First a little background about myself. I consider myself a high intermediate to low advanced exerciser and have been working out with Joyce workouts for years.

This workout is part of her newer "just Joyce series" and should not be confused with her ealier workout "Non-Stop".

Joyce is 60 years old in this one and looks darn good. There has been plenty of concern about her poor form in execution of the exercises, but whether she has been using poor form or not, she looks great.

The set is a loft setting with a Japanese feel - there are Japanese screens on the sides and a huge round red circle in the center. It is bright and has an open feel. In fact, this is the same set as CIA Gay Gasper, Cardio Crazy - Greg Twombly produced them both.

Joyce's daughter Martha works out in the background and keeps counts while Joyce chats.

There is some pleasant background music but you really don't notice it. Joyce's workouts are not about the music or production value - it's all about the workout.

Once you get used to this workout, you can mute the sound and put in your own music.

It is broken up into two workouts -upper and lower - each takes appr. 15 min to complete, or you could do the entire workout in one day. It is short enough that you could easily add on an aerobic or stretch workout.

Joyce does not use traditional warmups in her workouts; she starts out with some basic upper and lower body stretches. I need a more vigorous workout so I always add on a warmup from another workout before doing a Joyce workout. Also, Joyce does not include stetches at the end so I suggest you add on your own.

Joyce uses the modified pyramid - 12 reps with your lowest weight, 10 reps with the medium weight and 8 reps with the heaviest weight. In the upper body workout you do 3 super duper giant sets, stringing together upper body exercises, right after another, in a giant circuit as follows:

alternate shoulder press
alternate hammer curl
double arm overhead tricep press
alternate bicep curl
double arm tricep kickback
arnold press
standing bent lateral
cross bench pull over
dumbell press - triceps
flat press

You then repeat this giant set with your medium weight - then you take a break and go down on the floor for a giant set of abs as follows:

you do 15 reps for each exercise without resting:

crunch
bent knee sewn lift
clam shell cruch
ceiling sewn lift
toe reach crunch
ceiling reach crunch

you do this giant set 3 times than you go back and complete the heavy set of the upper body weight circuit and then you are done or on to day two - lower body

The Lower body workout giant sets back and thigh work - you do 3 super duper giant sets - pyramiding and then you go onto the floor and do 3 sets of a giant set on the floor and then you have additional ab work which concentrates on the obliques.

Day 2:
upright row - 1 dumbell
wide leg semi squat (plie squat)
1 arm dumbell row
reg. squat - using dumbells
seated back lateral
hack squat - hold dumbells in back
double arm row
french squat - hold dumbells on shoulders
double arm bent row

on to the floor - 15 reps each - 3 rounds
frog leg lift
lying floor scissors (gets abs too)
lying butt lift

extra abs
ceiling oblique reach
side oblique reach
floor oblique reach or seated knee in
pec crunch
knee raised crunch or sit up

This workout give an excellent total body workout in a little over 30 min. There is even a slight aerobic effect on the lower body because you never take a rest.

My original reservations about this workout concerned what weights to use? I e-mailed Joyce and asked her if she recommended using the same weight for each exercise or switching weights for each body part within each super duper giant set ie: - the triceps and shoulders require lighter weights than the bicep and chest. Joyce's answer was to "play it by ear". I took that to mean that I was to play around with the workout and figure out what worked best for me.

I have done it both ways. In this workout, Joyce lifts slowly enough so you have time to switch weights between body parts. For example - for my first round - I was able to use 5 lbs for the alternate shoulder press, then I had enough time to pick up my 8lbs for my hammer curls, I was able to pick up 5lbs for the kickback and then I was able to keep the 5lbs to complete the next exercises. The last 2 exercises are down with 1 weight and I was able to complete both of them with 8lbs and then grab the other 8lbs for the chest press for the first round. Moving on to the second round, I again accommdoated and used 10lb for the biceps, 6lbs for the shoulder/tricep and 10lb for the last 3.

Because Joyce inserts abs inbetween the medium weight and heavy set - on the last set I was able to lift heavy.

In the introduction, Joyce advises beginners to just do the movements, then do 1 round, intermediates do 2 rounds and advanced the entire workout.

I substituted lateral raises for the arnold presses. I also substituted flys for the presses - I just like flys better. Joyce encouranges you to subsitute exercises for the same body part if you can't do one prefer another.

On the lower body work - her squats are just the same old squat except she holds the dumbells in different positions. I don't use weights for squats and on the hack squat and french squat I subsituted lying leg lifts - I did the left leg for the hack squat - did the double arm row and then for the french squat I did the right leg for the leg lifts. I have also substituted calf raises, since there is no calf work in this one.

This workout is easy to fit in a time crunched day. As with all of Joyce's workouts you get the maximum amount of work in the minimum of time.

If you are a Joyce Verdral fan already, I think you will find this one a nice addition to your collection.

This workout can be modified from beginner to advanced by just using light weights and omitting rounds.

I highly recommend this as a good total body workout for those time crunched days or when you just want a break and need something different.

Instructor Comments:
Joyce is her usual zany self, cracking jokes, chatty - it's like working out with an old friend.

Robin F. a/k/a Bebop