Search - Strong Body, Ageless Body with Erin O'Brien on DVD

A great intermediate, total body workout ;->

Little Miss Cutey | Melbourne, Australia | 01/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this on a whim actually. I didn't know of the instructor Erin O'Brien, but wanted a new workout. I ended up picking a great dvd here. It's toning done standing and done on the floor and it works out almost every muscle in your body.
Erin is a great instructor. She explains everything so well by telling you why you are doing what you're doing. She cues well and so you always know what's coming up. You can do the basic move that's demonstrated, or the tougher variations which is shown in a separate square in the corner of the screen. That's a great feature in itself so you can progress easily and move up when you're ready. All you need is some weights and you're ready to go. Even though she's not totally well known, I highly recommend this workout to everyone because almost anyone can follow it, and it will compliment any of your cardio workouts you might already own."

Love this one! Fun, fast-paced way to build strength

GG | 01/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Speaking as someone who would rather workout on a treadmill for an hour than do five minutes of weight training, this DVD is a total life saver. I'm a cardio junky, but I know I need to build in weight training so I keep trying new workouts to see if anything will get me to do the work. Until discovering Erin's DVD, I couldn't find anything that I wanted to finish, let alone incorporate into my regular rotation.

Now I'm doing this workout at least twice a week to supplement my cardio routine. It's a motivating, fast-paced series of exercises that switch between upper and lower body sets. The transitions are easy to follow but quick so your heart rate stays elevated and you're done before you know it. The program ends with a nice floor work section that incorporates inner/outer thigh work and abs/pilates exercises. Erin is very easy to follow and motivational. The program also includes a helpful corner graphic that shows you advanced options for every exercise.

This is one I'll go to again and again.


"

This Workout Rocks!

N. Worline | St. Paul, MN | 01/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a killer workout! I loved it. I usually workout twice a day, so I figured I could handle all the advanced moves the first time around. Oh, man! I was quivering by the end of the workout - and I was thrilled! I knew this was a tool I could use for a long time to come. I've done fitness tapes/dvds for the past 15 years and I've bought my share of clunkers. Either the workout got boring or the instructor got annoying. Not here! Erin gives you many ways to change up your workouts (which is a huge bonus) and she's very likeable, fun and motivating. Even better, she's smart and challenging. I enjoy and appreciate the fact that she educates you while you're working out, ie; what muscle groups you're working, etc. Erin's a great trainer. I've purchased her earlier dvds (she's a pre/postnatal specialist) and I loved them, too. I still incorporate them into my rotation, that's how good they are. I always learn something new. If you're looking for a challenge, no matter what your "condition", Erin's the trainer for you. Strong Body, Ageless Body rocks!"

Everyone should have this DVD in their workout collection!

M. Mills | East Coast, USA | 03/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One word: Wow! I am so glad I found this DVD. I'm in my mid-20s and am in good shape, as I've been working out fairly consistently since college. However, I wanted to incorporate more strength training into my routine and thought this would be an appropriate-level challenge for me. I have been doing Erin's Strong Body, Ageless Body workout for several weeks now and love it. This is a great strength routine to add to your existing cardio and/or specialized routines (abs, Pilates, etc.). The individual exercises are basic and uncomplicated, so participants of nearly any age/weight should be able to enjoy and benefit from this workout.

Erin O'Brien is amazing. With this particular workout, she set up a tripod in her living room and created a comprehensive strength training routine just for you. Although you can't "customize" this DVD like some other workouts (the 10 Minute series comes to mind), it is so much more personal than the cookie-cutter studio routines; it honestly feels like you have a one-on-one session with your favorite trainer. Erin is a strong, down-to-earth, no-nonsense woman who cares about health and wants YOU to be strong too. She makes you feel good about yourself and good about working out. Her encouragement is nurturing ("Yes you can!" and "You're all right, I promise!"), and her demeanor is calm and focused.

For this 43-minute workout, you need a set of dumbbells (or soup cans) and a yoga mat (or towel). Erin keeps the routine fast-paced, so even though there's not a lot of cardio per se, your heart rate stays up and pumping the whole time, and you still burn tons of calories. She uses 6-pound dumbbells throughout the routine, but I started with 3-pounders and have worked my way up to 5-pounders, which I think I'll stick with for a while. The routine covers all major muscle groups in the body: shoulders, upper/lower back, biceps, triceps, pectorals, upper/lower abs, hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. It consists of 7 parts:

* Warm-up: A fun, get-your-blood-pumping series of aerobic movements. (4 minutes)

* Four standing upper/lower body segments: You need the weights here. Erin does three sets of 16 repetitions for each exercise, and she alternates between upper and lower body -- 16 reps upper body, 16 reps lower body, repeat 2 more times, then move to the next set of exercises. Transitions are quick. In these four segments, Erin works the shoulders/upper back, biceps, triceps, lat row, quads, glutes, hams, calves, and inner/outer thighs (not in that order, though!). (20 minutes)

* Floorwork: This is where you need the mat. Erin works the pecs, upper/lower abs, lower back, inner/outer thighs, hips, glutes, hams, calves, and overall balance. She uses many Pilates moves in this segment and, as before, quickly alternates between upper and lower (or core) -- 8-16 reps depending on the exercise. (15 minutes)

* Cool-down: This calming stretching session finishes off what is possibly the most fabulous workout I've ever done in my life, but I do wish this segment were longer (4 minutes). Erin doesn't stretch every muscle we used during the workout (no biceps, triceps, shoulders, or pecs), so I do my own stretches after the DVD ends. Not a big deal.

There's a little call-out box in the upper right corner of the screen during most exercises that shows an advanced modification. Erin does the "easy" move in the main frame, and once you're familiar with this, it's no problem to check the box for the advanced mod. This is the opposite of how most instructors do it, and it ends up more encouraging this way because the advanced moves aren't the main feature.

The music is fun -- a little sporty/dancy, but not obnoxious, and definitely not loud or overbearing. It's mainly there to keep you on pace with Erin's movements.

The first few times I did this workout, I kept up with Erin's quick-yet-manageable pace when I could do the exercise; but truth be told, I couldn't do every exercise! Erin does a LOT of quad work in the four standing sections, and I sometimes had to sit out during the second and/or third sets of squats. I can now do all of the exercises without stopping, but man, it's tough!

The only minor gripe I have with this routine is that sometimes Erin transitions very quickly between different exercises, mainly during the floorwork segment. I have to pause it so that I can get my weights, get into position, ensure that my posture is correct, and then resume. Erin is so seasoned that she can do this in 3 seconds, but on certain transitions, I need about 10. :)

Because this routine incorporates strength training for the whole body, and because Erin O'Brien is such an inspiring instructor, EVERYONE -- regardless of age or gender -- should have this in their home workout DVD collection. Highly recommended!"