Cardio Axe [28.35]

This workout is by far my favorite Brazilian Butt Lift workout. The music is infectious, the moves are fun, and it becomes a challenge to link all the combo’s together and perform them all as quickly and as smoothly as Leandro Carvalho does on the screen. Because that’s what’s brilliant about this workout: it’s composed of four extended combos that Leandro teaches you, and then you have to link them together so that by the end you’re performing what feels like a high energy, challenging dance routine, combining samba with twists and spins, always dancing and moving to the rhythm of the music.

The workout is a little under thirty minutes long, and what’s great about it is that you can put as much energy or as little into it as you like. If you’re just beginning, you can gently sway your hips, move at the same speed as Leandro but not push yourself as hard; if you’re ready for a much tougher workout, than really try to enjoy the moves, throwing yourself into them, moving your shoulders and hips, bringing your knees high and just having a blast as you burn up those calories while dancing up a storm.

Warm Up: 4.30

The Warm Up opens with the Brazilian March, which is the fundamental glue that holds the whole Cardio Axe workout together. It’s a high energy march, where you pick the knees up high and open them to the side with each step, so that you show the inner thigh, working your arms in time to the tempo and moving your hips so as to help your knees swing out wide when you raise them.

The Warm Up includes a number of other steps and moves, from the sideways step with scooping arm motions to mini-side lunges that you bounce in and of, shaking your booty and swinging your arms overhead. Always you return to the Brazilian March. There’s a nice Samba move where you learn the basic Samba dance, stepping forward, turning the toes out, and then back. You can really get into this one, sinuous and sexy, arms moving and hips swinging.

Combo # 1: Hit the Drums (5.30 min)

Still keeping in time to the music, take three steps to the side, and then turn, go back. You then spice it up by pretending to beat on drums as you go in each direction. The next step is to touch the ball of your foot forward, turning your heel in so as to show your inner thigh, shimmying your shoulders. The final step is to do an Elvis rock ‘n roll move where you go on the balls of your feet and spin the heels from one side to the other.

You then add the touch step with the rock ‘n roll. Once you’ve got that combo under control, Leandro throws in some arms, always moving in time to the music, swaying and dancing. Then you beat the drums to the left, come back, and then in the middle do the touch step, followed by the rock ‘n roll. You do the combo a couple of times more, breaking each combo up with a little Brazilian March.

When you’ve got that down, he teaches you The Wheel. Three little side steps on each side, each with a good hip pop, adding the arms and finally turning around altogether, keeping the beat as you go. Then when you’ve got that down, hit the drums to the side, touch step, throw in a little rock ‘n roll, and then finish it off with The Wheel! When you’ve performed the whole combo, do as Leandro says, “You got it-now own it!”

Combo # 2: Sweep the Sand (4:00 min)

Shuffle to each side with three steps, and then throw in your arms once you’ve got the steps down, sweeping as you go in each side as if brushing sand off the floor. Side to side, and then add the Ride the Wave. Turning so that you’re in profile, approach the front with four steps, turning to face different walls as you go with each step, throwing in arms and acting almost as if you’re surfing as you go, then drop back to the beginning spot. Bust out a Bahia Samba, add the Ride the Ways, and then add the Lambada.

The Lambada involves a little step forward, count 1,2,3 as you sway your hips, and then back. Once you’ve got that, add arms, raising them both, and then lowering them down, bowing, as if approaching a lambada bar.

The complete combo starts with Sweep the Sand, and then you turn sideways to Ride the Waves, throw in a Bahia Samba, and finish it off with the Lambada! Do this a couple of times, and you’ve got Combo # 2! As Leandro says, “This is fun-I am enjoying so much!”

Combo # 3: International Samba (3.21 min)

Cross the feet over as you move from one side to the side, swinging your arms from side to side. On the third time you hold, and stab your feet three times back in the direction you came from. Once you go that, throw in a turn, spinning all the way around. Now add arms, raising them and crossing them before your chest in time to the music. Leandro admits that he stole this move from Shakira, “That’s a great move. She does so well!”

Now it gets fun-cross one leg before the other, and then shimmy to one side without ever uncrossing your feet, taking little shuffle steps with each, shoulders swaying as your use balls and heels of your feet to move. Then put both moves together and you have the complete combo!

All 3 Combos: 3:00

Did you do your homework? Now Leandro starts to mix things up by throwing the Hit the Drums together with the Sweep the Sand, followed by the International Samba. Keep your eyes on the screen, listen to Leandro’s prompts, and it should all flow natural-just be sure to enjoy yourself, to keep to the rhythm! “That was perfect! You got so well!”

Combo # 4: Samba Tornado (1:10 min)

Do the samba step a couple of times, then back, and swing your hips in a spiral as you descend, then jump back up to a full stand. Do the samba step again, back, down in a tornado move, and then jump back up. That’s the Samba Tornado!

All 4 Combos: 6:00

Ok, time for the real thing: now you put all four combo’s together, really dance it. The first combo is the Drums, then Sweep the Sand, then International Samba, and finally Samba Tornado. Enjoy it, throw yourself into it, spin and dance, rock those shoulders, sway those hips and lose yourself to the rhythm!

Cool Down: 1:00

By the time you get to the final minute, you should be covered in sweat, out of breath and with a huge smile on your face. Follow these last few moves to cool down, and then allow yourself to feel great! You just finished a killer workout and had a blast while doing so 😉

#adp03