Keep It Up

I am an intermediate exerciser and have done all the Slim in 6 and Slim Series workouts. I like both series a lot! Keep It Up is supposed to be the "maintenance" workout once you have mastered Slim In 6. (And before you move on to the Slim Series, I presume.)

This is a standard Debbie workout. But, somewhat deceptive. The workout is only abut 40 minutes long. Making it the shortest of all the workouts in both series. Naturally, you figure you will get to save some time.

That isn't really the case. Debbie launches right into a vigorous "warm-up" that I consider part of the workout. In other words, I'd recommend a short warm-up BEFORE her warm-up. The stretch at the end is minimal and inadequate at less than 2 minutes. So, you need to add more stretching. So, if you add your own warm-up and stretch, Keep It Up ends up being the same hour as most of the others.

Here is a breakdown of the DVD:

3) warmup (6:18)

4) standing core work: side crunches, uppercut punches, front punches, knee pulls (2:52)

5) jog/jack, squat/front kick, front kick/back kick, ski squats, side kicks (5:06)

6) jog/jack, alternating crossover lunges, alternating curtsy dips, dip/knee up (3:37)

7) standing oblique crunches, standing leg curls (3:12)

8) upper body work with resistance bands (you could substitute dumbbells): bent-over rows, overhead presses, biceps curls, triceps overhead extensions (8:15)

9) table work: right leg (3:22)

10) pushups, table work: left leg (4:31)

11) triceps pushups (0:54)

12) stretch (1:47)

The table work is very tough and I have yet to finish all the reps!

About me: I have been using Slim Series workouts, so all of my opinions in this review are written from the point of view of comparing the SS and Keep It Up. I have only done this workout once, so please keep this in mind when reading my opinions. I keep my workout level switching between int/advanced and advanced, in both cardio and strength.

This was my first time out with Keep It UP. The verdict is out. I certainly did not take to this like any SS workout. The music is a bit different (in an irritating way). There are \'jazzy\' elements that I don\'t think belong in an exercise video - horns and, I think, piano. Anyway, I know it might seem funny that I am picking apart the tunes here when so many can\'t stand the music on any of the SS to begin with, but I like the SS music, in all it\'s boring banality. Comforting to me, maybe. Anyway, so the music was a little distracting at first. The program is okay; the standing \'cardio\' portion is SS \'lite\', really, which, this time out, wasn\'t really appealing to me - if I am going to do one of these, I want it to be more challenging than this. If I want to do something easier, I\'ll pick something easier - not a SS workout. The \'cardio\' moves were same as SS moves, just less of them. The background exercisers and Debbie really do not have much rapport at all, and I\'ve come to enjoy her rapport on some of the SS workouts, so this was a minus for me as well. The standing weighted section comes after the cardio section, and lasts about 9-10 minutes. Upper body superset. Pretty nice little upper body section. Since this was a virgin and I didn\'t expect a strength workout out of this, I went with 5 lb weights (they use resistance bands) but I could definitely see using 8\'s for some of the exercises in the future (you know, if I ever use this again). Okay, then comes the table work. This section just about redeems the entire thing for me, in the toughness category. Yow. Long sets of leg raises, in table position, for each leg, with a nice set of half-time pushups in between. I could not finish the last eight reps on either side. Anyway, then there is a brief stretch, and that\'s it. (I feel like I am leaving something out, but I can\'t put my finger on it.) this workout does not include abs, which i do not like. I think ab work belong in a workout such as this and the fact that they are not there does take away from it, for me.

BUT - on the same DVD is Slim and 6 Pack, which is a TOTAL gem!!! Excellent 11 min ab routine. I loved it. I haven\'t felt that worked in the abs in a long time, and it felt good. I am pleasantly surprised that \'slim and Limber\" (the stretching routine) and \"Slim and 6 Pack\" are included on this disc. I didn\'t know they were until right up before I got it.

I can possibly see myself using the cardio portion of this as an add on, or as a warm up, to another workout. As I said before, verdict is out - but with all the negatives, it definitely has it\'s positives as well as mentioned above.