Customer Reviews

Buns & Abs of Steel 9 - Post-Pregnancy Workout [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My baby is 3.5 months old now. I've had this video for 6 weeks, and wish I'd gotten it earlier.

Good Things:
1) Tape divided into shorter workouts that you can put in your day whenever you have and extra 10 minutes. Warming up, abs, thighs, and butt are all covered, plus some pushups.
2) I really did 'feel the burn' on these!
3) Madelaine is a fun workout leader, and is energetic - it really helps. I also like that all the women in the video had babies recently. Of course, they look alot better in their tights than I do right now, but, well, that's why I got the video!
4) She has one of the gals in her group doing exercises the way you do them if you still have the separation in your stomach muscles.
5) The exercises in each segment start easy and get progressively harder, so you can stop if you have to.
6) She doesn't ignore the upper body - you have to do pushups! Ack! Even though you only do a couple of sets, it makes a difference.
7) No special equipment required.

Bad Things:
1) I was wishing for more!

Definitely a keeper - I think that it would be good whether you were previously athletic or not - no matter what, after the last 3-4 months you were pregnant, some muscles are just going to need some work!

Fitness level: all levels, early post-partum Setting: Studio Breakdown: 3-minute segment floor exercise segment for the very first days post-partum; 5-minute standing warm-up; 10 minute segment for abs; 10 minutes for buns; 10 minutes for legs Music: cheesy "exercise" style--it's so bad I have no words with which to classify it! Focus on the excellent instruction instead and you'll be just fine :) Production: good Safety: A+++ meets ACOG guidelines

I bought this tape before my daughter was born, after reading in Shape Pregnancy that it had a segment you could do right away even after a cesearean delivery. That was what I was facing, so into my shopping cart it went along with the diapers and baby lotion. How glad I am that I bought it. Next pregnancy I'm going to buy Madeleine's pregancy workout to rotate with Kathy Smith's. This lady, like Kathy, not only pays attention to safety, but she calls in the experts to help her make it safe. Bonnie Rote, RN was the medical collaborator on both BOS Pregnancy and B & A Post-Pregancy.

I did the three-minute segment at the beginning when I was a week post-partum, then added the five-minute warm-up two days later. At two weeks I added the abs. The rest, as they say, is history.

What I loved about this workout was that each toning segment has its own little warm-up and cool-down, so I could break it up and work out whenever I had 10 minutes of time. When I was breastfeeding, especially in the first three months, that was often all I had time and energy for. (New moms in the group can probably relate to this--right?) Besides, I have this thing about floor exercise. I'd rather eat nails. Doing it in 10 minute increments--and with Madeleine and her crew suffering along with me--made it much more bearable. This tape was all I did for about 6 months post-partum before easing back into aerobics.

Madeleine is an excellent instructor--she cues well, provides just the right amount of encouragement, and best of all, is friendly without getting on your last nerve. Somebody get this woman in front of a camera again! I, too, recommend this as a great present for a new mom or mom-to-be. Put it in a pretty basket with some bubble bath and a gift certificate for free baby-sitting, and you'll be a shoo-in for Friend of the Year. . .

Grade: A+ and ten points extra credit

This tape is great! I put my son in his swing so he can keep and eye on me while I work out. It is low impact and great for those people who didn't work out during their pregnancy but want to get their shape back afterwards. After the first few days I can really say that I can feel the affects. The way the tape makes you feel, you want to get up and do it everyday!

I've had a hard time keeping up with other "dance-style" videos, which have only left me frustrated at my lack of grace and skill, not to mention still flabby in spots. This video, however, targets the problem areas (buns, belly, and thighs) with simple, but effective exercises that really work. It's a great place to start getting back into shape.

I found the video to be perfectly geared towards my post pregnancy condition. While the exercises might be basic for some, I found they worked well to get me started back into a regular routine and still produce results. The format is well laid out in 3-10 min.segments that were easy enough to follow,and were not so difficult they were discouraging.

There are a couple of reasons I use this tape so frequently (almost daily!).

1. It is broken out into segments of about 10 minutes each. With an infant at home, moms are busier than ever, and it is the tape that I reach for when I can find a 15 minute break to myself. It is something that you can walk away from (to check on baby) and then pick right back up since it is not a fast-paced aerobic routine which needs lots of warm-up.

2. It aimed at women in all sorts of shape (pregnancy and childbirth can do a number on our bodies and the tape takes this into account). Ms. Lewis goes slowly, introducing each exercise - all of which are aimed at streching out and tightening up post-pregnancy trouble-spots. I am not left feeling awkward and discouraged five-minutes into it.

3. While the pace is relaxed, there are different versions of each exercise that can make the muscle-toning as intense as you want - and you can build yourself up to more difficult levels.

Last, of course, is results. I use this as a compliment to aerobic exercise on either the treadmill or aerobics tapes (when I can find a larger block of time). I felt my muscle tone improving right away, so it really works!

Easy to follow workout. The exercises really target the areas that need work after pregnancy. I've only used it three times and already I see results, especially in the abs. Madeleine Lewis' upbeat attitude keeps you motivated during the workout and will help you to continue exercising everyday.

I'm not exactly in the "post-pregnancy" stage, but, having never really done any serious exercising before, this tape sounded like it would be a good, safe starting point. The first day, I was dead tired - and that was only after the "preconditioning exercises" & about 5 minutes of the abs section. But I was determined and stuck with it...

Needless to say, I LOVE this tape (even if the music is cheesy). Madeline is an EXCELLENT instructor - gives good instructions and explains things; she lets you know when you're almost done (a key feature, in my opinion!!) The two other women that appear in the video don't say much, and to me, it's apparent that Madeline is trying desperately to get them involved... Ok by me that they just go about their business.

After a month and a half of use, I can get through the abs and buns segments, and most of the legs segment, and feel that I've accomplished something. Definitely a keeper!!! I use it on alternating days (on the other days, I use Leslie Sansone's Miracle Mile - which is also an excellent tape...)

I found this video to be a good starting point for my post-pregnancy weight-loss and exercise plan. After delivering my first child, I was surprised at just how sore my body would be. Madeleine Lewis' exercises were just the solution for gently easing me back into an exercise program. Her exercises are gentle but effective. After doing this exercise program for three weeks, I feel like I have strengthened my muscles enough to try even more challenging videos. I would highly recommend this video to any new Mom looking to get back into some fitness program.

I have always HATED exercising. Gym was my LEAST favorite class in school. I always found aerobics instructors annoying and their workouts boring, and thier crew just made me feel even worse about myself

This video goes against all that! Madeline is motivating! She does her best to instruct without annoying you. She doesn't talk needlessly, only to give directions. She makes sure you are doing each exercise to the best efficiency.

The women working out along with her are actually REAL PEOPLE!! They are NOT supermodels, and that makes me feel better.

The exercises are arranged in such a way that you do not get bored! Just when you think you can't take any more, she switches to a different one. She emphasises that you only need to do what YOU feel comfortable with. I felt good that I could only do the first 2 segments for a while, until I felt able to go on. Now, I find I can actually do the entire video without being annoyed, and I really feel like I worked out.

I imagine that if you are a very fitness oriented person, you may want something more advanced, but until your body is ready for it, this is a great jumping-off point.

Again, a pure joy!