Customer Reviews

Yoga Journal: Yoga for Strength and Toning

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to admit straight from the top that when I saw the promo clip for this dvd at totalfitnessdvds, I was not impressed. Then after I got the dvd and previewed it, I was still not impressed. Then, this morning I did the entire dvd (I had a rare 90 minutes to myself)and I was quite supprised that I enjoyed it, worked hard and felt good afterwards. The best aspect of this class is the preciseness in the execution of the poses. Iyengar would be proud. On every single pose, the angles were perfect. You will not injure yourself. Here is what you get in the dvd:

Full vinyasa practice 60 minutes. This class starts seated and then goes into a down dog, up dog sequence. Next is sun salutation C followed by several standing poses such as: warrior 1, warrior 2, warrior 3, twisting lunge, triangle, extended side angle, half hanumanasana, crescent pose with shoulder stretch, pyramid, standing split, wide side angle, goddess pose (wide legs bent knees) with shoulder stretch, wide angle forward bend with hands clasped behind back, side plank, quad stretch in low lunge position, seated twist. She does the poses in a flow format with plank, pushup, up dog or cobra to down dog in between. There are lots of push ups and once the flow starts there are no breaks until you rest in pigeon. The back bending sequence is very simple but hard. You do bridge pose holding one leg in the air. I may have missed a pose or two but what you will get is a class mostly of basic standing poses that are designed to cook your legs. The poses are not overly creative ala Shiva Rea; but they are held long enough for you to feel your muscles work. If you are a beginner, this flow will challenge you to keep your form and keep up. It moves at a moderate pace with no breaks. Although Stephanie does encourage you to rest in child's pose whenever you need to. To my suprise, I rested quite a bit. If you are an intermediate yogi, you too will be challenged to keep your form while moving from pose to pose and doing all of the push ups. I appreciated that there was a student on the dvd that did modifications with a block and strap. There are no seated poses here other than seated twist.

Abs routine 30 minutes: This is the hardest abs routine I have ever seen on a yoga dvd. I struggled through this section. The hardest poses were dolphin side plank and dolphin twist hip lifts. (watch the clip at yoga journal to see what I mean) She also includes simple backbends,lunge and side gate stretch in this section. This section also includes thread the needle shoulder stretch and ends in wide legged child's pose.

I must mention that all the poses with their sanskrit and english names appear at the top left of the screen.

Pose guide 5 minutes: Stephanie goes over the proper form for chatarunga with do's and dont's.

About the teacher: Stephanie is in voice over and gives excellent precise, timely instruction. Her instruction is do detailed that you will not need to look at the screen, unless you want to check your form. She talks...a lot, giving form pointers. Which leads me to the question "Who is this dvd for?" It is for advanced beginners to intermediate students. Advanced students may be bored as there are no arm balances, no inversions, no intense seated stretching and no upward bow. It is also for those who don't like their yoga dancey a la Shiva Rea, or super fast. It for those who like a clean, straight forward, classic yoga class with excellent instruction. If that's you, then get this dvd. It is challenging enough so that you can grow into it. Unless you are in great shape you will sweat and feel proud of yourself that you got through it.

The yoga practice on this DVD will change your life! Stephanie Snyder is a wonderful teaching with amazing insight and teaching skills that are second to none. This dvd is classic yoga that is uupdated and sequenced to challenge and fulfill anyone who follows along. It can be physically demanding but the results & rewards after practicing with Stephanie's dvd are great!

This dvd is a very good tool for anyone who wants to practice yoga at home. There are options for modifying the poses and Stephanie's direction are very easy to follow. The vinyasa practice is invigorating and moves at a very comfortable pace. The poses flow easily from one to the next, taking you through a well thought out practice.

The Core Strengthening section of the dvd is one of the best core workouts I've ever done. Yes, it is challenging but the results are so great. You will definitely know that you've worked your entire core section when you are done with this. It is the type of core work that gets results and you will want to do it over and over again.

Stephanie Snyder is a fantastic teacher and I have been able to take her class in San Francisco. The dvd is just like being in her class but having her all to yourself. This dvd is a must have for the anyone who does yoga at home - trust me, even if you don't do yoga at home, you will with this jewel!!

I have been looking for a yoga video that will compliment my yoga practice when class time is not possible. This is the best yoga DVD in my collection. Stephanie is concise and precise, she gives great instruction through each pose, allowing you to get deeper into the poses. I also found that the 5 minute instruction is great, since some of the poses she focuses on can be performed incorrectly and cause strain or discomfort. This video helps to develop both strength and flexibility and is at a great pace. You remain in each pose for a good amount of time, yet it flows from one sequence to the next comfortably. The 30 minute core is a bonus and a great challenge when time is limited. The music is lame, but who cares -- I sweat! A great video to add to your collection and get you through the winter blues.

NOTE: I received a free review copy of this DVD directly from Yoga Journal.

This latest DVD release from Yoga Journal magazine is intended to build strength as well as to provide toning benefits by offering two vigorous yoga practice sessions. Both routines are led by Stephanie Snyder, a vinyasa-style instructor known for her rigorous classes and workshops in the San Francisco area. The Main Menu of the DVD offers the following options: Flowing Vinyasa Practice--Complete Core Practice--Vinyasa Tutorial (a brief review by Stephanie on how to properly perform chaturanga & upward dog)--Play All--Credits. Stephanie and her assistant, Marie (who shows some modifications) practice in a fairly sparse studio with wood floors, blue walls, and fake "windows." Stephanie teaches via voiceover while fairly up-tempo music plays in the background. Stephanie cues in both English and Sanskrit, and both the English and Sanskrit names for the postures appear on screen. (One additional note: Stephanie and Marie have their mats oriented so that they are facing sideways; I found this confusing, as I was never looking at the TV and could not see what what they were doing. I found it easier to follow the practice when I turned my mat so that the short edge was facing the TV.)

Stephanie describes the Flowing Vinyasa Practice as "yoga for fitness." Given this, it is important to note that there are down dog to chaturanga to up dog vinyasa transitions throughout this ENTIRE 55-minute routine, from the beginning right up until the very end. In addition, Stephanie also frequently transitions using a 3-legged down-dog pose (i.e., swinging one leg up into the air and then forward). Stephanie begins this practice on hands and knees, immediately coming into dog pose for some down dog to plank flows. She then moves into several repetitions of sun salutation A with low lunge (half-split is also included) and then sun salutation B with high lunge. The sun salutations conclude with a chair twist. Stephanie then introduces several different series of standing pose flows. Her sequencing is fairly unique--for example, the very first sequence is a high lunge series which includes a challenging balance posture, warrior 3, crescent lunge with cow-face arms, and a lunge twist. Postures in the next series include warrior 1, warrior 2, reverse warrior, side angle pose, and finally triangle with first a half bind and then a full bind. The last major standing sequence flows from pyramid pose to revolved triangle to standing split to a seated twist. There is a side plank transition, and then Stephanie concludes the standing work with a wide-angle forward bend and goddess pose with eagle arms. Transitioning to the floor, Stephanie performs low lunge with a quad stretch, bridge pose with a leg lift, a pigeon (Marie does thread-the-needle as an alternate). The finishing postures for this practice are a reclined twist and a very brief (2-minute) savasana, although Stephanie does encourage you to hold relaxation pose for at least five minutes.

The Complete Core Practice is 28 minutes long; Stephanie performs this routine alone. In this practice, Stephanie also begins on hands and knees. Here she performs a few simple cat/cow flows but adds a pelvic roll to this. Coming to the back, she starts with a simple crunch and then continues with several Pilates-like movements such as straight-leg lowers, adding a twist to increase the difficulty level. Returning to an all-fours position, Stephanie comes to her forearms for dolphin plank pose and then performs some challenging side plank work from this position. Moving through sphinx, she returns to her back to perform a crunch series with the legs in a straddle position. Next it's back to the dolphin plank stance for some tough oblique work. After a brief rest, Stephanie once again comes to hands and knees, this time to perform a nice twisting torso stretch. Following this, Stephanie returns to her back, where she offers three options for revolved stomach pose, and then moves into a double crunch. At this point, she flips onto her stomach for a brief back strength series involving arm and leg lifts. The finishing postures for this routine are performed as a flow all on one side, then are repeated on the other as follows: down dog, low lunge, side angle prep (kneeling), side stretch (gate pose), plank, and cobra. There is no savasana for this practice, although Stephanie recommends concluding with a final relaxation.

These demanding practices are definitely not appropriate for those new to yoga. With the exception of the Tutorial, Stephanie does not provide much information on form or alignment, making this DVD more appropriate for those who are at least at an advanced beginner level. Furthermore, I would recommend this DVD to someone who is fairly physically fit to start, and I would suggest that anyone with wrist issues approach the Vinyasa practice with caution. I believe that these routines would be best suited for experienced yogis who prefer a more athletic-style yoga practice. Clips are available on the Yoga Journal web site to help you determine whether this DVD would meet your needs.

Well done!! I was first thrown by how simple the background was....as well as the music. Then Stephanie began to speak....her voice is flowing, confident and pleasant. Her cueing is EXCELLENT.....and I know alot about Cueing...I was a fitness instructor for 15+ years. She is very skilled at it and this makes a huge difference. The workout is enjoyable AND challenging which is a tough combo for most DVD's/instructors' to create I think. A Big thank you to Ms. Synder for her work!!

What I love about this DVD is that unlike other workouts it does not make you sit in one pose for 20 plus breaths. I love Baron Baptiste's Journey Into Power Yoga 2 but soem of the poses he holds for longer than I can withstand. Same with Bryan Kest, who's DVD I alternate with Baptiste's. This is a new addition to my yoga DVD collection and is THE PERFECT workout that I've been looking for. Poses are held for a consistent 5 - 10 breaths, it targets all muscle groups within one hour, and there are no anoying new age metaphors used. While I'm pretty advanced in yoga, certain poses that force me to use my thigh muscles are still diiffcult for me. There are comfortable yet challenging modifications of the poses on this DVD. This is really the perfect workout. Not too short, not too long, filled with modifications, sans any irritating allegories with appropriate music to match.

I have tried all of the DVD at once and today I'm sore all over , especially in the legs and abs. The main 55 minute practice is quite a typical power vinyasa routine that is not too fast similar to Bryan Kest for example. It focuses on standing poses such as different lunge variations , hero 3 , half split , revolved triangle & chair and goddess poses with eagle arms etc.. , my butt and legs were working hard and they were shaking at one point. Other poses include side plank , seated twist , bridge (also one legged) & pigeon. I liked that she saved the pigeon for after the backbends. There's a short shavasana. The 28 minute core routine is tough but doable , I found the crunches a little boring since there are a lot of reps although there are a lot of nice variations. I liked that she did plank variations in between the sets of the crunches for a nice "break" so you don't do all of the supine ab work at once .After the ab work she continues with some light backbends and lower back exercises like swimming. She ended with stretches for the illiopsoas and obliques which worked hard ( low lunge, side gate prep and a modified side plank) and child pose.The music is general and not interesting but not intrusive. Stephanie's cueing and instruction are clear and helpful. Overall a good and balanced routine that is challenging with no super advanced poses and still there's a modifier demonstrating easier variations.

I really liked the P90X yoga workout and since then I have been having a hard time finding a yoga video that gives you a good workout. The strength ad toning video is about as close I have found. It is a high quality video and the instructions are clear. I recommend it.

I purchased this DVD through Yoga Journal last week and today was the first chance Ive had to go through it. I did the full flowing set of vinyasa. I agree that the music could have been a little more "spiritual" but the work out itself was a dynamic set.
I have been doing yoga for 7 years off and on and this presented a very good workout. I was sweating and even shaking in these poses which is something I have not had for awhile and at my level of experience.
I suggest this for those who 1) are able to hold poses for at least 5-10 breaths. There are many vigorous binding and extended poses that are held for a long time. If you do not have the stamina to do them you can always do as she suggests and go into childs pose but a good foundation with both strength and stamina are definitely required with this DVD. 2) I would not suggest this DVD for beginners. Though she does have a partner in there with her who does modifications its still something I believe that beginners would struggle with. Since struggle would perhaps impede further exploration of yoga I would not recommend this as a starter video. I would call this an intermediate level video. 3) Finally the instructor for this video goes through proper alignment and yoga posture names. She is on the ball and if you find this guiding to be a bit distracting I would try to rent this from your local library first.

On a whole I honestly have nothing to say bad about this DVD. Yes, the music is a bit "busy" for what I am used to in my practice but given the level of athleticism to this set I think it still works.
I am so grateful I purchased this set and I cannot wait to develop my practice through her guidance!


Blessings!

I was looking for an intermediate vinyasa flow DVD and this is it! The 60 minute flow portion is just that, you are constantly moving and work up a sweat. The music in the background that some people have complained about I did not find annoying or out of the norm at all. In fact it's almost so soft at times I didn't even realize there was music playing. Yes the backdrop is just a painted wall but I was hardly looking at the screen during the practice cause she had me moving so much. The poses comfortably go from one to the other with little to no awkward stop/pauses/weird transitions.

The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it does lack standing balance poses and floor work, but I suppose that is due to the 60 min length as opposed to a longer 90 min class.

Great DVD for intermediate vinyasa, would definitely recommend.