All Pump Extreme

I would rate this premix & the dvd as a whole a high intermediate w/o. This is a great strength training dvd and would fit nicely in all dvd collections. It is tough but fun and also very efficient.

3 DAY SPLIT, BACK , BI'S & TRI'S:

This premix is 42 minutes. Amy uses tubing, dumbbells, a barbell, a weighted bar, and a step. You can easily get away with using only step, dumbbells, and tubing IMO-but I enjoyed using the bar for one of the bicep moves. This workout thouroughly works the bi's, tri's, and back before the cooldown/ stretch.

After the warmup you move right into back work starting w/ modified pullups. Amy has a weighted bar lying across 2 sets of a lot of risers and 1 b/g exerciser uses 2 chairs. I only have the Firm Sculpting Stick and I didnt really trust my body weight with that stick so I did a different back move (Im drawing a blank on the name right now-something pinch-someone help me out?), [ETA: rhomboid pinch-knew it would come to me sooner or later] from there she moves into T bar rows w/ a barbell (I used dumbbells), then a lying rear delt fly on the incline bench.

Next is the bicep work-she starts with the band handles around the bar. You hold the bar and put 1 foot on the band and curl-I could REALLY feel this, so if you have a bar & a band I would recommend not subbing equipment here. Then you do bicep curls & forearm curls lying on the incline bench. You finish (frying) the bicep work with tubing curls.

The last section is tricep work and boy will my tri's feel this tomorrow! You do tricep pushups on the bench with a one armed tri hold-ouch, dumbbell kickbacks and a seated overhead tubing tricep extension. You move into your cooldown to finish the workout-there is no core work in this premix.

3 DAY SPLIT, CHESE & SHOULDERS:

There is also a good amount of core in this workout, which was a nice bonus for me. In this premix Amy uses a step, barbell, tubing, weighted bar, a med ball, gliding discs, and dumbbells. I dont have a barbell or step and my bar is too light-I did fine with what I had and had no problems subbing equpiment out. I do enjoy variety and have a LOT of equipment so I enjoy utlizing different equipment. It eliminates boredom and works the muscles differently than using the same equpiment over and over.

The time FLEW by this morning! I couldnt believe how quickly the time went in this workout. You will start with some chest work -bench press & pullovers on your step (I used the TF on an incline) then onto pushups-pushing off your step up into the air (tough).

Then you move onto your shoulder work with a variety of dumbbell and tubing exercises. Overhead press using tubing, upright row with the bar, band throw backs (tricep extensions with tubing), and tubing shoulder raises.

She finishes with ab work using the gliding discs, and an optional med ball. The ab/core work was fun and different from the usual ab work! There is a nice standing ab section and a unique floor section using the gliding discs for a roll out move (I used a stability ball instead and that worked perfectly!) There is some stretching interspersed throughout the workout.

3 DAY SPLIT, LOWER BODY:

this premix is 61 minutes led by Amy with 3 background exercisers-one shows modifications. Amy uses tubing, dumbbells, a barbell, a weighted bar, step, and (briefly) a med ball. You can easily get away with using only step, dumbbells, and tubing IMO. This workout hits all the lower body muscles and has a nice core section before the cooldown/ stretch.

After a warmup & stretch you move right into a squat series: squats with the bar, 1 legged balancing squats (which also hits the core and works on balance), and hack squats where you elevate your heels on the step. Then you do a sit down on the step-stand up move with a barbell (or dumbbells), weighted curtsey lunge into a side lunge w/ a knee lift (again hitting the core & working balance). Then we move into deadlifts while standing on the box -my legs started shaking at this point. Then you put your tubing handle around your foot and do a kickback move with your leg-working your hamstring. We finish our LB work with a one legged bridge on the step.

Before the cooldown stretch you do the core workout using the gliding discs, a dumbbell and/or an optional med ball. The core work was fun and different from the usual ab work! There is a nice standing ab section: circling the dumbbell, a weighted sidebend, overhead reach, and a throw out/ chop with the med ball. She finishes with a unique floor section using the gliding discs for a roll out move (I used a stability ball instead and that worked perfectly!) and a crab pose-into a side plank-into a plank-and back move (tough!).

1 warning, if you are doing the whole workout, this is xtremely long! I didn't time it, but it was well over 90 minutes.

I find this workout to be a very nice change from Cathe. Most of my weight work is from Cathe, so finding an instructor who can work me out, keep me entertained, and not annoy me, is a big plus. In this workout, Amy generally does three sets of each exercise and does 3 exercises per body part (except for legs.) I really like this because it helped me to choose my weights, and I knew I wouldn't be "repped to death." She does some unusual variations of which some were a nice change, and others were just a big NO.

Overall, I would highly recommend this workout for an advanced exerciser who just wants something a little different.

Did 2 December, 2006...now today I'm sore all over...mainly my rear and back and obliques.

This review is really from my notes which I made with the view of being able to move along more quickly in this workout. So please bear with some of the notes:) I was thinking more of what equipment I have and how I could best arrange things. Also I'm working out in shorts on hardwood floors, so that explains the mat references. I hope this helps some! So here goes:

Warm-up...with some stretches.

Multi-joint:

Lunges on 6" step w/5# dumbells, front w/biceps curl (onto the 6" step), side w/side lateral raises, back or rear lunges w/anterior delt lifts.

Bands

Dumbells: 5# for triceps...think one foot on 6" step, other leg squatting while doing a kickback.

Legs:

Bucket squats, 5# dumbells

Balancing stick, 10# dumbells

Hack squats, did them flat-footed w/10# dumbells

Sit & stands, used all four risers and high topper and 8# dumbells

Curtsy and side lunges, used 10# dumbells

Dead lifts, 12# dumbells, keep feet together!

Band for hamstring work...not a hamstring curl, but extension.

Hamstring lifts, one leg at a time on three risers with high topper. (Lying mat)

Back:

The "24 riser pull-ups"...did back squeezes with my blue band...I need to find something like a bar to lay across some chairs-and-risers to do this one. I did not like the looks of the bar over the risers...I'd be worried about it rolling around, but they didn't have that problem!

Rows, 10# dumbells: center, to the right, to the left, center.

Incline (used ball, FrostyJan's recommendation, thanks!), 5# dumbells, rear delt lifts.

Chest:

Bench press on step, 12# dumbells

Pull-overs on step, 10# dumbells

Push-ups, mat behind the step, kept it at two risers, actually drop & push-offs

Shoulders:

Over-heads w/bands

Uprights with 12# dumbells

Forward & backward sweeps with band

Biceps:

Curls with 8# dumbells

Internal/external curls with band

Incline (on ball) curls; used 10#...should have used 8#!

Triceps:

Triceps push-ups on step with 2 risers and mat

Kick-backs, 10# dumbells

Triceps extension with band

Core:

One 8# dumbell circles up & over

Side throws with one 8# dumbell

Crab planks...did one...ouch!

Walking planks on gliding disks...used rags from TLT's

Out & backs on rags. Knees on mat.

Then a nice stretch.

I like that she includes premixes, but I may organize them with the chapters more like Cathe's Pure Strength, putting the triceps with chest??? Have to check on that one.

I think Amy has a real winner with this one!