Slim in 6: Ramp It Up

Review:

I was lucky enough to find a Si6 2-DVD set at a used book sale for just $3!  Although I had previously tried several of the Slim Series workouts and had found them to be somewhat boring, being the vidiot that I am, I couldn't pass up such a great deal. ;)  Plus, I was still curious Si6 as VFers tend to rave about these workouts.

Slim in 6 is filmed in the same indoor studio as Slim Series.  As with all Beach Body workouts, there is a countdown clock showing you exactly how much time is left in the workout; a sidebar also ticks off as each chapter is completed.  The music can be somewhat strident and annoying, but luckily, there is a "music off" option.  Debbie works out with two background exercisers, Tracy and Greg.  Debbie does not mirror cue, and she sometimes counts reps unevenly from side-to-side.  However, she does frequently show modifications for the exercises.

Ramp It Up!, as the title suggests, is designed to take you to the next level once you have mastered the first Si6 workout, Start It Up!  At 48 minutes, it's significantly longer, and although it includes many of the same basic moves as in Start It Up!, it also adds several additional segments, including brief jogging transitions, more standing abs work, an extended resistance band (actually handled tubing) section focusing on the upper body, a lower body floorwork segment performed on all fours, and finally, longer floor abs and yoga stretch segments at the end.

The exercises are as follows:

*Warm-Up, 4.5--virtually the same as SIU, but ends with a brief jog

*Plie Phase, 2.5m--slow moves, then sped up

*Standing Abs, 1.5m--alternating oblique crunches and side crunches

*Lunges, 3m--reverse lunges w/knee ups and alternating front lunges

*Standing Abs, 2m--repeat previous

*Hamstrings,2m--standing curls

*water break, 15 sec

*Band Work, 9m--rows, 1-armed shoulder, biceps, triceps

*Floor Work, 6.5m--on forearm all 4s, both bent and straight leg lifts; bent leg push-ups between legs

*Abs, 6.5m--various crunches

*Stretch/Yoga, 6m--a few basic yoga positions including standing forward bend, exalted warrior, and proud warrior, all performed while still wearing athletic shoes

This workout definitely does kick it up a notch from SIU.  I enjoyed some of the additions, including the standing hamstring work and the band work, but didn't like others, such as the floor work (I hate moves on the hands & knees), the crunches (felt repetitive & unnecessary after the standing abs work), and the yoga (I HATE when instructors attempt yoga while wearing shoes!).  However, I can see how this workout would be effective, and given that it is well-chaptered, I may still use it by picking and choosing the parts which most appeal to me.

Now this is more like it! I reviewed Start It Up and didn't like it at all but this workout was MUCH better. About me - I am returning to exercise after a year long hiatus, therefore am an advanced exerciser in a beginners body. I know what I like and am very picky.

What I did NOT like about this workout...

1. Again, Debbie cues as she is doing the move and I was playing catch-up alot.

2. She also does not mirror cue in this workout.

3. She is off-beat sometimes - not a huge deal.

What I DID like about this workout...

1. It was thorough - lower body, upper body, abs and stretch. Very balanced.

2. An AWESOME yoga based stretch. It was 6 minutes long, no woo-woo - just yoga poses that really stretches you out. Loved it!

3. There was floorwork! Not very many total body workouts include floorwork anymore - only ones I can think of are the classic FIRMS.

General thoughts...The lower body exercises were the same as is SIU with a few new ones thrown in. Not very exciting but effective. I think this is what SIU should have been. I enjoyed this DVD a whole lot more and will definately be doing it often. I recommend this for beginner/intermediate exercisers.

True to it's title, this video takes things to the next level in the Slim in 6 program. It is just under 50 minutes of body blasting. It takes the moves from Start it Up and speeds them up a wee bit and incorporates the light weight work that this series is famous around here for. I use a resistance band, but you could very easilly use light dumbbells. But be prepared for a ton of reps and for some serious arm burning.

The dvd chapters have already been broken down elsewhere so I will just try to describe some of the exercises to expect: Plies, squats, bicep work with the band, tricep work with the band, shoulde work with the band. There is floor work here too with loads of kickbacks and leg lifts. There is ab work like reverse crunches, oblique work, regular crunches, bicycles...there is even standing oblique work.

The stretch in this one is alot better than in the shortened version of Start It Up. It is fairly yoga influenced with poses like Down Dog, mountain, Exhalted Warrior, Proud warrior, lunge pose. It really stretches out all of the muscles that are worked out so hard in this video.

I should also comment on the music. The DVD gives you the option to turn the music off so you can work out to your own music. I feel that I lose count really easilly because I am following the music and then I find I am so into the move and I check the TV and I am half a count off because they aren't really following the music. It's a bit awkward - but not bad enough to make me stop using the workout.

This video is great. It is the phase two video and I have alot of fun doing it. It slays me, but it's worth it. I started it fairly early on in the 6 week plan, because I felt that while Start it up is a good workout - I didn't like having to add on another stretch tape after I finished the workout. I do really like Debbie in this one as well. She wears an all black outfit with pink trim and is just as fun and inspiring as in every other video I have seen her in.

This is the second workout in the Slim in 6 series (the first is Start it Up). It is almost identical, so I refer you to my earlier review of that tape for an overview of the workout. In this review, I will detail the significant changes that are implemented in this "level" of the program.

Firstly, the pace is a little bit faster. Walks become jogs, and the side steps and arm movements are faster. They add in one or two new leg exercises and the squat section has a different structure. The section break rest segments use less marching and cool-down moves and more standing oblique work such as standing side crunches. And the upper body section is basically the same except for the addition of an extra pulsing set of 8 following each exercise (except the triceps set on the right side, where Debbie forgets).

How you feel about this tape will depend on which version of Start it Up you have. If you have the older, longer version as I do it does not add enough new moves or new reps to be that different, and in fact is shorter (although slightly faster-paced). If you have the new half-hour Start it Up, this will be quite a steep up from that.

Ramp It Up is the second in the Slim In 6 series. It kicks the intensity up a notch from Start It Up. The pace is faster. Debbie adds another set of reps to most of the resistance band exercises. Table work for the glutes and hamstrings is added to the floor work. The floor ab section is longer and has more variety. Instead of just walking in place, Debbie has a couple short sections of light jogging.

I'd say this workout would qualify as a high beginner/low intermediate level. It's about 50 minutes in length.

Here is the DVD chapter breakdown:

2.1 Credits 0:03

2.2 Introduction 0:16

2.3 Warm-up :55 (4:31)

2.4 Plie Phase 5:26 (2:25)

2.5 Standing Oblique crunches 7:51 (1:40)

2.6 Lunges 9:31 (3:19)

2.7 Standing Oblique crunches 12:50 (2:04)

2.8 Squats 14:54 (3:45)

2.9 Hamstrings 18:39 (2:05)

2.10 Resistance bands 20:44 (8:55)

2.11 Floorwork 29:39 (6:34)

2.12 Abdominals 36:13 (6:25)

2.13 Stretch & yoga 42:38 (6:10)

This is the most boring of all the Slim Series/Slim In 6 workouts. I can't exactly say why. I do the floor abs on my resistance ball. I skip the BeachBody pseudo-yoga at the end and either do my own thing or my fave stretch, Slim & Limber.