Island Girl Natural Journeys

Island Girl: Cardio Hula/Hula Abs & Buns Review

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Distributor: Natural Journeys/Goldhil Home Media

Year: 2004 (the 2-disc set uses the 2008 packaging from Cerebellum Corporation)

Aloha everyone!

Since I loved Kili’s Island Girl: Hula Workout for Weight Loss video, I would love to share with you the rest of her Island Girl workout series on DVD!

Before I was looking to expand my fitness DVD collection in the spring of 2023, I came across this YouTube channel called The Parlor, which specializes in finding mysterious VHS tapes and other types of lost media.

Then I came across this video which is titled, “Hula Workout 2003 VHS.” The opening had the usual FBI warning and disclaimer screens before a logo came on screen.

Apparently, the tape was distributed by both Goldhil Video and a subsidiary company called Natural Journeys, which was a distributor for health and fitness products. 

As soon as the opening began, I watched the entire video and really wanted to invest in the workout for my collection. After watching Moana back in middle school, I did find the Island Girl: Hula Workout for Weight Loss DVD in a Half Price Books store along with my purchase of a manga and a medical novel.

I did the workout for the first time, and I’d have to say that the video was a pretty unique way to get some cardio into a fitness routine. 

Now that I have over 20 titles in my collection, I would love to review them on this blog. 

Originally, there was an eBay listing of Hula Abs & Buns alongside the Tantric Toning Workout with Stephanie de Phillipo that I wanted, but at the time I was doing the Yoga Booty Ballet (Beachbody) program. 

On Christmas Day 2023, I decided to get the 2-disc set which contains Cardio Hula and Hula Abs & Buns, the Tantric Toning Workout with Stephanie de Phillipo, and On the Ball: Pilates Workout for Beginners with Lizbeth Garcia. 

Cardio Hula

First Impression

I hope that this will be a good cardio workout replacement compared to the Sweat! DVDs from Power 90…

Kili starts off with introducing seven basic hula steps: the kaholo, hela, double hela, ‘uwehe, lele ‘uwehe (the hela and ‘uwehe steps combined), kawelu, and ka’o.

Before beginning the workout, she introduces herself and her friends, Kalikiano (right) and Noelani (left). They first demonstrate the dance before beginning the warm-up.

The Warm-Up

Kili and her friends start doing plie squats and then add the hand motions. Afterwards, they do a similar alternating heel lift thing like what Cassey Ho (aka blogilates) does in her lower body workout videos. While adding in the arm motions, they transition over to a side step with some hip sways, moving forward and back. Transitioning back to the plie squat position, they lift both heels up while adding the arms.

Then they lunge on either side for the next step, bending over for a nice side stretch.

The Workout

First, Kili starts demonstrating the kaholo, which is also called the “three-step” in Hawaiian. Along with this basic hula step, they add the hips, the hula arms, and a single knee lift on either side. While keeping the movements as fluent as possible, they move forward and back, adding a hop and a clap with the knee lift (I couldn’t do the hop ^ ^) The kaholo also adds on a triple knee lift.

Essentially, Kili repeats the learned moves a few times before adding on a new step. This new move is called the “tiki pump”, which is essentially a plie in first position with the arms moving up and down, palms facing the floor. After the kaholo, they demonstrate a hela with some torso twists added in up to tempo before doing it with the double hela in two counts. This is called the single-single-double method: four reps of a single move and two reps of a double move, done in eight counts. There is also another variation of the double hela which I will explain later in Hula Abs & Buns. 

Back in first position, they take a plie stance with the legs opening out, and then stomping one foot. This hula step is called the ‘uwehe. Combined with the hela, this move now becomes the lele ‘uwehe, which is done at a slower pace before speeding up with the hula arms. After this they demonstrate the ka’o, meaning that the hips move side to side while the heel lifts. To add a slight challenge, Kili combines this with a squat where you need to engage your core.

Now, a more difficult step in hula for me is called the kawelu, which is a mambo-like step where you sway your hips while tapping the feet in time going forward and back. She then proceeds to do a staggered squat with bicep curls, and repeats the combo on the other side. Then they move the kawelu on each side and do a narrow squat with bicep curls. 

Turning to each side, they move the kawelu forward and then do some mini squats back for eight counts. The ka’o replaces the mini squats when repeating the hula dance at the end.

The Dance/Cooldown

When finished learning the hula steps demonstrated in the workout, you repeat the dance several times before doing the cooldown, which are some of the steps performed at a much slower pace to slow down the heart rate. Before the workout is over, they also do some static stretches like lunges and a low hela on both sides.

Hula Abs & Buns

First Impression

A target-toned hula video doesn’t sound bad because it was in the listing with the Tantric Toning Workout.

In the introduction, Kili states that hula dancing is not only a beautiful Hawaiian tradition, but it’s her favorite way to target tone the abs and buns. Similar to Cardio Hula, she introduces seven basic hula steps: the kaholo, hela, double hela*, kawelu, ku’i, ka’o, and ami. Kalikiano and Noelani return to demonstrate the dance that will be performed at the end of the workout.

*A variation of this step will be explained later in the review.

The Warm-Up

Starting out in a plie squat stance, they start swaying their hips from side to side. When adding both the hula arms and the tempo after a few counts, the hip sways gradually incorporate the single-single-double method. Then they transition into some lunges on each side with some chest pulses, along with the swaying motion moving forward and back.

With the palms hovering above their chests, they do some oblique tilts that resemble side crunches (and a nice shot of Kili’s abs!) while taking one foot in and out at a time. Kili and Kalikiano both prepare for a cross-legged pose on each side (resembling a stretch from Yoga Booty Ballet Live*) with the opposite knee bent while Noelani demonstrates a modified version for those who are beginners/less flexible. They all place their palms in tripod fingertips**, bending over for a deep lower back and quad stretch.

Image: Gillian (right), Teigh (left), and the rest of the YBB Live class demonstrate variations of the cross-legged pose.
From Yoga Booty Ballet Live: Cardio Cabaret (Beachbody, 2006)

*spin-off series from the original Yoga Booty Ballet (Beachbody) program

**hand position for some exercises from the Yoga Booty Ballet (Beachbody) series

The Workout

Kili starts off with doing a series of “progressive bun burners” which is essentially the kaholo first being done slowly and then up to tempo. She then states that the kaholo is “the most important basic step in hula.”

From here, the kaholo is now a kaholo level change (similar to a step from Hula Workout for Weight Loss), where the torso is moving up and down like the ocean while adding the arms. Also, single and triple knee lifts are added in with the kaholo when they repeat this combination a few times.

Transitioning to a narrow squat position, they lift the left and the right heel and then combine it with the kaholo. After this they transition to the ka’o with some narrow squats while moving it forward and back, alternating the feet. The squat is then removed from the combination as they add in the arms.

Palms to the chest, they do some narrow squat pulses which transition to the tiki pump. A slow hela incorporates the tiki pump up to tempo, while a double hela variation is demonstrated. Instead of the leg being brought in and out twice, the leg is brought out for one count, raised to the abdomen while the opposing leg extends, and brought back down and in. Now a lunge is added to the double hela variation for a single count.

They practice the kawelu on each foot, but then one foot is placed out in a staggered squat position for kawelu ab crunches. The palms face up while the torso contracts, just like you would do for a standard crunch.

Back to the narrow squat position, they prepare to do the ‘ami, which is a slow hip rotation. When squeezing the abs in during the move, you can feel the contraction of the abdominal muscles. 

The next step after the ‘ami is called the ku’i, which is kicking one foot out while stomping the other. Doing so at a faster pace with the arm movements feels like you’re striking the ground while punching. A ka’o walk forward with some alternating oblique holds wraps up the routine, leading into the dance from the beginning.

The Dance/Cooldown

Essentially, the dance is going to be repeated several times (in which I felt my core muscles working) before the cooldown. It starts out with some deep breathing and back bends, before going into a side stretch in the plie squat position. The back is now flat with the arms stretched out, resembling a bird’s wings for a hamstring stretch. Now they do some slow hula moves like before, along with the cross-legged pose from earlier. She then makes her remark to do these workouts on a regular basis to get the benefits of hula, which I might want to consider.

Final Thoughts

Personally, I thought both of the workouts provided great cardio and toning benefits to the body, along with keeping the heart rate steady. I also liked how there are bonus performances which show Kili in costume, a photo gallery featuring solo shots of Kili and a group photo with her friends, and even some trailers for her other programs on DVD, which I will be getting soon.

Here is my final rating for these titles:

Cardio Hula – 9/10

Hula Abs & Buns – 9/10

Thanks for reading, take care, and… A’hui’hou! (Until we meet again! in Hawaiian)

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