Your Personal Best

Karen Voight
Year Released: 1994

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights) , Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance


This tape and a breakdown of the workout have already been discussed extensively, so I'll try not to repeat it all here.

I like the way the aerobics and toning alternate. This makes for a varied workout, which is never boring. As many people have mentioned, the sports-related moves are fun and really get the heart rate up. The outdoor setting also makes a pleasant change from the usual studio setting.

The steps are not complicated. In the second aerobics section there are some grapevines which finish with a lunge. I found this a little awkward at first and tended to lose my balance a little in the lunge movement, ending up with sore knees.

I agree with the reviewer who said she would have liked a longer stretch at the end.

I find Elle Macpherson's presence a little superfluous. She's not obnoxious or anything, but I sometimes think "Who IS this person and what's she doing here?" Maybe it's the generation gap - I understand she is quite popular with younger women.

One minor point: as this tape is meant for beginners/intermediates, I think the introduction could have said a little more about selecting weights and when to move up to heavier ones. All that is said is that you'll need weights "anywhere between 1 and 5 lbs". There is no recommendation on how often to do the workout, either. This may seem self-evident to those who've got into the habit of exercise, but I know when I started out I didn't have a clue.

Instructor Comments:
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Good instruction and cueing; professional attitude; no unnecessary chatter or bad jokes. But that's already been said…

Glynis van Uden

07/17/1998