Customer Reviews

The Lotte Berk Method - Muscle Eats Fat [VHS]

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

 

 

I watched this video before trying it myself and thought "this doesn't look so hard." Then I tried it the next day and it is quite a challenging workout!

There are three women doing the exercises, one leader and two others, one of whom shows a less intense version of an exercise. The first thing I noticed is what long, lean bodies they had, quite different from some other tapes I own where the women can be a little bulky.

They start with a warm up and then move into the stregthening the arms. After a muscle is worked it is stretched before moving onto another exercise. I really like this part. It feels great after working one part to stretch it out before going to the next. The leader says stretching is not relaxation, it's elongation, which put stretching in a whole new light for me. They go through an intense full body workout in 30 minutes. There is no jumping or high impact activity. The instruction was easy to follow. The only equipment you need are a couple of light dumbbells for the arm work and something to hold onto for some of the thigh work (I just turned my couch around and used the back of that). I highly recommend this workout and intend on trying some of the others.

I have lost 70 pounds over the past year, and have used a variety of exercise videos - pilates, weights, aerobics, dance - and this video is different than anything else I have used. For the first time in I don't know when, my leg muscles were shaking after completing this workout. If you are an exercise buff, and are looking for something different, I highly recommend this video. It is only a half hour long, which is shorter than most of my workouts, but believe me you will feel it. If you love pilates, I am sure you will enjoy this video, but if you are mostly into aerobics, than this is probably not for you. I plan on getting more Lotte Berk videos asap! : )

I'm in my mid-30's and this is the first exercise video I ever bought because the model doing the backbend on the cover caught my eye, (I'm big on flexibility). I'd never even heard of Lotte Berk before. The editorials that wrote Lotte Berk is a good workout without breaking a sweat lied! I sweat and my body parts trembled as I held on trying to get through the reps. I'm very active and usually exercise outdoors (biking, jogging, hiking, kayaking) but Lotte Berk found muscles that I obviously wasn't using and I was impressed. Lastly, I think the instructors are classy and I want to look as fit and sexy as they do so of course I bought the rest of the series. Lotte Berk kicks butt!

This workout is my second favorite out of the set, right after High Round Assets. The instructor, Barbara Boolukos, has been teaching the Lotte Berk Method for over twenty years, and the experience shows in the cueing. She is also a testament to what the exercise method can do for someone, not only in terms of appearance but also strength and flexibility.

This is the only workout of the set that does not include pushups and tricep dips in the workout. Instead, we pick up some light (or not-so-light) handweights to work biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest and back. The tape uses three exercises with the weights: a series of bicep curls done with a small range of motion (and while one bicep works, the other holds the curl at the middle of the range, making the work to the muscle even tougher); tricep kickbacks (the set up is pretty standard, but again, we use a very small range of motion, and somehow that's even tougher); and then finally a series of long-lever arm raises. If done with enough control, this works the shoulders, chest and back. The weights the instructors use are very light, but I've worked up to 8 lbs for the bicep curls and tricep kickbacks, and someone stronger could go even heavier. I really love this section, and I like to use it to cross-train against the Pilates Standing Sculpting Series.

We hit the floor for planks next, and the way they're done they work both the shoulders and chest as well as the abs. But that's it for abs; I wouldn't use this as the only workout of the day if you wanted to work your abs.

The thighwork is next. Included are plies with the Lotte Berk tuck, parallel bent legs at the barre (turn to the side of the barre, lift your heels, bend down as far as you can, and then lift up to the mid-range; doesn't sound like much, but your thighs will be shaking); and then the famous knee dancing (sitting on your heels, then lifting your hips off your heels to different tempos). Knee Dancing, while effective for the thighs, can be really tough on the knees. If your knees are already vulnerable, you may want to skip this part.

The deficiency in this tape is that you're getting relatively little work for your glutes and hamstrings and very little for your abs. It's a great workout for your upper body and thighs, but you'll definitely want to cross-train with other tapes if you want to work your entire body.

I am an experienced exerciser. This video, short as it is, challenged me and I believe it will prove very effective in shaping musculature. I am most impressed with the instructor, and that is why I am offering these comments. Barbara Boolukos is awesome. Almost 50, with an incredible body, she is precise, authentic, and teaches with clear authority. She is also, however, warm and not at all intimidating. I have tried dozens of workout videos, and she is by far the best instructor I have ever seen. I am truly inspired and think that you will enjoy this too.

I have been doing the Firm for a few years now and needed some variety. I ordered this video a few months ago and it sat in my entertainment stand until today. I really wanted to do something different and remembered i had this video. So I tried it and I loved it. It was very different and also fun. The leg work was very challenging. I also liked the instructor a lot and her helpers. They all looked great. I would recommend this video, it was quick and efficient.

The Lotte Berke Method is a non-traditional type of toning developed by a dancer of the same name. It emphasizes the creation of long, lean (not bulky) muscles through the use of small, precise movements, and it has inspired similar methods such as Callanetics.

In MUSCLE EATS FAT, the focus is on whole-body toning. The workout begins with a warm-up, a type of high-legged marching in place, and includes simple stretches. The first section targets the arms using light weights. The movement are similar to traditional toning (eg, bicep curls and tricep extensions) but are made unique by both the preciseness of each movement as well as the use of the "Lotte Berk tuck," an isometric stance which works the legs while working the upper body. The arm section finishes on the floor with some tough plank moves which also work the buttocks.

The leg work comes next; although the moves are displayed using a ballet barre, a sturdy, high-backed chair works fine. These exercises clearly derive from ballet and really target the thigh muscles. Again, the Lotte Berk tuck is used to increase the work on both the legs and the hip area. The final exercises for the lower body are done on a mat using the signature Lotte Berk movement, Knee Dancing--again, you will really FEEL this in your thighs. The workout ends with a final stretch, although in the Lotte Berk Method, stretches are also woven throughout following each strength move.

The video is led by three Lotte Berk certified instructors. The main instructor, Barbara, looks amazing for her age, which she says is close to 50. She's a bit goofy in her comments (eg, repeatedly saying "did you feel that?" and "I love this workout!"), but she provides good information and cuing. The remaining two instructors do not speak, but one shows modifications. The Lotte Berk Method is great for all exercisers who are looking for a different but challenging strength workout, including those at a beginning level.

When I ordered this video, I thought "How hard could it really be--it's only 30 minutes long." But I found out even 30 minutes of Lotte Berk can be VERY hard. The first 15 minutes is upper body work which was challenging but not ridiculously so. (I'm an intermediate exerciser.) But the last 15 minutes of lower body work was really tough for me. I try to do this video 2-3 times a week and I have really seen results. My saddlebag thighs are starting to disappear and my upper leg muscles are looking longer and leaner. I highly recommend this video. It's 30 minutes that gets results!

Based on the reviews, I had very high expectations for this video. It's the only tape I have in the Lotte Berk series. I don't think you can get the profound results they promise by only doing this tape. There are very effective exercises within a short amount of time - each section is only 10 min. long.
I just felt it was expensive for such a short tape.

I believe in the Lotte Berk concepts - protecting your back and stretching your muscles. You do get reminders and pointers about your back. There are more in-between stretches in the lower body portion. And, the ending stretch focuses more on the legs. If you're looking for a short workout - it's excellent.
If they lowered the price, I'd buy more in the series. If you're looking for a longer workout with strengthening and stretching, try Jennifer Kries.

MUSCLE EATS FAT is one of two "full body" DVDs in the Lotte Berk series (the other is BASIC ESSENTIALS) and is my favorite because of Barbara Boolukos, the almost 50 instructor. If you are a woman in your forties, fifties, or beyond, this woman will truly motivate you with her no-nonsense approach to exercise, her unpretentious yet obvious strength, and her amazing flexibility. The exercises are easy to learn and possible for anyone in good health and without major physical limitations to master. I have problems with my shoulders, particularly my right one, which is rigid, but that doesn't prevent me from doing the exercises and the mandatory stretches, receiving the full benefit from both. Until Barbara actually looks in the camera and says she is almost 50, you simply don't realize it because she looks so good. She proudly tells us that a recent bone test to analyze her bone density revealed that she "doesn't have a trace" of osteoporosis. I have to wonder about some younger women I see out on the streets of Washington, DC, jogging in all kinds of weather, high humidity, poor air quality, and everyday DC city air pollution. They may look good for now, but in time they make suffer all kinds of joint problems, respiratory problems, aging skin due to overexposure to the sun, and sagging breasts that simply couldn't take all that bouncing up and down for very long. Contrast that with Barbara Boolukos, our Lotte Berk instructor, who says she has been doing the Lotte Berk workout for 21 years and is slim and shapely, fit, and agile. You can easily see why I prefer to take it easy on the cardiovascular exercise and instead get fit, lean, and young looking with this wonderful combination of yoga, Pilates, anaerobic exercise, ballet training moves, and physical therapy techniques. Lotte Berk it is! Thank you Ms. Boolukos and to this DVD's producers for an effective, do-able, and inspiring workout.