Search - Quick Fix - Total Toning on DVD

Decent (but flawed) workout.

Erik Olson | Ridgefield, WA United States | 08/06/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes I don't feel like working out at all, but then I look at my gut and realize I need to do *something* physical. That's when I search for a relatively short DVD workout, say, 30 minutes or so. "Quick Fix - Total Toning" fits that bill, at least time wise. The 30-minute total length is enough to soothe my conscience, and the Quick Fix format of self-contained 10-minute sessions is cool because it's easier to complete a full workout in shorter stages (or do a smaller workout if pressed for time). Unfortunately, the quality of the workouts and instructors on this DVD are uneven. That's a shame, since some tweaking and polish would have made this a 5-star exercise DVD instead of a 3-star one.

A useful feature of the Quick Fix format is the countdown timer in each ten-minute section. It's about the size (and in the same place) of those channel logos in the lower right corner of cable or satellite TV stations. It looks kind of like this: :QF10. The numeral counts down by minutes. It goes to :QF9 when nine minutes are left, and so on until the end of the segment. A little minute hand circumnavigates the Q as well. I liked the timer, since it indicates both progress and time to completion.

Each of the three women leads one of the 10-minute sections, and they act as assistants when not instructing. As a group they do a good job of demonstrating the exercises. But throughout the entire workout they have an annoying mutual admiration thing going on. Sometimes two, or even all three, would chime in at the same time with flattering statements that were more distracting than edifying. As for the workouts, they will tone your muscles and make you sweat. However, I was disappointed with the uneven quality of both the exercises and the instructors.

Minna Lessig sets the bar high with a good start. She calls well, and her workout consists of old aerobics strength training standards (squats, backward lunges, hand weight exercises, etc.). I can see why she has her own series of video workouts. However, the other two instructors failed to match her level of expertise. Some of the exercises in the middle kickboxing workout, such as the slow front kicks, are good for building strength and balance. But a couple of the upper body routines, like punching forward and backward simultaneously, seem a bit hokey compared to other examples from the genre. In addition, the leader's calling skills needed sharpening. The third and last workout focuses on using body weight for building strength, and falls somewhere between the other two in quality. It's made up of a combination of weightless aerobics strength exercises (squats, lunges, etc.) and Pilates-style moves (holding plank position, knee pushups, etc.). The leader does a serviceable job, but her transitions could have been better.

The overall "Quick Fix - Total Toning" routine isn't bad, but it isn't great either. It will allow you to get a decent 30-minute (or less) muscle-toning workout. The first section is best, and the last gets the job done. But the weak middle section detracts from the whole, and the forced banter was intrusive. I like the Quick Fix format, and I'm hoping that other DVDs in the series will be more impressive."

Decent Workout

A. Boldt | USA | 12/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great DVD to workout too if you are a beginner. It is well paced and the routines are easy to follow. The instructors are good without being too cheesy. If you have a hard time fitting in a workout routine this is a good buy. If you are intermediate level and want a challenging workout this is not the DVD for you. I am intermediate level and use this DVD if I want a quick workout or just want to concentrate on toning my muscles."