Rating: Summary: Great Yoga workout - for beginners or experts! Review: The thing I love the most about this video besides the fact it's a great workout, is that it's divided into three sections. The first part is about 30 minutes of Yoga. I had trouble making it through the yoga workout the first time I tried it, but after about 2 weeks, I noticed significant improvement in my strength, balance, and endurance. The second and third parts are about 15 minutes each, focusing on strength training. An exercise ball is used in the third section. This video can be done all at once, or a section at a time depending on your schedule. All three are excellent workouts and you will feel sore the next day! Those of you who are familiar with Denise Austin's style will not be surprised, or let down, by this video. For those of you who are not familiar with Denise, I recommend simply watching the video through once so you get the idea of the routine. Denise tends to change moves quickly without a lot of notice and you may find that difficult at first. Once you've done the workout a few times, it's easier. I had no Yoga experience when I first bought this video, but I had no trouble learning the moves. I was surprised at how much "work" Yoga is, and pleasantly surprised to see definite results in a few weeks. This is a good workout, for Yoga beginners and for the more experienced too!
Rating: Summary: A Yoga Workout, not just Yoga Review: The thing you have to remember and know about Denise Austin is that she is a fitness expert. She is not a certified Yogi. She uses different exercise techniques to appeal to the millions of Americans who purchase fitness videos. So she makes a wide variety of workouts to appeal to everyone's tastes and keeps up with changing fitness trends. If you want a Yoga workout or a meditative experience, get either Baron Baptiste, Rodney Yee or take a class at your local gym/studio. But if you want a convenient, effective Yoga-influenced workout, get this video. You will achieve results. This is a positive review that I hope reaches those people who are expecting a Yoga experience when they read the words "fat-blasting." HELLO! With that kind of title, one should know that this will be more of a athletically oriented fitness regime as opposed to a slow-paced, stretch and strength Yoga practice.
Rating: Summary: Denise Austin-Fat-Blasting Yoga : 21 Days to a Yoga Body Review: This is a great video ! I honestly HATE working out, but I LOVE yoga. I already had a wonderful yoga video, but it was too long of a work out to fit into my schedule. I like the way this one is broken up into 3 short workouts. I like the way Denise keeps her moves simple, but effective. This video is EXCELLENT for your back. You feel pain free and thoroughly stretched after these workouts. I think Denise Austin is a sincerely sweet and motivating person. I recommend her videos to anyone who wants a realistic workout that you can stick with. As far as the stability ball, a large kids' ball works great.
Rating: Summary: Don't get bogged down in semantics Review: This is Fat-Blasting yoga, it is not traditional yoga. The box clearly states that the poses are performed "in a flowing style to increase the heart rate, boost metabolism and burn calories and fat." If you're looking for a DVD to teach you the traditional poses and breathing techniques, this is not the one. If you're looking to lose some weight and gain some flexibility, this is an excellent choice.My goal when I set out three weeks ago was to lose 50 lbs by next summer, and by alternating this DVD with Denise's "Pilates for Every Body" (along with a better diet), I have already lost 10 lbs. It is difficult to give an overall loss, because these programs build muscle, which, of course, weighs more than fat. Suffice it to say, I have a very defined waistline again, my stomach has flattened out considerably, and I can see definite muscle tone in my arms and legs. I have had a difficult time in the past sticking to exercise programs, but I now find that I start to feel a bit sketchy if I haven't worked out by around 7 p.m. This workout is fun, and I found early on that you can do your own slight modifications to the poses until you've gained the flexibility to do them the way they are taught. I look forward to working out every day, and I especially enjoy "Yoga Days." After three weeks, I am more flexible, more balanced and more focused - and did I mention, lighter? One complaint: I'm certain that in the Balancing Stick series, she has you doing one leg twice and the other leg four times, and I'm not sure she's consistent with count on other exercises. Once you get familiar with the workout, though, you can adjust for that. Denise tends to say "This is my favourite," for several stretches or moves. This is not as annoying as funny, when you realize that she really loves what she's doing. She's very motivating, and she seems to realize that not everyone is at her fitness level. Incidentally, I have suffered knee, shoulder and back injuries through gymnastics, and I find that this video does not aggravate those at all. I recommend, however, purchasing a stability ball if you're serious about this workout. It really takes the pressure off your back when doing things such as situps and double-leg stretches.
Rating: Summary: AWESOME WORKOUT! Review: This is my absolute favorite video! I don't understand why so many people are complaining about this video. It works! You really do get your heart rate up, and I feel very relaxed afterwards. I love Denise Austin! She's a very sweet person and she's really motivating. She really does care that you get in shape and she gives you good information. My butt has never been so firm! My legs are more toned than ever and the last part with the ball is really great for my waistline. I have Winsor Pilates, The original susan harris Firm workout,taebo...nothing compares to this video! I'm definitely buying more Denise pilates/yoga tapes and I tune into her morning show. Get this video, you won't regret it!
Rating: Summary: Welcome to "Yog-aerobics" Review: This is not "yoga" in the classical sense. First, this woman's voice gets annoying--"Oh, I love this stretch!" (Say what?) Second, her balancing poses make my feet hurt. Third, if you are not in any kind of shape, it is HARD--too hard, and you can hurt yourself bad. If you must have it, WATCH this video while working with your Thighmaster set (or something) FIRST before actually working out with it. Keep the controller handy to back it up . .again, this is "yog-aerobics." If you are one of those with hypothyroidism and adrenal exhaustion (as described in The Schwarzbein Principle II) this is NOT what you are looking for. Proceed with caution, people.
Rating: Summary: Not Yoga AND She's Irritating! Review: This is not yoga. This is an aerobics routine with some yoga poses thrown in. There is zero attention paid to the importance of the breath, to getting in tune with your body, to the calming and focusing effects of yoga-- and thus, to everything that yoga is actually about. Instead, Ms. Austin has tailored some of her aerobics routines so that she could shove in some yoga poses and call it "yoga". Worse yet, she provides no instruction on the poses and there is thus a very high risk of injury with doing these routines. And, on top of the ridiculously un-yogic practice itself, the tape is backed with high-energy music and her constant, mindless yammering.There's not a moment of silence in this entire routine. The woman obviously has no idea of what yoga is about in the least and is just trying to stick her name into the now-lucrative yoga market and make a buck. Beginniners shouldn't go near this tape because of the lack of instruction and experienced yoga practitioners will be highly disappointed in its total neglect of the actual practice of yoga. If you're looking for real yoga, try Sara Ivanhoe, Brian Kest, Rodney Yee, Patricia Waldon-- anyone who is actually a certified yoga instructor and knows what the heck they're doing. Leave Ms. Austin to step aerobics and coaching cheerleading squads.
Rating: Summary: Yoga Yeah! Review: This review is basically to negate comments from people who expect perfection and have complaints about everything. Denise Austin is a good teacher, and yes, she moves quickly sometimes but she keeps it interesting that way. It might take years to get bored with this workout. Plus, she follows the camera because she's speaking to the camera as if she's speaking to you. I like how she gives upbeat comments throughout her videos. I think she's very focused and really cares about the unfit in this country. So naysayers, get a life, and try to enjoy it! With Denise!
Rating: Summary: WARNING! This is not real yoga Review: This was one of my least favorite workouts of all time. If you are expecting yoga you will not get it from this DVD. She turns the basic yoga workout into an aerobic sequence with little to no instruction, no relaxation, time to move into poses or instructions on breathing. I worked up a sweat, but I could have easily injured myself if I hadn't modified the poses on my own. Also, the final workout is not possible without a stability ball so if you want to work your abs and you don't own a ball than you will get no help from this DVD.
Rating: Summary: Terrific Way to Start Your Morning Review: This was the second yoga video I had bought and I found it to be very challenging. There are three workouts- a thirty minute "power yoga" that really gets your blood pumping, a 15 minute strength training and a 15 minute core conditioning with the balance ball. The middle workout, strength training, was the most difficult for me. But I have noticed that in the two months I have been using this product, I have become stronger and more flexible. I don't know if my body will ever look like Denise Austin's, but I sure feel recharged after I do all three segments.
|