Power 90

Tony Horton
Year Released: 2000

Categories: Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance , Total Body Workouts


(Level 1 and 2)

I feel like I shouldn't have spent the $$ because it turns out that really, I spent $75.00 (shipping+handling + cost of tapes. No supplements, or bands, etc) on two tapes. They claim they send you 6, and they do, but the 2 ab tapes are also included as part of the cardio tapes so you really are getting 4 distinct tapes. The level 1-2 tapes are not required either, as you could just do the level 3-4 tapes "at your own pace/level".

So - in hindsight - should I have bought them, given that I have so many other great tapes (> 60 tapes. Firm, Cathe, Cia, Mindy, Kickboxing)?? Not really. But since I intend to do the program, my sense of honor won't let me return them :-)

I have been doing level 1-2 all tis week instead of 3-4 because of time constraints. Thanksgiving prep, plus two little girls who really want to be with mama (one who explicitly says so, and the other who just wants to nurse :-) ) caused me to want to go for the really short workouts.

Here is the breakdown for you for level 1-2 (since I've been doing them all week, it is fresh in my mind.)

Cardio tape (Level 1-2 is about 35 minutes. Level 3-4 is about 41 minutes)

5 minutes of stretch (simple static stretches. You could easily substitute your own 5 minutes of stretching. Self.com, shape.com, etc, all have great stretches - as a vfer you ae probably well versed in stretching!)

Then power yoga:

plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog.
plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog.
plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog, get up on toes. Lift right leg up. Move it into runners pose.
Move leg back. plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog. get up on toes. Lift left leg. Move into runners pose.

plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog, get up on toes. Lift right leg up. Move it into runners pose. Stand up into crescent pose. plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog. get up on toes. Lift left leg. Move into runners pose. Stand up into crescent pose.

plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog, get up on toes. Lift right leg up. Move it into runners pose. Stand up into warrior pose. plank. down to pushup into upward dog. plank. downward facing dog. get up on toes. Lift left leg. Move into runners pose. Stand up into warrior pose.

Then Cardio:

Repeat this sequence 2 times with no rest breaks (For level 3-4, it is 3 times)

30 seconds of knees up, pulling arms down. Knees should come up to waist level.
30 seconds of knees out, pulling arms down.
30 seconds of knees with torso crossing (left elbow to right knee)

Repeat this sequence 2 times with no rest breaks (for level 3-4 it is 3 times)

30 seconds jumping jacks
30 seconds running in place. I alternate between high kicks in the back to high knees up front
30 seconds run lunges (you jump alternating your left leg in front/ right leg in back with right leg in front, left in back. Not really a full lunge). You should use your arms as if doing a ski machine

Repeat this sequence 2 times with no rest breaks(for level 3-4 it is 3 times)

30 seconds lateral x. Basically like basic s tep with a run. Right forward, left forward, right back, left back, in a run.
30 seconds fast running. run fast , shuffle left, run fast, shuffle right run fast, shuffle left run fast
30 seconds cross hops (side to side, or on a diagonal. feet together. hop - like slalom skiing

water break (short. 30 seconds)

Repeat this sequence 2 times with no rest breaks (2 for level 3-4 as well)

30 seconds front kicks (martial arts style, not dancy. ) Arms held in fighters stance
30 seconds knee crunches - you bring your knee up to the opposite side elbow/fist. I think of it as holding someone's head and trying to hit them hard with my knee (hey. This IS martial arts, after all!))
30 seconds side kicks with weight on leg that isn't kicking

Repeat this sequence 2 times with no rest breaks (3 times for level 3-4)

30 seconds jab cross
30 seconds hook/uppercut
30 seconds body blows. Stand in fighters stance, hold arms at side, elbows at sides. bring your fists palm side up as if lifting halfway up in a bicep curl. From this pose, deliver body blows as iof somone is standing right in front of you, and you are aiming for their midsection. Really drive those arms.

cool down for 2 minutes (do your own - wandering around kind of thing)

Stretch for 3 minutes

Move into Abs . 10 exercises. 10 reps each (for levle 3-4, same 10 exercises, but 20 reps)

I can only remember 9 of them right now. Sorry.

Regular crunches
move knees to one side, do crunches (work obliques)
move knees to other side, do crunches
soles of feet together, knees out, move arms so that hands are gripping your head and elbows are sticking out forward in front of your eyes, and crunch that way
super man crunches (legs lifted up, arms stretched, reaching for toes)
leg lifts
standard crunch position with hands/head. Lift shoulders off floor.
Move legs into a soles of feet together position and lift legs up and down for 10 reps
bicycles
full body crunches

CIRCUIT level 1-2

5 minutes of stretching
Three circuits. No rest breaks during circuit

circuit 1: (8-15 of everything)

15 pushups. down hold. up hold.
"heavy pants." Stand in weight lifting stance used in video. One leg in front of other, knees bent. Hold two dumbbells at your sides, and then pull up explosively as if putting on a pair of pants. Works back.
shoulder presses with a twist.
bicep curls
one arm tricep work. Stand in weight lifting stance (do this for all the standing work) and lift a d umbbell in one arm so your arm is straight up next to your ear. Bring dumbbell down to opposite shoulder blade as if scratching your back with it. If this bugs you, do kickbacks.
4 sets of this: lunge left leg. pause. lunge again with right leg. pause. Turn around. lunge left leg. pause. lunge right leg. (I use weights)

STRETCH for 30 seconds ( legs, shoulders, chest)

Circuit 2:

wide pushups. 15. down hold. up hold.
back exercise is like heavy pants, but slightly different. Make back flat and then lift dumbbells outward. A back flye, maybe?
swimmers press. Hold dumbbells in a bicep curl position. Then corkscrew them around when you lift so that at the top of the movement, the palms are facing outward.
wide bicep curls
two arm kickbacks with a pause at top of movement

3 sets of this. lunge left. squat 3 times. lunge right. turn around. lung left. squate 3 times, lunge right.

STRETCH for 30 seconds

Circuit 3:

7 wide pushups. 7 tricep pushups (hands close together, elbows tucked
in). 7 standard. same rhythm as before.
One arm dumbbell row for back, with twist at top, as if trying to start
a chainsaw or gas lawnmower by pulling the string thing.
lateral raises
7-7-7 for biceps. 7 bringing halfway up. 7 starting at halfway, going
all the way up. 7 full range of motion
tricep dips off a chair.
8 squats. feet shoulder width apart.
8 wider squats.
8 plies, at bottom of squat, press knees back with hands.

Stretch.

The level 1-2 tape is 29 minutes long. Level 3-4 is about 35 minutes long. Level 3-4 has more exercises, butmy brain can't remember them all right now.

Hope this helps!!! I think you could do this without shelling out massive moolah. If the price were half of what it is, I would say go for it.

The cardio is intervalish, and the weights is circuits, so you could make your own program by doing 6 days a week of alternating bursty type cardio work with circuit days.

Instructor Comments:
Tony Horton is reasonably good at teaching. His manner bugs me - he, imho, tries too hard to be 'cool'. Refers to his two background exercisers as "the kids", and makes comments like "don't hurt me" while checking their form, and he counts his last reps using a "bam. bam. bam." type lingo. For me, this is irritating, but it isn't irritating to the point where I can't do the tapes. There are some instructors that are so off putting to me that I can't get past it. This is not the case. His yoga form isn't that great, nor is his punching form, but his background exercisers are good, so it doesn't matter much. I think that you should know the basics of jabs, kicks, and weightlifting form before doing the tapes, and I like to add a warmup to the weight tape because I don't think stretching on cold muscles is a good idea.

Leela

11/28/2001