2008, 99 cents, at Goodwill Superstore on San Fernando
First Impression: The host wears a cobalt blue top even though her name is Violet.
Second Impression: Violet! You’re turning Violet, Violet!
This is filmed in a very interesting vintagey-looking brick space. There’s a series of arched alcoves along the side walls, with catwalks making an upper level. There’s a Dr. Seuss potted plant in the background.
In close-ups, I can see that the floor is indeed plain, grey cracked concrete, pretty much the third worst place for any physical activity. Worse than concrete is a floor made of solid diamonds. Worst of all, for the four billionth year in a row, is the surface of the sun.
I decide that the alcoves were once used for washing circus elephants. The walkways above were for spectators who would give a ha’penny for a glimpse of the magnificent beasts being scrubbed down with Peterson’s Premium Pachyderm Soap.
Now that I can stop obsessing over the set, I’m free to start the program. It’s two separate twenty-minute body sculpting routines, and I’m pleasantly surprised the DVD menu is intuitive and easy to use. You can select just the intro, a workout by itself, or a routine with a warm up and cool down added. You can play everything for a longer session if you wish, and there’s also a bonus ab segment and a mini Pilates routine. It’s rare to find an exercise DVD with such user-friendly navigation so I give this one the Luddite seal of approval!
The workouts are the right length and intensity so that you feel like you got your exercise in for the day, but not so challenging that you dread doing this video again. The host is charming, with an Australian accent and a short haircut like Janine Turner from Northern Exposure. The two backup helpers have fit yet realistic body types. Their smiles are so radiant, and so ever-present, that I wonder if after a day of being filmed whilst jumping on concrete, they are each handed a shot of whiskey as they make their way to a tub full of ice.
Thrift Store Fitness 