Slow Duet

This is one of 2 Joyce Vedral DVDs that I have kept. For some reason, I really like her "different" workouts, not her usual strength training. I like this DVD because it's a different take on strength training. You go very slow, 4 counts on the up move, and 4 back down to complete one rep of an exercise. Then, you switch to the next exercise with 4 counts on the up move, and 4 back down. Together, those two moves are a combination of two moves and you then repeat the combination 10 times. Then you do the next exercise combination until you have finished.

Because the workout is intense, you need do only one set per exercise: time under tension is apparently the key. This is an excellent workout to contrast to the faster moving ones because it gives your body the variety it needs to get passed sticking points or plateaus. I think that it's tougher than it looks. They say you need one set of light dumbbells, but I use a couple. I start off with a heavier light weight and switch to a liglhter light weight for smaller muscles like the shoulders. Right now, I'm using 5 pounds for heavy and 3 pounds for lighter. Before my really bad fitness year last year, I was up to 8 and 5 pounds and now I'm coming back.

The first duet is tricep kickbacks and shoulder side lifts. The 2nd duet is a French press and overhead shoulder press. The 3rd is chest press with bicep curls using the bench (sometimes, I use my Reebok step.) The 4th is pec flies and hammer curls done the same way. According to the DVD menu, this is the upper body section and you can stop here or go on to lower-body section. The lower body is done starting with squats done at the same time doing a back lat pinch type exercise. The second is a hack squat but then you alternate again with a rear lateral lift. (Every time I do the workout, I wonder how the back came to be classified as lower body.) Next it is on the floor alternating curls and an exercise that is similar to Joyce's frog leg lifts. The next combination on the floor is similar. Then you do bridge pose holding for a count of 30 and you are done.

I really like this workout and do it for the upper body workout. It's close to worthless for lower body, but I do that section because it includes the back - an upper-body body part. Although I really like this workout , I just am not going to fool myself that it's really a total body workout. It's upper and abs, that just happens to touch on lower body a tad. But, I figure it will balance out those total-body workouts I have that emphasize the lower body much more than the upper.