I am an advanced exerciser but recommend this to exercisers at all levels. As far as equipment goes, you'll need one ankle weight. Start at 1 lb. I now use 3 lbs and that's plenty. You'll also need either a dumbbell or a small squishy weighted ball--the kind that usually shows up for $5 or less at TJMaxx. This workout is pretty much the only instance where I think the ball is better than a dumbbell. I've worked my way up from a 3 lb ball to a 6 lb ball. But if you want to prolong the life of your ball, don't use it as a pillow or cushion the way Karen occasionally does--I broke my 5 lb ball that way. Instead, when she does those moves I use a $1.50 child's play ball, which is far more comfortable anyway.

I love having this workout on DVD--I use the 30 minute lower body floorwork segment, which is separately chaptered, about once a week. (The full workout is 80 minutes, daunting for many) I don't use the standing legs & upper body part--don't think they're very useful. Instead, before doing the floorwork, I usually do the 15 minute standing legs workout from Firm Super Body Sculpt. But one could also get a terrific workout just by doing the warmup, floorwork, and stretch from this DVD. The abs segment (traditional) is also terrific and makes effective use of the weighted ball.

With floorwork, you can attain a great deal of strength and definition in your legs without needing a lot of weight. Also, while floorwork feels harder, it's not as stressful (I think) on your lower body. I've been doing a lot of cardio and standing lower body work lately, and I think I've developed a mild case of shin splints. So I've had to lay off the standing leg work, but I can still do this because it puts no pressure on the shins.

This workout is old--it was made in the early 90s I think. But the music and outfits aren't nearly as off-putting to me as the old Firm workouts are, nor is Karen stepford-ish like the Firm instructors. I actually have come to really like the music--sounds a little like Pat Benatar maybe?

I have dozens of fitness DVDs, but none gets as much use as this one. I enthusiastically recommend it to everyone--it's very reasonably priced at deepdiscountdvd and amazon. I would be very upset if mine broke and I'd immediately replace it. I might even buy a second copy as insurance.

Instructor Comments:
Karen gives the best form pointers in the business, right when you need them. It's as if she can see you and knows precisely what you're doing wrong. She gives the form pointers as you're doing the exercises, so there is zero wasted time here. Because she does not use her workouts as an opportunity to crack jokes, they can be used again and again without becoming annoying.

dianairene