Over an hour's worth of targeted toning workouts, divided into sections lasting approximately 15 minutes each. Minna Lessig instructs.

Advanced beginning to intermediate exercisers — these workouts are a little too tough for newbie exercisers. You will need two sets of weights (between 2 and 8 pounds, depending on your level of strength), and a mat.

I've always been a fan of Minna Lessig because she's straightforward and pleasant, and she's never, ever shrill (why is it that so many DVD instructors feel the need to shriek their cues so darn cheerfully? A high-pitched cheerleader is really not what I want to hear first thing in the morning). That said, I'm not 100% sold on this DVD, even though I know I will be sore tomorrow, and that if I did these workouts religiously I would most certainly tone up the body parts listed in the title. Perhaps it's the 13-minute "Bikini Belly" section that let me down. Lessig uses some moves that are creative, but really difficult to execute properly, and when it come to non-Pilates ab exercises, I don't believe in having much of a learning curve, especially when plain ol' crunches work so well. Fortunately, crunches is what you get in the 15-minute "Total Body" segment, and I felt the burn there, along with getting a lot of great, functional moves for the rest of my body. The other two segments — a 17-minute "Tank Top" workout and "Boy Shorts Bottom" routine, also clocking in at 17 minutes — are pretty good. The former gives every muscle of your upper body — arms, shoulders, back and chest — a good workout, although I could have used at least one set of flyes. The latter does a nice job of toning up your rear end while benefiting your legs quite a bit in the bargain. You also get a warm-up and cool down, which you should also do, whether you're doing one segment or going for all four. There's too much good stuff on this DVD to pass it up completely, but personally I'd skip the abs section and get my bikini belly elsewhere.

 

 

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