NOTE: I received a free review copy of this DVD from the instructor.

Like its sister DVD, Lose the Belly Flab, Get Your Body Back is part of fitness instructor Tracey Mallett's Super Fit Mama series, which also includes the book Super Fit Mama: Stay Fit During Pregnancy and Get Your Body Back after Baby. Mallett designed this workout with new moms in mind in several ways. First, the workouts consist of two phases, "Phase 1," which is shorter (about 25 minutes total) and uses light weights only, and "Phase 2," which is a bit longer at 32 minutes and uses two sets of weights. The second way in which this DVD is tailored to new moms is that each phase is further broken down into circuits: Phase 1 has three 7-minute circuits, whereas Phase 2 has two 6-minute and two 8-minute circuits (each phase also includes a 4-minute warm-up).

The Main Menu of this DVD reads as follows:
*Introduction
*Phase 1
*Phase 2
*Baby Cellulite Blaster
*Stretching
*Play All
*Circuits

Mallett works out on the same white living room-type set used for Lose the Belly Flab. The 4-minute warm-up, which plays automatically when you select either phase, features Mallett alone. She begins with simple marches, side steps, and squats, and performs some flexion/extension for the back. She then does static stretches for the hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, and quads.

For Phase 1, Mallett is joined by two background exercisers, Ariela and Kristina, who is modifying. She begins with a plie squat that moves into a side lunge with bicep curl. (Note: almost all of the strength exercises involve compound movements.) Next comes a rear lunge with an overhead press, and than the first cardio, twists with a knee in. This is followed by pulsing squats with a little jump. For the second circuit, Mallett performs a side lunge with a punch followed by a back row with a rotator cuff pull (scarecrow). For cardio, she does a hopping twist. This is followed by more shoulder work, a waist twist, and then gallops with split jumps. The last circuit starts with a traveling side plie with shoulder raise; lunge with back work follows, and then the first cardio is a jumping v-step. The strength work concludes with a windmill row and a plie with rotator cuff work; the final cardio is side kicks.

Andrea and Melanie are with Mallett for Phase 2, with Andrea modifying. This time, Mallett starts the strength work standing in 4th position with an overhead press and then moving to triceps kickbacks with a side kick. For cardio, she does jumps out and in. Next come static back lunges with a twisting row and side steps with a "present" to the front; the cardio is a side steps with an optional jump. For the next circuit, Mallett begins with a side lunge/fly, coming in for a tricep extension, and then, single leg lunges with row. Cardio is step touches with rock. This is followed by one-legged squats with row, shoulder work in plie, and gallops to kicks for cardio. With two more circuits left, Mallett performs a walking lunge with bicep curls and then the same back row with rotator cuff pull (scarecrow) from Phase 1. For cardio, she does ski rotations. Mallett moves down to the floor for the next strength segment, which includes plank pose with alternate knees in and push-ups. But then it's back to standing for curtsey squats with a side leg lift and ballet jumping jacks. For the final circuit, Mallett starts with a squat lunge using one heavy weight; she then does a triceps extension with standing side crunch. The cardio involves "fast feet" (a.k.a. football run), which is followed by what Mallett calls "body builders" (a.k.a. burpees). The final moves in this circuit are a front lift with attitude leg and front/side kicks for cardio.

Since the credits roll at the end of each workout, in order to get to the 2-minute Stretching segment, you need to go back and select it off of the Main Menu. Mallett is alone again here. She starts standing but then moves on to mostly seated stretches such as butterfly, one-legged forward bend, and wide-legged forward bend.

At 9.5 minutes, the Cellulite Blaster is a nice little bonus which uses no weights and which focuses mainly on the lower body. Again, Mallett is working out alone, and there is no warm-up or cool-down to this segment. Instead, Mallett jumps right in with a side lunge/lift/curtsey lunge combo, ending with a pulsing curtsey. Next, she alternates between squats and plie squats, pulsing between the two. Coming back to standing, she lifts one leg behind for a pulsing rear leg kick, then slowly leans the body forward and returns to standing for balance work. Mallett finishes on the floor for leg lifts from a side plank position.

This DVD was a nice surprise, mainly because I found the workouts to be significantly more challenging than I had expected. I am not a new mom, and I generally consider myself to be an intermediate exerciser; I definitely felt sufficiently worked out during BOTH phases. As noted above, I do think that the format of this DVD is excellent for new mothers, but at the same time, I also think these workouts would be best suited to those who were active BEFORE their pregnancies. Others who choose to use this DVD to get back in shape should not hesitate to 1) follow the modifier, 2) use very light (1-2 lbs.) or even NO weights at first, and 2) only do as many circuits as current strength, stamina (and baby!) allows.

In the end, whether you are a mom or not--if you are an experienced exerciser who is crunched for time and who enjoys circuit workouts, Get Your Body Back just might be the perfect solution!

Instructor Comments:
I have grown to enjoy Tracey quite a bit; I find her to be quite genuine. I think that she does a nice job with this workout overall, although her cuing is a little off at times, and I don't think that it is mirrored (I noticed that she seems to have the Leslie Sansone habit of avoiding the left-right issue completely by simply saying "other leg").

Beth C (aka toaster)