This video is the first in the Slim in 6 series. The version I have is an hour long, but apparently new customers will be getting a revised version that is only half an hour. I will be reviewing the longer one.

This workout is a lower-body-focused strength program. Like all beachbody.com productions it features the workout in a main screen, with a graph up the side that counts down the sections and with clocks that show the time left in the current chapter and in the workout as a whole. It also has a message bar along the bottom of the screen that will show occasional form pointers or little remarks. If you have seen other beachbody.com productions (or the 8-Minute Abs/Arms/Buns/Legs series, or the Push System by Bobby Strom) you will be familiar with this layout.

Debbie leads two exercisers through the routine. Both of them do the lower body sections with now eights and use bands for the upper body work. Debbie does not show any modifications with weights and one of the exercises would be difficult to do with weights. The first chapter is a short warm-up that uses basic foot patterns and arm moves. I found the arm work pleasantly tiring as I am not used to doing that sort of endurance work for the arms. The warm-up was followed by several sections of leg work: squats,. Lunges, that sort of thing. These are done in long sets which are broken up by short sections of standing oblique work such as knee-ups.

Following the lower body, there is a band section for the upper body. It was not very comprehensive. You do a back exercise by itself, then a giant set that works one side of the body at a time, doing shoulder presses, biceps curls and triceps presses. You repeat that section to work the other side of the body. Following this, there is a short ab section, then a stretch. The dvd also includes the level 2 workout (Ramp it Up) and a bonus abs and stretch routine.

I had previously enjoyed Power 90, but I found this series harder to get into. The clock can be distracting in such a long workout (I found it easier to focus on the section clock and ignore the workout-as-a-whole clock) and I found that while Power 90 over-worked the upper body and did not work the lower body enough, this workout was the exact opposite. Lots of lower body, not enough upper body. I also think the suggested rotation of doing this every day is overkill. I did it every other day and was just fine. I do think it is an excellent lower body tape that would be good for people who don’t like using weights for that.

I don’t think I would last six weeks with this set (I am doing two-week rotations this year and when my two weeks with this series was up, I was ready to move on). But if you like this sort of workout, it would definitely be a good routine.

Instructor Comments:

Joanna