Customer Reviews

The Abs Diet Workout 2

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was expecting something along the lines of the book "The Abs Diet Get Fit, Stay Fit Plan," which offered a lot of variety. This is partly why I'm so disappointed. This appears to be "Abs Diet" in name only.

First off, all fitness DVDs should state up front what equipment you will need. This one does not. You'll need a mat, a pair of dumbbells, and for intermediate/advanced exercisers, a fitness ball to use as a weight bench.

Unlike the previous DVD, there are is no diet information - just workouts divided by frequency (3 to 6 times a week), and then by level. Regardless of which level you choose, you'll get the same thing: a 3-minute warm-up (static stretches and very light cardio), an abs segment, an intermediate/advanced weights circuit routine, and a cardio workout. The only difference in the entire thing is in the abs workout segment: beginners do 10 minutes, advanced do 12.

The exercises in the 25-minute circuit routine are straightforward, fairly standard (chest presses, shoulder presses, kickbacks, lunges, squats, crunches, etc.), and the same for ALL levels. Beginners will have to watch for modifications, even if they chose the "Beginner" menu item. Overall it flows well, and though the music is still a little annoying, it is not as bad as the first DVD.

For cardio, there's a 25-minute "speed interval" workout - a high/low intensity mix of jogging, straddle hops, squat jumps, jumping jacks, knee lifts, etc. There are no modifications, so this part of the DVD may be difficult for new exercisers, people very out of shape, or those with knee/back problems.

The breakdown in general is as follows:

3 Days a Week
Mon and Fri - Abs and Circuit training (35 min)
Wed - Circuit training and speed intervals (50 min)

4 Days a Week
Mon and Fri - Abs and Circuit training (35 min)
Wed - Circuit (no abs) (25 min)
Thu - Speed intervals (aka 'cardio') (25 min)

5 Days a Week
Mon, Wed, Fri - Abs and Circuit (35 min)
Tue, Thu - Speed intervals (25 min)

6 Days a Week
Mon, Wed, Fri - Abs and Circuit (35 min)
Tue, Thu, Sat - Speed intervals (25 min)

For mix and match, you can combine the 3-minute warm-up with either 10- or 12-minute abs, plus 25 minutes of circuit training (w/modifications) and 25 minutes of hi/lo cardio intervals.

My 3 stars are maily due to the lack of labeling about equipment, an intermediate/advanced workout labeled as beginner (if it's "Beginner," the workout should be tailored as such), a cardio workout that's the same for all fitness levels, and a suprising lack of variety. I'd recommend "The Abs Diet Get Fit, Stay Fit Plan" book over this DVD.

The DVD starts off with a main menu consisting of
-Introduction
-Audio setup
-Weekly schedules
-Mix and match workouts
-Bonus: the abs diet eating plan.

In the introduction, the trainer, Terry Simpson, explains that the workout is based on the ABS 3 system and describes its principles. This is detailed in the book called The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan: The Exercise Program to Flatten Your Belly, Reshape Your Body, and Give You Abs for Life!.

The diet aspect of the Abs Diet is described in the section called `Bonus: The Abs Diet Eating Plan section'.

Under Weekly Schedules, there are 4 options.
If you can exercise:
-3 times a week
-4 times a week
-5 times a week
-6 times a week

I decided to try the '3 times a week' option.

Within the 3 times a week submenu, are 3 workouts:
Monday & Friday
Abdominal Workout & Big Muscle Circuit (35 mins)
-Beginner
-Advanced

Wednesday
-Big Muscle Circuit & Speed Interval Training (50 min.)

I decided to try the beginner abdominal and weight workout. The trainer, Terry, was accompanied by 2 ladies Jenny and Shaela. They were super-fit. The first part was the warm up which consisted of various stretches and a short jog. Next up was the abdominal workout. For this you needed a mat and light dumbbells. For each exercise there was a beginner option (done by Jenny) and an intermediate option (done by Terry and Shaela). All the exercises came from the books: The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life and The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan: The Exercise Program to Flatten Your Belly, Reshape Your Body, and Give You Abs for Life!. After the abdominal section was the big muscle circuit. Equipment needed was hand weights, mat and Swiss ball. The big muscle circuit was tough because of the number of reps of each exercise. The exercises were done for either 60 or 90 seconds. They were done in a slow and controlled manner. The descriptions and demonstrations by the instructor were very helpful. During this section of the DVD I was sweating profusely and my muscles ached. The effectiveness is definitely in the number of reps.

The only thing missing from this workout is a cool down. I had to stretch on my own at the end.

The big muscle circuit and speed interval training consisted of a warm up, weight exercises and cardio. Materials needed for the muscle circuit - hand weights, Swiss ball and mat. For the cardio, jogging, jumping jacks, skipping, knee skips, squat hops and thrust reach-ups (the hardest) are done. Periods of low and high intensity are alternated. By the middle of the workout you will be panting and sweating.

I was pleasantly surprised by how the larger number of reps in the weight workout affected me, as well as the cardio intervals and so I am satisfied with this DVD however the packaging should have stated what materials would be needed to complete the workouts (mat, weights, and Swiss ball). I'm looking forward to trying all the workouts on the DVD as well as mixing and matching.

I've watched and own more than my share of workout videos/DVDs. Most are good but not great. This one is very good, and just shy of excellent. It incorporates all aspects of the ABS Diet, and guides you thru a few strenuous routines. You can set up your own schedule and as long as you stick to it (and amend your routine as needed) you will find this a useful and worthwhile workout DVD. I bought it, and I'm glad I own it - but I'm even more happy to say that this is one I actually use!

The CafeWriter obviously wasn't watching the DVD very carefully. There IS diet information on this DVD. Plus, the swiss ball is only needed if you want to do the Intermediate level. There is a woman in the back who shows you how to do exercises without the swiss ball (beginner's level). Not all of the exercises require that you use a swiss ball. Plus, it's great to see both levels at once, so you can alternate between the two depending on the difficulty level at which you want to perform an exercise. You can also select your plan for 3, 4, 5, or 6 days a week (through the Weekly Schedules menu). This DVD offers a lot more options and customization than the Vol 1 DVD.

This DVD is a great supplement to the book, which explains the plan in detail and provides suggestions for exercises. If you do not already know about the plan, I suggest buying the book first (or in addition to this DVD).

This is a user-friendly DVD, highly recommended for those of us trying to shed some pounds/ tone up.

1. It is comprehensive i.e. one can just follow the routimes in this through the week. I would however recommend a Stretch DVD for one day a week

2. It can be done in the confines of the home, minimum extra equipment required, minimum space required

3. It is relatively short, fits into daily schedule

4. It is do-able by the "average joe". There is no complicated choreography. The routines are easy to learn. I would however recommend that one sees the DVD in full before attempting the first time. I would also say that it is tougher than it seems

5. It can be done by both gents and ladies

6. I would recommend that 6-times weekly option, but other options are also okay.

Good luck - Abi

I consider myself to be in very good shape, and was looking for a workout video as a nice change of pace from my standard running/lifting routine. This video does a nice job of mixing things up, and despite the relative simplicity of the exercises, I always finish feeling I've gotten a good workout.

I love this DVD. I do the Big Muscle groups on nonconsecutive days and the cardio on the other days. I am doing the cardio on my rebounder! It is perfect, as I am 48 yrs old and hate the jumping on a carpet. The weight training, like another reviewer wrote, switch exercises for the same body part; push-up instead of chest press, etc. I was doing the Body for Life program, and wanted a fitness routine that I could kind of model after that, every other day weight/cardio, but with a DVD instead of on my own.

This is a great workout DVD. I really like the aerobic "speed" workout, which consists of scientifically-proven workouts in which you jog in place for basically 25 minutes, interspersed with 30, 45, or 60-second speed sections (jump rope, jumping jacks, etc.) [it has been shown that alternating intensity is the optimal fat burning way to exercise]. It really works your body in the optimal way, and only takes 25 minutes to do. I find it very helpful for someone to take me through that, because he shows you just how to work out to burn the most fat. Great stuff.

I really like this dvd. Although I gave the first one a good review, I quickly outgrew it and stopped using it. This dvd, though, is a different story. I've been trying to incorporate HIIT cardio into my workouts and have had a difficult time doing it since it's so difficult to do. The HIIT cardio on this dvd is perfect to go along with. It's 25 minutes of pure high intensity interval training. And, it's HARD, but it's kind of fun, too.

Another good thing that stands out on this is the advanced abdominal portion. It starts out easy, but the truth is, by the last set, I was a bit nauseous since it was that difficult. That has NEVER happened to me-- EVER. I can do abs for a LONG LONG time and still have more energy. This, for some reason, was a bit harder than I expected. I'm impressed.

I am reviewing these sections only since I do other weight training workouts and didn't purchase this dvd for those portions. I did do the beginner abs, though, and that was not difficult at all.

The guy leading the workouts is friendly and cues well.

The only complaint I have is the lack of countdown timer on the screen. There is a countdown for each set of exercises, but there isn't a total countdown. For instance, the cardio portion had a countdown for each interval, so I knew how much longer I had to keep going, but there was no countdown for the entire workout, and I had just taken off my watch.

This is a very versatile DVD. When I'm short on time, I'd pick this one because when I'm done, I'd truly feel that I had a good workout. On cardio day, I'd do the Speed Interval training on my rebounder so it would be easier on my knees and on strength training day, I'd do the Advanced Abs followed by the Muscle Toning routine. I use the warm up portion from this DVD and I just add a little more stretching on my own at the end. The Muscle Toning part where you'd have your arms above your head while doing squats for 90 seconds was VERY challenging. During the first round, I had 5 lb dumbbells on each hand and I almost didn't finish it so the second time around, I used 3 lb dumbbells and I was breathing hard after 90 seconds. I'd be sore the next day or 2 after doing this routine...Highly recommend this DVD. It's short but very effective in my opinion.