Here we go again, yet another infomercial promising flat, sculptured abs without having to do ?painful? crunches or sit-ups. So, what's the deal? The Hip Hop Abs package comes with four DVDs, a 30 day workout calendar and 24/7 ?online support? (somewhat misleading as the ?expert? support is limited to forum exchanges with other users and the occasional live chat with Shaun T. Unless you download the DVDs from the internet you will have to pay $60, plus shipping and handling.



The target groups of this workout program are evidently women and gay men, like Shaun himself. Straight males might be somewhat irritated by his constant chatter (although you can turn up the volume of the music over the talk) and the way he moderates the program. The Hip Hop moves shown on the DVDs are nothing you can boast with at a club, so if you want to learn real moves, I suggest you take Hip Hop classes at your local gym instead.

The most important thing you have to know is that, in order to get tight, strongly defined abs, nothing beats bicycle manoeuvre, captains chair and crunches on an exercise balls, as recently proven again by a study conducted at the University of San Diego. So, if sexy abs is your only goal, if you can motivate yourself and eat healthily, just do one of the aforementioned three exercises every day and you will get a better result than with anything sold through an infomercial. So, what is the Hip Hop Abs workout good for? Check out these Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Doing the moves shown on the exercise DVDs sure beats sitting on the couch and just watching the tube. If you do it right, work up a sweat and actually get your heart rate up, you can lose weight; especially if you stick to the diet plan that comes with the package. It can make sense to add it to your daily routine and you can get a nice endorphin boost.

Depending on the type of person you are, you might have a good time watching the Shaun T working his sexy body up into a sweat and listening to his talk. In that case the short workouts will fly right by.

Cons:

The key problem with Hip Hop Abs is that it is not the ultimate workout for your abs. The ?standing crunch? advertised as the core movement is in no way as effective as cycling, the captain's chair or real crunches. A muscle shortening by bending slightly as shown in Hip Hop Abs does not stimulate you abs and make them grow bigger and stronger. This is one clear point where the people selling the product are trying to mislead you.

Hip Hop Abs is not a cardio vascular exercise. If you are in halfway decent shape, the workout routines of Shaun T won't make you break out in a big sweat. With time you get used to the drill and as your muscles adapt and your movements become more efficient your body will be less and less challenged. In order to challenge it more you will have to ?upgrade? to the advanced workouts, which basically means buying more stuff from them.

The moves are not for everybody and take some time getting used to. It is in no way real Hip Hop what you are learning there. Additionally, the music and Shaun T are not for everybody, which is fair enough.

?Testimonials? claim to have used the product and to have lost as much as 3 inches on their hips in as little as three days. Such a weight loss in such a short time is not only highly unlikely, but were it true would it be everything else but healthy. Don't buy the product and expect to look like Shaun T after a few weeks.

In many forums people complain about the customer service delivered by Hip Hop Abs and about being overcharged or receiving stuff they didn't actually want to buy. If you are set on buying the product, use pay pal or make sure you don't get scammed or overcharged for stuff you never wanted. .

Conclusion

Now, is Hip Hop Abs the ultimate abs workout or a total scam like other products advertised in infomercials? The answer is: neither.

If dancing is your thing, if you think this looks like a fun way to lose weight and if you are willing to spend the money, then by all means do it and give Hip Hop Abs a shot. If it gets you off the couch and makes you exercise every day, if it makes you change to a healthier diet and makes you feel better about yourself, then it is worth it.

If you are looking for the best way to build your abs, you should stick to the scientifically proven methods. Doing real abs exercises might burn a little, but how sweet is that pain if it actually delivers results that can be measured. Furthermore, Hip Hop Abs is not a suitable cardiovascular exercise since it is neither progressive nor adaptive. If you want to build up a real sweat, rather go for a run or use the cardio machines in your gym. That will make you lose weight faster and you can track your own progress better.