Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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54 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, September 23, 2006
I was expecting something along the lines of the book "The Abs Diet Get Fit, Stay Fit Plan," which offered a lot of variety. This is partly why I'm so disappointed. This appears to be "Abs Diet" in name only.
First off, all fitness DVDs should state up front what equipment you will need. This one does not. You'll need a mat, a pair of dumbbells, and for intermediate/advanced exercisers, a fitness ball to use as a weight bench.
Unlike the previous DVD, there are is no diet information - just workouts divided by frequency (3 to 6 times a week), and then by level. Regardless of which level you choose, you'll get the same thing: a 3-minute warm-up (static stretches and very light cardio), an abs segment, an intermediate/advanced weights circuit routine, and a cardio workout. The only difference in the entire thing is in the abs workout segment: beginners do 10 minutes, advanced do 12.
The exercises in the 25-minute circuit routine are straightforward, fairly standard (chest presses, shoulder presses, kickbacks, lunges, squats, crunches, etc.), and the same for ALL levels. Beginners will have to watch for modifications, even if they chose the "Beginner" menu item. Overall it flows well, and though the music is still a little annoying, it is not as bad as the first DVD.
For cardio, there's a 25-minute "speed interval" workout - a high/low intensity mix of jogging, straddle hops, squat jumps, jumping jacks, knee lifts, etc. There are no modifications, so this part of the DVD may be difficult for new exercisers, people very out of shape, or those with knee/back problems.
The breakdown in general is as follows:
3 Days a Week
Mon and Fri - Abs and Circuit training (35 min)
Wed - Circuit training and speed intervals (50 min)
4 Days a Week
Mon and Fri - Abs and Circuit training (35 min)
Wed - Circuit (no abs) (25 min)
Thu - Speed intervals (aka 'cardio') (25 min)
5 Days a Week
Mon, Wed, Fri - Abs and Circuit (35 min)
Tue, Thu - Speed intervals (25 min)
6 Days a Week
Mon, Wed, Fri - Abs and Circuit (35 min)
Tue, Thu, Sat - Speed intervals (25 min)
For mix and match, you can combine the 3-minute warm-up with either 10- or 12-minute abs, plus 25 minutes of circuit training (w/modifications) and 25 minutes of hi/lo cardio intervals.
My 3 stars are maily due to the lack of labeling about equipment, an intermediate/advanced workout labeled as beginner (if it's "Beginner," the workout should be tailored as such), a cardio workout that's the same for all fitness levels, and a suprising lack of variety. I'd recommend "The Abs Diet Get Fit, Stay Fit Plan" book over this DVD.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Workout DVD, June 27, 2007
The DVD starts off with a main menu consisting of
-Introduction
-Audio setup
-Weekly schedules
-Mix and match workouts
-Bonus: the abs diet eating plan.
In the introduction, the trainer, Terry Simpson, explains that the workout is based on the ABS 3 system and describes its principles. This is detailed in the book called The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan: The Exercise Program to Flatten Your Belly, Reshape Your Body, and Give You Abs for Life!.
The diet aspect of the Abs Diet is described in the section called `Bonus: The Abs Diet Eating Plan section'.
Under Weekly Schedules, there are 4 options.
If you can exercise:
-3 times a week
-4 times a week
-5 times a week
-6 times a week
I decided to try the '3 times a week' option.
Within the 3 times a week submenu, are 3 workouts:
Monday & Friday
Abdominal Workout & Big Muscle Circuit (35 mins)
-Beginner
-Advanced
Wednesday
-Big Muscle Circuit & Speed Interval Training (50 min.)
I decided to try the beginner abdominal and weight workout. The trainer, Terry, was accompanied by 2 ladies Jenny and Shaela. They were super-fit. The first part was the warm up which consisted of various stretches and a short jog. Next up was the abdominal workout. For this you needed a mat and light dumbbells. For each exercise there was a beginner option (done by Jenny) and an intermediate option (done by Terry and Shaela). All the exercises came from the books: The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life and The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan: The Exercise Program to Flatten Your Belly, Reshape Your Body, and Give You Abs for Life!. After the abdominal section was the big muscle circuit. Equipment needed was hand weights, mat and Swiss ball. The big muscle circuit was tough because of the number of reps of each exercise. The exercises were done for either 60 or 90 seconds. They were done in a slow and controlled manner. The descriptions and demonstrations by the instructor were very helpful. During this section of the DVD I was sweating profusely and my muscles ached. The effectiveness is definitely in the number of reps.
The only thing missing from this workout is a cool down. I had to stretch on my own at the end.
The big muscle circuit and speed interval training consisted of a warm up, weight exercises and cardio. Materials needed for the muscle circuit - hand weights, Swiss ball and mat. For the cardio, jogging, jumping jacks, skipping, knee skips, squat hops and thrust reach-ups (the hardest) are done. Periods of low and high intensity are alternated. By the middle of the workout you will be panting and sweating.
I was pleasantly surprised by how the larger number of reps in the weight workout affected me, as well as the cardio intervals and so I am satisfied with this DVD however the packaging should have stated what materials would be needed to complete the workouts (mat, weights, and Swiss ball). I'm looking forward to trying all the workouts on the DVD as well as mixing and matching.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile workout!, January 3, 2007
I've watched and own more than my share of workout videos/DVDs. Most are good but not great. This one is very good, and just shy of excellent. It incorporates all aspects of the ABS Diet, and guides you thru a few strenuous routines. You can set up your own schedule and as long as you stick to it (and amend your routine as needed) you will find this a useful and worthwhile workout DVD. I bought it, and I'm glad I own it - but I'm even more happy to say that this is one I actually use!
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