Search - Karen Voight - Slim Physique on DVD

Interesting Concept

Rebecca Johnson | Washington State | 11/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While this is an interesting concept, will it work for you?

Do you only have 30 minutes a day for a workout? Then, this might be a great solution. Karen has created a variety of mix 'n match workouts. All you do is select the day of the workout. If you are used to working out for an hour, you might have to combine two days.

Monday (Cardio & Lower Body Strength): This is an interesting combination of small cardio segments that seem to increase in intensity. You end the workout with a short floor routine and some stretches.

Tuesday (Yoga Strength): Karen shows you how to get the most out of each move. She will work your body into a finely tuned fitness machine. Compared to other 45-60 minute yoga workouts I have, this seemed to be a very quick workout for me, so adding 40 minutes of walking will take this to a new level. You can do the walking before the yoga and it will warm your muscles so you can go deeper into the stretches.

Wednesday (Cardio & Abdominal Strength): Aerobics workout in which you start with a warm-up routine, then move into more energetic moves. I thought the "bunny hops" were kinda cute. It is like using a jump rope without the rope. Karen is a bundle of high energy and takes you from simple moves to complex routines that not only challenge your body, you have to stay very aware and the footwork is very creative. The aerobics workout is followed by floor routines for abs. Some stretching at the end.

Thursday (Upper & Lower Body Strength): You start with the cardio workout and then work your way into using weights while standing. Lots of upper body work and then you go to the mat and continue working out your upper body. The cool down has some lower body stretches.

Friday (Abdominals & Yoga Stretch OR Yoga Strength): You start with Abdominals and have to get to you mat very quickly. In fact, you might want to be flat on your back with the remote in hand before you even start. Karen seems to be famous for jumping right into the workout, so this is something you have to be aware of. There is no explanation before each workout. The explanations are all during the workouts and the instruction is refined and you make the most of each move. The Yoga workout is on an oriental carpet and is quite a beautiful routine due to the carpet, the music and the lighting, wood floor, etc. This is my favorite section on the DVD. Karen's black cat-suit type outfit also sparkles. This section of the workout is sort of magical and relaxing. I'd like to see more workouts like this! An entire DVD of stretching routines would be bliss. (If you love this section of the workout, you might also enjoy YOGASCULPT.)

Saturday (Cardio & Upper Body Strength): Again, you start with an aerobics routine. You will notice the "swimming" from a workout she did with Elle Macpherson in "Your Personal Best." Karen definitely seems to have a lot of "signature moves" which make her routines easier to do in the long run. Your body knows how it is supposed to move and it is very satisfying to find moves you have learned in other Voight workouts. Karen is quite creative and always seems to be in a state of constant change because she makes up new moves in addition to the old ones, so you really have to focus. Her workouts are as much for the mind as the body. Cardio Circuit Energy Boost is followed by the weight workout you did on Thursday.

Sunday (Yoga Stretch): I started with this routine. It has a nice flow and there are plenty of creative poses. The stretches do seem designed for the very slim as there are some poses in which you literally twist yourself into a pretzel. Never fear, there are only a few of those poses and you can work your way to that level of flexibility.

Tools: hand weights, yoga mat, two blocks and optional foot stool.

Karen presents each workout in a no-nonsense style. She gets right to working out. So, have all your equipment ready to go. You won't have time to go find your yoga mat, weights or block once you start the workout. For the most part, the footwork wasn't too fancy, but there are a few times I just went back to walking until I could figure out the routine. If you are used to aerobic workouts and want a new challenge, Karen will give your mind a workout too. She has a friendly instruction style and a pleasant voice.

Karen Voight has always been an inspiration to me. Her workouts really motivate me. If you enjoy this workout, you might also want to try: Ultimate Circuit Training. It also has B.L.T. on a ball workout, so you don't have to buy the additional DVD.

"Sleek Physique" is a fun DVD to use every now and then for a complete week. It gives you a break from trying to figure out which workout you are supposed to be doing. Karen does the organizing for you. This is perfect to take with you on vacation so you don't get out of your workout routine.

This DVD has previews of other workouts and links to Karen's
website so you can purchase exercise equipment. Throughout this workout, Karen has a workout partner.

~The Rebecca Review"

Should have rented it first!

lisam5305@yahoo.com | 04/02/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I absolutely love Karen Voight's style and I own several of her exercise videos/DVDs. When I first read about this DVD, I thought it would be great...a chance to work out with Karen every day! I typically have only half an hour to work out each day, and it's challenging to find a KV workout that isn't 45 minutes to an hour long. While this DVD isn't terrible, I don't reach for it much. The cover description leads you to think you will be doing a different 30 minute workout every day, that is not the case. Most of the segments are repeated each day, and that got old fast. I also didn't care for the yoga segments, I'd much rather do Karen's Yogasculpt video. So, if you think you might be interested in this DVD...take my advice and RENT IT FIRST."

Sleek Physique

Moose Spot | UT USA | 11/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Karen Voight is phenomenal. Each workout is only a half hour and is labled by the day of the week so it is easy to keep track of which workout comes next. She has some simple, but innovative moves that work out each muscle group. I love the combination of cardio, strength training and yoga on this DVD. Equipment required is minimal. You will need 5-8 lb dumbells, a yoga block and a yoga mat. One thing I think the buyer should know is that each workout may vary with the part of the body you are working on, but each time you focus on that area, it is a repeat of the same clip. For example, the ab workout is the same, the warm up and cool downs are the same, etc. I highly recommend this DVD. Karen teaches proper form expands my workout and I also appreciate that her body is sculpted and healthy looking. Worth the money"

Short routines and daily variety

lisam5305@yahoo.com | 12/14/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There's lots of variety on this disc between the cardio, toning and yoga segments. I really loved the "stretch/relaxation" yoga segment in particular - it's a floormat routine that really stretches your hips and lower back (problem areas for me). I found the "strength" yoga 30m section too advanced though; you would want to know yoga already for this one. I'm quite good at balancing, but this had me falling over...The arms section was good but very fast. I like toning routines that move quickly from one exercise to another, without an explanation of how each move is done. But this is too fast! If you like to change the amount of weight used for each move, there's no time to switch. And the moves themselves feel like they are running in fast motion, bordering on unsafe. In the end I just used the speed I felt comfortable with, switched weights when I needed to, and just used the routine as a "prompter" in the background...."