This is a very unique video. Clare sure finds creative ways to use a body bar. This video combines weights with yoga, dance, and pilates. It is not a muscle building tape. But it sure will test your balance. Sometimes you will lift the body bar while balancing. For example, you bend forward doing bent-over rows. At the same time, you lift your leg up and down. Whew, I had trouble balancing on this movement. Another example is when you do a clean and press while balancing. To do this, on the upward movement of the upright row, you lift your knee. During the upward phase of the press, you extend your leg forward. During the downward phase of the press, you bend your knee again. Then during the downward phase of the upright row, you extend your leg back. Another compound move is doing plie squats while doing bicep curls. There are other compound moves in this tape. Most of the movements work several muscles at the same time.

Clare also uses the body bar as a ballet bar. You do ballet leg lifts while using the bar for balance. Sometimes, Clare also uses the body bar as a stretching tool. She also does yoga moves while at the same time lifting the body bar. Some moves are really tough. For example, you balance on one arm while your body is facing sideways. So the only thing touching the floor is your right hand and the side of your right foot. This move might hurt some people's wrists. If that wasn't enough, you use your left arm to lift the body bar off the floor towards your chest and then extend your arm so that both arms make a straight line. I know this is a yoga move but I can't think of the name right now. But it's a lot more difficult when you add that body bar lift. You move the left arm back to the original position and repeat the movement for about five reps.

This video really works your abs in original ways. A lot of the ab exercises are Pilates based. They are very hard if you are not used to this kind of movement. Overall, I think this is a good video to get long, lean strong muscles. If a person likes yoga or pilates, I definitely feel that they will like this video to use on their muscle sculpting days. Clare gives really good form pointers and is an excellent instructor. Other people might like it for a change of pace from gym style workouts. However, if someone is looking for a heavy weights-low rep video, this one is not it.

Instructor Comments:
Clare sure knows her stuff. You can tell she took ballet and teaches Pilates. She is also very inventive and original with the body bar.

Helen Stephens