Self: Bikini Ready Fast

Ellen Barrett
Year Released: 2005

Categories: Total Body Workouts


This workout is a series of toning exercises, done fairly quickly so that I, at least, ended up sweaty and could feel cardio benefits as well (as Ellen explains in the beginning, it's a "splash of invigoration!"). It includes mostly upper body work, but there are a few standing ab exercises interspersed throughout the workout (culminating towards the end in standing crunches) and some work for the lower body as well, like lunges and some one-legged squats.
I would put the video at an intermediate level.

I agree with one of the previous reviewers that a lot of the lever-type exercises in this workout target the shoulders. But after doing the workout once, I was able to keep a heavier pair of dumbbells close by and quickly switch them in when I knew a few of traditional, non-shoulder exercises would be coming up, like the biceps or back. That helped me feel more balanced, but you need to be quick to be no more than a minimal disruption to the flow of the moves.

The location is bright and cheerful, and the non-traditional moves in the workout were a little dippy, and fun. (Maybe it's odd, but I'm just fascinated by moving a dumbbell around in a figure eight!) The slight ballet styling to the warmup, again, was just enough to keep my interest and make me feel graceful. It's a low to no-dread workout for me - very pleasant.

The Pilates/Abs bonus workout included is very short, but very fun. I actually wish it was longer, and included a few more reps/exercises! I always do it as an add-on after the main workout.

Instructor Comments:
Ellen Barret is easy-going, encouraging, and very likeable.

Sandy J

09/19/2005