iSculpt Ballet, Set 28

Barre (25:27)

▪ Plié in 1st position relevé / with side stretch (3:30)

▪ Crescent pose, alt. front arm raise (2:00)

▪ Small plié with feet together / tap knees together (2:30)

▪ Crescent pose, alt. bicep curl (1:30)

▪ Quad stretch

▪ Ice skaters (similar to half grand rond de jambe) / add 4 arabesque pulse (4:30)

▪ Standing forward stretch / Downward facing dog / Warrior I / Warrior 2 / Side angle pose, grab weight with top arms to row and extend / Drop weight and come up in Warrior 2 / Side stretch and circle arm around / Side angle pose and repeat row and extend / Drop weight and hold side angle pose / Repeat everything on the other side

Core (14:01)

▪ Sit with arms front, holding towel in hands: Double twist / Rowing (2:30)

▪ Lie on back and hold weights by your side as an anchor; lift shoulders off the floor: Alt. single leg stretch / Bicycle / Bent knees and “walk the legs” (2:30)

▪ Drop knees side & Chest press / Chest press pulses (1:30)

▪ Isolation: Curl back, extends arms up and tap hands together / Curl lower, reach arms forward and press down (2:00)

▪ Rollover (anchoring with weights) and teaser / hold teaser and tap legs together (2:00)

▪ Sit holding weights in hands: Reach forward, lift up with arms overhead, pull arms open to the side (1:30)

Floor (12:25)

▪ Seated attitude position: (1) Take toes of back leg to the arch of the front foot, then come back to starting position by rotating at the hip; (2) Attitude pulses; (3) Extend leg and pulse.

▪ Lie on your side with knees bent: (1) Leg abduction, then pulse; (2) Lift foot above knee and leg abduction, then pulse.

▪ Extend legs 45 degrees and abduct top leg.

▪ Repeat everything on other side.

▪ “Mouse trap”: Pelvic tucks with ring between the feet and ball between the knees (1:00)

Stretch (5:46)

▪ Lie on back with feet together and knees open (2:30)

▪ Spinal stretch (1:30)

▪ Extend legs up 90 degrees with towel behind the feet, lift shoulders off the floor to stretch the shoulders and hamstrings (1:00)

What I liked:

* This is a solid workout for the hips and I enjoyed the combination of large range movements (e.g., ice skaters and seated "toes / knee" sequence), static holds (side angle pose), and small pulses (attitudes and leg abduction).

*Holding crescent pose between the leg sets feels nice.

What I did not like:

* The upper body stuff is not well-rounded and it is not intense at all. Grace says you should not use more than 3lbs but I did not really feel it.

* Using the weights to "anchor" the body during the ab work does not work for me. Also the knee drop / chest press combo is performed WAY too fast.

* The "mouse trap" is a fun move but the set was too short to be effective.

So overall, I found this was good but not great. The format of this workout is actually very similar to early iSculpt Traditionals and some of them are better. If you watch the clip, be warned that Grace's form during the ice skaters is pretty horrible (very unstable in the hips).