Balance Workouts

Ageless with Kathy Smith – Total Body Turnaround
Kathy Smith
Year Released: 2010

When this was offered through the Amazon Vine program, I snapped it up. I usually don't get something near and dear to my heart as an exercise video through this reviewing program. This is a workout I had considered getting, but had thought better of multiple times. But, I kept coming back to it. After trying it, I'm glad I got it for free because I won't be keeping it.

This DVD offers 3 20-minute workout options. From the main menu, you can select Workout Options and that brings you to a submenu with choices for Play All, Total Circuit, Total Balance, or Total Energy. I wish that you were able to program the DVD and choose more than one option, but less than all three, but that is not an option. You can choose Play All and then skip sections you don't want.

In all of these workouts, Kathy exercises alone in a large area that I thought looked like a living room, or what was supposed to look like a living room. I don't even remember the music and would have noticed if it was missing, so it apparently was not memorable and I don't remember it adding to the workout. Kathy is one of the best, most experienced, most practial instructors around and that shows in her instruction, details that she points out about the moves, form pointers she gives, comments that display a total understanding of the home exerciser, options she gives for different levels of exercisers, etc. She also can be rather hyper. Her demeanor in these workouts was pretty calm for Kathy, although she did give some whoops I could live without.

Here are some details about the workouts themselves:

TOTAL CIRCUIT
In this workout, Kathy alternates cardio segments and strength moves. She gives recommendations for weights to use for the different segments and I found that useful. She didn't give much time to pick up or put down the weights as she transitioned between segments. I kept having to pause the workout to catch up. Overall, I liked this workout because she accomplishes a lot in 20 minutes.

TOTAL BALANCE
This is the kind of workout I SHOULD do, but don't really enjoy. It is a flowing workout done barefoot that adds a cardio aspect to the balance work. Mostly, they are moves that have you do a move (like a lunge) and then come up to a balance move.

TOTAL ENERGY
This is another barefoot section and sort of a yoga-ish, stretchy kind of workout that does a lot and not much of any one thing. It felt good, but is the kind of workout I just won't come back to as other stretches/yoga workouts seem to flow better and which seem to have more of a point to it.


I can see how the right exerciser would like this workout. It's just not for me.

Instructor Comments:
I think Kathy is one of the most professional instructors in the business (well, except for those occasional whoops). She is just good at what she does and she is less hyper in this workout than in some previous ones.

Laura S.

03/23/2012


This is the first Kathy Smith exercise video that I have used in a long time: when I was more of an exercise beginner, she was a reliable part of my fitness collection, but as I became more experienced (I now considered myself to be high intermediate), I moved on to other instructors. However, I have been curious about her "Ageless" series, especially now that I am getting older (mid-40s).

TOTAL BODY TURNAROUND is a DVD offering 3 20-minute workout options. The Main Menu of the DVD brings up the following options:

Introduction
Workout Options
Bonus Features (short clips from two other Acacia DVDs)
Also from Acacia (other DVDs)
Subtitles ON/OFF
Credits

Selecting the "Workout Options" brings you to a submenu with choices for Play All, Total Circuit, Total Balance, or Total Energy. For each of the workouts, Smith is exercising alone in a large, open, mostly white studio with a few colored vases accenting the background. She instructs live, offers mirrored cuing, and occasionally (mainly during the first two workouts) gives little enthusiastic yelps. I have described the three workouts in detail below.

TOTAL CIRCUIT (actually 23.5 minutes)
In this workout, Smith alternates 3 minutes of cardio with 3-minute weights segments. She begins with a simple (3m) warm-up that includes side steps, heel touches, and knee ups. However, she manages to significantly increase the heart rate by adding in a long series of repeater knees as well as the option of side-to-side hops. (Note that all of the impact moves are optional in this workout.) The first weights section consists of bent over lat rows; Smith holds two 8# weights in one hand (although she drops one weight halfway through) and rests the other hand on the seat of a chair (the only time the chair is used during the workout. The first cardio segment begins with side steps, adding in forward motion and bow and arrow arms. Next come side-to-side lunges with various arm movements (single, then double), again with the option of adding in a hop. For the second weights segment, Smith performs bicep curls, adding in pulse. She completes the set with alternating overhead presses. The last cardio pattern begins with a simple step knee forward, alternating sides. Smith then moves on to step repeaters (both to the rear and to the side), squats, and small squat jumps. The final few weights moves concentrate on the legs, although Smith notes that these moves can be performed without weights as well (I actually did them with my heavy kettlebell). The first is a one-legged deadlift, and she moves from that right into a one-legged squat (which she calls "picking up a penny off the floor"). She then picks up lighter weights for triceps work (extensions, lifts, and pulses) before moving to the floor for both regular and triceps push-ups. Smith concludes this workout with a quick (1m) stretch consisting of cat/cow, down dog, and standing forward bend. Overall, I really liked this workout; Smith gets a lot done in just over 20 minutes. I do wish she'd given just a bit more time for the transition to the weight weight, especially because most people probably won't want to use the same set of weights throughout as she does.

TOTAL BALANCE (20 minutes)
Smith performs this segment barefoot. It is a flowing workout that will still get your heart rate up at times while adding in balance work. The warm-up consists of simple side-to-side steps, bringing the moves front-and-back and adding in single and double arm swings. Smith begins the balance work by moving from a rear lunge to a knee balance, then bringing the leg to the front and balancing while pointing and flexing the foot. She flows back into side-to-side steps, this time raising the back leg in a brief balance and then balancing further by lifting one leg on each side. This is followed by a plie series (the balance work here includes work on the toes) and a very brief series in first position. As in the first workout, Smith performs a step knee pattern that moves into rear and side repeater knees, but this time, she holds to the side, slowing bringing the knee in and out while balancing. Side squats are next, coming up into a knee balance and ending with little front kicks. The final series consists of a brief mini curtsey to the rear, raising up to a knee balance. Smith concludes the workout with a short (2m) series of warrior stretches (warrior 1, warrior 2, side angle, lunge) performed all on one side, then repeated on the other side.

TOTAL ENERGY (19.5 minutes)
Smith again works out barefoot for this section, which is sort of a cross between yoga-like stretches and joint mobility exercises. Although I generally enjoy this type of work, Smith's sequencing felt awkward to me (i.e., she performs stretches on one side, does some work on the stomach, and FINALLY returns to the other side), and so this was my least favorite of the three workouts. Smith begins in a standing position, stretching the shoulders and moving into a chair/ragdoll flow. Coming down to the floor, she starts with a brief cat/cow and then moves into the one-sided work that I mentioned earlier. This includes bird dog (adding in an extra shoulder stretch), hip rolls in a kneeing position, one legged seated forward bend, one legged seated twist, and seated Figure 4 stretch. Rather than moving on to the other side, Smith continues with butterfly and then comes onto the back for a brief series of back extensions before finally returning to do the second side (also, I believe that there were a few editing errors on the second side). Following this sequence, Smith rolls down on her back for some reclined twists. Smith returns to standing for the last 5 minutes or so of this workout. Here she performs additional joint mobility-type stretches, targeting the shoulders, hands, wrists, and hips.

My main concern about trying this DVD was that it might be too easy for me, and that was definitely not the case--in fact (at least in the first workout), it was a bit of a challenge to keep up with Smith at times, and she is probably at least 10 years older than me! For this reason, I think that this DVD is best suited to those who are already experienced exercisers, NOT for beginners. So, if you already work out and are looking to continue to keep active as you get older, this DVD just might fit the bill.

Instructor Comments:
Kathy is a bit toned down here from here "Lift Weights to Lose Weights" series, although I still wish that she wouldn't "whoop" at all! However, she is an excellent instructor who cues well and gives excellent form pointers throughout--and obviously, she looks amazing, especially at her age (older than me!).

Beth C (aka toaster)

03/22/2012


MAIN MENU – Introduction, Workout Options, Bonus Features, Also from Acacia, Subtitles On Off, Credits

INTRODUCTION – Kathy explains the workout, what it’s supposed to do, then explains each individual 20-minute workout—Total Circuit, Total Balance, Total Energy. She also notes the options for doing the whole workout or individual segments.

WORKOUT OPTIONS – You can choose any of the three 20-minute workouts, or select Play All. I did the first Total Circuit Workout which didn’t stop at the end—it just continued on into the Total Balance section. No problem; I just hit the menu button to take me back to the Workout Options menu.

BONUS FEATURES – Contains a Kathy Smith Q & A, written Kathy Smith Bio, selection from Exhale Core Fusion: Lean & Toned, and a selection from Yoga for Beginners. I watched the Q & A—it was like chatting with Kathy over coffee. She talked about the creation of the workout, balance in life, and some of the people who have been an inspiration to her. This was a fun segment and I wished it would have been longer, but I liked the informal feel of it. She makes a cute reference to cat stretches as part of her inspiration for the Total Energy Workout.


TOTAL CIRCUIT WORKOUT — Kathy alternates 3 minutes of cardio with strength training. Standard non-obtrusive funky instrumental workout music, just the right sound level—not too loud, not too soft.

Cardio Segment 1/Warm Up: Standard marching, side to side, heel digs, knee lifts, etc. Starts off low impact, then Kathy gives the option of adding some impact with some side to side hops. She goes through the series on one side, then repeats on the other side.
Strength Segment 1: Kathy uses two 8-pound dumbbells and does bent over one arm dumbbell rows using a chair for support. She gives great form pointers throughout, using single count and pulse lifts. She switches to the other side using her leg for support, but she gives the option to continue using the chair for support (which is what I did).
Cardio Segment 2: Tapping side to side, adding arms including her trademark “bow and arrow” (don’t know if she came up with that term, but I always associate Kathy Smith with the bow and arrow arms). The moves go up in intensity with side to side turning lunges, adding arms in increasingly intense patterns—single arms to the side, over head, and finally both arms over head. She repeats the tapping to lunge sequence.
Strength Segment 2: Once again using the 8-pound dumbbells, she does double biceps curls, single count lifts combined with pulses. Single arm shoulder presses come next, all single count.
Cardio Segment 3: Step-knee combinations. She gives the option for “popping” the knee up to add some impact. Does some repeaters to the back and side, and ends with squats to the side. Single count, then pulses. The squat segment ends with “pop ups,” which are essentially plyo squats. Repeat series on the other side.
Strength Segment 3: One legged deadlifts; Kathy gives the option of using weights or just body weight (she uses weights). “Penny-in-your-pocket” to the floor lunges (pretend you’re picking up a penny and putting it in your pocket), same leg, weighted or body weight—your choice. Repeat series on other leg. Kathy gives great form pointers for both the deadlifts and the penny lunges. Triceps work; Kathy uses 5-pounders, she suggests starting with 3-pounders. Leaning over double triceps extensions, single counts and pulses. In extended position, she has you squeeze the arms together. Then she combines the extension with the squeeze, and finishes off with pulse extensions—burn time! To the floor for pushups, 16 single count. Child pose stretch. Triceps pushups, hands closer to chest, another 16 count—Kathy gives options for making this section easier. Another child pose stretch. Cat stretch. Up on toes and back down for a downward dog-type stretch, walk feet in. Hang like a rag doll, bend knees, shake out, round up to standing. Clasp arms behind back to stretch chest.

I love this workout! It manages to hit everything in a little over 20 minutes (with the exception of abs, but I’m not big on ab isolation work anyway since the abs are worked by stabilization during most workouts), all with using normal movements. Due to back issues, I subbed one legged balance dips in place of the one legged deadlifts. This works the same muscle groups without compromising the lower back. Kathy is so relaxed and low key during the workout, and is constantly giving great directions and form pointers. This is basically the strength workout I’ve been looking for at this time in my life. It moves slowly enough that any size dumbbells can be used, so it can grow with you as you get stronger. It would go wonderfully with a walking program.


TOTAL BALANCE WORKOUT

Kathy doesn’t wear shoes for this segment. Side to side moves for the warm up with arms naturally moving with the legs. Side to side heel digs--this has a dancy, very flowy feel to it. Tall bend and reach on tip toes and stretch. Dips with knee ups for balance. Bend and straighten leg straight out in front, point and flex foot. Repeat dips/bend leg sequence on other leg. Marching and moving to the side and tap. Reach out long with the arm and leg, gradually sinking more into the leg that you aren’t tapping with, finally lifting other leg out to the side. Increase arm lift and eventually lift up on the toes with this same movement. One leg moves in, other leg lifts out to the side with arm lifting up. Side to side move, repeat one leg in, other leg lifts out on the other side. Move side to side. Long plie series. Lots of reps, pulses, alternating heels off the floor. Then BOTH heels off the floor and balance! Shake legs and hips out. First position, up on toes, down and up—Kathy says to use a chair for balance if needed. Pelvic tucks in down position, then move hips side to side. March then alternate knee ups and repeater knees (similar to the Total Strength Workout). Leg out to the side, bring knee across, balancing on the other leg the whole time. Repeat march knee ups repeater knees leg out to the side on other leg. Double squats to the side, then lift knee up and balance after the second squat. Hold knee up, then bend and straighten leg as you lift it low, medium, high. Repeat double squat series on other leg. Cross leg behind like a curtsy lunge, pulse, bring leg up and balance, holding arms up high. Repeat cross leg balance on other leg. Stretch out leg behind in Warrior position, repeat on other side. Open up into Warrior 2 position, stretch arm overhead, come down to the floor, spinal twist, lift up to ceiling. Slide leg in, round up, shake out shoulders. Repeat Warrior 2 stretches on other leg. Shoulder rolls then chest stretch with arms clasped behind back.

I haven’t done this workout yet, but it definitely has a ballet-inspired feel to it. Kathy gives her usual great form pointers throughout, and is very upbeat during the workout. The workout obviously focuses more on the legs and lower body due to the balance emphasis. Music is slightly different from the circuit workout, but has the similar funky feel.


TOTAL ENERGY WORKOUT

No shoes again for this workout. Feet shoulder width apart, inhale exhale with arms up and down. Stretch arms behind back for chest stretch. Roll down with hands on thighs and back up. Chair pose. Drop down to rag doll, round up. Arms overhead then chest stretch. Shake out like rag doll, drop down, walk out to hands and knees. Inhale, exhale, round back for cat stretch. Rib circle stretches in both directions. Opposite arm, opposite leg stretch. Arm behind head, drop elbow to opposite arm. Pick up bent leg and make leg circles in both directions. Take leg straight out to side, drop it down, shake hips side to side. Seated position, one leg bent, other leg straight, walk arms out to stretch leg. Take bent leg and move up for spinal twist. Place bent leg on straight leg, find comfortable position, and move both legs around. Butterfly stretch. Walk arms forward, bending over legs. Move body to lay down on stomach. Lift upper body up and down on arms into low cobra position. Hold in cobra position. Back down on stomach, then do alternate arm and leg lifts on both sides. Legs down, lift both arms up in cactus position, then lower down. Move back into wide leg child pose. On all fours again. Repeat opposite arm/opposite leg stretch sequence on other side up to butterfly stretch. Grab thighs, roll down, bring knees into chest, grab knees, rock side to side. Straighten one leg on floor, lift other leg straight up. Stretch leg out to side, lift up, then stretch it across body. Bend both legs, bend knee of the stretching leg over the other leg. Stretch to both sides. Repeat the straight leg stretches on other side. Bend legs and do spinal rocks. Cross legs and come up to standing. Swing arms around side to side very loosely. Bring arms to shoulder level, swinging, turning body at the waist the whole time. Swim arms back, sway side to side. Bend elbows while swimming, bring arms forward, squeeze and release hands. Bend and release arms. Repeat a few times. Bend arms into “goal” position, open and close arms. Reach up and pull down. Straight arms slightly out to side, thumbs in, thumbs out as arms rotate—good for posture. Arms up to shoulder level, palms up, pulse back. Diagonal arms side to side. Both arms up, down, and round body up. Repeat a few times. Shoulder rolls. Side to side ribs. Side, front, side, back ribs both sides. Side, front, side, back with hips both sides. Do this including more of the leg as you move the hips in the same side, front, side, back motion. Inhale up, grasp wrist, drop arm down, side stretch. Repeat on other side. Come back to center. Chest stretch with arms clasped behind back. In this position, do neck stretch to both sides. End workout with circling wrists while moving hips and raising arms—kind of like a slow belly dance move.

I haven’t done this workout. The jury is out on how my body will react to some of the leg stretches. I tend to be pretty inflexible and have to be careful how lower body stretches affect my back. Kathy gives many form pointers and modifications for stretches throughout the workout. Her amazing flexibility attests to the years of yoga she has practiced! The music for this workout is low-key jazz which is perfect for the relaxing, yet not put-to-sleep feel of the routine.


There is a lot of variety on this DVD! I plan on keeping it and trying the last two workouts. The DVD is worth it to me for the first workout alone, so the other workouts will be bonus ones if I end up liking them. I recommend this for anyone who would like shorter workouts to add to their collection, and personally highly recommend the circuit workout.

Instructor Comments:
Kathy is both relaxed and upbeat during all three workouts. She "whoos" a bit in the Total Balance Workout, but not so much that it's a major distraction. She gives good directions and form pointers throughout; however, some of her cuing is right on the change, so it may be a bit awkward transitioning the first few times through the workout. Due to the easygoing feel of the routines, Kathy is perfect to work out with in the morning.

Rebecca (blueskies)

10/22/2011

Firming After 50
Joel Harper
Year Released: 2009

his DVD presents three workouts – separate ones for the upper body and lower body (23 and 18 minutes respectively), plus a “bonus” abs segment (15 minutes). All three workouts are led by Joel Harper (not to be confused with Bob Harper of Greatest Loser fame!).

No weights or any other equipment is used in this DVD. A chair is optional in the lower body workout (for balance only). You may want a mat for the abs workout. The participants wear shoes, but barefoot would be okay too (with the possible exception of a few optional impact moves).

Warning: Firming After 50 features an all-white set, which some people find hard on the eyes.

A second warning: During the upper and lower body workouts there are little pop-ups by Dr. Michael Roizen, offering factoids about the benefits of exercise (e.g. “Firming helps bladder control!” “Firming decreases wrinkles!”). Several of these comments are pretty doofy. I can deal with it, but I can also definitely understand it being a deal-breaker for some. More welcome is an occasional pop-up graphic letting us know how much longer to go in the workout. There’s a mild-mannered music soundtrack which can be switched off.

All three segments are led by Joel Harper, who instructs live. He uses very little left/right cueing (which alleviates the mirror-cueing issue). In the upper and lower body workouts Joel demonstrates advanced options (which are often a balance challenge of some sort, or sometimes adding little jumps). Joel’s mom Eileen (age 72) demonstrates beginner options, and another lady, Elise, shows an intermediate version. Joel provides thorough form instruction throughout, sometimes even correcting the other exercisers (“Mom, line your toes up a little bit better.”). He incorporates stretching and muscle release moves throughout each routine.

The workouts break down as follows:

Upper Body (23 minutes): As noted above, this routine is done entirely without weights. We warm up with shoulder rolls, marching/jogging in place, waist twists, and compass (a balance move). Standing side crunches are followed by a long series of arm circles. From there we do triceps kickbacks, speed bags, and an exercise I can never remember the name of (elbows and hands together at 90 degrees, pulse arms up and down). The routine finishes with upright rows, wood chops and overhead presses. During these exercises Joel often increases the challenge by standing on tiptoes or just on one leg.

Lower Body (18 minutes): This all-standing routine begins with bent-knee front leg raises, followed by squats, then straight-knee side leg raises. Kickboxing-style forward kicks are next, then one-legged squats (with the option of keeping the non-working foot completely off the floor). “Ballet” is next (front leg raises with straight knee), followed by isometric inner and outer thigh squeezes. The workout concludes with pulsing squats before Joel goes into the final stretches.

Abs (15 minutes): Joel works out with Tracy, who shows beginner positions (Joel tells us Tracy has had seven children!). The bulk of the workout is crunch variations (done in a deliberate, controlled manner), with some plank work at the end. Joel and Tracy start with a beginner position, and then Joel shows ways to increase intensity.

Bottom Line: Firming After 50 is clearly aimed at beginner senior exercisers, and I think these are good routines for this audience, especially with the quality instruction and emphasis on balance (something I appreciate in any workout DVD). The presence of Joel’s mom is undoubtedly encouraging to seniors, too. That said, this could also be a nice DVD for traveling (since it needs no equipment) or for a lighter or recovery day. I’m not quite “senior” myself (I’m 57) but I do investigate unweighted upper body exercise routines to use when my elbow tendinitis flares up. Joel's workout here is good, but not as tough as Classical Stretch or Tracy Anderson.

I'm pretty sure I have seen portions of this workout on PBS. Besides a few other DVDs, Joel has a relationship with Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen (authors of the “You” books), and he was involved with the accompanying “You” workout DVDs. Joel also has a series of short (5-minute) workouts done for the Dr. Oz show which are available on YouTube.

Firming After 50 is available at Amazon. There’s a clip of this workout on YouTube.

Instructor Comments:
Joel Harper, while he doesn’t exactly bubble over with charisma, gets the job done. He presents in a quiet, business-like manner, with a lot of form instruction and an emphasis on safety. His website is www.joelharperfitness.com.
JustSandra

10/09/2012

Qi Gong for Better balance
Lee Holden
Year Released: 2020

No review, but here's a preview link: Lee Holden Balance

Joel Harper's Better Balance

There are four levels to work on your balance and flexibility. No equipment is needed. All four levels are between 6 to 9 minutes so they don't take too much time. I don't really have any balance issues, but I found that I was slightly off balanced on my left leg. There was one exercise in level 3 that I could not do, and I need to increase my range of motion.

Here's a list of some of the exercises, movements, balance work, and stretches.

Level 1 (6 minutes): Joel Harper performs, and he instructs his mother, Eileen Nash. All work is done standing.
Slow march compass
Tree
Tight rope
Stretch
Floating chair
Prayer

Level 2 (9 minutes): Mr. Harper performs, and he instructs Lauren Fink, a young lady. Work is done standing.
Knee rolls
Bounce with knee
Prayer
Ankle sway
Stretches
Hop
Chest stretch
Hip Rolls
Stretch prayer

Level 3 (9 minutes): Mr. Harper is the sole instructor and performer. This level emphasizes stretches. All work is done on the floor (ground).
Prayer
Stretches

Level 4 (9 minutes): Mr. Harper performs, and he instructs Breean Brasile, a young lady. All work is done standing.
Hop
Knee circle
Leg circle
Swan
One legged airplane
Balance work on one leg
Yoga toe walk

Besides the four levels, there is a "Bonus 18 Tips," divided into three sections. Total time is about 18 minutes. Mr. Harper performs and he instructs either Dr. Mehmet Oz or Gabrielle Redford.

Balance Tips
Floating chair
Tight rope
One legged balance
Compass
Slow motion march
Tree

Strengthening Tips
Rickety table
Scissor legs
field goals
Knee swing
Resting side kick
Ab press

Stretching Tips
Criss cross
Knee drop stretch
Airplane stretch
Chicken Wing stretch
Hippie stretch

Defining Shape
Tracie Long
Year Released: 2009

This is the first of the Longevity workouts, featuring Tracie Long. This workout has plenty of functional and traditional strength exercises. For me, it does feel to be more traditional with a twist than functional, but I’m hoping it will help me in the functional area as well. Kind of my “gateway dvd to functional fitness”. As the exercises have been broken down extensively, I won’t go into much detail about it. I feel that overall this is a very effective strength video, with a heavy lower body, shoulder, and core emphasis. I know I’ll be feeling my glutes tomorrow! The only body part that I felt was a bit short changed was the chest, as there is only one set of pushups for area. Another thing I noticed is that I was sweating so much throughout the workout! I mean, I was really huffing! I don’t feel as though I was short changed in the cardio department, that’s for sure. I do feel that I went heavier than Tracie for most of the exercises, as I did not go below 10 pounds (except for the beginning where we did shoulder work), using mostly 15s throughout. I think the key with this workout is choosing correct poundage, REALLY concentrating on form (she gives excellent pointers throughout), and engaging your core.

What I Liked
I liked the selection of exercises overall. There weren’t too many reps so I felt that I could really concentrate on form. Tracie offered plenty of form pointers throughout. She also included two of my favorite exercises – clean and press and deadlifts! Tracie was friendly and encouraging, without being too perky or too serious. How she pulls that off, I don’t know. I also liked the short balance focused chapter of the workout, it was quite challenging! I definitely need help with my balance. Oh, and the music was fitting, a nice volume, and quite good (yes, I know that’s subjective). I would describe the music as something you’d want to listen to and workout with after a long Friday at work.

What I Didn’t Like
Although my arms were fried, I would have liked more chest work. Even more pushups would have been fine. I would have liked them in the beginning though, so I could be fresh and pump out quite a few. Additionally, while I appreciated that she didn’t have traditional crunches, I would have liked more instruction on the pilates type exercises. I just don’t get pilates and how I’m supposed to be engaging my abs, so more instruction would be great. Oh, and one of the compound exercises were bothersome, as it was for lower body and shoulders. I can go much heavier for lower body than for shoulders, so a compound exercise doesn’t do my any good.

What You Might Want to Look Out For
This is quite shoulder intensive, and I've read on the forum that if you are going to use this in conjunction with her other workouts (or even the older Firm workouts) throughout the week, you better adjust the poundage accordingly. I know for me that, while I can do 12 pounds for shoulder presses and 10 pounds for lateral raises, I will probably go way below that if I'm doing a Tracie Long six week rotation. I have very iffy shoulders. Additionally, she does do a short side plank series, so if you have iffy wrists, adjust accordingly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this workout, and am glad to have it in my collection.
Instructor Comments:
Tracie is encouraging, professional, and just seems so sweet! She includes good form pointers, but isn't the best cuer, if that makes sense. She's not bad, just could be better. She does mirror cue. Oh, and she is gorgeous and strong. So motivating!

bubbles76

03/04/2015


This is a workout that I wanted to like more than I do. Overall, I think it's a well constructed workout, although she does work the shoulders a bit more than what I find optimal. And, the workout does flow. But, I just prefer other workouts of hers more. Tracie has a place in my workout collection, but I tend to need only 2-3 of hers to get what I need from her style of workout. If you want a Tracie Long strength oriented workout using multiple sets of dumbbells, this workout may be for you.

Tracie is alone in this workout and the workout is divided into several sections with different themes. She does sets of moves where you often work the upper body and lower body at the same time with a series of moves that she groups together. The cueing is so-so, although she does mirror cue. I did like some of the combinations and the workout does seem to flow to me.

Instructor Comments:
She comes off as a no-nonsense professional who is there to help you work out and achieve your goals.

Laura S.

02/20/2015


Tracie works out alone in a nice studio. You will need dumbbells and a med ball for this .49 minute mostly strength workout. The dvd is fully chaptered and includes premixes.

After a warmup exercises include dip & overhead press combos, front & side raise combo, upper back fly, tri kickbacks, squat variation combo adding tempo changes & balance challenges, bi curl & plies, pushups, pliet & upright row, shoulder press, side lunge-squat-and overhead press combo, side step squats, deadlifts, and concludes with a balance series, lying leg work and a core routine before the stretch.

I rate this a solid intermediate routine that can be made more or less challenging depending on the weight you use. Lots of great multi-muscle combos and tons of tempo changes keep it interesting & keep your muscles guessing. I heavied up and got a GREAT workout! Tracie is a great instructor and I really enjoyed this workout. I received this dvd to review.

lindseylu8

04/27/2014


I love Tracie's style of workout because she includes a great variety of moves. I love the mix of traditional and functional moves. I don't specifically look for functional fitness workouts, but I like them for adding variety. I used 8# as my heavy weight, which to me means that this workout lets me go moderately heavy. I felt worked out but refreshed. It was a good intermediate workout.

Some people don't like moving on to the next move so soon, and don't like Tracie's Focus or Longevity workouts for that reason, but I enjoy it. It keeps things fresh for me. I tend to get bored and start watching the clock if the same move gets repeated too much. My only dislike was that her warm up was too choreographed, which frustrated me a little right out the gate like that. (Also, there's a med ball shown with her dumbbells in the warmup, then it disappears during the workout, because it is not used in the workout. I thought it was weird that they put it out in the first place, since she's not going to use it.)

Instructor Comments:
Good cueing, good instruction, I didn't have any trouble following along. She doesn't chatter, which I'm grateful for.

PeakFitness

03/13/2011


Kath has provided an excellent breakdown of this workout, so I will just share some additional thoughts.

This is the first DVD that I have tried from Tracie Long's newest LONGevity series. As Tracie notes at the beginning, it is mostly a dumbbell workout, and she recommends having three sets of weights, light, medium, and heavy. She suggests a weight range of 7-10 lbs. for the medium only; I found this recommendation to work fine for some of the moves but to feel rather heavy for others, including the first weights segment. Tracie works out alone in a studio featuring a brick wall with covered windows and other accouterments such as a corn plant. The music was upbeat without being distracting. One additional note: the DVD is filmed in letterbox format, meaning those with smaller TVs in their workout rooms (like me!) have to contend with less screen space.

The 5.5 minute warm-up includes balance moves and dynamic stretches. Tracie then picks up medium weights for the opening lower body work, which includes different variations on reverse lunges and overhead presses; I found 8 lbs. a bit heavy for this. Next, Tracie moves on to lighter weight for shoulder and triceps work. This is followed by a LONG sequence of squats (about 5.5 mins.) using heavy weights (I stuck with my 8#). Tracie continues to combine upper and lower body moves together with a bicep curl/plie combo; this moves into plies with clean and press/upright row. The last weights segment again uses the heavy dumbbells and combines side lunges with step squats; this is followed by a deadlift/dead row series.

Before moving to the floor, Tracie does a short (5.5 mins.) standing balance segment. This consists of moves such as standing on one leg while tapping the other to the ground, one leg standing twist, and standing superman. For anyone who has practiced yoga or any other disciplines requiring balance/core strength, this section is likely to be pretty easily, especially wearing athletic shoes (although Tracie does note that taking off your shoes is optional). Given this, the segment felt out-of-place with the more intermediate level of the rest of the workout. For the floorwork, Tracie starts with a side plank move, then does a sort-of variation on the Pilates roll-up before repeating the plank on the other side. Tracie concludes with a nice stretch releasing the back and especially targeting the quads and hip flexors, bringing in the total workout time at just under 49 minutes.

In addition to the Play All option, the Main Menu also offers Chapters-Premixes-About Us. This DVD has two Premixes. Unfortunately, the times for these are mislabeled; they are actually backwards. The first premix, Below the Belt, is 20 minutes (not 15 as listed on the menu), and the second, Hour Glass, is 15 minutes (not 20).

Defining Shape offers a solid strength workout. I enjoyed some of the moves, especially many of the shoulder exercises (several of which seemed borrowed from Kelly Coffey-Meyers), but so far, I am not as impressed with Tracie's LONGevity series as I have been with her prior work (e.g., the TLT and TLP series workouts).

Instructor Comments:
I like Tracie, but I have never found her to be a particularly good cuer, and that was especially noticeable here. I found that she would sometimes cue only half of the moves--e.g., just the legs rather than both arms & legs. Also, she has a habit of preview an entire series of movements but then (without telling the viewer!) starting with only the first 1-2 moves. Finally (and I realize that I may be getting nit-picky here), there were several times when she stated that the feet should be "hip width" apart, but her own feet were clearly much wider, even wider than shoulder width! There just seemed to be little things like this which annoyed me throughout this workout, which is unusual for me.

Beth C (aka toaster)

11/30/2010


Tracie introduces Defining Shape as Volume 1 of Tracie Long Fitness’ Longevity Series.

I’m reviewing this workout after doing it three times.

General workout breakdown: This 48.5-min. total body strength workout also contains some balance challenges, a little floorwork, and a nice flexibility segment.
- Warm Up (5 min.)
You’ll warm up with wide marches, side lunges, squat & round low back, elbow circle back, arm circle back, knee up & punch, lunge, hyperextension, side taps, lunge out, double lunges, and dynamic calf stretch (heel up & down).
- Legs & Butt (4 min.)
You’ll do reverse lunges, adding a knee up & opposite arm press overhead, reverse lunges into double front kick, and static lunges & overhead press. Next comes “open the shutters” (hold arms at right angles in front of chest, then move out to sides) into overhead press.
- Shoulders & Triceps (3.5 min.)
Exercises here include reverse flyes and pulses, lateral raises, and alternating lateral raise with 1 arm and front raise with the opposite. Next come triceps kickbacks and straight arm extensions back with pulses.
- Legs & Butt (just over 5.5 min.)
This sequence is all about squats, which you’ll do at different tempos. In between come standing leg extension & circle around into 1-leg squat and later alternating circle around. For the last series of squats you’ll reduce your range of motion - that is, you’ll do a full squat, then go 3/4 of the way up, then only halfway up, and finally only a quarter of the way up.
- Upper & Lower Body (just under 5.5 min.)
Here you’ll do biceps curls, first standing with feet hip width and then adding plies that match the varying tempo of the curls. Next come push-ups. You’ll then return to standing and the plie position for a combination clean & press and upright rows (one arm at a time).
- Legs, Butt & Shoulders (5.5 min.)
This begins with side lunges before you do a combo of side lunges and step squats, to which overhead presses are later added. You’ll continue with just step squats, then move into (straight-legged) deadlifts, deadlift into bentover row, bent-legged deadlift / squat & row w/ rotation, back into dead rows, and finally back to deadlifts only.
- Balance & Core (just under 5.5 min.)
Most of the balance challenge revolves around standing on one leg and leaning slightly to that side while moving the arms and/or legs – or standing still. You’ll also do a standing glute / hip stretch (ankle over opposite knee), standing on toes w/ torso rotation, hold leg out front (prep for big toe pose in yoga), adding in pulse, and superman (or warrior 3). You’ll end with a standing side bend.
- Hips, Butt & Inner Thighs (5 min.)
This sequence is a side-lying leg series inspired by Pilates and old school floorwork. You’ll do a combo of knee to the floor & kicking out, then alternate tapping the toe in front and the heel in back with leg straight; then comes inner thigh lift & lower and small circles. Tracie has you stretch out with opposite ankle over knee before repeating on the other side.
- Abs (just under 4.5 min.)
You’ll begin with side plank, alternating rotating and elevating the hips. You’ll then do a roll-back, crunch, and roll-up, which you’ll repeat after you do the side plank series on the other side. This segment ends with a quick bridge.
- Stretch (just under 5.5 min.)
This begins on your back, with knee to the chest, then slightly across the body for a piriformis stretch, and then all the way to the floor for a spinal twist. Both knees come to the chest to release the back, then you’ll push your knees over your hips and roll your upper body up to help stretch the rhomboids. You’ll roll over to prone position for a lying quad stretch, push back into child’s pose with arms extended and thumbs up, come up to all fours for cat & cow to release the spine. Kneeling hip flexor stretches with triceps stretches on one side and hands clasped to open the chest, then a neck stretch on the other, seated forward bend, a kneeling back bend (think camel prep), side bend to stretch out the side of the torso, squatting low back release, and a stretch for the upper back with both arms reaching out to the front round out this portion.

Level: I’d recommend this to intermediate through int./adv. exercisers. Experienced low int. or even beg./int. who know how to modify to their level (Tracie offers some suggestions, but doesn’t show them for very long) should find this a doable challenge, something to work up to. Low adv. exercisers looking for an active recovery workout might find this useful, although you may have to find ways to increase the challenge compared to what Tracie shows (e.g. use heavier dumbbells, although you won’t be able to go truly heavy, maybe no more than 12-15 lbs., add ankle weights during the floorwork, do the balance portion on a Bosu or balance disc – hey, why haven’t I thought of that before?).
I consider myself an int./adv. exerciser. I found this appropriately challenging with the appropriate weight: the trick really is to go heavy enough that it’s hard to complete the last rep or two with perfect form and no lighter or heavier. The balance portion is too easy for this regular Pilates and yoga practitioner, but now that I’ve realized I can do it on my Bosu or balance disc I’ll be better off there. This is one of those workouts that leave me feeling worked out without feeling wiped out, so I can be more active throughout the day rather than feel compelled to flop on my couch for the next few hours to recover. My heart rate monitor stats read the lowest for this one out of the Longevities, but can be attributed to the standing balance portion and the floorwork, not just because my heart rate dropped when I was doing those bits but also because my HRM acts up when I’m not primarily vertical, as well as the fact that this is the shortest out of the four.

Class: Tracie alone, instructing live.

Music: I’m struggling to describe the music. It’s instrumental and mostly upbeat, but it’s hard to identify with a specific genre, nor does it have a real melody. It’s original stuff, although I thought I heard someone else using one of the tunes (and of course now I can’t remember who). If you’re passionate about the music used in your exercise videos, watch as many clips as you can (currently Tracie Long Fitness, Collage Fitness Videos, and Total Fitness DVDs all have clips available).

Set: a bright interior studio with a brick wall, windows over which white shades have been drawn, and plants and exercise equipment neatly arranged around.

Production: clear picture and sound, although the music is sometimes on the soft side in relation to Tracie’s voice, sometimes not. You should be aware that some people have been very vocal about the sound issues in the Longevity series, particularly fluctuations in volume with regards to the music and/or Tracie’s voice, and to be honest I might not have noticed if people hadn’t pointed them out, as I don’t have a great sound system or the ability to crank up the volume.
The camera angles here are primarily helpful and straightforward.

Equipment: You’ll need 3 or so pairs of weights (I use 5, 8, and 10 lbs.), a mat, and a pair of sneakers. Note that although a medicine ball appears next to Tracie’s weights she never picks it up during this workout.

Space Requirements: Tracie does the entire workout on 8 puzzle mats. If hers are the same size as mine, she’s working out in an area that’s 8’ long by 4’ deep.

DVD Notes: The main menu pops up quickly, with your options of Play All, Chapters (in addition to the Intro, see my general workout description for the chapter list), Premixes (Below the Belt, about 15 min., and Hour Glass, about 20 min.), and About Us.

Comments: I wouldn’t recommend this to someone looking to get the most bang in terms of challenge and intensity for their buck; it’s more for someone who’s looking to get it all in: total body strength training, including corework, for both health and appearance, balance training, and a little flexibility to boot.

I want this to be my favorite out of the Longevity series, perhaps because I like a number of the exercises sequences included here and feel that overall it offers some solid and pretty well-rounded work for the lower body, a nice balance challenge portion (even if I find that on the easy side), and some good Pilates-esque floorwork. However, a few things keep it from becoming my favorite: 1) The shoulders get A LOT of work here. That’s fine if I were to do this by itself, but in combination with the other Tracie Long workouts I have - the rest of the Longevity series, the TLTs, and one of the Focus workouts, Kick Back, all of which include a little to a lot of work for the shoulders - I get nervous about overworking the shoulders, joints which can be prone to injury, especially due to overuse. I think I’m fine with doing a month of Tracie Long workouts every now and again, which is usually how I use her DVDs, but if I were to do these regularly I’d think a lot harder about how to ensure my shoulders stayed happy. (Going a little lighter than I might otherwise, such as using a lightish med ball in the relevant workouts, is one place to start.) 2) This combines several different types of workouts into one. I’m not the biggest fan of that normally and have to be in the mood to appreciate it. I’m OK with it here, however, because they’re separated into distinct segments rather than fused together throughout the entire routine. 3) I’m not really into the whole let’s end a segment with a “ta da” strike a pose thing.

I have to admit that although I’m starting to appreciate the Longevity series in its own right I’m still disappointed these aren’t a second round of TLTs, which were my introduction to functional fitness and are still unlike anything else on my shelves. (I haven’t done any Tracie Long workout earlier than the TLTs, nor have I done any workouts from the FIRM or related systems, so I can’t compare the Longevity series to those efforts.) Tracie has pulled back from the functional fitness feel of the TLTs, although she hasn’t given it up entirely, to include more conventional gym-style training. From the insert included in the DVD and the workout itself I get the impression the Longevity series is targeted at 40-somethings who want to get back into shape so they feel and look better. (Full disclosure: I’m a decade away from falling into that category, and my main fitness goals are more to be happy and healthy, strong and fit, rather than to fit into a certain type of clothes or a specific article of clothing.) To that end the functional fitness aspects are there to improve health and functionality while the more traditional moves are to shape and firm up. Defining Shape clearly speaks to both goals perhaps more clearly than any of the other four original Longevity workouts, including the emphasis on strength, stability, and shape in the lower body plus the emphasis on sculpting the shoulders.

Instructor Comments:
Tracie is the consummate fitness professional, focused on cuing the workout as she demonstrates how to execute the moves precisely. She might have a few comments about how this exercise is good for a certain body part or the upcoming segment will burn a lot of calories, but that’s about it for anything resembling extraneous chatter. I find her cues aren’t the most descriptive, so I need to watch her closely to figure out exactly what she’s doing, although this isn’t really an issue here compared to some of her others because the exercises are for the most part straightforward. Tracie does mirror cue.

KathAL79

11/27/2010

Yoga for Balance
Caley Alyssa
Year Released: 2015

I'd been curious about this DVD for some time, so I recently borrowed it from the library. As a yoga teacher myself, I enjoy including balance work in my classes, and so I wanted to see what instructor Caley Alyssa had to offer here.

I'm not positive, but I believe that the three practice segments offered on this DVD were originally classes offered on the Udaya web site. Alyssa says "welcome to Udaya" at the start of the main practice, and their logo remains on the screen throughout all three routines. The Main Menu offers options for Balance Class - Bonus Quad Class - Bonus Core. I have described each in detail below.

BALANCE CLASS (40:05 minutes)
In this main class, Alyssa is teaching live with one student. She begins in boat pose, moving on to a challenging variation of alternate straight leg drops. Coming to standing for chair pose, she alternately lifts one knee into the chest, spending quite a bit of time here. Transitional postures include standing forward bend, plank, side plank, downward dog, and upward dog. Alyssa performs several standing sequences, including warrior 2 with a heel raise/triangle with both arms extended/half moon; chair/warrior 3/standing splits/handstand prep; and eagle/extended hand-to-big toe/revolved half-moon. The practice concludes with bridge and a reclined twist; there is no shavasana.

BONUS QUAD CLASS (20:55 minutes)
Here Alyssa performs specific quad stretches in a variety of different yoga positions with a class of five students. She begins with hero's pose with a block. Coming to hands and knees, she adds the first quad stretch (tiger pose), and then moving up to a lunge, she cues a lunge with a quad stretch. Bow pose follows, and then the quad stretch is performed in downward dog. The final postures are camel, half lord of the fishes, and quad stretch in side plank.

BONUS CORE (3:05 minutes)
Not really a class per se, this section offers what Alyssa calls a "teaching tip." Using a student to model boat pose, she explains how good form in boat is important to standing balance.

The main practice on this DVD had a nice variety of poses. Although Alyssa had an encouraging manner, she herself is clearly super-flexible, and she did not really provide much information for those who are balance-challenged. Rather than a DVD to help with balance, Yoga for Balance mainly offers experienced yogis a practice to work on standing yoga balance poses, and I would recommend it for this purpose only.

Instructor Comments:
As noted, Alyssa was sweetly encouraging, but I thought she needed to offer more modifications and to be more inclusive in her teaching.

Beth C (aka toaster)

09/24/2016