Slo-Mo Strength Challenge

Did the 45 minute total body workout this week. Got it all done, felt worked out and it didn't take forever. There are 3 total body premixes here and they each primarily use different exercises from the workout. The longest one alternates upper and lower body. So many good options with this workout - wish some of Amy's later offerings had them.

This is one heck of a workout! Amy Bento has designed a high weight/low rep strength training workout divided into the following splits: Split 1 Legs, Split 2 Back and Shoulders, and Split 3 Chest, Bi's, and Tri's. There is also a 15 minute core work section, which is more than just cruches on the floor (which is great for me, as I prefer standing ab work). The exercises are very innovative and tough; definitely not your traditional strength work.

Amy is enthusiastic and encouraging throughout the workout. You actually see her and crew sweat, grunt, groan, and struggle. Which, I actually like because it means they are working hard right with you. The music is jumping without being too club like.

Amy has creative uses for the equipment. For instance, she uses a plate loaded bar and the resistance band to simulate the feeling one gets working out on the row machine at the gym. She also varies the rep count so that you stay challenged and never bored. Most exercises are done in 3 sets of 8 reps.

The moves have been broken down, so I'll just add my impressions:

PROS: Creative uses of equipment and innovative exercises. If you don't have all the equipment, you can easily do everything you need with just dumbbells and a step. Amy is bubbling with energy; you feel that you are working out with a friend. Great music too.

CONS: Amy doesn't give many form pointers. I know it's an advanced DVD, but since her exercises are so creative, I wish she would have had more form pointers. I feel that one picks up something new for a workout upon every viewing, including tips on proper form.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: Yea, I know that I have never posted this before in a review, but I thought it relevant to do so. There are two spots in the Back and Shoulders Split where it, I don't know, pauses or stutters. Like it's going to change to a different workout chapter, but it actually doesn't. It does not detract from the workout, but it might after I do the whole thing a few times.

This is quite old now, but I've been doing dust bunnies (neglected workouts) and virgins (also neglected, but have never been done), this is part of the former group.

My thoughts were that it was ok, not a BAD workout as such but some of the exercises seemed to be "different" just for the sake of being different. (Jefferson Squats, Hammy Rockers, Glute Wraps, & Wobble Hack Squats), some seemed rather pointless (Run Around Planks, & Plank Jacks), and then the Rollout Bar & Standing Oblique work I thought had too high a level of risk (back) to be put in a video. For these reasons, I didn't love it.

Here are the DVD chapters - the 3rd set is usually a separate chapter for premixes that have only 2 sets (timesaver)

Split 1 - Legs

(4:40) Warmup

(49:38) Workout

_____ (4:23) Sumo Squats, 2 sets

_____ (2:12) Sumo Squats, 3rd set

_____ (0:05) --

_____ (10:23) Jefferson Squats, 2 sets

_____ (1:55) Jefferson Squats, 3rd set

_____ (0:43) --

_____ (2:49) Cradle Side Lunges, 2 sets

_____ (2:25) Cradle Side Lunges, 3rd set

_____ (4:14) Wobble Hack Squats, 2 sets

_____ (1:38) Wobble Hack Squats, 3rd set

_____ (0:08) --

_____ (6:24) Hammy Rockers, 2 sets

_____ (1:38) Hammy Rockers, 3rd set

_____ (0:09) --

_____ (3:51) Glute Wraps, 2 sets

_____ (1:22) Glute Wraps, 3rd set

_____ (3:38) Single Leg Squats, 2 sets

_____ (1:41) Single Leg Squats, 3rd set

(4:09) Stretch

Split 2 - Back & Shoulders

(3:18) Warmup

(42:06) Workout

_____ (25:13) Back Workout

__________ (7:37) Lying Rows

__________ (7:54) 1 Arm Lat Pullover

__________ (0:09) --

__________ (4:38) Seated Rows

__________ (4:38) Standing Shrugs

__________ (0:17) --

_____ (16:53) Shoulders Workout

__________ (3:10) Shoulder Presses, 2 sets

__________ (1:39) Shoulder Presses, 3rd set

__________ (4:52) Cuban Presses

__________ (4:11) Incline Presses

__________ (2:52) Standing Reverse Flys

_____ (0:09) --

(2:35) Stretch

Split 3 - Chest, Biceps, & Triceps

(3:03) Warmup

(44:39) Workout

_____ (19:10) Chest Workout

__________ (4:57) Chest Around the Worlds

__________ (0:06) --

__________ (4:55) Decline Bench Presses

__________ (0:04) --

__________ (5:17) Incline Chest Flys

__________ (3:51) Staggered Pushups

_____ (14:01) Biceps Workout

__________ (4:35) Standing Concentration Curls

__________ (4:26) Biceps Bonfire

__________ (5:00) Incline Band Curls

_____ (11:28) Triceps Workout

__________ (4:26) French Curls

__________ (4:05) Tricep Band Push Downs

__________ (2:57) Tricep Dips

(3:37) Stretch

Core - this is just one chapter, so the times are a bit rough.

(13½) Workout

_____(2½) Standing circles, balanced on 1-leg, bell

_____ (½) Oblique crunch, knee raise, standing, bell

_____ (2½) Oblique crunch, standing, alternating, bell

_____ (1½) Rollout, bar

_____ (1½) Rollout, bar, 2nd set

_____ (1) Run around planks - incline with hands on step

_____ (1) Run around planks - 2nd set

_____ (2) Hip Swing onto step, heels on step

_____ (1) Plank Jacks, hands on step

(2) Stretch

This DVD has three split strength workouts - chest/biceps/triceps, legs, and back/shoulders - plus premixes for shorter workouts, upper body or lower body only, and core. I'm reviewing the three splits as filmed. All the workouts are well chaptered so you can skip a set or pick and choose to create your own workout.

This workout is billed as a strength challenge, with almost all exercises performed as 3 sets of 8 reps. Though this is the standard format for heavy weights and muscle building, Amy advises you in the introduction NOT to pick a weight that makes you hit failure at rep 8, but rather a weight with which you can complete 8 reps safely and with good form. There are enough pauses, equipment set-ups and stretches between exercises that the workout is definitely strength building over endurance.

That "don't pick up your heaviest fail-at-8 weight" advice seems good since many of the exercises are non-traditional, and some use a stability ball for an additional balance challenge while the strength move is being performed. For this reason, I would NOT recommend this workout to anyone new to strength training. You need to know how to perform the basic strength exercises safely and with good form - squats, lunges, chest press, chest fly, biceps curls, shoulder press, lat rows. Then you can try Amy's variations, see if they work for you, and modify back to the traditional exercise if needed. You will need an adjustable barbell, various weighted dumbbells, a band and a stability ball for the workouts. You also need a step (used as a weights bench) and enough risers to make an incline bench.

The list of exercises in order:

Chest:

'Around the worlds' - lie on bench/step holding dumbbells, extend arms, do a snow-angel kind of sweep with the arms from overhead to hips

Decline chest press on bench

Incline fly

Staggered pushups

Biceps:

Barbell concentration curls

'Biceps bonfire' - variation of biceps curl done while lying on bench/step

Incline biceps curl with band

Triceps:

Skullcrushers (Amy calls them something else)

Bank kickbacks

Dips with legs elevated on step

Legs:

Sumo squats

Jefferson squats (dumbbell in one hand)

Squat side lunge

Hack/wobble squats with heels elevated on step risers

Hammy rock (lunge position with rear leg elevated on step, do lunge, straighten rear leg, bend leg back into lunge position, rise up)

Standing glute kickbacks

One-legged squat on ball

Back:

One arm rows on ball

Single-arm pullover on ball

Seated band rows

Shrugs

Shoulders:

Overhead press on ball

Cuban press (hard to describe)

Front delt raise on ball

Reverse fly with rotation

Amy does vary the rep count for each set - usually the first 4 reps of a set are 4 up/4 down count, then she goes into either 6 up/2 down or sometimes up 2, hold 2, down 4. Occasionally she gets mixed up in the rep count and will say "up 4" when she means "up 2, hold 2". There are pauses between sets.

Some of the exercises can be risky if you are not an experienced exerciser or do not respect your limits. The 'around the worlds' for chest would be challenging for anyone with shoulder problems. If you go heavy on the decline chest press, getting up and down off a declined bench with a barbell can be stressful. The biceps bonfire puts the arm/biceps/shoulder in an uncomfortable extended position below the step. Sumo squats and Jefferson squats can be hard on the lower back. Hack squats can be hard on the knees. The pullover on the ball has to be done meticulously or it works the chest instead of the back. The Cuban press calls for a lot of shoulder mobility.

I like this workout for Amy's inventiveness. I enjoy working with heavy weights and the traditional exercises get boring after a while. Amy took a chance with this workout and tweaked some old familiar moves to make them new and refreshing.

Having said that, I again emphasize the need for strength-training knowledge before you try this workout due to the unfamiliar nature of some of the moves and their potential to cause injury if done incorrectly.

sorry, that's BAND kickbacks in the triceps section of my review, not 'bank'

This is a strength w/o that has 4 main workouts with 8 premixes ranging from 15- 75 minutes. Amy works out w/ 2-3 background exercisers in a medium sized space w/ colored screens & cute round windows. Amy & crew use a variety of equipment: dumbbells, step, barbell, band, and a stability ball. I dont have a barbell & it worked just fine. One exerciser shows modifications.

I chose a 65 minute total body premix this morning and all of my muscles were worked pretty darn thouroughly! Amy uses 4 count up, 4 count down method to control both the up and down motion. She then mixes it up w/ 2 up, hold for 2, and then down for 4, etc. She gives you a brief stretch in between sets. She repeats each set two - three times.

The exercises in the premix I did included: a hack squat (heels on a step riser- I used my sculpting stick) w/ a bicep curl, hack wobble squats, shoulder press on the ball, side lunges, lat pull w/ the band wrapped on the barbell (I used a dumbbell), 1 legged squats on the ball, posterior fly, around the world lying on the bench (chest move), concentration curls, tricep dips w/ your feet on the bench, balance stick ab circle, standing clamshell crunch, rollouts to plank using the barbell (I used a stab. ball), tuck (bun pull) to the step, a jumping tuck plank, and concludes with a stretch.

I really liked this workout and it moved right along. Even with the slow movements I was not bored or clockwatching at all. I will def be getting a copy of this one for myself! I really liked using heavy weights at a slow pace. Amy is an excellent instructor w/ spot-on cueing. I would rate this as a high intermediate w/o. I followed Amy's poundage and it was just about perfect for me.