Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this workout.

I have been conflicted about this workout since I first saw clips of it. It looked like soooo much fun, but I was concerned about bodyweight exercises. My arthritic hands/wrists don't do well with moves supported on the hands and this workout obviously had them. Then, I read raves about this workout and how it left people feeling relaxed and really good. So, I decided to try it and figured I could skip over moves that didn't work for me.

Michelle works out with a group of people and one serves as the modifier. It's presented as a barefoot workout and the only equipment needed is a mat.

This is a dance-based workout that blends different workout styles: from modern dance to Pilates to yoga to plyometrics. It's also an up-and-down workout, you frequently are standing and move to the floor to do work there. You also do a lot of balancing and stretching with everything else going on. And, it works. It's an exceptionally well designed workout and I found myself smililng at times - usually during the standing portions.

In this workout, there are distinct combinations set to a particular tune. Michelle even uses the work "track" when moving into the core section. Because of this dynamic and because of my initial assumption that I would be able to skip over sections I didn't want to do, I hit the Skip button on my remote to move along and it took me out of the workout. What does this mean? The workout is not chaptered; there are no chapter points; you cannot skip ahead to the next section. I found this incomprehensible and annoying. Where one segment stops and another segment begins is totally obvious, so why would there not be chapter points in this workout as Peak 10 workouts are?

While I did like this workout more than I first thought I would, it was also disappointing that there were so many moves done on the floor. There were even forms of burpees and squat thrusts. And, the modifier doesn't modify very much. She modifies the hardest moves short of the hardest option and does the really easy modifications (like reaching down rather than reaching to the floor). But, she offers no modifications for those moves that are hard on joints like the hands or knees.

That is my opinion based on my personal preferences. However, the analytical part of my brain thinks that this workout is a creative and well-done workout that will appeal to many people who like fusion workouts and who do not have joint issues that make floor work hard. The way Michelle incorporated the moves in a fun and different way along with some good music that enhances the workout makes this a unique workout. People have offered workouts that offer some similarities, but there doesn't seem to be anything out there exactly like this workout. The pace of the workout is fast and continuous, but it was NOT frantic. In order to get the most out of this workout, you want to be familiar with the moves and the flow of the combinations.

The DVD menu offers a movement explanation/instruction segment to choose. I would suggest watching that before you try the workout so that the three most challenging moves won't be a total surprise when they occur in the workout.

Instructor Comments:
She is such a good instructor. She obviously enjoys this workout.

Laura S.