’ve been doing so much Jillian lately, I feel like her workouts are the epitome of pushing yourself. What is the level of intensity for the Feel Good Fusion DVD? And how does the intensity and type of exercises compare with Linda’s workouts?
I’m not sure how I feel about working out barefoot. I feel like I need my sneakers for arch support and to cushion my ankle. But I might would consider some non-slip socks with arch support.
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Jessica’s Feel Good fusion workouts are definitely more intense than her similar YouTube workouts. Here is my review of Feel Good Fusion. Jessica has other, similar workouts that sneak up on you: Build Balance + Inner Strength.
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Jessica and Linda are very different trainers. Barlates workouts are more intense overall tho they both have their outliers. Jessica always approaches things with more control. I’m not saying Linda doesn’t have control or good form (she does) but Jessica never seems to be in a rush. And I don’t mean that with any negativity–to either trainer. You just have to experience them both to understand. But Barlates workouts will definitely give you more muscle burn out than a Jessica Smith workout.
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You know what, for $2.99 I am going to take a gamble and pick up a copy 🙂 Too good a deal to pass up. I really like the youtube clip. This DVD cover also says you burn 500 calories but I’m okay if I don’t. I don’t wear anything while working out to track my calorie burn (although I am curious about that.)
Also, I dearly hope my question doesn’t come across as nosy or too personal, but clearly you are passionate about fitness and taking care of your self. I read on your blog that you are married and have a couple of kids. Do any of them join you when you work out? Or is your home exercise room sort of like your own “man cave” and no one goes in there?
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If you really want it–you should get it. $2.99 isn’t a bad price to try something out. My daughters are grown now–both living on their own but we never worked out together when they lived at home. The oldest is into heavy weight lifting now (deadlifts more than her own body weight) but she wasn’t when she lived at home. The youngest did Cathe strength workouts when she lived at home, but we never did them together. My workout room is my woman cave but she was always free to use it when I wasn’t using it. She still exercises but she is more of a runner now.
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Did you ever give Pop Physique’s Cardio Butt School a try? It’s a featured Deal of the Day on the Total Fitness DVD site for just $2.99 and I am strongly considering purchasing it. I’m pleased that it seems to be total body rather than just focusing on the butt. (And thankfully the instructors/exercisers are not wearing sexy workout clothes in this DVD.)
Pop Physique’s Cardio Butt School seems slightly similar to Red Hot Barre Fitness by Christine Gallagher DeFilippis and Barre Fitness by Jessica Smith — both of which (or even just one of those two) I would love to own.
Here’s a preview clip for Pop Physique’s Cardio Butt School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju9toD7Mrf4
What do you think?
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Hi Beth, I was so turned off by this Pop Physique workout that I was never motivated to do their other workout I purchased. I may get to it one day. I just looked it up on my Amazon orders and the other one I bought (that is collecting dust on my DVD shelf) is Cardio Butt School. And Jessica’s Barre Fitness is her only workout I don’t own. It is on my wishlist so one day I will buy it. I am not in a place where I can watch videos right now but I will check out the link you posted this evening.
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Hmmm… I watched the trailer and it does look like an effective workout but I know Linda/Barlates does just as effective (if not more effective) barre workouts and I actually feel that connection you mentioned with her. And Linda doesn’t look like she is doing a burlesque show.
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Yes the trailer for Cardio Butt School (gah, what a bizarre name) is good and the entire 39 or so minute workout is available on vimeo via the link above. It seems like a good total body workout. I just cannot get past how young these girls look and how ridiculous their outfits are. To me they don’t seem to have any credibility as instructors — they don’t really talk about breathing, or purpose, or technique/form….. I recall Total Fitness DVDs had a different Pop Physique DVD as a sale of the day within the past month (probably the one you reviewed) and they were wearing too sexy lacy black outifts — ridiculous for working out in again — which is such a shame because again the actual exercise moves looked good.
I would love to get a DVD that is similar to Pop Physique’s Cardio Butt School — I am intrigued by barre/barlates, smitten with the pulses and micro-movements and the high reps with not heavy weights.
I’ll have to muster up my strength/courage and look back into Linda’s videos. I know you shared some links with me (I’ll have to find that post on your site) and I went though the Total Fitness DVD site and bookmarked some of her workouts. ( think possibly some of Linda’s videos were recently featured as a weekly deal but her DVDs seem quite reasonably priced for the number of workouts you get on them.)
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You mentioned loving iso barre exercises. This Barlates collection might be a good starting place for you: https://2lazy4gym.com/2017/11/22/barlates-interval-barre-fusion-lower/
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