Customer Reviews

Prevention Fitness Systems: The Abs Advantage With Chris Freytag

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

 

 

Abdominals are a hard area to tone, but if you do regular cardio and follow a great workout like this, then you'll see results fairly soon.
Chris Freytag leads this workout again (she's done most of their other ones) and she's a good instructor. She's friendly and down to earth and I find that motivating. There are four segments here. One is on a stability ball, pilates, core work and regular classic crunches. Each segment is between 8-9 minutes long so it's a good length of time, without straining or tiring easily. No angle is left out here. Abs are worked from all angles. I like the fact that you can do all of the workouts or some or one. Basically the only piece of equipment you need is a stability ball, and trust me - do this about 5 days a week and you will get good results.

With the 4 different sections, you have lots of variety and very effective exercises. The video works the abs from all angles. Chris Freytag is a friendly instructor and cues well. I liked the stability ball and classic crunch segments best. I felt the most burn from them. In the stability ball section, you'll do crunches on the ball, reverse curls and lift and lower the ball with your legs which really works the lower abs. The classic crunch section had lots of leg variations. The exercise where you lie on your side and pull your legs towards your chest really works. I didn't care for the core training which started with standing balance moves. They were pretty easy and I didn't think they did much. The ending plank moves were tough. The pilates section was just o.k. It had familiar exercises. One exerciser shows modifications, so this is a video you can grow with. I liked this better than Self's Firm, Flat Abs Fast.

Ever since I turned 40 I have had a few more issues in the ab area! Chris Freytag's DVD is just what the doctor ordered! After I run or do a cardio workout I try to follow it with an ab workout and this DVD gives you 4 different workouts to pick from (all of which really target those abs!). The fact that the workouts are only 12 minutes really helps me actually do them... time constraints are a big reality when you have a hectic schedule. There is NO excuse not to sneak an ab workout in daily with this DVD in your house!

i am very particular when it comes to exercises. i exercise regularly and am always looking for a challange. i hate the ab routines that are pointless and spend to much time talking. after the short warm up it jumps right into the abs...four segments. a pilates, a core, a basic crunch, and stability ball. i loved them all. it hits every angle. at first i was boerd with the core, but once i focused it really works for strength which helps to result in better abs. they provide great options for the beginner as well as advanced. love it love it love it!

I go to the gym 6 days a week, combining cardio, spinning, and PUMP (low weight, high reps resistance training) and have lost 50lbs. Doing abs only 3 days a week isn't cutting it for my goal, so I ordered this. GREAT for intermediate, but she also offers modifications for beginners. With 4 different workouts, I can do a different one everyday & not get bored - plus it goes FAST - 12 minute segments. FOR SURE worth my $10.99. Will probably buy more of Chris' Prevention DVDS!

Prevention Fitness Systems: The Abs Advantage (40 minutes, color) presents four stomach flattening, 12-minute routines by expert trainer Chris Freytag. Using Pilates moves, core training, classic ab exercises, and stability ball work, each routine is designed to burn calories and tone and strengthen muscles. (An inflatable exercise/stability ball is recommended but not included). A superb supplement to exercise and fitness libraries, Prevention Fitness Systems: The Abs Advantage is an ideal addition to one's exercise routine whether practicing a single 12-minute burst in a day or any combination of all four. Also highly recommended is Prevention Fitness Systems Personal Training (DVD, 0766226476, $14.95, 66 minutes, color)

I love this new video that Prevention released. If you do her workout right you feel the burn. She really knows what she is doing. And she explains the moves very clearly. This video is also great because if you only have a short time you are able to do only one part, either pilates, stability ball workouts, regular crunchs or core excercises. I love using the stability ball the best!

Chris is also so motivational and I have loved all of her videos. I would reccommend any of them to beginners or advanced workout queens! She really explains the moves well and I am impressed with the fact that I never get tired of her workouts!

I bought this video because I like the Prevention 3-2-1 video, and because I like Chris Freytag, however overall I was pretty disappointed. Each section consists of 8 or 9 minutes of abdominal exercises, but the moves are modified to suit the earliest beginners and do not consist of enough reps to fatigue the muscles (or even make you feel like you've been working out). I don't consider myself to be in great shape, but I did the entire video from beginning to end and didn't break a sweat or feel like I'd accomplished much. I gave the video three stars because I did like the variety of moves and angles that were worked and because I think for a beginner this might be a good abs workout. For intermediate exercisers I would recommend Tamilee Web's "I want that Body" video or one of the other Gaiam Pilates videos, which provide better overall abdominal work.

Prevention has produced a pretty good series of at-home exercise programs. However, most of their DVDs are geared towards the beginner/low intermediate category, and this one is no exception.
The format is made up of four 8-minute ab routines (each routine has the same built-in 2-minute warmup and 2-minute cooldown which can be skipped when they become annoying). The routines are: stability ball, pilates, classic abs and core training. Chris Freytag is an encouraging and knowledgeable instructor with a cheery, slight Minnesota accent. The moves themselves also help to make this program noteworthy even for advanced exercisers. I was pleasantly surprised to find that even in the "classic abs" section, there were actually very few "classic" moves.Chris manages to put a different spin on almost everything, so the exercises stay fresh.
In my opinion, the least challenging is the pilates routine. In this, you will find roll-ups, the saw, the hundred and some others. However: One- I guess I'm a purist, but it always kinda bothers me when a "pilates" segment is done in shoes, and Two- They either moved too quickly or didn't do enough reps, because I hardly feel any sort of burn.
The most challenging for me was the core training section (though, ironically, not a great ab routine). The core training section incorporates squats, plies, planks,and twisting. I really like the music, and it makes me break a sweat every time. However, I feel it most in my buns, thighs, arms and sides of my waist...and very little in my abs. Go figure!
The most effective ab sculpters for me were the classic abs and the stability ball.
However...NONE of the routines gave me a significant burn with just one 12-minute session. I feel that any intermediate-to-advanced exerciser would have to combine them. As I am always looking for SHORT, effective routines to add onto my 45-minute+ workouts, this defeats the purpose.
I would have to recommend in its stead 10 MINUTE SOLUTIONS' BLAST OFF THE BELLY FAT with Suzanne Bowen. It does what is says...in 10 minutes!

The good news is that the instructor isn't annoying like many in fitness DVDs. The bad news is that I am not a beginner at this and this is a video that seemed very much like a beginner workout. I don't think I broke a sweat.