Someone recommended this workout to me when I commented how much I love Mindy Mylrea’s Pump Party. On doing it, I could see why. Donna does a mix of exercises which are similar and stresses the same kind of compound exercises, some of which stress balance. It’s a strength workout for which I use lighter weights than the standard Firm workouts, so I agree it ends up seeming like a low-weight, high-rep workout. For Firm workouts, I usually use 10-17.5 pound weights. For this workout, I used 8-12 pounds (as well as tubing, which is optional).

Donna is backed up by two exercisers on one of the standard CIA sets. The background exercisers show various modifications throughout the workout, including doing harder or easier modifications to the moves Donna does and use dumbbells when Donna uses tubing. They all interact quite a bit throughout the workout. I could not begin to tell you anything about the music. I don’t remember anything about it. Obviously, it wasn’t memorable.

The workout starts with a warm up which is fun for awhile, but then becomes overly long. At the six or seven-minute mark, I would skip to the start of the workout. Donna then leads a series of moves, many of which include both upper and lower-body components. The first time I did it, the workout took awhile because I would listen to what we would be doing, then choose my weights, and back up to restart that section. The next time, it went much quicker because I was familiar with what she was going to do. She does cue the move as she starts it and I wished for more advance cueing or set up to the moves. The moves she has you do seemed effective. I felt them and she generally explained the purpose of the various exercises. She does not explain how to do the moves, but does give form pointers throughout the workout.

This workout is not a “party in a box” workout for me (like Pump Party), but it is a good solid workout and I kept being surprised by how much time had gone by. It flowed really well for me, especially after the first time when I knew what was coming.

A generous VFer loaned this workout to me and it is now on my wish list. It is one I want to have available to me long term.

Instructor Comments:
I really like how Donna leads workouts. She comes across as capable and likeable and she keeps me engaged.

Laura S.