I've seen this video recommended a few times in VF's Forum, but never found a review. I found the video at Amazon.com, and later in Fitness Wholesale, but heard of others buying it elsewhere. It is time there was a review of this gem! I love it! It is a great high rep, light weight workout. I used 3 pounds and felt fatigued, but I'll try 5 next time, yet probably won't be able to complete all the reps. She recommends 0-2 lb. for beginners, 3-5 for intermediates, and 5-8 for advanced. A dynaband comes with the workout video. I was getting fatigued on the dynaband work, too. Even my forearms felt that. This isn't a gym style workout, and can see why it is often compared to Karen Voight's Great Weighted Workout. I didn't like GWW, and can't say exactly why, but I really like Body A.R.T.// A for alignment, R for reshaping, and T for toning.

The music is great. Marianne starts out by working the larger upper body muscles first, back and chest, with the dynaband. I didn't feel it much at first, then just scrunched up more of the band in my hand to make it tighter, then had a hard time with the last set of reps. Then onto bicep, tricep, and shoulder work. I wished there was more for my shoulders, but in fairness to the video, my cat had an asthma attack, so I could have missed that part.

Next it is onto lower body. You could break this 75 minute video up, but later you go back to chest and back again, then more for the legs, using the dynaband on the floor. The squats and lunges are killer! The standing outer thigh work had me fatigued, without ankle weights on. You won't need those. Then the next section is floor work. There are pushups, that I couldn't finish and I can with my other videos. There is band work for the upper back, then lats. Then she ties her band around her ankles, for more quad and hamstring work, plus some killer inner thigh work, too. No need to pause the video, plenty of time. Then there are abs with different moves, yet basic, which I really felt! She even gives you time to put the mat away, before the stretch.

The stretching is great. I also have another high rep, low weight video, Joyce Vedral's Fat Burning Vol. 2 and I like this video better in some ways. Better music, this one has a warmup and cooldown. On the warmup, if you start the video with tense shoulders and neck, it will be gone before you work the upper body. The cooldown stretch was just as good. The whole video flew by, it seemed more like a 50 minute video, rather than 75. Since I compared this video to Fat Burning Vol. 2, I must say the shoulder work, and some of the bun work was a bit better in Joyce's, but then again, I had an interuption during my shoulder work, too. Somedays I like a gym style workout like Joyce's, and the other times, I'll be reaching for this one.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes dynabands and high rep workouts with light weights.

Instructor Comments:
I don't know why, but she reminds me of Barbara Mandell. I think her voice even sounds a bit like hers, too. Marianne is buff without looking like a man. Very good cueing, and I would like to find other videos, if there are any by her. This video was made in 1995.

LLG