Saundra

Boost Metabolism + Muscle is a Jessica Smith Walk Strong DVD that contains three metabolic strength workouts. Each workout is 35 minutes in length and they are presented in the circuit style format where you do two to three exercises and you repeat those exercises before moving on to the next group of 2 to 3 exercises.  This is a relatively high rep workout. You are doing at least 12 reps per exercise but in many cases you are doing as many as 16 or even 24 reps.  Most of the exercise are multi-functional or compound in nature. There is a countdown clock in each of the workouts.  Along with Jessica, there is Debbie.  She shows beginner modifications.  A mat and a set or two of dumbbells are used.  The DVD menu options are: Introduction Circuit #1:  Upper Focus Circuit #2 - Lower Focus Circuit#2 - Total Focus Play All I liked all three workouts and felt I got a solid workout each time out. Circuit #1:  Upper Focus - 3 &3/4 st...

Progressive Strength with Kimberly Spreen is a 32 minute workout that focuses on endurance strength training. The workout packs in a lot in a short time.  It is constantly moving from one exercise to the next and therefore has a bit of a cardio effect. A push ups sequence, planks, modify burpees, squats, rows, rear delt flys, bicep curl, shoulder front raise, lateral raise, french press, alternating lunges, core rotations, and v-sits are all exercises that are packed into this workout. Kimberly is a great lead.  I think she cues very well. A platform step with a set of risers and a set of dumbbells are used in this workout. I like this workout. The only problem that I had is that Kimberly moved very quickly from one exercise to the next and she never changed the weight she was using. So some exercises I found the weight too light and on some exercises, I found the weight too heavy. There was not really a chance to change out the weight. When I tried, I would lose rep...

30 Minutes To Fitness Your Best Body is a muscle endurance sculpting workout. The Main Menu of the DVD looks like this: Introduction Warm-Up Workout One Workout Two Yoga/Stretch Premixes Chapters Credits The reason I tend to post what the DVD menu looks like with Kelly's workouts is because vary rarely can you just push play. There is no "Play All". You need to select the warm up and after the warm up the DVD takes you back to the menu where you can select Workout One or Two. So there is a bit of choppiness with it. When you combine the warm up, one of the workouts and the yoga/stretch segment which serves as the cool down, the workouts are each over 40 minutes on their own An extra 10 minutes is too long for a workout that is suppose to be 30-Minutes. I have gripe about this before so I won't do it here. The Workouts: Both workouts are very similar to each other. There are five rounds. In each of the five rounds you work an upper body muscle group, the legs, ...

High Reps is approximately 65 minutes long and it is a muscular endurance total body workout. The workout is set to ten songs. Each song is anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes and each song is dedicated to working a specific body part. You are working that specific body part for the entire length of the song, hence the name of the workout, High Reps, because you are doing a lot of reps for that body part within the song. Now Cathe does vary the exercise within each song and then you might get a 15 to 20 second break/rest but the reps are pretty much none stop and the only thing that varies is the tempo. For example you may start with a 4 count, then a 3 and 1 count then a 2/2 count followed by single counts and then there is a good chance you will repeat the sequence. This will be the pattern until Cathe either changes exercises or the song ends. The workouts uses dumbbells, a barbell, a mat, a gliding disc, and a band. Cathe does give you time to set up your equipment before each s...

Montenegro Method MM21 Endurance Burn Fat is led by Marta Montenegro. This workout DVD consist of three 21 minute circuit workouts. Each of the circuit workouts feature a series of approximately 6 exercises done three times through. As you move through the circuit, the exercise get progressively more challenging. For example the first time through you are only doing a series of side lunges, the second time through side lunges with a knee lift, the third time through, a side lunges with a leg lift. As you move from exercise to exercise, you are doing each exercise for a minimum of 30 seconds. On some exercises, you are doing a full minute. The point of the workout - hence the title - is to build endurance. ( Marta does this by doing lots of repetition .) What I didn't like about the workout - 1) There is not much of a warm up or cool down to speak of 2) And this is with any workout that has time mentioned in its title - "THE WORKOUT SHOULD BE THE TIME IT STATES IN THE TITLE...

Mu scle Endurance is approximately 65 minute workout and boy did it move fast. Usually when my workouts, especially weight workouts are longer than 60 minutes, I start get antsy. However,not this time. This workout is a total body weight workout that uses high reps. Multiple exercise were done for each body part and the exercise came right after each other - not much rest was given. Along with various weights - dumbbells and barbell, Cathe used a med ball and the high step to give variation to the exercises. Cathe also included tempo changes with the rep count - single, 2/2, 3/1, 1/3, 4/4 and the dreaded 7/1 low ends (I think they are dreaded) were some of the patterns she used. The set or exercise that always gets me with the workout is the bicep work using the barbell. I always hit failure before the end of the set. And, it doesn't help when Cathe give you the witches laugh as she makes you hold the curl for what seems like forever. I really like this workout and wish...

Okay. Other than all the pushups, I liked the workouts in Mesocycle 1. I like the details that went into making the DVDs. I like how the exercise and the equipment needed appeared on the screen. I like how the break time was counted down in seconds. When I first bought this series, I was hesitant because I don't really like working out in parts or muscle groups. I prefer to do either total body strength work, upper body only or lower body only workouts. I don't like dividing my upper body work into different parts. The other reason I was hesitant to buy STS was because of the 3 1/2 month time commitment required to do the program as designed. I prefer to change my workout rotation monthly. That is where I am at now. I have completed STS Mesocycle 1 and now I want to do something different for February. I am still deciding what my February rotation will be. For STS Mesocycle 1 Muscle Endurance I am going to give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. I would have given it 4 stars but I ...

Week 3 - 65% of 1 rep Max. Disc 7 Chest, Shoulders, & Biceps - 55 minutes. I am truly tired of the pushups. In this workout, there were 182 pushups. I did 162 pushups. I felt my bicep weight was too light but my shoulder weight to heavy or maybe just right. I finish all the shoulder reps but I was feeling it. Disc 8 Back & Triceps - 56 minutes. I have no notes for this workout. Like the other B & T workouts in this Mesocycle, it uses the band to work the back and the triceps. This workout included drop sets (one set) for each the back and triceps muscle groups. New exercise was the "Scapular Retractions" using the barbell. I liked this exercise. Disc 9 Legs - 55 minutes. I was short on time this morning so I elected not to do the plate and wall exercises. The opening lunge sequence was super tough for me so I only did one set. Also the bonus exercises in the workout (at least those that I did) were tough.

Week 2 - 65% or 1 rep max. Disc 4 Chest, Shoulders, and Biceps - 55 minutes . This workout started with Pushups Drop Sets. Now, I only do the intermediate version of the Pushups and still by the last set which only contain 6 pushups I was screaming for mercy - But - I did do all the reps in the Pushups Drop Sets which when all added together contain 50 pushups. The whole workout contain 165 pushups. I think this is why Mesocycle 1 - Upper Body workouts is my least favorite of the Mesocycles. Many of the exercises were the same exercises that appeared in Disc 1. So other than the pushups nothing really new to note. Disc 5 Back & Triceps. I don't know why it bothers me that the Back & Triceps workouts are longer than the Chest, Shoulders, & Biceps workouts. It could be just the logical assumption that a workout working two muscle groups would be some what shorter than a workout working 3 muscle groups. Anyway this workout clocks in at 58 minutes and featured anothe...

Okay. Yes. I have DOMS! My STS/Shock Cardio program has begun. I am using my 1rm results from last year's calculations. Redoing all of those 1rm test held little appeal to me. Even with that, I back of the target weight on many exercise to ease myself back into the program. And I still have DOMS. The reason for this is last year during week 4, I ended up hurting myself (lower back) and I don't want to be sideline by that type of injury again. So the week started on Sunday with STS Disc 1 Chest, Shoulders and Bic eps . I forgot how quickly this workout moves and how quickly 30 seconds (our rest time) goes by. I had equipment everywhere as I moved from exercise to exercise. What I truly dislike about Meso 1 Muscle Endurance are all the push ups. In Disc 1, we had 136 total push ups - more if you count the fact that some sets were 1.5. Looking at my workout card, I had a couple of areas where I wrote "Go Heavier". I have the word "tough" marked agai...

Click image for larger view. Tomorrow I start the first leg of a 3 1/2 month total body conditioning program. I plan to change my eating as well to correspond with the exercise program and to achieve maximum results. Posted to the left, you will find the first month's rotation. Actually this program doesn't go by months but by cycles. Each cycle, called a Mesocycle is 4 weeks long. After each fourth week, you get a week off from weight training. This time off is called Active Recovery. During this time I am permitted to do any type of exercise except for weight training. The first cycle is called Muscle Endurance and it, as well as all the other mesocycles are broken down into a three day split. In Mesocycle 1, the first weight split day features chest, shoulders, and biceps, second split day features back and triceps and the third split day features legs. The basic framework of this program was put together by Cathe Friedrich. I have organized the cardio in my own way, to incl...

Power Hour is about a 60 minute workout. It is a weight endurance workout that features 10 sections/songs. The 10 sections are: 1) Warmup - The warmup used a barbell. The exercises that Cathe performed in this warmup were Squats, barbell rows, upright rows, bicep, and lunges. I did not like the warmup. I do not like using weights to warmup. I feel you are not really warming up. You are already working out. 2) Squats and Plie squats 3) Chest - Pushups, chest flys, chest press 4) Back - Barbell Rows (both underhanded and overhanded grip) and deadlifts 5) Lunges - One set using the barbell and one using dumbells 6) Shoulder - front raise (using a plate), lateral raise, rear shoulder press, and front shoulder press. 7) Biceps - barbell curl 8) Triceps - lying french extension using the barbell, and 1 arm kickbacks 9) Abs 10) Coolddown. - not really a cooldown but Cathe does stretch you out. I didn't really like this workout. This is probably my second or third time doing it and I just...