Customer Reviews

Ultimate Body: Yoga Fitness

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have been practicing yoga for 6 years and am somewhere between the intermediate and advanced level. I love Bryan Kest (Power 1,2,3) and Mark Blanchard (Sedona Experience, Progressive Power Yoga, and his new set, True Power Yoga) because they kick my butt still to this day. I found the Yoga Fitness workout on Comcast Exercise TX one day and thought it looked challenging and fun. I am now ADDICTED to this workout. I had to have the DVD so ordered that as soon as it became available. Elise Gulan is adorable, you can't help but like the girl, her cueing is right on, the moves are challenging but feel terrific, and I could go on and on. I can't recommend this DVD enough - and I've done a LOT of yoga DVDs over the years.
Buy this DVD - you won't regret it.

Yoga...I've tried several different DVDs and always felt like I didn't "fit in". I'm a little high strung, and not up on the vocab., chants - well, I just felt akward.

I ordered Yoga Fitness after seeing Elise in the new Shape:20 min. makeover (some moves from this are also in the Shape DVD), then I ordered her ballet DVD...I just think she's the best! Very calming, right on with the cues, and all with a smile =)

On the DVD, there are 3 sections: Yoga Fitness Plus, Lower Body Yoga, Bonus Workouts. I did the Yoga Fitness Plus with Elise as the trainer. It is one challenging workout! Elise shows modifications for Level 1, 2 and for advanced Yogis. She describes the movements while demonstrating in an easy to understand way, throws in vocab for the non-yogi's to pick up on, and gives notice prior to movements in which you may fall...which I did, several times =)BALANCE is a big deal, and not so easy while holding the poses Elise puts you in. You will stretch your muscles in ways never felt before.

I love the bonus workouts! There are 5 "mini workouts" - really only the third & fourth I would consider mini workouts. Side twist, standing bend, back strengthening, sun salutations, tension stretch-neck. The sun salutation segment is impressive, and the standing bend feels awesome!

This is wonderful for those who aren't big yoga fans, however, are intermediate through advanced exercisers. I highly recommend this DVD, the level of intensity this workout reaches will amaze you. It's a total body challenge and I look forward to being able to do the entire work out without falling =) ENJOY!!

I feel I can review this because I've done this workout on Fit TV several times. When I saw it available for sale on DVD I had to pre-order it. Now I've previewed the clip on Fit TV and aparently this DVD has several workouts included are.
Yoga Fitness Plus Elise Gulan
Lower Body Yoga Tom Morley
Bonus 15 minutes worth of extra workouts with other instructors
Now I've only done the Yoga Fitness Plus workout (my review will focus on that portion of this DVD) and I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. I normaly don't like yoga DVD's but I truly love Elise's cueing. It is amazing. I feel great everytime I do this workout, like all my worries have been stretched and blown away with every deep and relaxing breath. What I also love about this workout are the variations that she gives you with levels. You will feel your body working, your core, your legs, you really have to challenge yourself with this workout. This is by no means an easy workout if you do all the level 2 moves. I wouldn't even consider it a walk in the park at level 1 but that is what I love about this workout I can feel my muscles lengthening, and strengthening at the same time while the deep and slow breathing really helps keep me focused and relaxed. I REALLY hope that Elise comes out with other DVD's. I'd love to see an Intermediate and Advanced Yoga and Ballet. I also highly reccomend her Ballet Conditioning workout. It is a great overal body workout.

I have had the pleasure of taking Elise's classes in Santa Monica, and she is my favorite Yogi! She has the greatest spirit and energy, and she really pushes you to do and be your best. I was amazed that she was able to translate that into a DVD format! My job takes me away from Santa Monica for 2 weeks out of the month. I just found this Yoga video by Elise and have been using it daily since it arrived! I'm so sore!! She's such a great instructor and offers the BEST Yoga DVD out there. I have tried 5 different yoga DVDs, and this is the only one that truly gives me the workout I need and crave. Elise is amazing!! If you can't make it out to LA for one of her classes (which are totally YO-GAsmic!), this is the next best thing. It will give you the true feeling of being in a studio. You can get a real sense of her spirit. Her 20-minute circuit video is GREAT, too! I've been using that in addition to this Yoga DVD on days when I have a little extra time. ELISE IS THE BEST!!

I had previously purchased a ballet workout DVD that Elise Gulan made. Very enjoyable and novel workout since I really haven't ever done ballet, except for a few months as a clumsy 5 year old kid. So I had high hopes for her yoga DVD.

This DVD was just a workout. Not yoga. You might as well go lift weights or do pilates or some other workout. There was no mind-body stuff going on, no relaxation, no beautiful scenery. Just a workout. I probably wouldn't buy it if I had to do it over again.

I would highly recommend this DVD. I'm younger and not overweight but I'm fairly new to yoga, exercising, etc, so my balance is pretty bad and I am weak in the upper body and abs. This DVD has 2 separate workouts with 2 separate instructors. Both instructors, Tom Morley and Elise Gulan have such a positive spirit and energy that it makes spending time doing the workout that much more enjoyable. (no sullen-serious faces here) Tom's workout is great for those days when you don't have much time, but want to get your heart rate up and even break a bit of a sweat. It is only 20 minutes and it goes by in a flash. This workout was originally on Exercise.TV as "Thigh and Buns Yoga". It includes chair poses, down dogs - lowering yourself down and then back up, temple poses, crescent poses. Even at 20 minutes this workout produces results. My knees have been feeling great as a result of strengthening my thighs.

The other workout is by Elise Gulan and is 45 minutes. Elise is so talented that she simultaneously instructs two separate levels (1 and 2) while she is actually doing the workout (by the way, no voice-overs on either workout). I am able to complete the workout doing about 70% of the level 1 moves. Some of the poses are so challenging for the balance and flexibility that I am just physically unable to do them yet, but it is great because it gives you something to work for. This workout goes by really fast as well because of the flow of the different segments. For example, just when your arms feel like they are going to fall off, she switches to more lower body poses.

I would say that the 20-minute is more of a beginner to intermediate workout and the 45-minute is more of an intermediate to advanced level. Both workouts are just one person in a simple room doing the workout and instructing you at the same time.

This is one of my most favorite DVDs ever, not just yoga but all work-out DVDs. Elise Gulan is very encouraging so that you want to try (and hold)even the most difficult poses. I use it every other day because it makes me feel so good. The work-out is quite strenuous and challenging but I have noticed my body has changed, especially my core. Before doing this DVD, I felt weak and old (I'm 48 years old). Now that I've been using it for 4 months or so, I feel strong, like I did perhaps 20 years ago. I've never been flexible but this routine has changed that.
At first, I fell quite a bit but kept on trying. Now, I hardly ever fall. There is a lot of focus on lower body, which I definitely needed, and you work so hard that cardio is there. There's another work-out focusing on lower body. The guy who teaches it is very unintimidating, which I actually liked. He seemed very human. The other segments are very short; I hardly ever use them.
I HIGHLY recommend this DVD to anyone who wants a challenging work-out that's fun, different, and positive.

This is a very intense workout. What I like most is, that its not dated(old yoga). I have not done the other workouts on this other than Yoga Fitness Plus. Honestly, I would be surprised if anyone could after doing this one. Awesome workout.

Advanced yoga video, but can be modified for intermediate level users. One of my favorite workouts, and I love the lower body yoga with Tom Morley. I did these 2 workouts online through Exercise TV until they pulled the plug. So glad it is on video!

Really enjoying Elise's workout. What a tough and challenging 40 minute plus routine! Also like Tom's 20 minute routine. Both great instructors. I really feel I may give up going to an outside yoga class because I am getting all the benefits of yoga at home with this DVD. Would definitely look for more by these instructors.