Dream Body Workout Series: Fusion

Title: Dream Body Series: Fusion

Instructor: Brooke Degnan

Time: 45 Minutes

Level of Difficulty: Advanced

DVD menu: Play workout

Production quality: high

Equipment used: light weights (2# each), stability ball

This workout is part of the first Dream Body DVD set, and led by Brooke. Fusion is one of the shorter workouts in this DVD set at only 45 minutes long, but packs quite a punch! It feels the most like Fusion Mix in terms of intensity and choice of exercises.

The first 25 minutes or so is a toning and cardio set which really zones in on the legs (hamstrings and glutes particularly) and lots of upper body as well with a lot of time spent in plank pose doing various jumps, leg pulses, and exercises like one arm tricep kickbacks while in plank. The standing exercises focus on one leg before moving to the other leg. This can be tough because you do a sequence of jumping and balancing moves on one leg, really fatiguing it. The exercises are really creative and the workout moves right along with quick transitions and no down time. Occasionally the sets seemed rushed and I wished she'd have done a few more reps, but overall it was very challenging and fun! I would say it was most intense for the hamstrings, glutes, triceps, and shoulders.

The last 15 minutes or so included more toning (no more cardio, though your heart rate stays fairly elevated) and utilizes the stability ball, while laying prone on the floor. There are various leg pulses squeezing the ball, crunch variations, and inner thigh lifts, which really burn out the inner thighs and abs. Then the final stretch with about four minutes left.

This is a really fun fusion workout, high intensity, and high impact, though like all DB workouts you can follow the modifier for the low impact variations. Definitely a must-have for any DB fans and intermediate to advanced fusion style lovers.

This is my favorite of the first Dream Body series. It offers just the right amount of challenge for me- enough some parts are difficult to do all the reps, but not so tough as to be discouraging. Doable. You jump right into the meat of the workout (as is the case in all the DB workouts)with a tough cardio sequence starting out with (IIRC) plank jacks. No warm up. You do a whole sequence of moves for one side of the body, then it is all repeated on the other side. No mirror cuing, which doesn't bother me; I just have to remember which leg I started on so I get all the moves on both sides. The workout is about 50 mins and I would say the first 25ish are the hardest (Brooke herself to this as "the really terrible part" or something like that.) You use 1-2 lb weights throughout the workout. The transitions are VERY quick--there is no down time between exercises or set up or demos or anything. She just goes and cues on the move. By the second side you know what to expect because it is all repeated. At the end of the workout there is some wicked inner thigh work with the stability ball--love that!

Brooke leads this 24 minute toning, strength, and cardio routine in a nice studio. There are two background exercisers each providing a different intensity level. You will need light dumbbells and a stability ball for this workout. They workout barefoot and utilize light poundage throughout.

You start right in with plank, plank jacks, and Mt. climbers and then move into lunge hops to squat hops with arm work, weighted full body crunches, pushups, running lunges, hop knee up w/ tri work, balance stick w/ tri kickbacks, plank & tri kickbacks, plank hip dips, side lying tri pushup series w/ leg raises & knee pulls, pliet side reaches, curtsy bi series, pec fly with inner thigh ball squeezes, floor core work with the ball, and bridge work before a stretch & cooldown.

This is a nonstop advanced workout. TONS of unique exercises and combos with no down time- when youre working your lower body your arms are static or moving. Brookes great instruction and wonderful encouragement keep your energy up through this tough workout. I received this dvd to review.