In ALL THE RIGHT MOVES, instructor Grace Lazenby does a nice job of blending traditional sculpting with other methods, mainly yoga but also a bit of pilates and ballet-type conditioning. Her warm up begins with a focus on breathing and incorporates simple sun salutation moves from yoga. (Note: Grace does not use very good form for the yoga poses, thus some prior familiarity with proper form is helpful, although not necessary.)

Following the warm-up, Grace moves on to standing toning exercises. She uses a body bar for balance (a chair can be substituted), and the moves are similar to what you would do with a ballet barre--fans of Callanetics and/or the Lotte Berk Method will see some similarities here. Grace also uses a weighted ball between her legs; I didn't have one, but I found that the exercises were tough enough without the ball! She performs several sets of each exercise, thoroughly fatiguing the muscles. After these moves, Grace returns to the mat for a yoga warrior series which incorporates many down dog poses.

The workout then moves to the floor, beginning with some light weight work for the chest and shoulders. This is only a short section of the video; the overall focus of this workout is definitely on the lower body. The abs section comes next, and here's where the Pilates moves are woven in: Grace starts with the hundred and also does a variation on the roll up using a dumbell. This abs work was a bit of a disappointment to me, as I didn't feel like my abs got a thorough workout doing the few exercises here.

The remaining floor work which follows focuses on the thighs and glutes, and I found it somewhat similar to Karen Voight's Total Body Toning (minus the fitness ring). The moves are simple to execute, yet the many repetitions make them TOUGH to do--just when you think you must be done, Grace throws in another set. Finally, the tape ends with a "warm down" section which provides a nice stretch.

I enjoyed this video; I found the transitions from one method to the next to be smooth and flowing, and the varied workout held my interest. If you are looking for a workout that includes a blend of styles and really challenges the lower body while also being fun, check out this tape!

Instructor Comments:
Grace is a good instructor--encouraging without being overly chatty--although mirrored cuing and proper form would have made this tape even better.

Beth C (aka toaster)