Leaning Out has an approximate running time of fifty minutes and I usually follow it up to the abs section, about 40 minutes.This is primarily a strength workout with a burst of cardio in the middle of the workout. The DVD offers two premixes I've never done: Lift, a twenty minute total body strength workout and Flab Fighter, a thirteen minute floor workout that targets the chest back, hips and abs.

After the warm-up, Tracie moves into the strength work beginning with the larger muscle groups, so you need a set of heavier weights. She includes various tempo changes, rep patterns and angles. I find this section effective. Then, approximately half way through the workout, Tracie leads a cardio burst cardio burst before moving onto the next strength section. The cardio exercises are athletic and gradually progress in intensity and impact. She gives no suggestions for modifying the impact, so, if you are committed to low impact, you need to come up with your own plan to modify these moves. The strength training then continues with alower-body focus, again using heavier weights. I especially liked the series that included lunges, side lunges, reverse lunges and one legged squats. Then, she moves on to exercises that are more functional in nature and that include compound moves targeting both the upper and lower body (which calls for lighter weights). The workout then moves to the floor to target the upper body, chest, arms and core with dive bomber push-ups, push-ups with rotation and supermans. I have arthritic hands and wrists, so I am unable to do push ups, so I substituted chest presses with heavy weights. Again, she offered no suggestions for modifying these moves. The workout finishes with floor work targeting the outer thighs and glutes (using ankle weights), abs, and a stretch.

I think that this workout is primarily a strength training one and I go as heavy as I can with my weights. The best thing about it for me is that it is sequenced so well that I get so engaged in this workout and don't watch the clock at all. I'm always surprised by how much time has passed when I'm doing it. At the very beginning, during the warm up, I get aggravated with her because she cues the move as she's doing it and I always feel behind. Then, I hit my stride as she gets her groove on and the rest of the workout just flows.She gives great form pointers (except for not offering modification suggestions) throughout the workout. (Can you tell I LOVE this workout?)

Instructor Comments:
She is at her best in this workout.

Laura S.