Rating: 
Summary: you should see me now!
Review: After using the tapes only twice a week for a little over 2 months, people at work started asking me what I was doing differently to lose weight so fast. I had to tell them it was Lotte Berk's tapes. I'd only lost 6 pounds but was down a full pant size. The instructors can seem annoying, but not nearly as bad as some other exercise tapes I've tried over the years.
The tapes are about 25 minutes each. I like the fact that the instructor reminds you to maintain your form. Each muscle used is then stretched, helping almost eliminate soreness the next day. To get results, in under 1/2 hour of working out, is my idea of a wonderful workout.
Rating: 
Summary: Not much of a workout
Review: I couldn't believe it when this workout was done; I hardly felt like I did anything. Not very motivating either - music and video are boring.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a bad workout, but...
Review: I decided to try Lotte Berk because I needed a low-impact shape-up to complement weekly ballet classes. This isn't a bad way to start; it resembles ballet, yoga, and Pilates. The Lotte Berk Method relies more on holding muscle contractions than on endless reps of a move, and in that respect it can be challenging. Although I didn't feel anything in my abs the next day, I will say that my thighs were extremely sore; however, this may have been because I did the bonus "Blast" workout directly after finishing the main one. The main problem I have with this video is that Stephanie, the instructor, talks WAY too much. Midway through the video I was yelling at the TV to just shut up and get on with the workout already! Also, what's with the "rich-women-browse-high-end-boutiques" opening? Still, this wasn't a bad workout and it doesn't take too much time, which is definitely a point in its favor.
Rating:
Summary: Not a bad workout, but...
Review: I decided to try Lotte Berk because I needed a low-impact shape-up to complement weekly ballet classes. This isn't a bad way to start; it resembles ballet, yoga, and Pilates. The Lotte Berk Method relies more on holding muscle contractions than on endless reps of a move, and in that respect it can be challenging. Although I didn't feel anything in my abs the next day, I will say that my thighs were extremely sore; however, this may have been because I did the bonus "Blast" workout directly after finishing the main one. The main problem I have with this video is that Stephanie, the instructor, talks WAY too much. Midway through the video I was yelling at the TV to just shut up and get on with the workout already! Also, what's with the "rich-women-browse-high-end-boutiques" opening? Still, this wasn't a bad workout and it doesn't take too much time, which is definitely a point in its favor.
Rating:
Summary: LOVE IT! but the insructor is ANNOYING!
Review: I did the Basic Essentials this morning before work and I was shakey for the walk to work! I really love the fact that the workout was only 30 minutes long. It really did fly by. Can't wait to try out the other three in the set. The only reason I don't give 4 stars is b/c the instuctor, Stephanie I think, is so annoying I almost had to hit mute.
Rating:
Summary: This instructor is beyond annoying
Review: I don't know how anyone can get into these work-outs. They are STRANGE. I wanted to punch the instructor in the nose. Her voice and cheesy way she spoke is enough to drive you bonkers. And the way she opens her eyes all wide and says "Do you remember? Where do you feel it? Can you do it? Can you tuck??Yes you feel it!"
The newage porno sounding music combined with the strange hypno gucci girl ballerinas was wacky. I'll stick with The Firm.
Rating:
Summary: Basic Essentials
Review: I gave this DVD 5 stars, because it is a great introduction to the Lotte Berk Method. It begins with the usual 9-minute warm-up...Knee-lifts, shoulder rolls with pelvic tuck, upper body strengthening, and stretching...The first part of the workout focuses on the lower body using isometric exercises at the barre (A sturdy piece of furniture works just fine.) and then on the floor. The second part of the workout focuses on the abs using focused floor work...The cool down of the workout is "Shape By Stretching" where you stretch the worked parts of your body for elongated and shapely muscles. This workout is appoximately 30 Minutes long.I have the entire set of Lotte Berk on DVD. This is the "easiest" workout, but definitely the best introduction to Lotte Berk Method. The DVD comes with a special Blast workout...approximately 9 minutes long, and a definite intensity boost. The fact that this is a solid workout, great introduction, and has an increased intensity bonus workout makes me give this workout 5 stars. Plus the fact that this method is amazingly effective. I've seen the results! I truly hope you'll invest in this series. It shouldn't be missed!
Rating:
Summary: Basic Essentials
Review: I gave this DVD 5 stars, because it is a great introduction to the Lotte Berk Method. It begins with the usual 9-minute warm-up...Knee-lifts, shoulder rolls with pelvic tuck, upper body strengthening, and stretching...The first part of the workout focuses on the lower body using isometric exercises at the barre (A sturdy piece of furniture works just fine.) and then on the floor. The second part of the workout focuses on the abs using focused floor work...The cool down of the workout is "Shape By Stretching" where you stretch the worked parts of your body for elongated and shapely muscles. This workout is appoximately 30 Minutes long. I have the entire set of Lotte Berk on DVD. This is the "easiest" workout, but definitely the best introduction to Lotte Berk Method. The DVD comes with a special Blast workout...approximately 9 minutes long, and a definite intensity boost. The fact that this is a solid workout, great introduction, and has an increased intensity bonus workout makes me give this workout 5 stars. Plus the fact that this method is amazingly effective. I've seen the results! I truly hope you'll invest in this series. It shouldn't be missed!
Rating:
Summary: Wacky porno music but a cool program.
Review: I'm looking for something easy enough for an uncoordinated unmotivated unathletic asthmatic couch potato to do, but with payoffs in flexibility, strength and all around toning. Based on recommendations, I'm giving this a try. I've viewed the video a couple of times now, but haven't quite worked up the gumption to do it, though I think once I'm over the trepidation, I could manage to keep up by doing the modified moves demonstrated by one of the other pretzel-women in the video. The moves look like a combination of ballet and yoga, which seems reasonable. I can do without the spiritual aspects of yoga, and I don't have the youth and athleticism for real hardcore ballet, but the Lotte Berk video is a nice common ground. The background porno music is downright weird. I guess there's not much in the copyright-free generic backing tracks category for "not-quite-as-fast-as-disco" but "not-quite-as-slow-as-meditation" music except the stuff they used for this program, which sounds suspiciously like what those San Fernando artisans use in more horizontally oriented entertainment features. I may have a hard time doing this program without laughing if my parrot decides to start moaning in time with the music (I have NO idea where he learned that. None.) My only real annoyance with this video is the title sequence. You know that glitchy wiggly effect in too many car commercials, where it's meant to look edgy and cool, like an 8 mm home movie is jumping out of the sprockets and the image is dancing all over the screen? Yeah, that one. It was annoying when I first saw it, and it just gets more and more irritating the more often I see it. Does this effect now come free with some shareware desktop video production package or something? Jeez. It's like, so 1990s, you know? Anyway, I recommend this to my uncoordinated fellow exercise-phobics. There is nothing here that requires extensive choreography or an inbuilt sense of rhythm. The instructor is all tough-love and firm, and she doesn't go on about how much fun we're all having dancing around in our cute spandex outfits to frantic generic disko toonz, or run around like a screaming cokehead like that guy Peter Small or whatever his name is.
Rating: 
Summary: Yuck, I didn't like it.
Review: The instructor is very irritating. She does not make it fun and she is militaristic. I tried it once and couldn't stand it for more than a few minutes. Maybe this method is good with a different instructor or for you if you like the tough stuff. She's kind of creepy the way she stares at the camera. I put it away and tried it again later, but it still didn't work for me. It's in my reject pile. You'd be better off with a Karen Voight or the 8 min As Seen On TV Set.
Check my other review on Amazon for the best choices in exercise and yoga DVDs. Thanks!
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