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Body Target 60 was included in a 4 DVD Workout Set called Total Body Slimdown. The DVD menu offers the following options: Body Target 60 Total Target 30 Arm Target 10 Butt Target 10 Core Target 10 Cool down Bonus Body:  Body Talk I did the Total Target 30 workout plus the cool down. Doing all of this clock in at around the 40 minute mark. This workout is a cardio and toning workout. For every four toning exercises you do one cardio exercise. Roughly that's the breakdown. There is a beginner modifier. Stephanie generally starts with a base move and layers on from there.  Expect lots of balance options included within or at the end of each exercise.   This is a nice workout that had great flow. The music is nice. I thought the set a bit dark. Stephanie is pleasant and cues well. The workout uses a mat and as set of light and heavy weights. Worksheet for Total Target 30 3 & 3/4 stars

I have long seen Stephanie as a background exerciser in several other videos that I owned and I was always impressed with her form. So when I saw that her two workouts were included in a 4 DVD Workout Set that was at a reduce price, I quickly picked up the set. The Ultimate Body Shaper clocks in at 70 minutes and it is a combo workout.  Combo meaning it combines cardio (in the form of Intensity Boost)  with strength training. Along with Stephanie there are two other cast members but there is not a beginner modifier. The DVD offers the following selections: Introduction Warm-up High Step Shaper Mat Shaper Full Workout Cool-Down V8 Bonus Abs What I like about the workout is the count down clock that appeared in each segment.  The warm up and cool down are 5 minutes each and the High Step Shaper and Mat Shaper are 30 minute segments. The High Step Shaper uses a high step.  During this portion you are performing moves standing and seated on the step. You also use the step a

Zumba Core Craze Awesome Core Conditioning is 29 minutes workout that uses the Zumba Rizer. Marcie Benavides leads the workout.  Along with Marcie are Nick and Kass. At the beginning of each song, the moves starts slow and small and get bigger and faster as you progress through the song. Emphasis is the core - mostly obliques and lower abs Segments: Dimelo Ya (Warm Up) Ay Doctor (Merengue) Carita (Reggaton) Extranando Tus Besos (Cumba) Celtic Country Pon De Rhythm Ena Marao Boom Boom Marcie cues very well using standard cuing. The workout flowed really well. I enjoyed this workout as well. 4 & 1/4 stars

Glute Pursuit Legs and Glute Toning is a 30 minutes workout led by Marcie Benavides. Along with Marcie, are Kass and Ricardo. There is not a beginner modifier.  Also, thankfully- there is standard cuing. No voice over or visual and Marcie did an excellent job cuing. The segments: Rock Your Body (warm up) Demasiao Apretao (Merengue) Dale Muevelo (Reggeton) Candela (Cumbia) Munto (this is your isolation lower body song - with reverse lunges, side squats, hamstring kickbacks) Hey! Barracuda (inner thigh work) Eres Tu (Cool Down) I really like this workout. It did slow down in some parts more than I like. Marcie usually introduce the moves at half time before she went at full tempo and made the moves bigger and faster. This workout also uses the Zumba Rizer. 4 & 1/4 stars

Zumba Step It UP High-Intensity Training uses the Zumba Rizer. It is led by Marcie Benavides and it is 34 minutes in length. Joining Marcie, is Nick and Ricardo.  Nick is the modifier.  He shows less intense moves throughout the workout. The segments are : Party (Everybody Dance) No Te Soporto (Merenegue) Hasta Amanecer (Cumbia) Pablito Robafaldas (Salsa) Alegria Esta No Ar (Calyspo-Samba) Rockin With the Best (Reggaton) Marcha Back In Action Bailando Te Quiero Ver I liked this workout well enough.  I felt it was more athletic base than dance based. The only thing that annoyed me was the cuing (combining the visual with voice over).  There were more than a few times when Marcie called  the move late  None of the moves were hard or moves I hadn't seen before but I was tripping all over the place. We would do a straddle with a side kick or a side tap step but she wouldn't call it until after the first rep. Other than that annoyance, it's a good workout. 4

The second Shape Pilates workout featuring Lizbeth Garcia - Makeover your abs, butt and thighs FAST!. This workout comes with a resistance band.   The resistance band is used throughout the workout to add more intensity to the moves. As Lizbeth moves through the workout, she will point out how a particular exercise resemble one of the pilates equipments such as the reformer or cadillac pilates machines. Sculpt without Bulk, is how Lizbeth describes this workout.  It is similar to the Lizbeth other workout in that she takes you through a series of flowing pilates moves that build on one another to create a challenging sequence. The difference in this workout is that there is a standing component as well as the sitting lying and kneeling that is included the first DVD. This workout is also a few years. The music is up tempo. The set - looks like another great room transformed into a dance studio. The band definitely adds an additional challenge. 3 & 1/2 stars

Shape Pilates F irm Up From Head To Toe is 30 minute workout led by Lizbeth Garcia. This workout is a few years old.   It was one of the first pilates workout that I owned. Lizbeth takes you through a series of flowing pilates moves all done on the floor. So you are either sitting, kneeling or lying. In the lying position, you may be prone, supine or on your side. Each move starts with a base move.   Lizbeth builds the base exercise into a compound exercise by adding additional components to make the exercise more challenging. Two other cast members accompany Lizbeth.   One cast member does show modifications. The music is a bit fast paced but it is background. Lizbeth is not really working out to the music.  Although on some moves it seems as if she is on beat. The set looks like some one's great room. I thought it was a decent workout. 3 & 1/2 stars

Finally got around to doing this workout. I have had the workout schedule at least three times and life kept interrupting me. So Turn Up and Slim Down is a 70 minute workout led by Patrick Geoudeau.  Along with Patrick there are two other cast members.  The workout contains a warm up and cool down plus 6 ten minute workouts. Three of the workouts are cardio based and 3 are body weight exercise based. I found the body weight workouts super challenging.  In all the workouts Patrick is layering moves – piling it on I thought. In a couple of the Body weight segments I felt the final sequence of moves quite complex.  If you look at the spread sheet I created for the exercises you will see I list the exercise as “into” or “add” and that is because Patrick makes changes or modifications as he moves through. You might get 4 shots at the base exercise before he adds on. Patrick uses a mat in all the workouts.  The only other equipment you will need is a jump rope. The Mama Said

Step 360 Fast Interval Training DVD contains 6 workouts. There workouts are: Cardio Accelerator - 20 minutes Turn Up The Burn - 20 minutes Love Your Belly, Butt & Thighs - 20 minutes Body Sculpt Blaster - 10 minutes Speed Slimming Sculpt - 10 minutes Tone Up in 10 - 10 minutes Jessie is the trainer.  Along with Jessie, Madison Chase, Cat Chiarelli, and Teri Ann Krefting are the cast members. In the 20 minute workouts, Jessie is instructing as the other three perform the various exercises. In the 10 minute workouts, Jessie is performing the exercises along with only 2 of the ladies. All the workouts have a beginner modifier and they all contain a warm up and cool down. Jessie calls his Fast Interval Training technique Cardio and Strength Quickies in which you are doing 30 and 60 second burst.  So depending on the workout your are performing the exercise for either 60 or 30 seconds. There is no clock.  Jessie tells you when to start and when to stop. My favorite w

There are two workouts on Step360 Lose A Jean Size By The Weekend workout DVD. Your trainer for the workouts is Jessie Pavelka.  Along with Jessie, there is Catherine Chiarelli, Madison Chase, and Teri Ann Krefting who are all fitness models that have appeared in other Gaiam workouts. In each workout there is always a modifier.  Jessie instructs the workout as the ladies perform the move. The workouts are short. Both clock in at 10 minutes and there is a warm up and cool down for each workout.  Jessie offer tips as he takes you through the various moves.  Most of the exercises you are doing for 60 seconds with a 30 second break. The 30 second break felt long at times.  During the break you are doing compression on the step platform. Compression are just stepping on the platform from side to side. The workouts are okay. The DVD also includes Bonus Features: - Meet Jessie - Success Tips Ab Blast - 3 stars Cardio Explosion - 3 & 1/2 stars

 Step360 Workout System . Saw this on sale and picked it up.  This system actually came out a few years ago but I always thought it was too expensive for what you get. So what do you get? You get the Step360 platform that arrives deflated; an inflation tool that was pretty easy to use, a resistance cord to use during strength segments, two guide books (more on those in a moment, and two workout DVDs. The thing that you didn't get but it shown in the workouts as well as in one of the guide books was a black circular mat to set your Step360 on. The system comes with two guides. One is the Weight Loss success guide.  It is a 39 page booklet. The booklet introduces you to Jessie Pavelka who is the fitness trainer for the Step360.  The guide also talks about the workouts and gives you a 30 day calendar routine.  There is a meal plan included plus a before and after section where you can take your measurements and pictures. The other guide is titled "Lose a Jean Size by

November 2014 Monthly Rotation Happy November everyone! No real plan for this month.  Just fitting in some workouts that  I haven't done in a while or not at all. Hopefully, I can make it through the month without getting sick. Last month I was not so lucky. I do have another 10K race plan. I hope everyone has a successful November and a good Thanksgiving.