Four routines, each approximately 10 minutes long, and each with a different focus — cardio, upper and lower body toning, and balance and flexibility. There is also a "bonus" 12-minute core workout. Amy Dixon instructs.

Advanced beginning to intermediate exercisers. While none of these routines will kill you, they are probably a little too intense for beginners. You will need at least one pair of dumbbells (3 to 5 pounds), and for the bonus routine, a stability ball.

Amy Dixon is one of the best "jock" type instructors to come up in the exercise DVD ranks in a long time. She coaches you through the athletic-style routines on this DVD, cueing in a no-nonsense manner. Dixon is serious about form and making sure you fatigue your muscles. But everything else is fun — she laughs and jokes along with her "class" in a very natural, likeable manner. And when it's just you and the TV, a friendly instructor is a necessity if you're going to keep coming back to a workout. The routines here are not too hard, but they do make you feel like you've gotten your 10 minutes' worth. The cardio section revs you up nicely (although you may want to do a little marching before beginning — Dixon throws you into the workout quickly). The lower body section is actually the easiest — it mostly consists of lunges, but you will have to put some power behind the moves to really fatigue your muscles. The upper body segment is a perfect, quick intermediate workout — it hits all the muscle groups above the waist and just when you think you've done it all, she puts you through a series of push-ups that finish you off. The flexibility and balance routine offers up a few last touches of lower bodywork while giving you balance challenges and yoga-style moves. The bonus core routine uses a stability ball to give you a killer workout. On busy days you can fit in any one of these routines and feel like you've done something good for yourself. On days when you can give it your all, do the whole DVD and know you've really done something great for your body!

 

 

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