Saundra

Functional Yoga Fusion is a 41-minute workout.  Cathe combines traditional yoga moves with traditional stretching and balances moves. The workout uses a mat and optional yoga blocks. The DVD Menu Full Series Overview Workout Intro Equipment Needed Play Functional Yoga Fusion Plat Restorative Yoga Bonus Chapters Premixes Audio Setting Audio Settings include two options. A Normal Mix and and and  Vocal Only Mix. There are five premixes.  One basic premix that includes the main workout plus the bonus workout. There are four timesaver premixes. 3 stars

Functional Mobility Fusion is a 41-minute workout.  The first few exercises are designed to warm you up and increase blood flood to the muscle using range of motion and dynamic and static stretching.  After the warm up, Cathe takes you through a series of core, cardio, and strength body weight exercises that are used to bring mobility to various areas of the body. You are working in all planes: lying, standing, seated, kneeling.  Cathe offers form and modification pointers for certain exercises. You do get breaks between the exercises.   3 stars

Functional Total Body is a 54 minute workout.  A mat, barbell, plate weight and dumbbells are on the equipment list.  Half way through the warmup does use a set of dumbbells.  This workout uses a combination of moves to work the entire body. There are a lot of "combo" exercises where you are taking two compound moves and combining the two exercises back to back for a certain amount of reps.  Exercises are performed from the standing position and some are floor based.  As with most of the workouts in this series, Cathe offers you modifications showing multiple ways or levels in which the exercise can be done to make it harder or easier.  See the spreadsheet for the list of exercises. 3 & 1/2 stars  

Functional Upper Body is a 48 minute workout.  Cathe uses a resistance cord to warm up the upper body. Once in the workouts, you are using a combination of weights, resistance cord, and a yoga block in the various exercises. There were very few isolation type moves in the workout.  Most of the upper body moves include the lower body or core (balance) to make the exercise more functional. These are multi-component exercises I felt the last group of exercises were more core based than upper body based. Cathe offers modifications throughout the workout. 3 & 3/4 stars  

Functional Lower Body is 53 minutes in length. Cathe uses several tools to work the lower body.  There is the fabric loop band, dumbbells, plate weight, resistance loop band, mini step, and your own body weight.   There are distinct segments in this workout.  After the warm up, the workout starts with a fabric loop segment. Next comes dumbbell (weighted plate) segment. There is a mini-step segment and a mini-loop band segment (standing firewalkers and lying floor).  The rep count varies per exercise.  You are doing anywhere from 8 to 10 to 12  to 16 reps depending on the exercise.  You are pulsing some of the moves so the rep count is higher for these exercises. I like this workout the second time through better than I did the first. 3 & 3/4 stars  

Functional Barre Fusion clocks in at 48 minutes.  In this workout, Cathe takes you through 5 rounds or circuits of a lower body exercise, an upper body exercise and a core exercise.  You are doing anywhere from 8 to 28 reps depending on the exercise. As you go in and out of each exercise, you will pull out various pieces of equipment for use.  Equipment use include the STS bar (or chair), mini ball, mini loop band and a single disc.  The workout moves at a moderate pace. There is enough time for a brief stretch between the exercises and rounds as Cathe uses this time to chat or demonstrate a move or offer form pointers. I think this workout here is my favorite in the entire LM&R series. 4 stars