In this video, instructor Donna Richardson offers three different exercise styles to provide a fun, varied workout experience. She teaches an all-female class of quite enthusiastic participants, and everyone seems to be having a great time. The first workout, called Circuit Toning on the box but Muscle Conditioning in the video itself (and I think the latter name is more appropriate) is a toning routine using weights. Donna begins with a brief warm-up incorporating simple moves like side steps. I think that the workout itself places a greater emphasis on the lower body, as you'll do plenty of lunges and squats both with and without dumbbells (although I actually used my weights throughout). There are also many compound moves (eg, a plie with a shoulder press) as well as a nice amount of balance work plus a good abs section at the end; the workout concludes with a nice stretch. Although this is a decent total body toning routine, it was my least favorite segment of the video just because it was missing the "fun" factor.

The second workout, Kick and Jab, gets off to kind of a slow start: after warming you up with moves like arm circles, Donna introduces the punches, which you perform at a slow-to-average pace. She then begins to add in some knee lifts and front kicks, but still, the pace is on the slow side, and I didn't really feel like my heart rate was going up significantly. About halfway through the routine, however, Donna picks up the pace, starting to work in simple combinations which included some faster-speed punches. These combos were basic but fun, utilizing all four punches, knee lifts, and mostly front kicks (there were a few side kicks thrown in). Unfortunately, Donna's kickboxing form was poor, and she gave very little instruction about proper execution of the moves--in fact, one of the background exercises (who unfortunately was non-miked) seemed to be shouting out more tips than Donna was here. Still, someone with prior knowledge of kickboxing should do fine with this workout, and I enjoyed it.

The final workout is Dance Party, and to my surprise, this turned out to be my favorite section of the video. Those who can't dance have nothing to fear here, as the moves are very basic and similar to what you've seen on other exercise videos, such as toe tap, box step, march, mambo, and cha-cha. What makes this a "dance" routine is that Donna adds a lot of funk to the moves, which reminded me a lot of Yoga Booty Ballet. She links some moves together to form little routines, but there's never a long sequence of exercises to remember, and she doesn't have you continually "take it from the top." Furthermore, her cueing is excellent in this segment, and above all, she and the girls are having FUN! This workout finishes with a 2-minute cool-down and stretch, and then Donna ends the video with information about her "Walking Club" and general walking for fitness tips. Overall, I highly recommend this video if you're looking for some short, fun workout routines.

Instructor Comments:
Donna comes across as a friendly, enthusiastic "gal pal." Overall, her cueing is excellent, particularly in the dance segment, but I was disappointed that her kickboxing form was so poor.

Beth C (aka toaster)