Karen's new video "Streamline Fitness" fits perfectly in with my schedule. In fact, the video starts out with her explaining that busy schedules - especially HERS - were the reason behind Streamline's strategy: a more efficient workout in less time. Thank goodness! I love all of Karen's videos, but I don't always have the hour or 80 minutes required.

The workouts are modular, approximately half an hour each, so you can do one, or do both. As Karen explains, "you might want to do the weight training workout in the morning, or when you need an energy burst. The second workout is more energizing and you might want to save it for evenings. After a long day, there's maybe about half-an-hour when you even feel like DOING anything. Maybe you don't even feel like standing up! The second workout works great, then, because it's done lying down."

You work one-on-one with Karen, who looks terrific, as usual. The settings vary (from studio, to what appears to be her home, to the outdoors) but the cueing and action remain constant. The first workout starts with warmup, and then weight training with either dumbells or 3 pound weight balls. Karen demonstrates with both. The cueing is excellent, constant reminders and tips on form, and the moves are simple and effective without being boring. One exercise builds on top of the previous one. The music is like a simple jazz soundtrack.

The second workout is fan-tas-tic. Again, one-on-one with Karen you go through an ab workout that is Voight personified. It hurt to sneeze the next day! Then you do some intense back stretches and finish with a yoga-type stretch section that just feels terrific. Music gets a little more New Age-y, but I enjoyed it.

You get a few outtakes at the end (one with Karen gasping and grabbing a drink after the ab workout).

I liked the one-on-one atmosphere. I love this tape, you get a great feeling of accomplishment in a short amount of time.

Instructor Comments:
I own about fifteen fitness videos, and Karen is my absolute favorite. I like her no-chat, no-cheerleading, no-nonsense approach in her videos. Most of all, I like the results I get.

Suanne Bierman