Quick Toning Arms and Abs of Steel
Reviews from VideoFitness
I got this video for a bargain price on dvd. I was curious because it featured 3 15-minute workouts. I have Tamilee's I Wnat That Body dvd, which I love and which is based on the same concept. I thought this might be similar. Yes and no :)
On the plus, the workout is not terribly dated-looking, and the workouts are short and manageable. But I don't think Tamilee packs as much into 15 minutes as she does in her I Want That Body series. The warm-up and cool down are longer and the abs are about 3 minutes per workout, which leaves only about 8 minutes per section for arms. The format was generally about 2 sets of 8-12 reps for 3-5 exercises. Most of them were standard curls and presses working mostly biceps and triceps. The ab work featured a lot of pelvic tilt sort of things and "slow" moves.
I really felt I had to do all three of the routines to get a proper workout, and I have other tapes that accomplish as much or more in less time---including the I Want That Body set from Tamilee. I didn't mind the tape. It was fine. And for the bargain price I paid for the dvd (which includes Lower Body of Steel too) I am not complaining. I don't see myself coming back to this one often at the stage I am at and for the reasons outlined, but I don't think it will be a new favourite.
I like Tammilee. She is friendly, pleasant and I find her form pointers helpful, especially for abs.
Well, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this great little video. It is broken down into 3 sections, and each section has its own complete workout with a quick warmup/stretch, about 8-9 minutes of ab work and then a brief stretch at the end. It is not super advanced but each section does get progressively harder. And of course, all crunches can be made harder by simply lifting your shoulder blades a little higher off the floor. I liked not feeling like I was dying at the end of the workout, like I usually felt with 5-Days Abs. This was a very refreshing workout and is easy to do every day (since the workouts are short enough) so that I don't feel like I am neglecting my abs. It is also a good video to use after a step/floor aerobic video (just skip the ab warmup). Tamilee is actually not annoying AT ALL in this video and she cues very well. Her voice is very soothing and she discusses other fitness related activities while you are doing the crunches with her. She even comments about how if you are sick of hearing her talk, just shut off the sound and play some music! I thought that was pretty cool of an instructor to say! This tape is a bargain as far as I am concerned, and everyone should pick up a copy if you want three really great quick and effective ab workouts!
This tape is broken into three separate 15 minute sections, each containing its own brief warm up, arms and abs work, and cool-down. The exercises are appropriate for beginners or intermediates (using heavier weights), and they're especially well-suited to anyone who has only a short amount of time to do some basic strength training. I especially recommend this workout to beginners.
Tamilee is one of my favorite instructors; she provides excellent cuing and is a chatty, motivating workout buddy. She's especially good for beginners.