I’ve never purchased anything from an infomercial before. And I’ve certainly never been an exercise-video person; I was a runner until injuries sidelined me. So what was I doing dialing the 800 number for Hip Hop Abs, with testimonials from newly slimmed-down, middle-aged white guys? Brian, my husband, laughed when he heard I paid $60 for the four DVDs (six different workouts, 15 to 42 minutes long). Then I popped the Total Body Burn disc in, and he saw me doing the “three T’s”: Tilting my shoulders down, tucking my butt under, and tightening my abs with a breath-of-fire-esque exhale to a bouncy beat. Pretty soon he joined me. Now we do moves like the “get busy,” the “throw down,” and “the flava” three or four times a week with instructor Shaun T (pictured). The workouts provide a good combination of core work, cardio, and resistance (with your own weights or one-pound weighted gloves you can order for $20 extra). I’ve lost a few pounds, and my stomach is flatter; my husband’s is visibly tighter and has new definition. We recently graduated to Hip Hop Abs Maximum Results Set Level Two. Another $60 investment for three workouts, between 35 and 45 minutes. These are much more challenging, with more jumping and squatting, which explains why Brian has been hobbling lately. He says he’s suffering from “hip-hop ass.”

Hip Hop Abs
$59.85 plus $12.95 shipping, beachbody.com; 800-681-0993

Related:

• Articles by Sari Botton
• Table of Contents: Nov 5, 2007 issue of New York | Subscribe!