Leslie Sansone
I’m reviewing this workout after previewing and doing it once each.
General workout breakdown: This approximately 35-minute indoor walking video is the equivalent of 2 miles (based on the bpm). After a warm-up (2.5 min.) comes 29 min. of Leslie’s usual walking steps (walking in place, side steps, kicks, knee lifts, kickbacks / hamstring curls, tap out; optional: jogging and pendulum leg swings), within which time are three 2-min. intervals with the option of “boosted walking,” aka jogging. Mile 1 clocks in at 13 min. and has one interval; mile 2 runs 16 min. and has 2 intervals. After cooling down at the tail end of the last mile, there’s a quick stretch primarily for the lower body (2.5 min.). As with all of Leslie’s programs, you repeat one move until she says to switch. There’s no choreography, etc.
Level: I’d recommend this to beginners through low intermediates. Absolute beginners brand new to exercise might find this a bit daunting, especially with the number of camera angles that don’t show whole people, but anyone who’s done any of Leslie’s programs will have no trouble with it. Intermediates can add boosters like light hand weights to increase the intensity, or switch over to “boosted walking” sooner.
Class: 1 man and 4 women join Leslie. Jo and Jim show the more advanced moves. The other 3 faces, Stephanie, Barb, and Barb, are new; they reveal after the stretch that they have lost 65, 100, and 110 pounds thanks in no small part to Leslie’s walking videos. They’re super inspiring!
Music: alternating between vocal and instrumental music. Songs include “Everybody,” “I’ve Got a New Attitude,” and “I Feel Good.” I’ve heard a good deal of the instrumental music before, on Karen Voight, Shape, Trainer’s Edge, and other workouts.
Set: indoors, with a black curtain behind and a wood floor below.
Production: clear picture and sound. There are a number of funky camera angles, however, including shots of just faces or just feet, and some shots from the side and/or overhead. Also, there are some moments when you catch glimpses of the other cameras and even crew members!
Equipment: sneakers (and maybe a jog bra, if you do the “boosted” walking!)
Space Requirements: If you can take a couple of steps in each direction, you have plenty of space for this. If you have less than that, just stay in place when Leslie moves up and back or side to side.
DVD Notes: The main menu has these choices: Introduction, Fast Start! 1 & 2 Mile Walk, Chapters (Warm up, Mile 1, Mile 2, Stretch, and Meet the Walkers), Music Only Workout, and Credits.
N.B. My DVD, which I got at retail, came in the same case as 3 Fast Miles. Unfortunately, the labels on the DVDs are switched, although everything else is fine with both discs.
Comments: This is the introductory workout for Leslie’s new Walk Slim series, which also includes 3 Fast Miles, 4 Fast Miles, Fast Firming, and Fast & Firm 4 Really Big Miles.
I don’t have too many Leslie workouts and can’t count myself among the Leslie faithful (just yet), but I would say this is more intense than WATP 1 or 2 miles because of the intervals. It’s not as intermediate as Walk & Jog, for example.
Instructor comments:
Leslie is Leslie – full of enthusiasm and encouragement, constantly exhorting you to do this sweaty exercise thing for your health. Of course, she’s also chatting with her crew, especially Jimmy. She gives you enough warning when you switch moves. She doesn’t worry about which side, but she’ll sometimes point to the side on which she intends to start.
KathAL79
July 8, 2007
