I like The Bar Method, Designer Sculpting. It is a 45 minute workout. I have it on DVD. It is a body sculpting workout and you only need some light dumbbells and a chair. There is a little bit of upper body work with light weights, including biceps curls, front raises for shoulders and bent-over straight-arm rear delt/tricep raises. I really felt the rear delt/triceps raises even though I used light weights; it's one of those Lotte Berk exercises that works deep into the muscle. This DVD mainly works the lower body, and does so by doing small, pulse-like movements. There is a standing section where you can use a chair or a ballet barre or other sturdy support. You do calf raises, and then a series of small plies or demi-squats with the heels raised, which works deep into the quads. The floorwork is quite intense, yet it is subtle. There is an exercise that Burr calls the pretzel, where you are seated with one leg bent in front of you at a right angle to your body, and the other leg bent behind you, and you have to lift the rear leg off the floor and pulse up and down and then back. It works deep into the glute and hip muscles, and I felt like I was really targeting those areas. The abdominal work is the only part that I didn't like. You sit with your knees bent and hold your thighs, so your body is c-shaped, and you exhale repeatedly and contract the abdominals while exhaling. Then you lift one leg and continue doing the same thing, then you lift both legs. I wasn't sure I was doing the exercise right; I just kept contracting my abs until they felt fatigued. I also felt that those exercises strained my neck, and modified them by placing one or both hands behind my head. There is an excellent section of pelvic tilts for the glutes and hamstrings, with the feet in varying positions (knees together, feet together then feet apart, then feet farther apart). I am convinced that this exercise is one of the best for the glutes. Throughout the workout, you stretch the muscles you have just worked.

The Bar Method is based on the Lotte Berk Method, so many of the exercises are similar to those in the Lotte Berk DVDs. I like the fact that this DVD is 45 minutes long, which does not feel too long or too short. The time goes quickly. I will definitely be using this DVD as an add-on for the lower body.

The music was nice, instrumental music and I especially liked the lovely guitar piece during the stretch segment at the end. The workout is good for all levels of fitness. There is a bonus workout on the DVD. Overall I give Bar Method, Designer Sculpting an A.

Instructor Comments:
Burr starts out by saying that she is in her late 50's, which is amazing because I have never seen anyone that age who looks as fit as Burr. She is incredibly lean and toned, and it is obvious that she has worked hard to be in the shape she is in. I liked her personality, and thought she seemed nice and professional. Her form on the exercises was excellent.

Abbe