Dream Body Cardio Series: InTENse

Title: Dream Body Cardio Series: InTENse

Instructor: Sadie Durbin

Time: 60 Minutes

Level of Difficulty: Advanced

DVD menu: Play workout, music on or off

Production quality: high

Equipment used: light resistance band, light weights (2# each), playground ball, gliders

This workout is part of the second Dream Body DVD set, the Cardio series. Sadie is back from Barre in the first series. I recall she worked the arms tough in Barre and she works them even more in InTENse! The structure of InTENse is supposed to be 10 minutes cardio/10 minutes arms/10 minutes abs/10 minutes cardio/10 minutes arms/10 minutes abs. I don't think the intervals are necessarily 10 minutes each and I don't find the chaptering to be perfect, but in general it follows this structure. The cardio is intense but I would say this is more a toning workout than a cardio workout. I find it to have the most toning emphasis of all the Cardio Series DVDs.

The first 10 minutes is cardio (like all DB workouts, there's really no warm up) and starts right in with 5 minutes of work on one leg (deep curtsey squat and curtsey/plank jumps (like hop scotch in horizontal position)/lunges with high knees/quick side squats/squat with leg raise into optional hop on one leg; repeat on the other leg. This section almost reminded me of Tonique with its emphasis/burnout on one leg before working the other leg.

The second 10 minutes is arms. Along with the second cardio set, this is the TOUGHEST part of the whole workout, IMO. Start with plank up/downs and pushups in a pyramid 5/4/3/2/1 then back up 1/2/3/4/5 with the other arm leading the plank up/downs. So five up/downs followed by five pushups, then four and four, etc. Then get into a wall squat with ball between knees and get comfortable because you'll be here for several minutes doing about 12 upper body exercises with the light weights. Circles, pulses, etc. to work primarily the shoulders and upper back. Finish with downdog pushups.

The third 10 minutes is abs. Really obliques. First standing, do a standing crunch and knee in to isolate one oblique/torso twists/arm reach over in plie/more standing crunch and knee in but balance on one foot this time/plank knee in and twist. Repeat on other side.

The fourth 10 minutes is back to cardio. Horizontal conditioning style cardio, with the gliders. Starting on one leg, pike at a cardio speed with gliders/mountain climbers/knee ins still in low plank (works the quads)/stand for releve lunge backs/butt kickers/high knees. Repeat on the other side. This gliding work is VERY TOUGH.

The fifth 10 minutes is back to arms. This arm section focuses primarily on triceps and upper back and uses the band for back squeezes in chair pose/band above head to hit upper back/tricep presses in plank pose/tricep presses in downward dog; repeat from tricep presses in plank pose other side (all using the band). Now sitting on the floor with legs extended pick up weights for long arms reach backs/tiny circles to hit the triceps some more/tricep dip variation (up downs in this pose - this is tough!). My triceps were totally burned out by the end of this chapter.

The sixth and final 10 minutes is back to abs. Lay supine for a variety of ab work with long lever legs (Pilates style). She says to use one of the weights held between the feet (BEWARE though I'm lucky I have soft weights but swinging your legs above your body you can easily drop the weight on yourself…I did and quickly decided I didn't need the extra resistance, although you can strap on ankle weights as an alternative). This section really hits the lower abs.

Brief cool down.

This is a really innovative and intense workout for upper body toning with some abs and leg toning thrown in too. Even the cardio (which did get the heart rate up) was very strength-oriented so I would definitely not qualify this as a cardio workout. Definitely a must-have for any DB fans and definitely advanced.