Rock Sweaty: a couple workout video reviews.

My music snobbery often prevents me from truly embracing workout videos. It's a pity, really, considering there are some great ones out there, but those bipity-bopity, hipity-hopity soundtracks can drive a guy to drink, which is the opposite effect you typically want from an exercise video, at last I checked.

Usually, I solve the problem by turning off the music and cranking my own -- the better videos allow to do that and still listen to the instructor -- but it got me wondering if I was the only audiophile out there with this problem. I did a little research and discovered a couple workout videos actually created specifically for my fellow rock stars and me. Never Mind Aerobics: Here's Punk Rope and Yoga for Indie Rockers.

Yoga for Indie Rockers is part of a series of exercise videos from "Certified Yoga Instructor" Chaos. It's a pretty standard yoga session, only with pumped up, alternative rock hammering in the background. While I tend to eschew much of the New Age goo that comes with yoga, I still think the music needs to suit the practice. No, it doesn't need to be all sitars or John Tesh, but still, this is a practice in elavating mind, body and spirit, not a slam pit.

Also, Chaos and Page Turner, one of the four students practicing with her, are flexible to the point of being intimidating. I'm sure Rodney Yee can bend like a pretzel, but he doesn't beat you over the head with it.

I'll reserve judgment on the other videos in the Fitness for Indie Rockers series -- Pilates and Cardio -- until I've seen them, but I can't really recommend Yoga for Indie Rockers.

Never Mind Aerobics: Here's Punk Rope is also fairly flawed, but for different reasons. The music is a perfect fit for the jump rope-based cardio, but the workout itself just doesn't translate into video. Clearly, Punk Rope Tim Haft has created a program free of pretense that urges exercisers just to have a good time, and the students on the video are clearly having a party, but unless you're in the middle of it, it just feels goofy.

Punk Rope teaches workshops all over America and I'm definitely interested in giving it a try, but much like a Sex Pistols concert, I think it'll be one of those "have to be there" events.

Finally, given this is a relatively niche market, the production value on both of these DVDs isn't stunning. While this rough-and-tumble, DIY aesthetic worked well for Black Flag and The Stooges, it leaves these offerings a bit lacking.

It looks like I might be putting up with bipity-bopity for a little while longer.