15 Minute Workouts for Dummies

I did this one this morning. Very easy to follow although the warmups are a little choreographed and take a little thought. The warm ups have a slight cardio feel to them and include a small stretch. There is a stretch after each workout also. My only wish is that the ab section had less crunches (which are most of this section). The plank work at the end is very short. Did this one without shoes and it worked well. Good total body workout, relaxing for the mind, doesn't have to be for the body. The timing is slow enough to heavy up.

I have been looking for a total body workout that breaks down the areas in 10-15 segments. This workout fits the bill.

Chapter Selections

1. Start Program/Introduction

2. Thighs Warm Up

3. Squats and Extensions

4. Lunges and Squats

5. Arms warm up

6. Shoulder and Triceps

7. Curls, Presses and Push Ups

8. Buns Warm Up

9. Pushes and Lifts

10. Supine Bridges and Bends

11. Abs Warm Up

12. Crunches and Rolls

13. Curls and Crunches

14. Planks and Stretches

15. End Credits

This DVD would work well for a beginner to intermediate exerciser. Modifications are shown to make the exercise easier or harder. The set is uncluttered and Gay is personable and encouraging without being annoying.

I would compare this workout to Tamilee's I want that body, however Gay works the chest and back, and Tamilee's doesn't.

Overall, I consider this to be a winner!

gay spends 15 mins each on 'thighs', 'arms', 'buns' and 'abs', including around 3 mins at the start of each workout for a warmup and another couple at the end for some quick stretches.

gay has picked basic, straight-forward toning exercises for these workouts, which is great for a beginner, who these workouts are designed for.

advanced modifications are presented but gay uses only her body weight for all of the workouts except 'arms', so i had to modify the workout UP to suit myself. that was easy to do and

makes the workout accessible to a wide range of fitness levels. but i certainly think that advanced exercisers would get bored with these basic exercises.

personally, i dont do this workout that often and when i do, it is because im needing some strength work but nothing that is overly challenging both physically and mentally.

As the title suggests, this dvd is composed of four 15 minute workouts - each with a focus on thighs, arms, buns (their terminology, not mine), and abs. All four have a similar set-up: approximately two minutes of fairly aerobic warm-up, one or two stretches, the workout, then one or two stretches to finish off.

This dvd is great for the time-crunched, for when the notion of a longer workout is not very attractive, or as an add-on. Gay instructs by herself in a large room with attractive timber flooring, and she is wearing black pants and black bikini halter top.

Overview of the individual workouts:

thighs - pretty standard and effective exercises such as squats, one-legged squats, lunges, plie squats (no equipment needed unless you want to add weights to the squats/lunges/etc)

arms - uses two sets of dumbells ('lighter' and 'heavier') for standing work (eg- bicep curls, hammer curls, lateral rises), then it's down to the mat to work chest and triceps, and finishes off with some push-ups

buns - largely table exercises and floorwork, with a couple of exercises done standing (you can add ankle weights to up the intensity)

abs - lots of crunches and crunch variations, some of which I hadn't seen before, with some plank work to finish off

There are the usual dummies series pop-ups and 'boings', and the music was dynamix - familiar and unobtrusive

Overall, this is a great DVD that I get a lot of use out of, especially when I'm feeling lazy or unable to get to the gym, or not willing to subject myself to cathe

My only real complaint is the complexity of the warm-ups, when compared with the simplicity of the workouts themselves. This has been mentioned in most reviews I have read. I can see many beginners (to whom I imagine the workout is targeted towards) becoming discouraged when they cannot master the moves, in fact I have observed this happen with my mother.

Other than that, I recommend this DVD as a great quickie, add-on or a workout to grow with. Beginner's modifications are shown, as is the advanced option where applicable.

Oh and it's cheap!