I like the circuit format of this video a lot. I appreciate that Fran keeps the reps slow and always does 12 reps, and I can go relatively heavy for the exercises. I also enjoy the variety of the exercises and the overall quick pace of the workout. Yes, the set is plain and the music is nondescript, but on this video that doesn't bother me. The time really flies for me when I do this tape.

However, it seems as if no matter how much I challenge my muscles with the heaviest weights I can handle with good form, I don't feel fully worked out after this one. I'm no superwoman; I just feel more wiped out overall after Cathe's MIS or after some Firm tapes. It may be the structure of the workout; maybe I do better with prefatiguing and supersetting, I just don't know. Fran keeps the pace moving by taking only very brief rests in between sets; she says that this is to increase the cardiovascular benefit of the workout. I'm not an expert, but I'm not sure how much of a cardiovascular workout you could get from this video. This is a weights workout, there are no cardio segments, and your heart rate may not stay elevated consistently for any length of time (I consistently am in my THR zone for about 20 minutes total during this tape). I really like this video for a change of pace, though, and I'm hoping that the lack of real fatigue or muscle soreness afterwards isn't an indication of the effectiveness of the workout.

Instructor Comments:
I really like her! She seems to be so friendly, and is a real person. I appreciate her low-key style of instruction, but she is far from flat and boring. She is informative without being too chatty. Some of her comments really crack me up, like, "Don't answer that phone, you're doing double curls," "This is a real video filmed in an hour, not like some other videos where the girls go powder their noses between sets," "We don't want osteoporosis," "Don't fast forward through these pushups," "You want nice legs? Well, you're going to get them!" Somehow, no matter how often I do this video, I don't get tired of hearing the comments, which is unusual for me.

Kristin Aziz