Lean At Last Total Body Workout

This tape (and the others in the series) is set in a pleasant but sparsely appointed workout room, which looks like a small sun room - it's brightly lit. There are a weight bench and a plant or two, with a view out the window. It may be a room in his house.

You get to work out with David and his exercise partner whose name escapes me. Actually, he is training her, helping her with the counting and form pointers throughout the tape. She uses fairly light dumbbells because of his conviction that light to medium weights allow lifters to really concentrate on form and contract the muscles maximally. Also, the lighter weights allow a slower counting tempo than many strength training videos use.

Here's the breakdown according to the tape sleeve:

1. Chest/Lower Back: Bench Press, Deadlift
2. Back: Row, Shrug
3. Shoulders: Seated Military Press, Seated Side Lateral Raise, Side Rear Lateral Raise
4. Biceps/Triceps: Lying Triceps Press, Seated Curl
5. Legs: Lunge, Lying Hamstring Squeeze, Squat
6. Abdominals/Calves: Calf Raise, Reclined Crunch Crunch

There are two to three sets of each exercise. This is a 42-minute workout according to the blurb on the back. Notice it has no warmup or cooldown, so you have to supply those yourself.

This is a no-nonsense workout. Get in, get out, and no one gets hurt. There are no jokes or cutting up. He's articulate and fluent; however, much of the time he's simply counting, encouraging, or providing form pointers. He seems calm but earnest.

If you need a lot of comraderie with your workout instructor, this isn't your best choice. If you want someone knowledgeable and who gets the job done, then this might be for you. I believe another VF reviewer called him "dry"; this is a fair assessment.

I like this tape, but I'm highly motivated on my own. While I enjoy the energy and friendliess of, say Cathe or Gay or Mindy, I don't necessarily have to have that in a workout video. However, I'm not apt do this one three times a week as recommended by the box blurb.

(Instructor comments) David is knowledgeable and he insists on using good form. His form pointers are frequent and useful. While encouraging and pleasant, he's more of a coach than a cheerleader.