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Summary: This DVD will kick your ....
Review: This DVD has two great workouts -- I love them both. Lots of squats and lunges really get your heart going and work those leg muscles. It has a great combination of cardio and strength building. Minna has a low-key demeanor with just the right amount of peppy encouragement.
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Summary: just what I have been looking for
Review: This DVD is great! Minna gives very good instructions but doesn't talk too much and is not too bubbly. The exerices are easy to follow but really work the muscles. I really like how it has alternating strength and cardio segments. The bonus section with weights targeting abs, legs, and arms is also good and only 15 minutes long. I have been looking for a good combination workout that gives me enough of a cardio workout but adds strenght training too and this is it.
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Summary: A worthy addition to your fitness collection
Review: This DVD will get you sweating in a hurry. I really like the interval training in the Fat Eliminator segment. Alternating strength and cardio segments does make the workout go by quickly, which is a plus for this reluctant exerciser! Minna is excellent at cueing and I like her demeanor. The only thing I really don't like about it (and why it is not a 5-star video for me) is all of the jumping. It is definitely NOT low-impact. If you have knee problems, find another video!
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Summary: Best Workout Video!!!!
Review: This gets my heart rate up and is fun--the time flies by!
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Summary: Great value, great results
Review: This is a great double-bill: fat burning squats and abs when you have the energy, and a slower-paced yoga-inspired routine when you don't.Fat Eliminator: You better like squats! They are not my favorite, but when I saw the results I knew I had to keep at it! The contrast between a few minutes of cardio and a few minutes of toning keeps your interest, though the cardio sements are very athletic (a little more dance would have been nice). You'll feel this the next day. Strength & Grace: This is one of those routines that's nice to do when you don't have a lot of energy, but you still want to workout. The moves are slow, and precise (lots of balancing) - but those balance moves work your muscles all the same! The Yoga plank-dog section I found too hard on my arms, but the rest was relatively easy. You're encouraged to breath slowly, and since some of the moves are like an active "stretching" routine, you can do this in the evening to unwind after a long day hunched over a desk... The cueing is excellent, and Minna's personality is motivating but not in any way annoying (which is one of my pet peeves for exercise tapes).
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Summary: This one WORKS... Highly Recommended!
Review: This is an excellent video for someone who wants to get fit and lean without fancy dance steps. I bought this DVD because of the good reviews given to it by others and I was not dissapointed. The music wasn't overpowering, the backup people weren't annoying, and Minna wasn't overly peppy. I cannot stand it to watch super-perky instructors that stare at you like a frightened deer and give off this attitude like if you don't do the steps they'd shoot you in the feet. My favorite workout on this DVD is the "Fat Eliminator" segment. It combines strength moves and cardio for a balanced workout that you can really feel. After over 2 months of doing this video at least 4 times a week, I still find myself sweaty but energized after doing it. This segement has a lot of jumping, lunges, and squats, so if you have weak legs or knees then be careful and watch your form. I am a totally un-coordinated clutz when it comes to dancing or any complicated moves, but these moves were straightforward and I picked them up right away. I actually liked this DVD so much that I bought a copy of the "Fat Eliminator" video for my friend and now she does it every day. I am 5'4" and used to weigh 128 lbs and now weigh 124 lbs. Yah, 4 pounds doesn't seem like much to most people, but I am a lot leaner and muscle weighs more than fat. My waist was 29-30" and flabby and it is now a tighter firmer 27.5"-28". My flabby but was 39" and it is now a very firm 37". I started doing this video without a specific goal, and just wanted to see what I could do with my body if I did it 4 or 5 days a week. I eat a well balanced diet (which I did before, but I still sat around too much), so I guess don't expect results if you still eat garbage. I have so much energy now that I just want to tell everyone to go out and buy this video! I can't wait for Minna to come up with a few more videos like this! Oh I guess I should say a thing or two about the "Strength and Grace" portion of this. I have only done this part a few times mostly because I find this segment to be a lot of yoga. It does have some good pilates in it. It almost feels like you're not doing a workout when you are doing it sometimes, but other times you can really feel the burn. I almost find myself more tired after doing this portion because it really challenges the muscles. If you are a fan of Pilates and Yoga, then you should like the "Strength and Grace" portion. I also own Minna's Emergency Workout but I don't use that one quite so much because it is longer and the cardio requires that you do some salsa and mambos and I am a clutz. I also recommend "I want that Body" by Tamilee Webb for some extra sculpting exercises if you want to really firm up. I do that DVD almost as much as I do the Minna DVD. This is a program that works. Try it!
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Summary: A Must Have For Beginners and Intermediates!
Review: This is definitely a must-have DVD. You are getting 30 mins of cardio/toning, 15 mins of toning and 45 mins of traditional yoga/toning.
This will really tone that lower body! I have noticed my thighs and rear end getting tighter and leaner. Minna is great on cueing and giving instructions on some moves before you do them. I sweat everytime with this video even though I feel like I'm not putting forth that much effort. The choreography is basic but you can easily add intensity by exaggerating those power movements. I'm really pleased with this DVD and enjoy doing it 3x a week. I do my own upper body routine but like I said before, this is great for toning the lower body. I'm not very coordinated either but this one I can follow very easily. So, if you like interval aerobics, this is a surprisingly energetic routine. LOTS of plyometric moves so get your lungs ready. 2 1/2 min of cardio (plyo) interspersed with 1 1/2 min of toning (squats, side leg lifts). Minna's cueing is good, and has a pleasant personality. Highly recommended!
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Summary: Great Workout Combo
Review: This is my first DVD workout and I can say Im not dissapointed.
I love the strength and grace portion cause it's not high impact but will give you a good sweat. Actually both segments will give u an excellent sweat. The only problem is with the fat eliminator, after doing it a couple of times my knee ached. But overall, highly recommended just be extra careful with your knees.
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Summary: One of my favorites!!
Review: This is one of my favorite workout DVD's!! Minna is great instructor, upbeat and motivating, but not nauseating. She explains all the moves extremely well and queues almost flawlessly. On both of the workouts, the music is great (that's saying a lot for me, I usually think workout music is either awful or just tolerable). It's Latin with a really good beat, but it's not overbearing so you can't hear what she's saying. The two workouts--
Fat Eliminator is an aerobic and strength training workout using circuits-1 1/2 minutes strength and 2 1/2 minutes cardio. Six circuits with a warm-up and a little stretching at the end. I know 2 1/2 minutes doesn't sound like enough to get your heart rate up, but it does. The strength circuits are short enough and intense enough to not bring your heart rate down too much. In the cardio sections you use your leg muscles and glutes a whole lot (some cardio workouts, I feel like I'm only using my calf muscles). She uses some really unique moves and some traditional aerobics moves. The moves are simple enough for beginners, but there are quite a few jumps so people who have joint problems or who are very overweight may have trouble with parts of it. I modify parts of it, when they're doing this jumping lunge thing, I slow it down and just do a regular lunge. I'm sure I will be able to do the whole thing soon enough. The strength circuits are mostly lower body, with a little upper body. There is an optional 15 minute toning section at the end. It's glutes, abs and arms. After the circuits, the glute section really isn't necessary. The arms section is good for light toning, probably not for building muscle though (I also use Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight for my arms). As for the ab section, all I have to say is "Ouch!". I've been doing this workout about 3 days a week, along with other cardio workouts the other 2 or 3 days, for about 3 or 4 weeks and I can see a big difference in my legs and butt. I don't do the second workout on the DVD, Strength and Grace, as much since I have a lot of fat to burn off, but it's a great workout too. It's really good for balance and strengthening, but it'll get you sweating a little bit. I like to do it on those days when I want to workout, but don't have the energy to bounce around the living room. The moves are little more complicated than in Fat Eliminator, but since they're slower, it's not hard to catch on. This workout is good for any fitness level. It's a mix of yoga, pilates and dancing, but you don't really need experience with any of them to keep up. I highly recommend this DVD if you're looking to reduce fat and strengthen your body. It's challenging and interesting enough to keep working with for quite a while.
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Summary: An instant favorite
Review: This just might be the best workout DVD out there. It's a great mix of cardio (which I often neglect) and strength training, and Minna is neither grating nor boring. It does require some balance, so beginners should be careful not to push themselves too hard. Despite what some reviewers said, I found Minna gave plenty of instruction on proper knee alignment. In fact, she even stops before she starts a series of lunges to explain exactly where your knee should be in relation to your ankle. Neither of these workouts are easy, though some will find the cardio circuit portion more taxing as it calls for a lot of jumps and lunges. I found the Strength & Grace to be just as tough, though; it just wears you out differently. I personally had to take a rest during the "plank" position in S&G -- and I take power yoga once a week. This isn't for the weak-willed. To make sure I don't get bored, I'm still mixing this tape in with TotalMix, another winner, and Karen Voigt's yoga and pilates DVD. They all seem to complement each other really well.
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