This is a good, solid, well-structured tape. Keli covers all body parts, usually with at least two different moves. Most exercises are done as follows:

1. a set of 8 or twelve reps
2. a set of 4 reps with a three counts down, one count up rhythm
3. a set of 4 reps with the opposite (one count down, three counts up)
4. and finally a set of "partials", meaning a 3 count pulse at the contraction of the move. This was VERY fatiguing! This is a very shoulder-intensive workout. . . While doing side lifts for the rear delt Keli says "this is such a pretty muscle, it's a shame not to train it" --then she proceeds not to train it, or even to burn it, but to beat the living daylights out of it until you are screaming for mercy! Rear delts are without a doubt THE hardest worked muscle in this vid. Triceps are a VERY close second! Keli does a great pushup sequence. You put the bar across the step, hold onto it on either side, and start in on-your-toes-pushup position. You lower your body like a pushup, HOLD at the bottom (shake, shake, quiver, quiver!) for a second, then slowly lower one knee, lower the other knee, and push back up. Then you hop back up to your toes and repeat. Then you lock into that on-the-toes position and slowly lift one foot and then the other.

The stretch is very nice and left me feeling invigorated rather than wiped out. I'd love to see Keli make a stretch tape, she does them so well! The music was pretty good, less bland than your average video music. With a 15 pound bodybar I would say that this tape is very comparable in intensity to Tough Tape with a 20 lb barbell, only less lower body-focused than TT. I'd call it intermediate/advanced with a 15 lb bar. I'm left with the impression that this tape is GOOD, and will probably end up a hall-of-famer, but somehow I don't think it'll be a personal favorite. There seems to be something missing that I can't quite identify. Maybe its just that I am a cardio queen sort of girl and a strength tape just never does totally thrill me like a good heart-pumping cardio one. At any rate, Keli has done a great job making a challenging and solidly designed strength workout that gives you a good (but not killer) lower body workout and a GREAT upper body one!

I was unfamiliar with Keli before doing this tape. She is laid back, not chatty, but the comments she makes make her seem very human (i.e. "that was a wobbly one!" after a shaky rep). Her form pointers are excellent, very descriptive and always timed just right as though she's watching you hunch those shoulders when you ought not! I'd compare her to a slightly more talkative Karen Voight.

susan p