I'm really enjoying Tamilee Webb's "I Want Those.." DVD. And I'm a die-hard strength-training nut who lives for squats, sigh.

Tamilee packs a lot into 15min - including a warm-up and cool-down. You get 6 diff workouts - an easier and harder 15min workout for buns, same for arms & shoulders, and also 2 workouts for abs.

I think what might make these tapes more "palatable" to someone who doesn't enjoy traditional strength training is that they use a nice variety of very different-than-usual exercises. And the workouts are mercifully SHORT!

For example, the Buns routine includes bodyweight only one-legged squats, a kind of runner's lunge-and-tip move, and some leg-lifts bent over holding onto a chair seat along with other exercises. I added a weight belt for the squats but they're tough regardless; I added ankle weights for the leg lifts.

The arms & shoulders tape does two giant sets of dumbbell exercises that aren't the usual garden variety - a reverse bicep curl that goes into an overhead press, or sideways-lying one-armed tricep pushups, for example.

I've commented before on how tough I think the abs tape is - yowza, the second routine is incredible! I dare anyone to do those "Jane Fonda" side-lying leg lifts in their entirety!

I think what you'll like is that the routines don't require a lot of equipment, there's a nice variety of non-traditional exercises, you don't feel utterly exhausted afterwards (but a nice burn!) and best of all, you'll be done in 13 min (15 min with warm-up & cool-down).

The DVD format is terrific because you can select routines quickly and also it allows you to choose a music-only option as you grow with the workouts and if you tire of the instructional talk, as one VFer complained.

On the DVD Tamilee also includes a weight-loss diet and nutrition plan that I didn't preview in depth.

A comment on the music - it's OK, not great, mostly instrumental with a strong beat. It seems as if the music in the abs routines is better - more rock-jazz theme and less melody, does that make sense?

All in all, a strong intermediate strength training series that is convenient and brief for those days you don't have an hour to workout.

Instructor: Tamilee is genuine and professional yet down to earth. She performs solo in this series and cues very well without too much extraneous chatter - although she does describe during the routines why the exercises chosen "tested" so well in their physiology lab, which not everyone will find useful. I think she does a great job in this series.

Dawn P