All Pump

Amy Bento
Year Released: 2004

Categories: Total Body Workouts


This was my first Amy Bento video, and it was a bit different than I thought. From viewing the clip, I had been expecting a lot of compound moves and thought that the workout would have a functional fitness feel. This was true a bit, especially with the opening move (see below), but overall, this workout wound up feeling like a shorter, slightly intense version of a Cathe strength workout to me, right down to the use of a lot of equipment (barbell, 2 sets of dumbbells, step, stability ball).

This DVD is well-chaptered; I've listed the chapters below and added my own descriptions after.

Warm-Up. Includes basic moves such as shrugs, squats, and knee ups. Ends with a series of stretches held for a nice long, slow 4-count.

Multi-Joint. This is a compound move: holding light dumbbells, you step up with one foot on the step, raise the other knee in the air, and extend that leg twice while doing a front raise. Amy does several sets on both legs. She also does a series of squats with lateral side raises that really fried my shoulders!

Legs. Amy begins with a split lunge with one heel on a small dumbbell (Cathe does this move in Push Pull). Next comes a barbell squat series which I found very challenging due to the high number of reps: she does 15 squats in the center, then 8 cursey dips to each side; she repeats the sequence once the same and once with half as many reps.

BIs and TRIs. Amy does several variations of bicep curls (hammers, center, and concentration) while seated in a v-sit position on the step, so you work your core as well. Tricep work includes kickbacks and tricep push-ups.

Chest and Back. With one hand on step, Amy does a row using arm rotation followed by a lateral raise. She also does a similar sequence with one hand on the stability ball.

Core Work. Beginning with your feet on the stability ball, you'll do tough tuck-ins, first just in and out, then bringing your knees from side-to-side--whew! You'll also place your elbows on the ball and roll them in and out for the core. Then it's back to a v-sit position on the step for "sunshines," moving the ball in a rainbow overhead, and several quick sets of v-sits in and out to finish.

Cooldown. Amy offers a nice series of stretches, mainly for the upper body (the lower body is stretched between sets).

Overall, I really enjoyed this workout. Although Amy worked me hard--especially with that tough squat segment!--because she pauses to stretch between virtually every exercise, I never felt overwhelmed or out of breath. I also liked how she added in some unique variations on moves and emphasized the core as well. Another reviewer felt that this workout was weak on upper body work, but I didn't feel that way at all; if anything, I'd say there weren't many different moves for the legs, although what Amy did include was challenging enough for me.

I'd rate this workout at an intermediate level, and I'd recommend it to someone who likes a bit of variety in their strength routine and prefers a shorter (just over 39 minutes) full-body workout.

Instructor Comments:
Amy reminded me a lot of Cathe in her personality as well: she's very encouraging, frequently saying things like "come on, you can do it!" plus she has just a few occasional "woo-hoos." Also like Cathe, she relies on one of her background exercises for frequent rep checks. Finally, she provided very good mirrored cueing throughout the workout.

Beth C (aka toaster)

09/12/2006