Dream Body Cardio Series: Max Interval Laced with Fusion (MILF)

Title: Dream Body Cardio Series: MILF

Instructor: Darby Brender

Time: 55 Minutes

Level of Difficulty: Advanced

DVD menu: Play workout, music on or off

Production quality: high

Equipment used: light weights (2# each), a loop band used around knees or ankles (lighter resistance), and gliding disks

This workout is part of the second Dream Body DVD set, the Cardio series. Darby leads with two background exercisers. The first 30 minutes are spent on the cardio portion of the workout: one long circuit repeated three times. Within this circuit there are several smaller circuits-three exercises performed for 1:00, 0:30, and 0:15 seconds, with the shortest and last exercise the most intense. The first smaller circuit hits the inner thighs with plie knees in/out jumps/burpee into plie squat/jump with heel clicks (uses weights). The second smaller circuit hits the outer thighs, loop around ankles for wide stance walk/side to side step with air jack/air jacks (weights, loop band). The third smaller circuit hits the abs, plank into pike/plank with alternate knees in/plank with both knees in (gliders-tough set!). The fourth is back to legs with deep lunge back into crescent with arms raised/deep squat jump with alternate leg back/rock star style jumps (weights). The fifth is more cardio with quick shuffle jumps/plyo lunges/high knees with arm raises (weights). Repeat these five smaller circuits (one large circuit) twice more. Wow this is tough!!

The last 25 minutes are spent on floor toning, using the loop band, primarily focused on outer thighs, glutes, with some triceps and abs. Bridge series (loop around knees, hold weights for some tricep presses) with feet elevated on wall (they use a very high step but tell you to use the wall), side laying lifts and pulses with loop, and plank with donkey kicks and leg movements working same leg with loop around ankle, and flip over for tricep presses. Then a brief but tough ab series using the loop around the ankle for leg flutters and leg lifts working the lower abs, then a side crunch with leg raise working the obliques and outer thighs. Stretch.

The cardio is quite difficult, easy to follow drill-style but very intense, with a lot of high impact. I love it! The toning is not quite as tough but still advanced and quite a challenge after the cardio portion. I really enjoy all the Dream Body workouts and this is a favorite for me of the cardio set. I would highly recommend this for the advanced exerciser who enjoys a high rep/light weight style workout (such as Tonique). The gliding work reminded me of Horizontal Conditioning and was quite challenging as well. To me (this may vary for others) I think MILF is the hardest in the Cardio series, because the first 30 minutes of cardio is very, very tough.