Search - Shrink Your Female Fat Zones on DVD

Good routine for overall toning

A. Reid | NC, USA | 05/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I went from sedentary to relatively toned primarily through the virtues of this routine, which I have been doing now for about 6 weeks. The DVD bills itself as containing two separate routines--weights and exercise ball--but as other reviewers have noted, it's really one workout you can break into two. The warm-up is clumped with the weights; the cool-down is with the ball. It would have been nice if they had taken advantage of DVD technology as they do in Denise Austin's Personal Training System to allow users to stretch & cool-down with either routine. I had intended to break them into two, but gave in and simply do it all at once. If you choose to do the ball portion only, you might want to do a few warm-up stretches of your own before you start. Cool-down after the weights may not be necessary for you, unless it leaves your muscles feeling tight.

Many people find Denise Austin grating. She talks nonstop. Some of this inane chatter ("That's right; you've got it!"--which I still find cheering even though I know she can't possibly know), but some of it is pretty informative. She tells what each exercise is meant to work and discusses proper form--though not always early enough in the exercise. Sometimes we'll be halfway through something, and she'll suddenly say, "Exhale when you lift up." This can be a bit of a problem when you first start doing the routine, but as you get used to it, you'll start anticipating these belated reminders.

The best part about this workout is how fluidly Austin moves from one part of the body to another. It keeps the cumulative impact of the exercises from overwhelming you--you don't exhaust your arms, for instance, by doing them in one fell swoop. They get a bit of a rest while you work the legs and the abs before you come back.

I love this DVD. I'm still finding parts of it challenging, though I can now do all the exercies, but I can see an incredible difference in the muscle tone in my body. I am now varying it with Denise Austin's Personal Training System for variety, but I can say with all confidence that whether my female fat zones have shrunk or not, they're definitely better sculpted.

Equipment required: 3 to 8 lb. handweights & a stability ball. Be sure to get the right size: the one I started with was too big for my 5'2" frame, and I eventually had to replace it."

Good for small apartments!!!

Beetnik | Texas | 08/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know that sounds weird, but I have had a hard time working out at home because I always live in confined spaces. This one is good because you don't flail about too much and it works out all your muscles, especially arms, abs, and BACK FAT (what I was really wanting to trim and how I found Denise in the first place). Even the balance ball is do-able within like, 6 square feet or so...(I'm serious). I have never pulled anything and found that I could actually do the workout (minus a few difficult things I sat out but can now mostly do after a few months) without getting discouraged. The strength training produces almost instant results in terms of making you feel more substantial, strong, and energetic. I was *really* out of shape, just got out of grad school and started teaching middle school! Ack! Denise is getting me through it. Her voice is annoying at first but her insipid EASE can be motivating becaues she makes you so mad. At the end of the work out her words are motivating and sweet. She encourages you and says funny things when you are in your moments of pain (like, "let's see that smiling face" when you're trying to roll up vertebrae by vertebrae... ACK!) - now I totally LOVE her! I yelled and screamed obscenities for the first few weeks, but I have been doing this workout since June and I look MAHVELOUS! I recommend this DVD for people who are having a tough time getting motivated... it's easy enough to do and challenging enough to make you want to do it all. This is the first exercise DVD (VHS) I've ever liked enough to actually stick with. And I've been trying for a while. It's also nice at the end because she encourages you and tells you "you're getting fit because you're worth it... keep it up" - maybe there's subliminal messages in it. (just kidding...)"