Four Stars, would have been Five if it was longer...
I was initially disappointed with this video because it feels like it was cut short, it should have been 45-60 minutes. But, I revisited it when I wasn't up to my full hour workout. Really, for the 30-35 minutes, it's a good workout. I like Ellen Barrett, she does a very nice job cueing and in keeping the workout moving, this is somewhat similar to her Burn & Firm Crunch Pilates workout. I worked up a sweat, but wasn't ready to stop when the video was over. The bonus was pretty short. To make this work for you, I would combine it with an Abs workout to get a full 60 minutes. I purchased the new Crunch Abs, but haven't tried it yet. I plan to combine the two.
Fast Results
This video is exactly what I needed to break my excercise slump. After just three weeks of use, (only 2x a week) my jeans which were too snug are now big. I've seen a very noticible difference in the hip and lower abdomen areas and my love handles have begun to shrink. My arms are more toned and my legs are tightening up. After three just three weeks, I've been able to go from my tight size 10's to some of my old size 8 jeans.
I have a very short attention span when it comes to working out, so the fact the the video is only 30 minutes long helps to keep me motivated before starting and during the workout.
There is a bonus ab workout too, but it is very short and not as challenging as some of the instructors other videos.
Toning workout combines high rep/low weight format with Pilates principles
This is a toning workout led by Ellen Barrett, a Pilates instructor who is well-known for her Crunch Pilates videos (Pick Your Spot Pilates, Fat-Burning Pilates, and Burn & Firm Pilates). Here, she combines more traditional weighted moves with Pilates principles to provide a light full-body toning workout with an upper body emphasis.
Ellen works out with two background exercises on a beautiful beach. They begin with a quick (3 minutes) warm-up that includes plies combined with upper body movements; there are a few static stretches to finish. In the first segment of the workout, Ellen does "giant sets," doing a series of mostly upper body weighted exercises and then repeating the entire series three times, each time with a slightly different twist on the movements. Exercises included in this segment are bicep curls, side raises, squats, and a sort of 1-armed scoop move that is supposed to work the abs in a standing position. For most of the exercises, Ellen does one set of eight and then a second set of smaller pulsing moves. This entire segment was about 6 minutes long, and Ellen finishes with some back stretches.
Next Ellen moves into a second toning segment that seems inspired by the Pilates upper body series; this segment is taught in two separate sequences. In the first sequence, you do another 1-armed scoop moves for abs; again, I didn't really feel it in my abdominals, and Ellen doesn't give much instruction here. Other exercises included are rib cage slides, flies, tricep French press, a "splice" move (stepping to the side and raising your arms to the side with your thunbs up), a torso circle, and a half moon stretch, all performed with the weights for a total of about 6 minutes. In the second sequence, Ellen does single arm figure 8s, "butterfly" arms, upright rows, a lat pull, and lunges for another 6 minutes.
In the final segment, Ellen begins with plyometric jumps to the side, first fast, and then slower, holding for balance. She also includes a single-thigh figure 8 and then a single leg squat, and finally, she repeats the series, substituting a knee lift crunch for the thigh work. This segment comes in at about 5 minutes, and then there is a very brief (<2 minutes) series of cool-down stretches for the upper body only, which brings the entire workout in at less than 30 minutes.
Throughout the workout, Ellen and one of the other exerciser used 2-3 lb. weights, while the third woman used 5 lbs. I used 5 lbs. also, and while this sometimes felt too light (I'm an intermediate exerciser who sometimes does heavier weight work), I'm not sure that I could have gone higher with the weights given the type and pace of some of the moves featured (eg, the pulses). Therefore, I think that this workout is likely to provide a light toning effect at best, mainly for the upper body; I felt the moves very little in my other "bikini" areas, including my hips, buttocks, thighs, and abs. The DVD does include a very brief (<5 minutes) Pilates abs workout with Ellen working solo; this was enough to get the abs warm, but that's about it. Also, I was very surprised to see that Ellen wore her sneakers for this segment, as sneakers are not traditionally used for Pilates matwork and definitely are not used by Ellen in her other videos.
If you like high rep/low weight format workouts and have enjoyed Ellen Barrett's other videos--particularly Crunch Burn & Firm Pilates, which shares many moves with this workout--or are a beginner to weight work, you might like this DVD, but others will probably want to look elsewhere. Overall rating: three and half stars for a decent workout but with limited applicability.
I am extremely happy with this workout! The moves are graceful, and I love that. But don't be fooled, you WILL feel it the next day if you are an intermediate/somewhat advanced like me. Ellen is a wonderful instructor, with better instruction than many. I have done this several times now, and at the end during the weight segment I keep thinking... ONE MORE SET??? However, it feels so good to finish strong, and it is only 35 minuts long so keep with it and give it your all!
The only complaint I have is the skinny rail featured on the front of the DVD...it seems like the normal gimmick in magazines though, and that's not what I am going for... I am working on my toned curves!! She is not in the video though which is good (I doubt she could keep up)... Ellen (the instructor)... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 04 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This was a challenging and effective lower body toning workout lead by a good instructor. I liked the variety of exercises and the yoga component at the end. This is a good 40 minute lower body routine to put in a monthly rotation. I would consider it to be intermediate level More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 04 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This "workout" is not at all intense. Plus, you have to listen to the silly dialoque which is basically Carmen's trainer saying "can you feel this Carmen?" and Carmen saying "Oh, yes, I can really feel this one!"
I thought this would be a good tape because it was so popular but I was really disappointed. Go for Jane Fonda or the 8 minute workout series instead. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Edward Lachman DVD Release Date: Released the 21 December 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Okay, instead of "repetitive" some might actually call this workout "boring", which I probably would if it wasn't working my lower half so tough that I was screeching my teeth at various points. No, it's not gonna work your butt only - I mean, over 20 minutes of nothing but squats, plies and lounges are quite tough on your legs as well. And that is ALL you get in the standing work part of the DVD. Unless it's the first time you're making an attempt at firming your butt, you must've done all of them a million times. Doing them with Ms. Munoz, though, will make you do more repetitions than you normally would, making you work those muscles harder than usual.
Don't expect any great surprises during those more than 15 minutes of mat work either - do expect an unusual number of... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Dolores Munoz DVD Release Date: Released the 07 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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