Customer Reviews

MTV Power Yoga [VHS]

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Kristin McGee is an instructor at "Crunch." I love her yoga workouts because she is serious about yoga and makes each workout enjoyable while still challenging you to your limit! This is a fast-paced Ashtanga-style workout.

An Ashtanga-style workout presents a series of postures that produce intense internal heat and purifying sweat to detoxify the organs and muscles. You will feel the improved circulation and no one will have to tell you to "breathe deeply" You will breathe deeply because you need to.

This is definitely an advanced workout because it moves so fast, there is really no time to actually learn the moves. You have to know what the poses are and move very quickly from one to the other. This is an outdoor workout in Phoenix, Arizona. This is quite the colorful workout. Not only are you outdoors with greenery in the background, there are red flowers, large red mats and blue/purple yoga mats.

Some of the exercises you will be doing include:

Sun Salutations
Downward Facing Dog
Awkward Chair (chair pose)
Rotating Triangle
Plank Push-Up
Forward Bend
Warrior Stretches
Standing Stretches
On all Fours Series
Seated Stretches & Forward Bends
Backward Bend
Twists - Enter new levels of making yourself into a pretzel.
Final Relaxation
Pilates for Abs

There were quite a few poses that were highly creative and that I've never seen in any yoga video before.

The Special Features Section includes:

1. Position Breakdowns for half moon, eagle pose, dancing shiva, half wheel, full wheel.

2. Instructor Biographies - Nice to see Jess is now certified as a yoga instructor. I was very inspired by his level of practice in the first MTV Yoga workout.

3. Instructor Only Audio - this seems to be a unique feature on MTV yoga workouts.. You can then play your own music for variety.

4. Blue Six Music Video - Nice to play while you are flat on your back after this workout. Maybe you could say: "Ahhhhh" a few times and get in a few minutes of meditation. That is what I ended up doing. This workout is pretty strenuous and therefore the word: power.

The only problem with the special features and bio section was the back tracking you have to do to get back to the main menu. They should have had "main menu" on all those other pages. It wasn't that difficult to back track, but requires an added level of patience. Maybe that is part of this routine. ;)

If you are new to Yoga and Pilates, I can highly recommend the first MTV Yoga DVD to learn the poses. Then, try the Winsor Pilates videos. If you can make it through Accelerated Body Sculpting then the Pilates section at the end of this workout will not be that much of a challenge. It is a short section to tone and tighten, but the instructor expects you to know how to do all the Pilates moves and fairly quickly.

While the cover says: "We incorporate beginner, intermediate and advanced versions in one routine," the problem for beginners is going to be the frustration they feel at trying to not only learn the correct position, but keep balance and follow the "poses" in a fast sequence. Speed is going to be the problem. Yes, there are instructors for each level, but the speed is all the same for every level. I think it would have been amazing if they had taken this routine and made it more accessible to all levels. Say, have three different speeds, beginner, intermediate and advanced speed.

Also, you don't hold poses like "warrior" for longer than a second. I would have liked to have spent more time on each pose, but if that is also your preference, then you will love the first MTV Yoga workout. This workout seems to be more about stamina and getting the body warmed up and burning calories.

There are also some pretty intense balancing poses (dancing shiva) and strength poses (half and full wheel, imagine being on all fours upside down) that will give intermediate and advanced students some great challenges.

For those who are advanced, this will be yoga heaven. I'm probably less than intermediate and I made it all the way to the end. I just was not doing all the poses to their full extent and many of the poses might take a year to learn properly. Yoga requires a lot of flexibility and this takes time.

What I did notice was that I was stretching further than I've ever stretched before and this might have been due to the excellent warm-up sun salutation routine at the start.

I look forward to future MTV workouts because I like the music they choose and the instruction is inspirational and the workout really gives you the results you are looking for. I'd love to see Kristin make a MTV Pilates workout and maybe even a stretching DVD.

For this workout, you will need:

Yoga Mat (no other yoga tools/blocks, etc. are needed)

Comfortable tight fitting yoga outfit that sticks to you like glue, otherwise any loose clothing will get in the way of your speed. Jockey Activewear has some silky soft outfits that are perfect for this type of workout.

Enjoy! This is a great challenge and the results are a calm mind, strong body and a powerful sense of accomplishment.

You might also enjoy:

Yoga Zone Flexibility & Stress Release
Crunch Pick Your Spot Pilates
The Method Dynamic Toning
The Method Dynamic Firming & Flexing
Ali MacGraw Yoga Mind & Body
Living Arts Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss
Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss

~The Rebecca Review

I pre-ordered this DVD with the hopes that it would be as great as MTV Yoga, Kristin McGee's 1st yoga DVD. Boy, was I wrong. There is virtually NO warm-up, and at the beginning, she goes through an unusual sun-salutation so fast it's hard to know to keep up. I am a dedicated yoga student, and have been practicing ashtanga yoga every day for several years. This is not power yoga. None of the stretches are held for any length of time - not until halfway through the dvd is downward facing dog held for 3 breaths! Prior to that it isn't even held for one. Her cueing is not great, and everything moves too fast. Typically, power yoga moves through a vinyasa flow at a quick pace, and then a downward facing dog or similar pose would be held for 5 breaths or so to strengthen and stretch the body. Anyone looking for yoga won't get it here - it is an exercise video, not a power yoga video. The second half is dedicated to some more typical yoga poses, but again, they aren't held very long. Even the final relaxation stinks. Each pose seems rushed - her first video was far superior & is a favorite. This one is a dud!

Looking for a way to be able to break into Yoga at home I picked up the MTV Power Yoga video. The other yoga video I have was very difficult to follow as it jumped between segement and did not establish a routine. This DVD was very smooth to watch, however it was very fast paced and sometimes I felt that I didn't have enough instruction on some of the poses. However most routines were repeated so after a couple of times I could get the swing of things and expect to be able to really excel when I go back again. The workout length is perfect and I definitely worked up a sweat. I think this is more of an aerobics video using yoga positions. As I would expect from MTV, the music did enhance the video and was not the cheesy music most workout tapes/dvds have.

I agree with a previous viewer in the fact that the warmup is hurried, and the positions aren't held very long, and the corpse pose is not held very long either. However, I would not go so far as to say that this isn't yoga. If you are the type of person who is very much into the spirtual side of yoga, and a slower pace with your yoga, don't bother. Besides did you REALLY expect spirtuality from a MTV ;-)? I have been practising yoga a few years now, and I found the video challenging and fun. There are some ashtanga-like aspects to the flow (kinda like an ashtanga-lite, for those who are not quite ready for the entire Primary Series :-)). Once you get past the hurried sun-salutations, the workout gets better. I particularly liked the balance and seated poses. I especially liked the variation with beginner, intermediate and advanced versions of poses. It gave me either modifications, or a way to deepen the pose. Some of the poses Kristin does can be found in the Primary Series of Ashtanga yoga (i.e. triangle, reverse-triangle, most of the seated stretching series, jumping in and out of poses, etc.). The Pilates at the end of the tape is not bad either, a good way to work on abs after a fairly intense 45 minutes. However, I don't think Windsor and other pilates gurus have much to worry about from Kristin as a pilates instructor. Overall, this a solid yoga tape for a person with experience. The level of the workout does assume you know a certain amount of yoga. I would suggest this tape/dvd to any intermediate/advanced student looking for an Ashtanga-like workout.

I've been practicing yoga for over 10 years now; all forms in studios and at home. Ashtanga (Power) and Bikram (Hot) being my favorite. Sometimes I get into the spiritual aspects of Yoga whenever I need to, but mostly I enjoy it for the way it gives me that "Yoga Body".

I was surprised at how terrible the MTV Power Yoga DVD is, since I believe the MTV Yoga DVD is wonderful for beginners. I just wanted something a little different with some good music and pure work-out aspects.

The warm-up is too fast. No matter how advanced a student you are, your warm-up should always be slow and gentle... hence "warm-up".

The flow into Warrior One is incorrect and dangerous. The instructor tells you to flatten your rear foot first before stepping forward with your front leg - NO!! This will cause you to pull muscles in your lower back. You should ALWAYS step forward with your front leg first, then turn and plant your rear foot.

During a series of Warrior One and Bent Knee Triangles, you are instructed to move directly from the Warrior One into the Triangle. Huh? What about that little pose in between called the Warrior Two?!?

If that's not enough to turn you off, how about the floor pose stretching series she does with one leg (shin) bent underneath you. Think tearing your knee ligaments... I know some Yoga instructors that would NEVER attempt those variations. Hero pose is easier on your knees than what this instructor has you do.

Simply put, this yoga does not flow well, I'd say it barely flows at all and the poses are presented incorrectly. Anyone that is advanced enough to do some of her variations safely would not be using a DVD to instruct them... and remember, I've been doing this for 10 years!

By the way, the music is horrible! You would think that for an MTV production they would have some great music to work-out to. I guess you could use the instructor voice music off feature and put on your own stuff in the background, but this whole DVD is so bad that wouldn't help.

Try these other DVD's instead:

MTV Yoga (Wonderful for Extreme Beginners)

American Power Yoga, Strength (Great for All Levels)

Baron Baptiste Live! Series (Beginner to Intermediate)

Yoga For Happiness (The instructor is a little sticky sweet, but the DVD is wonderful! Intermediate)

Bryan Kest Power Yoga Complete Collection (Great for All Levels)

Yoga Shakti (Terrific Yoga Matrix DVD feature to create your own custom practice - Advanced Intermediate to Advanced)

Kristin McGee is an instructor at "Crunch." I love her yoga workouts because she is serious about yoga and makes each workout enjoyable while still challenging you to your limit! This is a fast-paced Ashtanga-style workout.

An Ashtanga-style workout presents a series of postures that produce intense internal heat and purifying sweat to detoxify the organs and muscles. You will feel the improved circulation and no one will have to tell you to "breathe deeply" You will breathe deeply because you need to.

This is definitely an advanced workout because it moves so fast, there is really no time to actually learn the moves. You have to know what the poses are and move very quickly from one to the other. This is quite the colorful workout. Not only are you outdoors with greenery in the background, there are red flowers, large red mats and blue/purple yoga mats.

Some of the exercises you will be doing include:

Sun Salutations
Downward Facing Dog
Awkward Chair (chair pose)
Rotating Triangle
Plank Push-Up
Forward Bend
Warrior Stretches
Standing Stretches
On all Fours Series
Seated Stretches & Forward Bends
Backward Bend
Twists - Enter new levels of making yourself into a pretzel.
Final Relaxation
Pilates for Abs

There were quite a few poses that were highly creative and that I've never seen in any yoga video before.

If you are new to Yoga and Pilates, I can highly recommend the first MTV Yoga video to learn the poses. Then, try the Winsor Pilates videos. If you can make it through Accelerated Body Sculpting then the Pilates section at the end of this workout will not be that much of a challenge. It is a short section to tone and tighten, but the instructor expects you to know how to do all the Pilates moves and fairly quickly.

While the cover says: "We incorporate beginner, intermediate and advanced versions in one routine," the problem for beginners is going to be the frustration they feel at trying to not only learn the correct position, but keep balance and follow the "poses" in a fast sequence. Speed is going to be the problem. Yes, there are instructors for each level, but the speed is all the same for every level. I think it would have been amazing if they had taken this routine and made it more accessible to all levels. Say, have three different speeds, beginner, intermediate and advanced speed.

Also, you don't hold poses like "warrior" for longer than a second. I would have liked to have spent more time on each pose, but if that is also your preference, then you will love the first MTV Yoga workout. This workout seems to be more about stamina and getting the body warmed up and burning calories.

There are also some pretty intense balancing poses (dancing shiva) and strength poses (half and full wheel, imagine being on all fours upside down) that will give intermediate and advanced students some great challenges.

For those who are advanced, this will be yoga heaven. I'm probably less than intermediate and I made it all the way to the end. I just was not doing all the poses to their full extent and many of the poses might take a year to learn properly. Yoga requires a lot of flexibility and this takes time.

What I did notice was that I was stretching further than I've ever stretched before and this might have been due to the excellent warm-up sun salutation routine at the start.

I look forward to future MTV workouts because I like the music they choose and the instruction is inspirational and the workout really gives you the results you are looking for.

For this workout, you will need:

Yoga Mat (no other yoga tools/blocks, etc. are needed)

Comfortable tight fitting yoga outfit that sticks to you like glue, otherwise any loose clothing will get in the way of your speed. Jockey Activewear has some silky soft outfits that are perfect for this type of workout.

Enjoy! This is a great challenge and the results are a calm mind, strong body and a powerful sense of accomplishment.

Also look for MTV Pilates and MTV Yoga. They finally made
a Pilates workout!!!

~TheRebeccaReview.com

I have tried many yoga videos and MTV is my favorite. Here are a few reasons why:
1) Instructor only soundtrack option. Thanks for not subjecting me to panflute and new age synth pads.
2) Instructor dialogue is part of class. Videos with overdubbed instruction often seem out of synch with the practice. Kristin speaks as she is doing yoga and the resulting instruction is well integrated with the practice. I record the soundtrack onto CD and practice without the TV - works great.
3) A great series. Both MTV Yoga and Power Yoga feature well thought out, full body work-outs - great flow, very thorough. The first video focuses (generally) more on hips and holding poses - Power Yoga more fast-paced flow and backbending.
4) The yoga is presented without any new age or otherwise spiritual overtones.
Works for me!

I have to disagree with some of the other reviews; I have the first video too and found this one much more envigorating. Ok, so I am a member of the MTV Generation - but then thats exactly who its marketed for. I know there isn't a slow pace and it doesn't mention anything about the spiritual side - but I cant bear that Austen woman and her 'keep smiling, you can do it' rubbish. And I would imagine most of my peers are the same.
I found the workout much more enduring than the previous video, and I know I will be aching in the morning. I had watched the workout through before I began and couldnt believe some of the poses they were doing, but I am really pleased that they weren't as hard as they look.
I loved the pilates section on Abs at the end, and even if i don't use the workout every day I will at least have time to do the pilates.
Personally I am glad that I didn't bother listening to the reviews and find out for myself how fab this video is.

I am part of the MTV generation this video is geared towards, and I found it to be fun and challenging. It is definitely not for someone who has never tried any yoga and doesn't know how to do some of the poses properly because she does not give detailed descriptions during the workout. It may not be the typical "hold the pose for 5 breaths" yoga, but it is definitely an escape from the standard cardio or strength training workout. It's faster paced and harder than the first MTV Yoga video (which is to be expected when it is called power yoga), so if you're new to this type of movement I'd go with the first video. However, if you're looking for a yoga video with a lot more movement and harder poses than the typical beginner's videos, this is the perfect video for you! Some advice: unless you want to end up falling over onto the ground, watch the video carefully before trying some of the more awkward movements (like standing splits).

I refrained from buying this DVD over the negative reviews stating it was too fast, not really yoga, etc... Plus, I thought to myself, "How can anything produced by MTV be anything but a trite waste of time?" Now I am sorry I waited so long to purchase this high energy, fun, upbeat way to work my entire body, increase my energy, and focus my mind. First, those who think the interesting opening , crescent lunge salutations are too fast need to merely practice and practice this maneuvre the way someone would learn a complex dance routine or memorize lines in a script. Meditation, the true mind/body link can occur with any yogic sequence once the physical movements are first completely studied and learned. Realize that even though this workout may move at a faster rate than five breath Ashtanga asana holds, it is still way slower than Kundalini yoga kriyas like the Warrior Workout. Having studied both Kundalini and Ashtanga and possessing a vast power yoga library including most of Baptiste and Kest, I was shocked to discover how incredible and concise this product is. I love learning new techniques and upon first watching this shockingly energetic video, I became obsessed with learning the first salutation which requires both mental and physical coordination. Each time I do this workout, I feel more meditative, more in control, and more alert. At first I assumed I would injure myself doing something in it (having hip and occasional back problems), but was amazed at how I felt very evenly worked out, more flexible, and ready to glide through life. Also, I think Kristen's breath pacing during the standing pose sequence was as good as any other DVD I own. If you love a great short 50 minute workout and aren't afraid to tackle initially intimidating movements, you will live this MTV super hit.