Balance Line and Strength is a precursor to Dunphy's more recent Bodybar tape, Ripple. BLS is a hybrid of traditional strength training and core work. You can see the outlines of a standard issue health club sculpting class, but Clare's clearly chomping at the bit to get somewhere new, a goal she accomplishes with the later Ripple program.

Previous VF reviewers note she doesn't discuss what body part is being worked. I think she's attempting to build core muscles by adding resistance in unusual ways to traditional strength routines. So while an upright row might work the delts, by moving the bar away from the body in a circular motion she incorporates smaller supporting muscle groups and torso strength as a whole. Maybe this was just too much of a mouthful - but she probably should have discussed the theory behind what she's doing.

There's been discussion in the forum about what would be the appropriate body bar weight for these tapes. I began with an 18 lb bodybar, as an experiment, but quickly switched to my 10 lb Reebok padded bar. The heavier bodybar put way to much pressure on my shoulders anytime Dunphy strayed from traditional strength training motions. (As a point of comparison, I generally do Cathe Friedrich's tapes using the weights Cathe uses). Dunphy indicates she uses a 9 lb bar on BL&S, as she does on Ripple.

There's also been some curiosity as to how BL&S compares to Ripple. Collagevideo.com rates BL&S as advanced and Ripple as an intermediate tape. I'd say they were about equal and they're both fun, but difficult. Ripple has more unusual flowing motions and a longer standing segment - I guess you could say its more ballet like. BL&S is faster and punchier. Ripple raised my cardio rate more than BL&S, despite featuring what felt like slower movements, and I felt very very "worked out" after the tape. BL&S certainly seemed like a workout while I was doing it! Both tapes have a full compliment of killer planks, side planks, push ups and teasers with the bar. Not easy!

I don't think BL&S is a focused or well crafted as Ripple. I also preferred the music in Ripple, which was more techno/new age, compared to BL&S's typical dynamix track. Of course, BL&S did feature that nice Carey Bond - always a plus - as a background exerciser, and Dunphy herself is more animated in BL&S, but overall I found Ripple more enjoyable and interesting. They're both keepers for my collection.

Instructor Comments:
Clare Dunphy is very brainy.

Jane C