The Bar Method Body - Designer Sculpting

Rating:
Summary: Excellent non-traditional, full body workout
Review: Designer Sculpting provides an excellent full body workout designed to tone your muscles rather than build them up. Instructor Burr Leonard works with 3 other certified Bar Method instructors, one of whom shows modifications of all exercies.

A simple 5-minute warmup begins the workout. Next comes the upper body section (8 minutes), which uses light dumbbells. You will do several different moves to target biceps, shoulders, and triceps. [For those who are familiar with the Lotte Berk Muscle Eats Fat video, you will notice that the uppper body portion of this workout is almost exactly the same, as the Bar Method derives from Lotte Berk.] Barre work comes next (two of the instructors use a chair). You will begin in a wide stance and perform several sets of plies; the exercises are then repeated with your legs shoulder-width apart and feet together, on your toes. Again, this section is very similar to Lotte Berk, but you will perform a wider variety of exercises with more repetitions.

Following the standing leg work, it's on to the floor for a tough move known as "the pretzel." With one leg bent in front of you, the other behind, you will raise your leg and make small movements to really target your hips and buttocks areas (similar to Callanetics)--I really felt this the next day! This section is also about 5 minutes long. Ab work comes next: in this 5-minute section, you will perform small movements while keeping your abs scooped with your navel pressed toward the floor. You will then move on to bridge pose to work both your abs and you butt; this section is an additional 5 minutes as you perform bridge with several different foot positions. The workout ends with a 5-minute stretch to release your muscles.

I liked that this workout challenged me without leaving me feel exhausted. I also enjoyed being able to target both my arms and my legs without having to use heavy weights. This is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a different type of full-body workout.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent non-traditional, full body workout
Review: Designer Sculpting provides an excellent full body workout designed to tone your muscles rather than build them up. Instructor Burr Leonard works with 3 other certified Bar Method instructors, one of whom shows modifications of all exercies.

A simple 5-minute warmup begins the workout. Next comes the upper body section (8 minutes), which uses light dumbbells. You will do several different moves to target biceps, shoulders, and triceps. [For those who are familiar with the Lotte Berk Muscle Eats Fat video, you will notice that the uppper body portion of this workout is almost exactly the same, as the Bar Method derives from Lotte Berk.] Barre work comes next (two of the instructors use a chair). You will begin in a wide stance and perform several sets of plies; the exercises are then repeated with your legs shoulder-width apart and feet together, on your toes. Again, this section is very similar to Lotte Berk, but you will perform a wider variety of exercises with more repetitions.

Following the standing leg work, it's on to the floor for a tough move known as "the pretzel." With one leg bent in front of you, the other behind, you will raise your leg and make small movements to really target your hips and buttocks areas (similar to Callanetics)--I really felt this the next day! This section is also about 5 minutes long. Ab work comes next: in this 5-minute section, you will perform small movements while keeping your abs scooped with your navel pressed toward the floor. You will then move on to bridge pose to work both your abs and you butt; this section is an additional 5 minutes as you perform bridge with several different foot positions. The workout ends with a 5-minute stretch to release your muscles.

I liked that this workout challenged me without leaving me feel exhausted. I also enjoyed being able to target both my arms and my legs without having to use heavy weights. This is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a different type of full-body workout.

Rating:
Summary: excellent (!!!) workout, but hard on the knees
Review: I have been doing pilates, yoga and weight training for years. The Bar Method was a recent addition to my exercise routine and within three weeks I noticed an unbelievable improvement in the look of my body. I was pretty fit before, too, so such a quick change was remarkable. This is the most effective workout I've ever tried for targeting the butt and hips. Even my boyfriend, who is usually hard-pressed to notice any changes in my body, commented...and this was in less than a month!

I was very excited about the routine (doing it 2-3 times per week) until my runner's knee, which had been a recurrent injury in college, started to flare up again. It got to the point where I couldn't really run at all anymore. The pain was the worst after the Bar Method workout, so I stopped doing it and now I can run again. Now I only do the workout once or twice a month. I think that the workout is hard on the knees because many of the thigh exercises are done standing up with your knees bent, into a near "chair" position.

If you have bad knees, this video will not be good for them, I don't think. But if you're one of those people who never gets injured, this is the best workout video (for changing the look of your body) that I've ever tried. I wish I could do more of it!

Rating:
Summary: excellent (!!!) workout, but hard on the knees
Review: I have been doing pilates, yoga and weight training for years. The Bar Method was a recent addition to my exercise routine and within three weeks I noticed an unbelievable improvement in the look of my body. I was pretty fit before, too, so such a quick change was remarkable. This is the most effective workout I've ever tried for targeting the butt and hips. Even my boyfriend, who is usually hard-pressed to notice any changes in my body, commented...and this was in less than a month!

I was very excited about the routine (doing it 2-3 times per week) until my runner's knee, which had been a recurrent injury in college, started to flare up again. It got to the point where I couldn't really run at all anymore. The pain was the worst after the Bar Method workout, so I stopped doing it and now I can run again. Now I only do the workout once or twice a month. I think that the workout is hard on the knees because many of the thigh exercises are done standing up with your knees bent, into a near "chair" position.

If you have bad knees, this video will not be good for them, I don't think. But if you're one of those people who never gets injured, this is the best workout video (for changing the look of your body) that I've ever tried. I wish I could do more of it!

Rating:
Summary: Kick Butt
Review: See that backside on the DVD cover? Well, it's there for a good reason. This DVD is kick butt. Burr Leonard's seemingly gentle movements, squeezing of the muscles and minimal pulses quickly have a transformative effect on your body--particularly those problem areas women suffer with. The method is quite good for those new to exercise, out of shape or quite over weight because there are no high intensity aerobic moves. This also makes the workout good for those who are post-partum, middle aged or seniors. The certified instructors who offer modifications on the exercise for various levels is very useful. The day of my first workout my body was reeling, even though I never broke a sweat during exercise, I knew my body was immediately going through powerful changes. Burr Leonard's voice is upbeat and encouraging. For a woman over 50 (and you'd never know it, but she does tell you) Burr is in awesome shape. If you want to get into shape quickly this DVD is highly recommened!

Rating:
Summary: Kick Butt
Review: See that backside on the DVD cover? Well, it's there for a good reason. This DVD is kick butt. Burr Leonard's seemingly gentle movements, squeezing of the muscles and minimal pulses quickly have a transformative effect on your body--particularly those problem areas women suffer with. The method is quite good for those new to exercise, out of shape or quite over weight because there are no high intensity aerobic moves. This also makes the workout good for those who are post-partum, middle aged or seniors. The certified instructors who offer modifications on the exercise for various levels is very useful. The day of my first workout my body was reeling, even though I never broke a sweat during exercise, I knew my body was immediately going through powerful changes. Burr Leonard's voice is upbeat and encouraging. For a woman over 50 (and you'd never know it, but she does tell you) Burr is in awesome shape. If you want to get into shape quickly this DVD is highly recommened!

Rating:
Summary: THE BAR METHOD BODY
Review: What a great workout. It was nothing like the traditional aerobic videos, but that's okay. The ballet type workout is new to me, but now I am definitely a fan. The workout didn't leave me feeling like I wish I never tried exercising. The stretches are excellent too. I will use this dvd as my "morning pick me up", because after I was done I still felt able to tackle my day, it didn't wear me out. And...the women in the video each perform the exercises at a different fitness level, so if you can't do a certain stretch at the advanced level you don't feel bad about it. The ladies doing the basic exercise aren't way in the back of the group either - I HATE that! Anyhow really great dvd!

Rating:
Summary: THE BAR METHOD BODY
Review: What a great workout. It was nothing like the traditional aerobic videos, but that's okay. The ballet type workout is new to me, but now I am definitely a fan. The workout didn't leave me feeling like I wish I never tried exercising. The stretches are excellent too. I will use this dvd as my "morning pick me up", because after I was done I still felt able to tackle my day, it didn't wear me out. And...the women in the video each perform the exercises at a different fitness level, so if you can't do a certain stretch at the advanced level you don't feel bad about it. The ladies doing the basic exercise aren't way in the back of the group either - I HATE that! Anyhow really great dvd!