Fat-Blasting Yoga, 21 Days to A Yoga Body

I have the dvd version which I'd recommend over the vhs unless you like fast=forwarding/rewinding etc because there are 3 separate workouts on this that can be done together or pick out what you want.

The first is the longest...30 minutes. She inserts a forward bend, straight back, lunge, pushup to upward dog, jump to hands (or step like I did) and reach up between the combinations. she takes the tradtional poses and puts them together faster or in a different way than you'd expect. I wouldn't grab this workout if I were wanting to learn yoga or do something like yoga zone. I felt like this one requred a lot of balance. maybe more than a beginner to exercise/yoga would want. you don't hold a pose like in yoga workouts. it's helpful to be familiar with the basic poses too or catch on quickly. for instance, she does one series where you step to the side like a squat, then bring the foot to ankle/calf in tree and move tree forward and back with 'tai chi' ball with the hands and others she leans forward with arms and leg out then lifts leg up and down a few times then puts it down and lifts other knee and straightens a few times. if you have the balance and concentrate on the move instead of just flinging it out with momentum you can probably feel these moves..i did and i also enjoyed working on my balance...but this may not be for everyone.

the 2nd part does triangle and some nice twists..also some harder strength poses such as side plank and pushups and reverse plank I think it's called. at the end you sit cross legged and watch Denise and company put their hands on the floor and lift themselves off the floor and hold it while crosslegged (at least that's what I did....think we're supposed to do it too!)15 minutes in this section and it's pretty nice but she does sorta try to rush some of the seated stretches and twists, but I'm one who likes to hold those a while so it may have just been me.

3rd section is stability ball. I just sorta watched this section while I aired up my ball. Looked pretty simple to me until I joined her for one move near the end and realized this is hard! I couldn't even lie on the floor and balance my feet on the ball with legs straight, let alone roll the thing! But, it's my first time on a stability ball..she starts off just sitting on it and stretching and moving hips around..that felt good..tried it on my own afterwards. she did ab work lying across it on her back. a forward bend sitting on the ball. on back on floor lifting leg up one at a time. I plan on going back later and trying this one since I have my ball aired up,b ut first I think I'm gonna practice the moves on the chart that came with the ball. It's hard to balance and learn a routine at the same time..at least for me it is.

Overall I liked this workout for something different...almost felt like ballet in the first part and i think it's great to work on balance and stretching strength, I don't feel like I worked up a sweat, but I did feel nice and balanced afterwards. I even liked the music..starts off sorta woo woo sounding then gets a little peppier.

I wish I had this particular video on DVD so I can use certain segments on separate days. I can honestly state right now that if you are looking for relaxation, you may want to pass, but if you are looking for a non-stressful strength work-out, look no further.

Fat-Blasting Yoga, right now is one of the few yoga videos that makes me work up a sweat (frightening as that sounds, it's true and I am an advanced exerciser, go figure). Running time is approximately 60 minutes with 3 segments. You will need a yoga mat and an exercise/stability ball.

Segment 1 (30 minutes) consists of a fast-paced yoga session with what I will call Denise-Flavored poses and segments. For example, Denise takes the standing tree pose and mixes it with side and back lunges. You will be feeling this the next day, I promise.

Section 2 (15 minutes) concentrates on the upper body again with untraditional moves. I believe in this segment Denise guides you through a pretty challenging plank and push-up combination (very nasty).

Section 3 (15 minutes) highlights the core area using a stability ball. This is a fun and new way to do the bridge and ab work.

Again if you can get this on DVD, go for it, pass on the tape because most times you will not want to do the entire work-out. I found this to be a really fun work-out and would recommend that even Denise-Haters give it a shot.