Bottoms Up!

(Upper, Middle, and Lower body)

These videos are based on Joyce's best-selling book of the same name (which, by the way, is very good) and provide a good introduction to weight-training and bodybuilding principles. For me, it was much better to learn these routines from a tape than from pictures in a book. These tapes would be good for intermediate to advanced exercisers. Absolute beginners might find these routines a bit too taxing, but could feasibly give them a try with light or no weights.

There are three tapes in the series: upper, lower, and middle body. I have not purchased the middle body tape, but the upper and lower body tapes are quite good. The upper-body workout is roughly 45 minutes long and challenges all the major muscle groups (arms, shoulders, chest, and back) using the pyramid system of weight training developed by Joe Weider. The 45-minute lower body tape uses the same principles and is quite challenging! Joyce's series of squats, lunges, and floorwork left me short of breath, sweaty, and feeling challenged.

At $14.95 a tape, one or more tape might be worth a try.

Joyce's tapes make you addicted to working out. When you first start you think, well, that wasn't so bad, then the second day you are so sore and when you complete the workout you feel so good about the accomplishment. This is the first set of video workout tapes I have started and stayed with. The results from the ab workout are great. All my friends have done the workout with me and want to buy copies of the workout.

I recommend doing your own warmup and cooldown. And, I'm not too sure about the way Joyce and the other participants bend over to pick up the different weights. Other than that, the workouts themselves are complete.