relish magazine

Living Room Yoga: Strengthen and Lengthen (4 out of 5 stars)
Razor Fitness/ 48 minutes total
Synopsis: Look at your living room in a way you never have before: Have you ever come home and just not wanted to get into your workout clothes and go to the gym? If so, this workout is for you, allowing you to work out in a non-intimidating and freeing environment while turning your living room into your own personal health club.
Livingroom Yoga classes are based on Iyengar's principles of alignment. The classes include movement (vinyasa), breathing excercises (pranayama), yoga calesthenics to help protect and strengthen the body (& mind!), and interesting use of living room furniture as yoga props!
The classes are energetic, friendly, welcoming, and focus on what is simple: the beauty of an expanded ribcage, or the feeling of standing tall.
The living room environment is non intimidating and freeing. The poses are challenging. No dogma or overt spirituality, just students and a teacher working hard, sweating, breathing, and sometimes giggling.
This Intermediate workout includes the traditional sun salutation, held standing poses, core strengthening exercises, yoga calisthenics and a luscious final relaxation at the end.
The workout: For once, we’re not doing yoga on the beach but in a living room. It’s kind of a nice change. It’s also kind of a nice living room. I like the couch. Anywho, Eva Barash says this workout itsn’t for beginners and that’s true. It has poses there was no way in hell I could do and she doesn’t dwell on form. Having said that, “The Library” is an extra where she explains all the poses in detail. This workout isn’t as spiritual as some Yoga I’ve come across, it’s more focused on the fitness and calisthenics.
The workout is tough but not boring (thank god) and it’s cool to use my couch as a prop (although with my new wood floors it was sliding around a bit, I need to get those cap thingies for the feet. Just something to keep in mind.) The only issue I had was I couldn’t be in the pose and look at my tv at the same time, causing me to topple a few times.
Extras:
? Making the most of out of your living room
? Interview with Eva
? The Library - learning the right poses

The instructor: I really enjoyed Eva. She’s very down to earth, friendly and accessible. But the best thing about her is that she smiles. She doesn’t look all serious and meditate-y. Intead she seems to be enjoying the workout and of course, happiness always rubs off on others. My huffing and puffing ended up being circumvented with the occasional smile myself. Woo!
Worth purchasing? If you’re not looking for a deep and spiritual yoga.

10 Minute Solution: Slim and Sculpt Pilates (5 out of 5 stars)
Anchor Bay/ 57 mins total
Synopsis: NO TIME TO EXERCISE?
We have the solution -- the 10 Minute Solution! Everyone can find at least ten minutes in their day and we've developed 5 dynamic Pilates workouts that are just 10 Minutes each. The workouts will slim and re-shape your entire body by using a band to add resistance offered by traditional Pilates machines (like the Reformer and the Cadillac) which are usually only available in private studios. You can split these routines into 5 separate workouts or do them all together for the ultimate body -- transforming workout!

Pilates Band included inside the DVD case -- Get private studio results at home with the Pilates Band!

Includes five 10 Minute workouts to shape your body:
-- Upper Body Pilates
-- Lower Body Pilates
-- Pilates for Abs
-- Total Body Pilates
-- Pilates for Flexibility

You can create your own custom workout by simply programming any of the five segements in the order you select -- YOU ARE IN CHARGE!
The workout: I love these 10 minute thingies. When I really don’t want to workout I’ll talk myself into 10 minutes, pop one of these babies in and usually end up committing to at least two segments. This one is a nice pilates workout but not your typical mat moves. It aims to imitate the moves you would do on the machines like the reformer and frankly, it works. The arms segment is a killer (my triceps were crying for two days) and the lower body as well kills (in a good way). The flexibility segment is really just a stretch you can do to end off your workout.
The band is cool and really does help make the exercises more intense but you can’t see what colour you’re going to get until you open the package. Is it stupid of me to care? I was jealous of Suzanne purple band when I ended up with a pale lavender pink wishy washy one. Thankfully, the 10 minute Solution: Dance It Off came with a cool bright green one.
Extras:
? Mmm…..none

The instructor: Suzanne is very unoffensive. Is she particularly motivating? Nope. She’s pretty blah. That’s not necessarily a bad thing in a workout instructor though. I didn’t want to punch her so that’s good. All kidding aside, she explained the moves well and kept a proper count. I’m happy.
Worth purchasing? Absolutely, especially if you`re sick of Pilates mat moves but still love Pilates.

Jeanette Jenkins: The Hollywood Trainer 21 Day Total Body Circuit Workout (4 out of 5 stars)
Tru Company /60 minutes total
Synopsis: Will take your body from flab to fab in just 30 minutes a day. Alternate back and forth between Circuit A and Circuit B to sculpt and tone your entire body!
The workout: So this lady has tones the bodies of Christina Applegate and Carmen Electra (doesn`t Carmen have her own videos?) The workout is nothing fancy—basic moves in strength and cardio that are supposed to whip me into hottie shape in 21 days. But aren’t you supposed to give your body a break between workouts? Do this every other day? Maybe this is why I have trouble getting into Carmen Electra territory… Still it’s a solid workout reminiscent of the Jari Love Get Ripped. Same idea but this one is 30 minutes which fits into most people’s schedules better than an hour. Push-ups, squats, lunges…yawn….ow.
Extras:
? none

The instructor: Do we like her? Yeah, we do. She’s nice and straight to the point. Good cueing.
Worth purchasing? It’s pretty basic so if you don’t have a vanilla workout, it’s a great one. But I like to try new things and I got bored.

Past Fitness Reviews:

Fitness September/ October '07
Fitness Link for January and February '07
Body For Life Women
1 Minute Workout
Carmen Electra Aerobic Striptease and Fit to Strip Extreme Makeover Fitness Tae Bo: Capture the Power The Firm Power Yoga Santa Fe Stretch Trainer’s Edge: Killer Abs and Back with Michael Oladjiide Trainer’s Edge: Cardio Interval Training with Petra Kolber
Progressive Pilates for Weight Loss
Brazilian Dance Workout
Cardio Pilates
The Bar Method Body Box Set

Quickie

Okay, how have I missed out on this? Dance With Lisa: Dance To Enhance is freaking awesome. Yes, she can be a little much for me, but I tune her out and dance and it's so much fun! Some workout dvds aren't really dance but like grapevine and punch moves over and over. This one is MTV-styles and I love it. And 5-6-7-8...!

Verdict: Fun fun fun fun fun!