A cardio and toning workout, a little over an hour long, that can be done in full or divided into cardio and strength training segments. There is also a 10-minute bonus Yoga-inspired stretch routine. Amy Dixon instructs.

Intermediate exercisers, although ambitious advanced beginners should definitely go for it, since they can start with lighter weights or do one segment at a time. You will need a pair of dumbbells (3 to 10 pounds, depending on your level — the strength training moves are done quickly, so you will want to go lighter than normal). You will also need a mat if you're working out on a hard surface, and a large towel for the bonus segment.

I am out of my mind. After being sick enough to be confined to bed for several days, which workout do I start myself off with? Granted, I did do an easy Yoga routine the first day I was out of bed, but to start working out for real, I no doubt should have begun with something a little less intense than this DVD. But I couldn't wait to try it out because I love Amy Dixon. She's powerful and motivating, plus she cues well. Dixon's positive attitude makes me want to work harder, whereas some other more — ahem! — bossy instructors are more likely to inspire me to spew invective at the TV screen when they amp it up. This workout gave me over an hour of Dixon, along with some hard-earned DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) the next day. The seven-minute warm-up does a great job of getting your heart rate up with big, athletic moves that use your whole body. The cardio segment (about 20 minutes long) carries on the athletic theme — you mimic sports moves from skiing, tennis and swimming, and then dive into a variety of kickboxing-themed moves. You cool down briefly before the toning segment, which gets your heart pumping again because the compound moves are done at a fast clip. For about 22 minutes, you do a series of squats and lunges that are combined with upper body work and balance challenges, and then finish off on the floor where you combine bridges with chest flyes (I switched to heavier weights for these) and push ups. But you aren't done yet, because you've got another 12 minutes of core work that hits every part of your abs, obliques and back. Finally — finally! — you do a quick stretch, but if you're like me and still pumped up after this workout, you'll want to add on the 10-minute bonus "Athletic Yoga" segment to stretch out even further. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Dixon does a great job of toning down her persona for this routine. This DVD gives you an amazing amount of bang for your buck — your body will thank you for buying it.

 

 

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