Cardio Samba Workout with Quenia Ribeiro

Learn authentic Rio De Janeiro style Brazilian samba (‘samba no pe’) as you perform a high-energy dynamic cardio workout. Set to joyful and uplifting Brazilian samba music, The Cardio Samba Workout is designed by Brazilian samba dancer and instructor Quenia Ribeiro, and demonstrated by Quenia and her New York City-based Brazilian dance company, Grupo Ribeiro.

Quenia blends the dance instruction into the fitness program in a way that will keep you focused on the dance steps as you are working out, so the workout feels like a dance party or a fun dance class.

The Cardio Samba Workout program includes a lesson on the basic Brazilian samba dance steps. Even if you’ve never danced samba, you will easily pick up the graceful moves of this elegant dance, clearly explained and repeated again and again at half-time tempo.

An extensive Tutorial section breaks down step-by-step every move and combination used in the four sections of the cardio workout. Going over this section will enable you to start the workout well-prepared: Even if you are a total beginner you will be able to recognize the steps during the workout and follow Quenia and the Grupo Ribeiro dancers.

The cardio, aerobic effect of samba dancing relies on fast steps, hipwork, and full body moves including lunges, level changes, and vigorous upper body & arm movement. So the more you repeat the workout, the faster your dance skill will grow, and the more cardio benefits you will receive.

During the four-part workout, each section is repeated first slowly, and then at the real samba dance tempo. The most intense aerobic sections are the fast-tempo samba: They may be challenging at first, but with a few repetitions you will feel comfortable following the program.

The Cardio Samba Workout also includes both, a warmup and a cooldown. The warmup is 25 minutes and can be treated as a flexibility and strength-training workout in itself.