Video Instructor(s) Cory Everson, Michelle LeMay,
Cameo Kneuer:
Cory's got a vivacious camera presence
and she's great at providing motivation. (See an
invaluable motivation manual she's written on her web
page, along with great tips on nutrition.) Because her
muscles are so well articulated, it's almost like
receiving an anatomy lesson when watching her perform
exercises. Her television show Gotta Sweat is extremely
informative and even though it's performed in a typical
ESPN2 bikini type of setting, Cory and her team lean more
heavily on their comraderie and their no-nonsense
approach to fitness than on provocative poses and vacant
remarks. I especially appreciate it that while they
emphasize strict form and take their training very
seriously, they also have the ability to laugh at
themselves and show candor even when the camera is
rolling. Michelle LeMay has beautiful dance technique and
has lots of fun with her choreography. She is a National
Aerobics Champion. Cameo Kneuer is Cory's sister, a
winner of the title Ms. National Fitness.
I should add that Cory's strong suit is weight
training and she's not the greatest when it comes to
teaching aerobics or even cueing during a warm up.
Fortunately, she's got Michelle LeMay on her team to
assist with those chores.
Review/Comments about the video:
AbSolution consists of several different ab workouts,
each one three minutes long. (There are about 10
different workouts - I haven't counted exactly how many.)
This is definitely not a video for beginners. There is
very little instruction in technique, short of
"Squeeze it!" "Focus!" "Feel
it!" But for those who are well versed in the proper
technique for ab work, this is a great set of exercises,
providing lots of variety and targeting the upper abs,
lower abs and especially the obliques. (There were
exercises for the obliques that I'd never seen before and
I could feel their effectiveness from the first.) There
are three exercisers featured in each set, usually
showing different variations to add more challenge to the
routines. (For example, Cory sometimes uses a step
inclined to serve as a slant board.) I preferred some
segments over others only because they included exercises
which were unfamiliar to me and therefore more
interesting. There's something here for everyone.
If you like Gotta Sweat, you'll love this tape. Aside
from providing a great ab workout, Cory, Michelle and
Cameo also provide inspiration, motivation and fun.
Chloe Lev
4/28/97
I got this video off the exchange (thanks, Joni!). I really wasn't
expecting much, but I was surprised. I'm an advanced exerciser who's
never been happy with my abs. This tape made me pleasantly sore. It's
about 10 segments of 3 minutes each of traditional ab work. I did the
tape in it's entirety once and, man, was I sore! It's the perfect tape
to use as an add-on, like you would Firm 5-Day Abs, and it's even better
because you can do as many 3 minute sections as you have time (or
energy) for. There are a few interesting exercises, but for the most
part, this is strictly traditional (ie-not Pilates or stablization) ab
work. There are not many form pointers, so I would not recommend this to
a beginner. I'd classify it as intermediate. I liked the music (which I
REALLY didn't expect!), it's motivating, and not the same old CIA/Cathe
Dynamix remix. All in all, it's a good, solid ab routine.
Instructor comments: I really like Cory. She has a lot of motivation
and tips. Her sister Cameo and Michelle count the reps (thank goodness,
because Cory cannot keep in time with music!). Those 3 really crack me
up with their comments (ok, I have a corny sense of humor, I acutally
like the "shoulders are sexxxxy" from GHAS).
Emily
emily_vf@yahoo.com
4/27/00