Give Me Strength Toning

This was the first workout I tried by Margaret Richards, and it's a full body strength workout (she also has an aerobics workout by the same title).

Margaret starts with a 3-minute warm-up that consists mostly of some flowing movements and a few stretches; it didn't really get my heart rate going all that much, so I didn't feel very warm by the end. She then moves into upper body work, starting with chest work using a step bench. She tackles each muscle group with several different exercises, hitting the chest, triceps, biceps, and then finishing with a tough shoulder series. Margaret varies the positioning--you'll be on the floor for chest work, using a chair for tricpes dips, and standing for the shoulder series--as well as her weights (she uses dumbbells ranging from 4-8 lbs., but she encourages you to go heavier if needed). The upper body segment is about 12 minutes long.

Following the upper body work, Margaret heads back down to the floor for 3 minutes of abs work in the form of crunches. Next comes a 10-minute floorwork series to work the inner/outer thighs; Margaret uses leg weights around her thighs here. Continuing with the floor work (and use of the leg weights) for another 10-minute segment, Margaret works the quads/hamstrings, doing all of one leg before moving on to the other. Finally, she works the glutes with about 3 minutes of pelvic tilts, and she concludes the workout with a quick 3-minute stretch, mostly for the lower body.

Overall, there was nothing particularly new or different about the exercises offered here; it was just a solid, full-body strength workout in only 45 minutes. This would be a great routine for someone wanting to work the lower body with little or no weights, as you will really feel the exercises even without the leg weights that Margaret uses.

Workout Type: Muscle Toning

Workout Length: warm up - 3 min.+ Upper Body 12min.+ Abs - 3min. + lower body - 24.30 + cooldown and stretch 2.30 min. = Total 45min.

Fitness Level: Beginners, Intermediate, or Advanced (but more geared for the later two)

Equipment: Dumbells or upper body weights, leg weights (if desired) step to lay on. (if desired)

Set: Material draped in background, one multi-colored abstract painting in the middle.

Attire: She is wearing a black top and black pants.

Effectiveness: I used my 15, 12 and 7 lb. Dbs. and 5 lb. ankle weights and it gave me a thorough workout.

Presentation: If you like weight work, it will keep you working hard. Not boring at all! IMO.

Warm up and Stretches: 3min.

Upper Body weightwork:

Pec flies - laying on step, 8 full then 8 pulses

Triceps - still in laying down position, raise weights up and above head. 20 2-count

Biceps - 10x then 8 with pulse at top

Pushups on bench or floor 16x very slow

Triceps dips off box 16x then stretch muscles.

Biceps - 20x

Deltoids - Lift arms straight to side 6 full, then 12 without lowering. then bend arms into right angle, upper arm parallel to floor in front, raise and lower hands, 8 full , 8 pulses, 8 full, 8 pulses.

then arms straight out to sides again - 5 full , 5 pulses.

at 15min. Abwork - 3min.

Lower Body:

Outer Thigh - weight above knee laying on one side.- 18x bent leg up and down. then

extend and retract 14x then full leg up and down 10 x

inner thigh lifts 20 full then 20 pulses.

2x - bent leg up and down

4x - extend and retract

Quads- lay on back, lift and raise leg up and down 6x then 16 pulses, then 5 extend and retract,

then lift and raise leg up and down 8x then 16 pulses, then 5 extend and retract

Hamstrings - On fours, Lift straight leg up and down 12x then 6 pulses, then extend and retract 8x

then Lift straight leg up and down 8x then 4 pulses, then extend and retract 8x

then Bridgework for glutes

at 42.30 Cooldown and Stretches

End - 45 min.

Total Rating: As a weight tape it is excellent, you do all muscle groups almost... I have to give it a 9 out of 10 because it advertises total body but omits delt flies or lat rows or rear delt lifts.. If you add these on your own you have a truly thorough workout like I did.