Yoga Booty Ballet Masters: Yoga Core

Yoga Core is one of the Yoga Booty Ballet Master Series workouts. It is a half-hour workout which focuses on strengthening the midsection, primarily through yoga poses and planks, although some of the moves remind me of pilates. It is somewhat similar to the second section of the YBB Abdominals & Core Strength workout (an add-on to the original YBB set). Some of the moves in Yoga Core also reminded of Baron Baptiste's Core Power, as well as Rodney Yee's Abs Yoga.

Pat58 has already posted an excellent review of Yoga Core, so I won't do a breakdown of the moves here. I just wanted to add that of the five Master Series DVDs, this is far and away my favorite. For me it is also the most intense -- I felt it in my core for two days afterwards! It is much more intense than Goddess Abs (although now that I have done both I can see how they complement each other).

Yoga Core is worth seeking out if you prefer non-traditional ab work (including pilates), if you want to work your back and core as well as your abs, and especially if you appreciate YBB's emphasis on the mind-body connection when working out.

About me: I'm a former advanced exerciser, now squarely in the middle of intermediate and at a stage in my life where I prefer to enjoy workouts. Caveat: I'm partial to Yoga Booty Ballet, which is a "love it or leave it" workout.

This is the first Beach Body release of the YBB Masters. If the rest of the workouts are to be in line with this sampling, it appears YBB Masters will be less campy, although Gillian's innate bubbly-ness is hard to subdue. Only the girls are present, in their studio sans background exercisers and Ravi. The studio is clear and bright, luminaria surround the perimeter and vases of flowers accent the border. A soundtrack ranges from new-agey, pan flute to tones of "elevator hip hop" (really not as bad as that sounds but I would have preferred a solo, low-key Ravi beat). Cuing is constant and Gillian is a bit chatty in the beginning. For some exercises Gillian performs advanced moves as Teigh modifies; for others, Teigh demonstrates as Gillian tutors.

The 30 minute workout is primarily cleansing pranayama with ab contractions, core focused asanas and a sprinkling of Pilates. The first 5 minutes include kria, pranayama and core warm up; intention and mudra. Next comes 7 minutes rolling onto the back and up into Boat in a progressive series, followed by single and double leg raises.

Next, move to the side for 9 minutes of modified side plank to plank to opposite side plank (on elbows); on stomach for Pilates swimming; "Waxing Moon" (raising upper and lower body from prone with arms extended, hands clasped and index fingers pointing); lying chest expansion; a full plank series with alternate knees-to-nose, breath of fire and alternate rear leg raises; Bow; then full side planks. While kneeling, you move right into 5 minutes of Camel, churning, Down Dog, forward bends, then roll up for Uddyiana Bhanda (a standing deep breath, forced exhalation with ab/diaphragm contraction), into standing Cat/Cow. Finish off with a brief and welcome series of gentle stretches and a "low back strengthening" intention. The girls promise you will be sore the next day.

I found this to be a different workout. It was far more interesting than Rodney Yee's Abs Yoga, but less physically challenging than the original YBB Abs 1, 2 and 3 or a traditional Pilates workout. I did not feel particularly sore afterward - more refreshed and energized from all the deep breath work and diaphragm contractions. My core felt worked from the inside and I left with the thought, "Maybe there really is something to all this cleansing and detoxifying chatter."