Customer Reviews

Yoga Fusion - Strength & Sculpt [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This tape is wonderful for those with some yoga experience looking for a more advanced, challenging workout. The instructor is calm and not annoying at all (unlike Denise Austin on her yoga tape) and very knowledgeable. She even uses the true names for all the poses, while explaining everything very well. It begins with some challenging sun salutations, and then moves on to some difficult leg work and great ab work using techniques from Pilates and Yoga. Its also great for maintaining flexibility.

This is a great workout video, you do have to be familiar with yoga. This video would frustrate a begineer, Kim moves quickly and she expects you to be familiar with the names of various yoga positions. I have been practicing yoga for about 3 years (through tapes and personal instruction)and found this to be a great addition to my Rodney Yee tapes, they compliment each other and it is a good idea to use different instructors and tapes to keep using all those vaious muscle groups working at their maximum.

I purchased this video after doing Yoga Fusion - Power and on the strength of the reviews here, but I was pretty disappointed with the actual workout. Kim begins with some yoga poses and a series of modified sun salutations, with an emphasis on strength moves like holding squats and lunges for several breaths, and this segment lasts about 20 min. A pilates core segment comes next without explanation of the proper form or demonstration of any modifications, while previously having introduced someone who would be doing modifications (a problem with the Power video, too). She then does some back and hamstring/gluteal exercises very similar to the ones in the Power video. Some arm work with weights follows, but it's not very challenging unless you bulk up on the weights. She finishes with some stretches and the corpse pose.

My biggest problem with this video is its similarity to the other title in the series, Yoga Fusion - Power. The redundancy and overlapping of the exercises makes me mad, and I don't see myself using this video unless something happens to the Power tape. Also, whereas I feel the Power title lives up to its name in providing a solid cardio workout, I don't feel any more Strength and Sculpting than I had with Power. The workout itself isn't bad, but it is no way a companion to the Power video. If you've been practicing any kind of power yoga regularly, this tape will not prove challenging at all. For someone looking for an introduction to power yoga and toning, this just might work.

Yoga Fusion is so helpful for me. I am runner and one who never stretches so I would feel very tight all the time, but Since I've been doing Yoga Fusion I don't feel tight any more. Now when I'm running I feel I can go for loner distances.Kim the instructor in the video is great. I like to keep moving and kim does just that.She gives just enough time to stretch out for warming up and cooling down, but keeps your heart pumping throughout the video for a good workout! I highly recommend this to people who want to get in shape or for people who want to use it to compliment an excerise routine already inplace.

First of all I would like to say I am familiar with Yoga though it was the first time I did anything that had PILATES mixed in.
It is a wonderful combination I must say . You get the classic poses of Yoga with the extra WORKOUT by turning the poses into further challenges .
I like this tape alot. The woman is very soothing to listen too..though it is quite instructional she has a pleasant voice to listen to and I was greatful for the MODIFIED positions she offers when needed . My only complaint is my favorite part of YOGA is the relxation pieces most people do at the end. And though she sets you up for it ..she doesnt actually do a whole relaxation piece. she puts you in the positions and then says "When you are done ...do this this and that" Which I really prefer the ones that talk to you or play soothing music when it is time for relaxing..that is my ONLY complaint.
I like the use of weights and I feel once one is stronger you can use the heavier weights (for the arm piece) and as the woman says PAUSE the tape to hold the positions longer .ANyhow GREAT tape! Even though I am some what of a beginner.. I dont think it is the best BEGINNERS tape as I can see it as quite challenging for someone who has NEVER done Yoga or Pilates before..But what is the point to do it then if it isnt challenging..there is NOTHING worse than getting atape that is too easy or gives you nothing to work up to! So even if you are a beginner I would say get it,,..but I didnt have problem with it as I am not SO unfamilair with YOGA and not SO out of shape..
I sweat a bit with this tape and it is a workout.. I reccommend it!

If you are looking for a well balanced workout for strength and conditioning this is it. Kim demonstrates various techniques such as ,leg,back & shoulder stretches, several abdominal poses, using light weights for arm conditioning, and relaxation and breathing. She also has others doing the poses at various levels. I look forward in watching this video again and again. I have at least six video's and this is the best. I hope she has others out soon!

I purchased this video in a store and realized what a great workout it was, so I bought my sister one on Amazon.com. After doing Kim's yoga exercises and technics, I felt alive again. Although I am just a beginner, I could keep up (at my own pace) and the experience was exhilerating. Not only was it a good workout (both mind and body), but very calming. I will continue to use this as my goal towards getting in shape, although I will probably never look like Kim!!! Thanks, Kim, for a rejuvinating experience. ...

Fusion is the operative word. While primarily yoga, the non yoga aspects ultimately limit this. For a yoga beginner, but someone in reasonably good condition for strength/endurance, there is definately a challenge to doing a yoga type practice correctly, i.e. in form and breathing. (I would caution beginners to head the recommendations on any of these videos to work within your limits. If you lack flexibility and elasticity, it is not difficult to strain.) I agree with many other reviewers that there is a distinct benefit from the workout that is immediately felt. However it is after seeing the Total Yoga series that this declined in my estimation, and I have not used it again.

A few specific criticisms:
-Kim is obviously extremely fit, but suggests at the beginning that this is a good complementary workout to a cardio vascular routine. I suspect that the appearance of the participants is due to a substantial amount of additional exercise and lifestyle choices.
-The Pilates influence is small and the use of weights is confined to two, very minor arm exercises.
-There are 4 people particiipating in the video simultaneously, but only one shows any variations that a beginner might use, and the others are far enough back that they don't really add anything to understanding the forms.
-Kim's verbal presentation is so studied as to be almost robotic. The accompanying music is discoesque elevator music that is inconsistent with the yogic elements and ultimately annoying.
-There is little attention to how breathing is done.

If you would like a yoga workout that will get your heart rate up rather than focus more on relaxation, this tape may be for you. The instructor, Kim, leads you through a series of of yoga poses that are doable for the beginner yet fast-paced enough to be challenging and to raise your heart rate. Kim does a good job of explaining each pose, giving both the traditional Eastern and more well-known names for the poses. She takes the time to explain breathing, and one of the other three woman following along shows modifications for some poses. This yoga portion comprises the main part of the workout for a total of approximately 25 minutes. The next segment is described on the box as "Arms, Abs, Thighs, and Buns workout tones, sculpts, and defines" This 15-minute section is where the "fusion" part of the tape comes in, as it is a blend of additional yoga, some minor Pilates, and ballet-type moves such as plies. It also includes some arms work with weights, but this segment is very short, and, as others have noted, not very challenging. The last 5 minutes of the workout consist of brief seated forward bends, a twist, and then relaxation pose. If you like yoga, are at a beginners/intermediate level, and are looking for something with a slightly different twist, you may like this tape. On the other hand, if you are looking for Pilates, you won't find much here; Pilates beginners should definitely look elsewhere.

I liked the idea of combining strength training w/ yoga & pilates, but this workout left me uninspired.

I'm not sure what's wrong with it, though. I like Kim, the instructor, well enough. Yeah, with her calm, cool delivery she comes across a bit cyborg-ish, but I kinda prefer that to an in-your-face instructor like Denise Austin, who's continuous yapping is distracting when I'm trying to focus.

And the routine, well, it seems balanced enough. The yoga stuff was nice -- nothing out of the ordinary, just some good solid postures held for a nice length of time. I wasn't thrilled with the weight work -- she used very light weights & whizzed thru the reps very fast. If you're not used to working out w/ weights, you may strain yourself trying to keep up. If you ARE used to weight training, then flinging itty bitty weights around for a few sets isn't gonna do much for you, and if you wanna go heavier you probably won't be able to keep up with her lightening reps w/out your form suffering.

I found the abs section challenging in some places, but my effort was mainly from the speed with which Kim had us whipping our bodies up & down, back and forth. When doing core work, I tend to want to go slow -- really lock in those abs & maintain control throughout the exercise. That was hard to do during this segment, and while my abs felt worked out the following day, I think they could've been hit harder if I had shut off the tape & done the exercises at a more focused pace (see my review for Denise Austin's Mat Work Based on Pilates -- so far the only Pilates tape that's really delivered for me, despite her yapping, hehehe).

Anyway, while I can't think of anything I *really* dislike about Yoga Fusion Strength & Sculpt, I have a hard time recommending it. The workout left me flat. It gets my blood pumping a bit, but doesn't leave me glowing like a good power yoga routine will. I have dozens of workout tapes that I reach for on a regular basis, but this one's been gathering dust cause I never seem to want to do it.

Beginners might like it, though, but man, there are so many terrific, classic beginner yoga/pilates/etc tapes out there, I think I'd go that route, if I were starting over again.