Customer Reviews

Joyce Vedral: Speedy Non-Stop Fat Meltdown Plus Stomach Zapping Abs

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Great for a quick workout. It packs in a lot in a short time. Easy to do in the living room with a few hand weights. At her age she is in amazing shape and very inspitational. I have been using Joyce's workouts for a LONG time and love the results. She knows what she is talking about.

I used to lift weights (quite heavy ones, as I had a job that occasionally required very heavy lifting.) I used to go to the gym, work with a trainer and even bench press 90 lb barbells, which for an over-40 woman is not so easy.

Then I got lazy (and fat, hopefully not dumb) and very busy when I started a new career. I have very little time anymore to do anything. I have a collection of Joyce Vedral's books, from full workouts with weights to short, you-can-do-it-in-a-hotel-room workouts with one set of dumbbells and a phone book. But I recently discovered this DVD and this is a GREAT WORKOUT. This does it all, it takes 15 minutes or thereabouts, and you only need minimal space and equipment. When you are finished, you've done strength exercises with weights (good for bones and muscle mass) AND aerobics, AND abs/core.

The equipment you need is minimal. You need a triple set of dumbbells (2,3,5 but working up to heavier ones later on, say 3,5,8 or 5,8,10 so eventually you may have five or six pairs. I have Neoprene Dumbbells and I like them because they don't clank on my laminate floor in the bedroom. I also use a yoga mat and a physio ball for a bench (you need a bench, but I don't have one and the ball works fine.) THAT'S IT. How cool is that? You can have a gym in a space the size of a small bedroom.

The workout is by days, first you do upper body with abs, and then lower body on the next day. The workout takes about 15 minutes and it is done with super-sets. Super-sets are a continuous arrangement of exercises that pair opposing muscle groups (for example, biceps versus triceps) with an additional muscle group (say, lats) and you move through a group of muscles with one single weight. Then you return to the same sequence with a heavier weight and then the heaviest weight, three super-sets in all and YOU WILL FEEL IT. The first set is oh, so easy. But when you hit set #3, you will know you've worked out.

The video is very plain-Jane. The camera has a few angles focusing on Vedral and her workout buddy, who does the counting (sans annoying headset mic) and Vedral offers a bit of encouragement but this is pretty basic. You are there to work and get the job done. The set is simply a laminate floor, 2 benches and mats and the workout team, nothing else. No pretty pots of ferns on a mistily-lit studio floor with vistas of the Pacific Northwest shrouded in fog in the background. And Dr. Vedral has a New York accent which may grate on the Suth'n ladies' sensibilities but she has a pleasant tone (I love Denise Austin, but that raspy soprano makes me want to bang my head against the wall in five minutes of listening to her.)

You can memorize this workout fairly easily as it is logical (think which muscles are opposing and you will get this down in a few repetitions.) So you may not even have to watch the DVD after a while and just grab those dumbbells and be done in 18 minutes.

I like the abs workout--many many different exercises with legs in different positions that work upper, lower and (not so much) obliques. I prefer a certain oblique exercise and I like doing my abs on the physio ball, so I modified this a bit and do some of the abs on the ball rather than on the mat. But it's a very intensive core workout, though nothing like Pilates.

I also modified this a bit and use a ball rather than a bench. I don't have a bench currently in the room (though I'd like one) and the ball is great for the same exercises and it uses your core at the same time as you prop yourself on the ball on your back with legs on the floor. If you aren't used to the ball, you might try to find a simple bench. They can be found at yard sales, Craigslist or sales at big-box and fitness stores and are not so expensive. When you are done working out, you can shove it at the end of the bed and plop a duvet on it, if you work out in your bedroom as I do. I may end up doing this, though the ball is very fun.

Summary: GREAT 18 minute workout. Can be done almost anywhere if you have dumbbells and a bench and a floor. Good for travelers (hotel gyms may have a set of dumbbells) and small spaces. GETS THE JOB DONE. For the lazy-to-get-to-the-gym or time-crunched, this is a life-saver.

Boring as this DVD is and as repetitious as it is, IT WORKS! Joyce has always been one of the best instructors out there, and I'm glad to see she is still out there getting all of us in shape.

Not a bunch of fancy movements. Just the "same ol, same ol" with fantastic results!

Way to go, Joyce! You still a hot mama! :)

I don't know how Joyce packs so much into one video. This one has it all. I was impressed. The workouts are terrific and fast. They get the job done without spending hours at the gym. Wonderful!

I wanted to try one of Joyce's workouts because she looks terrific for her age! Weight training has given her definition. I chose this one because it can be broken down into 2 separate 20 minute workouts, one for day one, the other day 2.
Aside from her not being a great actress (you can see her reading the cues and making some mistakes) i would recommend this because its "speedy" and uses weights for resistance training. The DVD is really set up for a continuous workout with a warmup in the very beginning and no cool down! When you start in the middle to do workout #2 you need to do your own warmup/cooldown. The ab workout is a serious of crunches. She does 3 sets of each exercise using more weight/less reps each time. This DVD is ideal for the working woman (like me)...followed up by some cardio on the treadmill or walking. Its only been a week and I actually look forward to this because I can fit it into my schedule and I feel the burn. Joyce suggests increasing the weights as you get stronger.

I truly dislike working out but have no problem with this workout. In fact, I look forward to doing this workout. It's fast-paced, well-cued and over before you know it. By the time I'm done with it, I know I've gotten a good workout without having to spend hours in a gym.

I am in my forties now and have been working out with Joyce for 20 years thru her books and dvds and have to say that she is the reason I am still wearing a size three and no sign of cellulite. She is prove positive that one does not have to become unattractive and matronly because the years go by as it does for everyone. Fact is that a lot of illness and being out of shape is caused by bad habits and inactivity and negative attitude rather than ageing. Alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and poor food choices are all toxic to the body and it is nonsense to say that I am now forty so I cannot be attractive and full of life. I love Joyce and her accent and her guts to go against the naysayers who use the age thing to tell women that they are too old to do things or be attractive. Its one way to keep women in their place and keep us from having great lives. Throw off the shackles of ageism and work out to Joyce and see the difference a regular workout regime will make in your life. I hear people say that they dont have time to work out for half an hour a day but they find time to watch some show that wont do them any good at all. Remember, if you cant find time to take care of yourself you will end up spending time at the doctors office or the hospital because of poor life style choices. Poor health and overweight is the result of poor lifestyle choices, not ageing. If you want to live long and healthy enough to play with your grandchildren grab a Joyce Vedral workout and make your life worth living.

I'm still at a stage where speed isn't as necessary as just doing it. Watching this tape made my muscles ache; however, her approach is great as usual. If you're in pretty good shape but want to be in better shape, you probably won't have any problems keeping up with this dvd.

I've been doing Joyce Vedral's workouts since I had her book back in the early 90's. She's a matter-of-fact, raised in the Bronx go-getter who gets all the essentials in this DVD. I love the straight-forward workout with weights and how easy it is to work in your day no matter what -- it takes 20 minutes max. A big plus for busy moms.

For weights I used an adjustable weight set like these (highest weight is 12.5 lbs per dumbbell) I got up to 10 lbs for the highest weight for my pyramid sets, and that was plenty Weider PowerSwitch 12.5 lbs Adjustable Dumbbell Pair

Joyce is a bit of a character and has a good sense of humor -- she doesn't take herself too seriously and she constantly encourages you with "You'll look better than me!" She is 65 and no one can deny Joyce looks great. Her style may not appeal to everyone, esp. younger women if you want a "cool, hip" workout with cool, hip young people. For anyone over 40, you'll appreciate Joyce's encouragement that anyone can look good at any age.

I have 3-4 of her DVDs just to mix up the workouts, but this is the best. I got great results and my only problem was...I stopped working out to Joyce's DVD and REGRET IT! Working out on the treadmill 5-6 days a week and light hiking doesn't cut it! I'm starting again because it works.