Defining Shape

This is the first of the Longevity workouts, featuring Tracie Long. This workout has plenty of functional and traditional strength exercises. For me, it does feel to be more traditional with a twist than functional, but I'm hoping it will help me in the functional area as well. Kind of my "gateway dvd to functional fitness". As the exercises have been broken down extensively, I won't go into much detail about it. I feel that overall this is a very effective strength video, with a heavy lower body, shoulder, and core emphasis. I know I'll be feeling my glutes tomorrow! The only body part that I felt was a bit short changed was the chest, as there is only one set of pushups for area. Another thing I noticed is that I was sweating so much throughout the workout! I mean, I was really huffing! I don't feel as though I was short changed in the cardio department, that's for sure. I do feel that I went heavier than Tracie for most of the exercises, as I did not go below 10 pounds (except for the beginning where we did shoulder work), using mostly 15s throughout. I think the key with this workout is choosing correct poundage, REALLY concentrating on form (she gives excellent pointers throughout), and engaging your core.

What I Liked

I liked the selection of exercises overall. There weren't too many reps so I felt that I could really concentrate on form. Tracie offered plenty of form pointers throughout. She also included two of my favorite exercises - clean and press and deadlifts! Tracie was friendly and encouraging, without being too perky or too serious. How she pulls that off, I don't know. I also liked the short balance focused chapter of the workout, it was quite challenging! I definitely need help with my balance. Oh, and the music was fitting, a nice volume, and quite good (yes, I know that's subjective). I would describe the music as something you'd want to listen to and workout with after a long Friday at work.

What I Didn't Like

Although my arms were fried, I would have liked more chest work. Even more pushups would have been fine. I would have liked them in the beginning though, so I could be fresh and pump out quite a few. Additionally, while I appreciated that she didn't have traditional crunches, I would have liked more instruction on the pilates type exercises. I just don't get pilates and how I'm supposed to be engaging my abs, so more instruction would be great. Oh, and one of the compound exercises were bothersome, as it was for lower body and shoulders. I can go much heavier for lower body than for shoulders, so a compound exercise doesn't do my any good.

What You Might Want to Look Out For

This is quite shoulder intensive, and I've read on the forum that if you are going to use this in conjunction with her other workouts (or even the older Firm workouts) throughout the week, you better adjust the poundage accordingly. I know for me that, while I can do 12 pounds for shoulder presses and 10 pounds for lateral raises, I will probably go way below that if I'm doing a Tracie Long six week rotation. I have very iffy shoulders. Additionally, she does do a short side plank series, so if you have iffy wrists, adjust accordingly.

Overall, I really enjoyed this workout, and am glad to have it in my collection.

This is a workout that I wanted to like more than I do. Overall, I think it's a well constructed workout, although she does work the shoulders a bit more than what I find optimal. And, the workout does flow. But, I just prefer other workouts of hers more. Tracie has a place in my workout collection, but I tend to need only 2-3 of hers to get what I need from her style of workout. If you want a Tracie Long strength oriented workout using multiple sets of dumbbells, this workout may be for you.

Tracie is alone in this workout and the workout is divided into several sections with different themes. She does sets of moves where you often work the upper body and lower body at the same time with a series of moves that she groups together. The cueing is so-so, although she does mirror cue. I did like some of the combinations and the workout does seem to flow to me.

Tracie works out alone in a nice studio. You will need dumbbells and a med ball for this .49 minute mostly strength workout. The dvd is fully chaptered and includes premixes.

After a warmup exercises include dip & overhead press combos, front & side raise combo, upper back fly, tri kickbacks, squat variation combo adding tempo changes & balance challenges, bi curl & plies, pushups, pliet & upright row, shoulder press, side lunge-squat-and overhead press combo, side step squats, deadlifts, and concludes with a balance series, lying leg work and a core routine before the stretch.

I rate this a solid intermediate routine that can be made more or less challenging depending on the weight you use. Lots of great multi-muscle combos and tons of tempo changes keep it interesting & keep your muscles guessing. I heavied up and got a GREAT workout! Tracie is a great instructor and I really enjoyed this workout. I received this dvd to review.

I love Tracie's style of workout because she includes a great variety of moves. I love the mix of traditional and functional moves. I don't specifically look for functional fitness workouts, but I like them for adding variety. I used 8# as my heavy weight, which to me means that this workout lets me go moderately heavy. I felt worked out but refreshed. It was a good intermediate workout.

Some people don't like moving on to the next move so soon, and don't like Tracie's Focus or Longevity workouts for that reason, but I enjoy it. It keeps things fresh for me. I tend to get bored and start watching the clock if the same move gets repeated too much. My only dislike was that her warm up was too choreographed, which frustrated me a little right out the gate like that. (Also, there's a med ball shown with her dumbbells in the warmup, then it disappears during the workout, because it is not used in the workout. I thought it was weird that they put it out in the first place, since she's not going to use it.)

Kath has provided an excellent breakdown of this workout, so I will just share some additional thoughts.

This is the first DVD that I have tried from Tracie Long's newest LONGevity series. As Tracie notes at the beginning, it is mostly a dumbbell workout, and she recommends having three sets of weights, light, medium, and heavy. She suggests a weight range of 7-10 lbs. for the medium only; I found this recommendation to work fine for some of the moves but to feel rather heavy for others, including the first weights segment. Tracie works out alone in a studio featuring a brick wall with covered windows and other accouterments such as a corn plant. The music was upbeat without being distracting. One additional note: the DVD is filmed in letterbox format, meaning those with smaller TVs in their workout rooms (like me!) have to contend with less screen space.

The 5.5 minute warm-up includes balance moves and dynamic stretches. Tracie then picks up medium weights for the opening lower body work, which includes different variations on reverse lunges and overhead presses; I found 8 lbs. a bit heavy for this. Next, Tracie moves on to lighter weight for shoulder and triceps work. This is followed by a LONG sequence of squats (about 5.5 mins.) using heavy weights (I stuck with my 8#). Tracie continues to combine upper and lower body moves together with a bicep curl/plie combo; this moves into plies with clean and press/upright row. The last weights segment again uses the heavy dumbbells and combines side lunges with step squats; this is followed by a deadlift/dead row series.

Before moving to the floor, Tracie does a short (5.5 mins.) standing balance segment. This consists of moves such as standing on one leg while tapping the other to the ground, one leg standing twist, and standing superman. For anyone who has practiced yoga or any other disciplines requiring balance/core strength, this section is likely to be pretty easily, especially wearing athletic shoes (although Tracie does note that taking off your shoes is optional). Given this, the segment felt out-of-place with the more intermediate level of the rest of the workout. For the floorwork, Tracie starts with a side plank move, then does a sort-of variation on the Pilates roll-up before repeating the plank on the other side. Tracie concludes with a nice stretch releasing the back and especially targeting the quads and hip flexors, bringing in the total workout time at just under 49 minutes.

In addition to the Play All option, the Main Menu also offers Chapters-Premixes-About Us. This DVD has two Premixes. Unfortunately, the times for these are mislabeled; they are actually backwards. The first premix, Below the Belt, is 20 minutes (not 15 as listed on the menu), and the second, Hour Glass, is 15 minutes (not 20).

Defining Shape offers a solid strength workout. I enjoyed some of the moves, especially many of the shoulder exercises (several of which seemed borrowed from Kelly Coffey-Meyers), but so far, I am not as impressed with Tracie's LONGevity series as I have been with her prior work (e.g., the TLT and TLP series workouts).

Tracie introduces Defining Shape as Volume 1 of Tracie Long Fitness"Longevity Series.

I'm reviewing this workout after doing it three times.

General workout breakdown: This 48.5-min. total body strength workout also contains some balance challenges, a little floorwork, and a nice flexibility segment.

- Warm Up (5 min.)

You'll warm up with wide marches, side lunges, squat & round low back, elbow circle back, arm circle back, knee up & punch, lunge, hyperextension, side taps, lunge out, double lunges, and dynamic calf stretch (heel up & down).

- Legs & Butt (4 min.)

You'll do reverse lunges, adding a knee up & opposite arm press overhead, reverse lunges into double front kick, and static lunges & overhead press. Next comes "open the shutters" (hold arms at right angles in front of chest, then move out to sides) into overhead press.

- Shoulders & Triceps (3.5 min.)

Exercises here include reverse flyes and pulses, lateral raises, and alternating lateral raise with 1 arm and front raise with the opposite. Next come triceps kickbacks and straight arm extensions back with pulses.

- Legs & Butt (just over 5.5 min.)

This sequence is all about squats, which you'll do at different tempos. In between come standing leg extension & circle around into 1-leg squat and later alternating circle around. For the last series of squats you'll reduce your range of motion - that is, you'll do a full squat, then go 3/4 of the way up, then only halfway up, and finally only a quarter of the way up.

- Upper & Lower Body (just under 5.5 min.)

Here you'll do biceps curls, first standing with feet hip width and then adding plies that match the varying tempo of the curls. Next come push-ups. You'll then return to standing and the plie position for a combination clean & press and upright rows (one arm at a time).

- Legs, Butt & Shoulders (5.5 min.)

This begins with side lunges before you do a combo of side lunges and step squats, to which overhead presses are later added. You'll continue with just step squats, then move into (straight-legged) deadlifts, deadlift into bentover row, bent-legged deadlift / squat & row w/ rotation, back into dead rows, and finally back to deadlifts only.

- Balance & Core (just under 5.5 min.)

Most of the balance challenge revolves around standing on one leg and leaning slightly to that side while moving the arms and/or legs - or standing still. You'll also do a standing glute / hip stretch (ankle over opposite knee), standing on toes w/ torso rotation, hold leg out front (prep for big toe pose in yoga), adding in pulse, and superman (or warrior 3). You'll end with a standing side bend.

- Hips, Butt & Inner Thighs (5 min.)

This sequence is a side-lying leg series inspired by Pilates and old school floorwork. You'll do a combo of knee to the floor & kicking out, then alternate tapping the toe in front and the heel in back with leg straight; then comes inner thigh lift & lower and small circles. Tracie has you stretch out with opposite ankle over knee before repeating on the other side.

- Abs (just under 4.5 min.)

You'll begin with side plank, alternating rotating and elevating the hips. You'll then do a roll-back, crunch, and roll-up, which you'll repeat after you do the side plank series on the other side. This segment ends with a quick bridge.

- Stretch (just under 5.5 min.)

This begins on your back, with knee to the chest, then slightly across the body for a piriformis stretch, and then all the way to the floor for a spinal twist. Both knees come to the chest to release the back, then you'll push your knees over your hips and roll your upper body up to help stretch the rhomboids. You'll roll over to prone position for a lying quad stretch, push back into child's pose with arms extended and thumbs up, come up to all fours for cat & cow to release the spine. Kneeling hip flexor stretches with triceps stretches on one side and hands clasped to open the chest, then a neck stretch on the other, seated forward bend, a kneeling back bend (think camel prep), side bend to stretch out the side of the torso, squatting low back release, and a stretch for the upper back with both arms reaching out to the front round out this portion.

Level: I'd recommend this to intermediate through int./adv. exercisers. Experienced low int. or even beg./int. who know how to modify to their level (Tracie offers some suggestions, but doesn't show them for very long) should find this a doable challenge, something to work up to. Low adv. exercisers looking for an active recovery workout might find this useful, although you may have to find ways to increase the challenge compared to what Tracie shows (e.g. use heavier dumbbells, although you won't be able to go truly heavy, maybe no more than 12-15 lbs., add ankle weights during the floorwork, do the balance portion on a Bosu or balance disc - hey, why haven't I thought of that before?).

I consider myself an int./adv. exerciser. I found this appropriately challenging with the appropriate weight: the trick really is to go heavy enough that it's hard to complete the last rep or two with perfect form and no lighter or heavier. The balance portion is too easy for this regular Pilates and yoga practitioner, but now that I've realized I can do it on my Bosu or balance disc I'll be better off there. This is one of those workouts that leave me feeling worked out without feeling wiped out, so I can be more active throughout the day rather than feel compelled to flop on my couch for the next few hours to recover. My heart rate monitor stats read the lowest for this one out of the Longevities, but can be attributed to the standing balance portion and the floorwork, not just because my heart rate dropped when I was doing those bits but also because my HRM acts up when I'm not primarily vertical, as well as the fact that this is the shortest out of the four.

Class: Tracie alone, instructing live.

Music: I'm struggling to describe the music. It's instrumental and mostly upbeat, but it's hard to identify with a specific genre, nor does it have a real melody. It's original stuff, although I thought I heard someone else using one of the tunes (and of course now I can't remember who). If you're passionate about the music used in your exercise videos, watch as many clips as you can (currently Tracie Long Fitness, Collage Fitness Videos, and Total Fitness DVDs all have clips available).

Set: a bright interior studio with a brick wall, windows over which white shades have been drawn, and plants and exercise equipment neatly arranged around.

Production: clear picture and sound, although the music is sometimes on the soft side in relation to Tracie's voice, sometimes not. You should be aware that some people have been very vocal about the sound issues in the Longevity series, particularly fluctuations in volume with regards to the music and/or Tracie's voice, and to be honest I might not have noticed if people hadn't pointed them out, as I don't have a great sound system or the ability to crank up the volume.

The camera angles here are primarily helpful and straightforward.

Equipment: You'll need 3 or so pairs of weights (I use 5, 8, and 10 lbs.), a mat, and a pair of sneakers. Note that although a medicine ball appears next to Tracie's weights she never picks it up during this workout.

Space Requirements: Tracie does the entire workout on 8 puzzle mats. If hers are the same size as mine, she's working out in an area that's 8"long by 4"deep.

DVD Notes: The main menu pops up quickly, with your options of Play All, Chapters (in addition to the Intro, see my general workout description for the chapter list), Premixes (Below the Belt, about 15 min., and Hour Glass, about 20 min.), and About Us.

Comments: I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking to get the most bang in terms of challenge and intensity for their buck; it's more for someone who's looking to get it all in: total body strength training, including corework, for both health and appearance, balance training, and a little flexibility to boot.

I want this to be my favorite out of the Longevity series, perhaps because I like a number of the exercises sequences included here and feel that overall it offers some solid and pretty well-rounded work for the lower body, a nice balance challenge portion (even if I find that on the easy side), and some good Pilates-esque floorwork. However, a few things keep it from becoming my favorite: 1) The shoulders get A LOT of work here. That's fine if I were to do this by itself, but in combination with the other Tracie Long workouts I have - the rest of the Longevity series, the TLTs, and one of the Focus workouts, Kick Back, all of which include a little to a lot of work for the shoulders - I get nervous about overworking the shoulders, joints which can be prone to injury, especially due to overuse. I think I'm fine with doing a month of Tracie Long workouts every now and again, which is usually how I use her DVDs, but if I were to do these regularly I'd think a lot harder about how to ensure my shoulders stayed happy. (Going a little lighter than I might otherwise, such as using a lightish med ball in the relevant workouts, is one place to start.) 2) This combines several different types of workouts into one. I'm not the biggest fan of that normally and have to be in the mood to appreciate it. I'm OK with it here, however, because they're separated into distinct segments rather than fused together throughout the entire routine. 3) I'm not really into the whole let's end a segment with a "ta da" strike a pose thing.

I have to admit that although I'm starting to appreciate the Longevity series in its own right I'm still disappointed these aren't a second round of TLTs, which were my introduction to functional fitness and are still unlike anything else on my shelves. (I haven't done any Tracie Long workout earlier than the TLTs, nor have I done any workouts from the FIRM or related systems, so I can't compare the Longevity series to those efforts.) Tracie has pulled back from the functional fitness feel of the TLTs, although she hasn't given it up entirely, to include more conventional gym-style training. From the insert included in the DVD and the workout itself I get the impression the Longevity series is targeted at 40-somethings who want to get back into shape so they feel and look better. (Full disclosure: I'm a decade away from falling into that category, and my main fitness goals are more to be happy and healthy, strong and fit, rather than to fit into a certain type of clothes or a specific article of clothing.) To that end the functional fitness aspects are there to improve health and functionality while the more traditional moves are to shape and firm up. Defining Shape clearly speaks to both goals perhaps more clearly than any of the other four original Longevity workouts, including the emphasis on strength, stability, and shape in the lower body plus the emphasis on sculpting the shoulders.