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The title (Body Rock) and video cover (showing Olympic high jumper Amy Acuff and promising "fashionably fit aerobics") are deceptive. First, this is a cardio kickboxing workout, and the leader is trainer Allan Aranzamendez, not Acuff (who is just one of the class participants, although she does talk from time to time). Aranzamendez preteaches the moves during the warm- up, giving us the basics of jabs and kicks, but no technique instructions or safety precautions. Then he leads a 20-minute cardio segment consisting of a complex routine, teaching it one piece at a time. Many of the moves keep the legs stationary, the upper body and torso moving. Except for the beginning of the workout, Aranzamendez forgets to reverse the left-right cuing--he cues right when it's our left, and vice versa (the directions are correct for him and his participants, but not for us), which is distracting and makes the patterns harder to follow. True to the format of an MTV video, the participants are youthful, very fit (showing off bare midriffs and chests to prove it), and good-looking. The video ends with a few minutes of summer makeup and fashion tips (including how to find a swimsuit that fits and flatters). --Joan Price
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