Customer Reviews

Kathy Smith With Rod Stryker: New Yoga Challenge: Advanced Workout

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have a question for the reviewers who complained that this tape wasn't challenging enough: "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

Come off it, you can actually HEAR Kathy & Rod huffing and puffing thru the first 30 minutes of sun saluations, that is, if you can hear anything over your own huffing & puffing. Forward fold, jump back to staff, hold it, ease down to the floor, upward dog, hold it, push up into downward dog, hold it, jump up to another forward fold, then reach for the sky, and back down to forward fold so you can do the sequence again three more times. Then, they add chair poses & standing poses & balancing positions...

Granted, these aren't new moves that any beginner wouldn't be familiar with, but the pace is quick & all those pushups add up after awhile, believe me. And if they don't, well, gosh aren't YOU so strong & healthy? Or, better question, what are you doing following exercise videos when you should be bench-pressing family sedans to give yourself the challenge your conditioned muscles crave? The rest of us, though, will find this workout challenging enough. :-)

I am no softie, either. I'm 31 and have worked out all my life. I started practicing yoga over a year ago, first doing Ali MacGraw's video for 9 months, and then moving thru the Yoga Journal Series, which I found great as far as instruction is concerned, but not terribly dynamic. I like a yoga tape to begin with easy warm-up stretches, to more vigorous sun salutations, to standing poses, then floor exercises, and then finally relaxation. This tape does just that, but at a higher level of intensity than Ali MacGraw's tape (you can really work up a sweat). It's also a bit longer.

This is a great workout to condition the body & make you feel good all over. I don't have gobs of time to workout, so this has been my primary exercise tape for the past four months, and I have noticed a considerable difference in my overall body tone and flexibility. If you're looking for a thorough yoga routine that'll challenge you with its energetic pace & semi-difficult poses (revolved triangle, anyone?), this is the tape for you. Perfect for "students" of the Ali Macgraw tape, who are ready for more.

If you were hoping, though, that "New Yoga Challenge" meant Kathy & Rod were going to show you new & unusual yoga positions to take your practice of this art to deeper levels and challenge your body in ways that beginner/intermediate yoga poses just can't, well, a class with a yoga master would probably help you reach your goals much better. Kathy Smith is a fitness expert, not a yogini. Her idea of "challenge" may not be yours.

I have had this workout on VHS tape since it came out (about 5 years ago). It is wonderful! Kathy Smith has a way of explaining exercises in a clear manner but yet not making you feel like an idiot. The Yoga on this tape is a great total body workout. While you are doing it you don't even think you are working that hard and then before you know it you are sweating. By the next day your body feels like you've worked hard.

I loved it so much I just bought the workout on DVD. The DVD is great because the workout is seperated into different sections so that if you just want to quickly do floor exercises or deep breathing you can go right to that particular part.

I would highly recommed this tape to those people who like Yoga or simply want to try new things. I started out with the Kathy Smith beginner Yoga tape and moved up to this when I felt confident.

I hope Kathy Smith comes out with some more advanced Yoga tapes soon.

This tape claims to be for intermediate to advanced students but belongs more in the beginner/intermediate class. Rod Stryker walks you through each position thoroughly and clearly and it is a good workout for a beginner. As an intermediate student of yoga, I prefer to do this tape more as a relaxing, stretching end-of-day workout rather than as my single workout for the day. It can easily be combined with a long run day or a heavy weight training day. While Rod Stryker is very good, and I have given this video to many of my girlfriends as a great "intro to yoga" gift, I prefer the level of the Rodney Yee tapes. Much harder. Much more of a workout.

I have been practicing Yoga for a couple of years now, and I just bought this DVD because I wanted to advance. I practice every morning with it, and I can already feel the difference. My back and stomach are stronger and I'm more relaxed throughout the day. I have always enjoyed Kathy Smith's workout tapes and the DVDs are even better because you can choose to do only certain routines if you lack a lot of time. I recommend this DVD to anyone interested in becoming stronger both physically and mentally.

I don't know why all the bad reviews online, but I felt like this tape needed some support. Kathy Smith is a great instructor, and excellent at yoga poses and moves. This tape is good for a beginner/intermediate level of yoga, and a great way to start the day or end it. It's not meant to be the only workout of your day, but if you use it as well as regular exercise the results will be awesome. A great back strengthener and great for increasing flexibility. I'm 16 and in good shape and find this tape challenging enough but not too tough. I recommend it for anyone who is an advanced beginner. :)

I'ld been doing Ali McGraw's yoga video (the best!) for about 6 months, and wanted something more challenging for a change of pace. Kathy Smiths was just what I wanted. More upper body strenghth moves, more intense stretches. The instruction is often confused on right and left, and the tape appears inverted so you can't watch and copy. This makes it a little harder to learn, but I find it a good alternative when I want to do something different!

This is set on a stage with a beautiful ocean background. It's Kathy in the front & Rod always behind her & sometimes even barely on camera. Sheela mentioned they were in competition of each other which can ruin the mood. I felt it as well, but I know it's Kathy since in any other dance, kick boxing, etc. workout though she's not an expert, she always had to be front & center, hogging the camera & ignoring the expert. I was pleasantly surprised with this since she only has a lengthy intro of 5 min of telling all about yoga, after that she barely speaks; though early on she tries to hog the mic but Rod calmly hints to her to get back to work.

Rod has vast knowledge & I learned a few terms from him. His cueing is perfect, he tells you when to breathe, always check posture, use of props, how to get the most of the pose, the modifications, and when he reminded to relax the shoulders, I immediately was able to though hadn't realized they were tensed.

The workout is I'd say beginner who already has taken classes or owns shorter, easier yoga videos already & already has strength & endurance in general. I've seen intermediate, this is closer then most, but not there. It starts with Ujayi breathing which means Victory. Then downward dogs & fwds bends, then the the usual sun salutations A &B w/chair pose.

The standing poses still has sun salutations between: triangle, side angle, revolved triangle, wide legged fwd bend, warrior 1 & 2, three legged downward dog.

The sitting routine has: sitting fwd bend, pigeon, butterfly, bridge, tabletop, shoulder stand, plow, flying locust, bow, supine spinal twists, sitting spinal twists & some ab crunches.

I'm not telling the poses in the right order & I might have left out 1 or more poses. This is one of the only videos I've seen that do so many poses done. The pace is as long as it takes to teach each step, about 1-3 full breaths depending on the ease of the asana.

I took off 2 stars because Kathy or "Kat" as Rod called her, made it hard for me to finish the routine because of all her negativity & felt a bit more tired/negative myself after. I've had trouble completing any of her DVDs from negativity: Latin dance workout, kick boxing & Flex appeal. (I made sure after her first 2, I've only rented any thereafter.) She is unable to handle taking a backseat for even a minute to someone more experienced/knowledgeble then her but Rod makes up for that mostly. Most other yoga workouts I felt at least stretched out, slightly beter mood or like Rainbeau Mars, Wai Lana, Ateeka, Teigh Mcdonough, Yogi Hari & Kristen Stroheker, very uplifted, fluid, balanced & calm.

Great yoga workout for those who aren't influenced by bad vibes from Kathy competing with Rod.

I am probably an intermediate yoga beginner with a dance background, and the other several yoga videos I tried were all too easy. This one provides a great, balanced yoga workout, with plenty of work on the back and the legs. The emphasis on the breathing, the length of the tape, and the pace of the instruction all help you get really focused mentally as you do it, too. I personally really liked Rod Stryker, who leads the video instead of Kathy Smith.

The great thing about this tape is that you can keep using it and improving your form each time, instead of "plateauing" after 2-3 uses like I did with the easier videos I tried. I have been using this tape for several months now, and I always feel great after I finish this tape -- loosened up, strengthened, and relaxed. This is not a tape for people who are true yoga beginners, but is great if you're looking for something more challenging.

Kathy Smith on the cover of this tape is a little misleading. She shares the stage with Rod Stryker who is the yoga guru behind the sequences and workout. He is very skilled, has a lovely calm manner, and leads you through a balanced and definitely challenging sequence of poses. I've been using this tape for five years. Be forewarned, in the early days, I was always sore afterwards--make use of the less difficult posture suggestions until you are VERY comfortable with the tape and your ability. Still one of my favorites.

What an enjoyable and invigorating workout. I have been doing this yoga video for about a year now & I don't ever get tired of it. It's the best thing that I have done for myself since having 2 children. Keeping up with 2 young & energetic boys sometimes leaves me tired, achy, tense & unfocused. This video has been a life saver for me. As a current ballet teacher & as a former ballet dancer, it's really nice to do the stretching & relaxing that this workout has to offer. Not to mention it's a great workout. After incorporating this workout into my life, I have an amazing amount of energy & I have been able to slim my entire body down to the thinnest & strongest I've ever been. I really enjoy the relaxation that Rod Stryker leads you through at the end. It is a true revitalizer. He and Kathy Smith are so enjoyable to watch & listen to. As an instructor, Rod is a nice change of pace. I think this is a great intermediate workout & definately more challenging than the New Yoga Workout. I am ready to move to a more advanced workout, but I will always continue to do this one because it makes me feel so good.