exercise video reviews: Men's Legs of Steel with Gilad

I really like this leg workout because, like the Arms of Steel tape, it's so thorough. The first part is all standing work - squats, in place lunges with variations, dips with variations, leg extension to the back or side (for the butt, hamstrings and outer thighs), more squats, more dips with thigh lifts and calf raises. Then he does floor exercises - leg lifts to the rear on all fours, outer thigh squeezes and inner thigh lifts. When I'm done, I know I've worked my legs for sure. He also has nice warm-ups and cool-downs for those days when this is the only tape I'm doing. I give it an A.

Karen W.
7/18/97

This is a decent leg/thigh workout that starts with standing exercises such as lunges and squats and then goes to the floor. It's about 45 minutes long, and the exercises are the tried-and-true basic ones -- nothing fancy here, just good old-fashioned work. Gilad is no-nonsense and gets right to it. I rank this as intermediate level, but you can increase the workload by using bigger ankle weights or adding weights for the squats and lunges. There are other more effective (i.e., challenging) lower body workouts on the market, but who can resist a charmer like Gilad? Grade B+.

Instructor comments:

Annie S.
2-22-98

Like the Arms video, Legs of Steel is very thorough. I had to modify this one a little though.

This tape is about 45 minutes and it is standing and floor legwork. Gilad doesn't use any weights for the standing leg stuff-- just ankle weights for the rest. He didn't even mention using weights which I thought was odd, especially in a video that was made for men.

He does plie squats, static lunges, lunges and dips, dips combined with leg extensions for the quads, knee lifts, squats and standing abductor, hamstring and butt lifts. Then he does table work, inner and outer thigh lifts, calf work, even shin work.

For the standing legwork, I used 15- and 12-lb. dumbbells. Then, for the standing work with ankle weights, I also used a band for extra resistance. This was especially effective for the standing leg curls-- my hamstrings were on fire.

What is good:
Not a single muscle is missed. Not only do the compound movements cover every muscle, but each muscle is then isolated, too. He does calf work, which many videos neglect. And as in his other videos, the stretching is fantastic and very thorough. He pays special attention to the calves/shins in the warmup.

What is bad:
As with the Arms tape, the set and music are less than exciting. I wish he had used weights. Bridge work would have been nice, but that's just because I like it.

I recommend this video and the companion arms video.

Instructor comments: See Arms review. He's great.

Sara Whitney
fssmk2@uaf.edu
6-26-99

I haven’t done this 45 minute workout in ages. It’s the usual Gilad style: basic moves, easy to follow and gets the job done.

The set is plain, but attractive. (Set? What set? Yeah, I managed to look away from Gilad for a second or two!) The music is unobtrusive.

Gilad starts with a thorough 7:30 minute warm-up. We then go in to 20 minutes of standing leg work:

unweighted squats
squats into kicks
static lunges

Using ankle weights:
standing quad extensions into front kicks
rear leg lifts (using a chair for balance)
hamstring curls
side leg lifts
narrow stance squats
squat/dip combo
lunge/thigh lift combo
calf work

Next, 10 minutes of floor work:
table work:
bent leg lifts
hamstring curls
clamshells
inner thigh lifts

Then, a nice 6 minute stretch.

I didn’t care for his style of calf work. I’d rather do the standard stuff. You can add weights to the squats and lunges. I don't think you could go very heavy with this workout as it moves along quickly.

Instructor comments: Gilad usually has great warm-ups and cool downs. He is more subdued here that in other workouts. Charming, but businesslike. (BTW - I’ve met him in person and he is TWICE as handsome face to face.)

Alta

2/27/04

With strength work, I am an intermediate exerciser, who doesn’t really want to move up to advanced work. Recently, I have been looking for shorter workouts that allow me to lift heavier – and advance with the weights I am lifting.

I like this workout – just a little less than the upper body one. Gilad is by himself in the gym. The warm up seemed a little long to me, but I fast forwarded through the stretches. He does traditional standing lower-body strength work including squats, lunges, plies, dips, and calf work. Then, he moves to the floor for several more exercises.

It is a good straight-forward, traditional workout and it doesn’t take a lot of time, which, in my book, is a good thing.

Laura S.

March 2, 2006