Body Bar: Equanimity

This is a challenging, enjoyable, unique workout. The time passes quickly. Its fun. Its tough. Its unusual.

I'm surprised to be typing this because Leshaun Dale has always rubbed me the wrong way, and she still sort of does, but the many positives of Equanimity make drawbacks unimportant

The name betrays the primary downside. She's pretentious. She "gathers" her bodybar - I pick mine up. Her turns of phrase are often just plain silly.

The other, more specific problem is her blithe assumption that I have two four-pound mini bars. I'm mildly embarrassed I have one. Fortunately, - plebian that I am - I have dumbells that in most instances function more appropriately than those $30-plus dollar hunks of pink pipe.

You will need a stability ball, a light bodybar (12 lbs or so), two 4 lb mini bars or, in my case, dumbells.

The workout includes balance challenges to strength training (triceps, biceps) and more unconvential functional fitness activities. She moves quickly from one movement to the next, builds nice progressions and has many innovative movements I have not previously seen. She shows pikes, planks, push-ups. She has standing lunges and squats with twists. The music is fun and upbeat. She executes everthing with a resonable amount of decorum and if somebody would give her the verbal edition of strunk and white's element of style (don't use 10 words if you can say it in 5, ditto sylables) i would have no complaints - other than the pink bar thing

I very much look forward to further use of this DVD (The Mindy part is fun too). It brings the stability ball to a whole new level.