This dvd is a very interesting programmable concept which features numerous one-minute sections of different exercises. You tell it your level, whether you want to work upper body, lower body or abs, and how many minutes you want to work, and it combines the different sections into a workout for you. You get a different mix every time.

I think this is a wonderful concept for a workout dvd, but the first time I tried it on 'beginner level 1' and got one-armed push-ups for my first exercise, I was scared away and did not do this dvd for over a year. I went back to it recently and found that I really liked the lower lody work, but I still have some reservations about the workout choices for upper body that Minna offers. She is a competent, clear instructor, but some of the upper body moves are very challenging, and the dvd may not always offer suitable choices for the level the user chooses.

On the plus, I found the lower body exercises to be fantastic. In all the combos I have tried, Minna alternates a standing exercise with a floor exercise. I prefer to get my floor work in short bursts, so this is just perfect for me. Some of the moves are quite creative, too. There is one I liked which has come up a few times, where you touch your heel to the floor and them bring your knee down in front of your other leg. It really targets the inner thighs.

In summary, then, I give this workout high marks for concept, and I think that for me, it is quite useable as a lower body workout, either in itself or as an add-on. But you need a strong upper body and a desire or ability to handle lot of push-up and balance moves if you want to use this in your upper body program, and for me, it was not the best fit. If Minna ever does a sequel using the same format but some different moves, I would for sure check it out. And I have gotten a lot of use out of this on lower body days! It just is not the upper body workout for me.

Instructor Comments:

Joanna