The positives: I think that Tracey gets *huge* props for her excellent form and instruction. Moreover, she actually gives adequate -- but not too much -- rest between exercises. (That's one of my pet peeves: when an instructor keeps working the same part of the abs for > 5 minutes without any recovery time. It's impossible to keep good form, or to use maximum effort! I'm glad that Tracey recognizes this.)

The exercises themselves are well-structured, not too complex, and really work your belly. Some of my faves: the spider pushup (going from plank on the elbows to plank on the hands, and then back again); the side leg raise (REALLY works the obliques!); plank with hands on the ball (which is finished with writing your name with the ball... pray that you have a short name!).

Tracey also has a very well-structured warm-up, which is in my experience unusual for core/ab-only DVDs.

Finally, the DVD is a great length, and really well-chaptered. BTW I think that if you wanted to do only 20 minutes, you very easily could.

The negatives: I was hoping for a more balanced routine -- a more Core Foundations/Core Synergistics-type emphasis on the WHOLE CORE. But I guess if that were what it was, some folks would've been bummed that there weren't more abs! So YMMV. .... Also the music (Jamaican and African themes) may annoy some.

The funny: occasionally, I think I can hear one of the b.g. exercisers moaning in the background... makes me feel better about finding this so difficult! (It's not loud enough to be distracting. You have to listen REALLY closely.)

Overall, I think this is a great workout for what it is. I'm personally not a huge fan of ab-only workouts, as I have trouble keeping up the intensity. I may keep this to use as an "add-on" to other workouts though.

Instructor Comments:
Tracey is warm, well-spoken, and a has a great camera presence (especially considering that this is her first w/o series!).

Megan R