Margaret's Unplugged 2000 series

[donnamp]

wow, thanks, Videofit for all the detailed reviews. I'm doing a Montenegro Method rotation right now, but I'm adding in one day of Margaret to cross train - since MR does only work one body part at a time and MM is all compound/combined moves.

Take care,

Donna

[sherry7899]

I don't think I've done episodes 2009 or 2010. I know what I"m doing tomorrow!
Thanks so much for the reviews.

Sherry

[videofit]

My mind wants to do another couple of chapters today but the body isn't willing! Let us know what you think of the outer thigh work in 2009. It could have been tough for me because I've been working out more than usual.

[videofit]

2011: This was shot inside a botanical garden greenhouse with flowering trees and hanging plants while it snowed outside. The warmup was more of a stretch than a warmup so I sort of danced around swinging my arms and legs to get my blood flowing. This chapter was done seated so it’s good to keep that in mind if you need alternatives due to injury someday.

She used 8 lb. dumbbells for overhead presses, which is heavy for her workouts. At one point she dropped down to 5 lb. because she said she didn’t want to sacrifice proper form. Her arms and shoulders looked bigger and stronger than ever!

Seated calf raises were next, wearing ankle weights and holding dumbbells just above the knees for more resistance. They were a bit too easy for me. I get more bang for my buck by holding dumbbells and doing them standing so my full body weight comes into play.

Seated quad leg lifts, keeping the ankle weights on, were next and they were challenging. I was tempted to lean back in my chair because the position felt awkward.

Seated abs were next and they were challenging as well, partly because you lifted your knees toward your chest and then extended them to work the abs and your legs were pre-fatigued by the previous exercises. First you lifted both legs, then you alternated knees to chest. Great alternative to crunches and you could watch TV while doing them.

Seated obliques were similar to her familiar standing obliques where she reaches up and over with her arm over her ear. Then her hands were on shoulders and she tilted side to side. Another variation was hands on shoulders and twisting. Then came ribcage isolations. My obliques were really sore but I enjoyed this bit.

Balletic stretch for the cool down.

2012: Shot in a gorgeous park in Tallahassee with a former Body Electric exerciser named Vanisa, Banisa, Anisa??? I couldn’t quite make it out. She was a black woman with a hot body and Margaret kept saying she was a great dancer. Some of you might remember her from the TV series but I had no clue.

Overhead triceps were standard but they used one 8 lb dumbbell, either holding it with two hands or switching to one hand and lowering dumbbell to opposite shoulder. Pretty standard but effective.

Biceps were next using 8 lbs. Nothing new but you got your money’s worth.

Oddly, we worked our quads again but standing, and Margaret threw in a compound move where you squatted while swinging dumbbells up in front of you level with your head, which was sort of down, but your arms were parallel to the ground. When you stood back up, you brought the dumbbells up into an upright row. Then while holding a squat you did a series of upright rows. Hard to describe.

Lying side outer thighs were nothing new but just as tough as always wearing ankle weights.

Overall I felt this workout was very challenging and I don’t know if it’s because after my three-day marathon followed by one rest day, that somehow my muscles weren’t quite up to it yet. I’m going to do stretches and yoga today because I want to be strong for the next two chapters tomorrow.

[videofit]

Okay, finished volume 3! My notes were such a mess because I tend to scribble in between exercise setups when she is chatting or sometimes I write while I'm doing floorwork. No wonder I can't read my own writing. This last bit is going to be a bit basic and since it's Margaret fans in general who are reading this thread, you will know what I'm talking about when I describe some of her basic moves. I also realized that this thread will be good for me to refer to when I want to use this series again because I won't be able to remember what is on which DVD. Forgive any typos, syntax and grammatical errors because I just wanted to finish the bloody thing! If you have any of the 2000 series, feel free to correct me if I got anything wrong.

Volume 2, 2013
Heidi joined Margaret but they both wore hideous outfits. Margaret looked like a bumblebee with black pants and a top that was black across the bust and bright yellow across the middle. Only someone with a wasp waist should wear bright yellow around their waist! Heidi had a perfectly nice aqua top and pants but it looked like she wrapped a black garbage bag around her waist like some women do to lose inches. It was just the color of that top.

They worked the back, delts and rotator cuff in a series of alternating sets with upright rows, rear delt flies, etc. I liked it because there was lots of variety.

Down to the floor for bridgework, only this time you stuck one leg straight up, perpendicular to your body.

Obliques were done holding one dumbbell in variations of side to side, tilts, twists.

Calf raises were basic but good.

2014
Hamstrings were the old standby, done on your forearms and knees, working leg bending and extending, raising and lowering. Gets the job done!

The triceps sequence was tough because you did lots of pushdowns, then switched to kneeling unweighted kickbacks with your torso nearly parallel to the floor, then finished up with the pushdowns. Thoroughly fatigued my triceps.

Standing lunges for the quads where you staggered your legs, holding a dumbbell on the knee of the forward leg while you raised and lowered your body. Then you faced forward for squats, then turned to the other side to finish the remaining leg.

Biceps curls in all variations. This time she also included alternating curls, which I don’t think I’ve seen her do before.

No chest or abs in these two chapters, so I did planks afterward.

Volume 3, 2015
Shot in the Buffalo Botanical Garden again, during a snowstorm, Margaret and her friend were the picture of summer in their cute exercise togs.

Delts, upper back and rotator were worked in a series of moves which included upright rows and her signature back moves, but what was different was she worked in a series of short sets for each muscle group. There was some overlap, however.

Then she did something I’ve never seen anywhere else: stagger the feet, and bring up the arm (holding dumbbell) that’s on the same side as the foot that’s behind across your chest, then push your elbow back behind the body. Hard to describe. I really had to pay attention. It worked the pecs but I also felt it in the delts and back which we just worked previously.

For abs, Margaret did crunches but held one dumbbell straight up, perpendicular to her body while she crunched. This was followed by a series of lower ab hip lifts with the legs straight up.

Lying inner thighs were her usual but with the exception of making those excruciating tiny circles with your leg, which she sometimes does for outer thighs. I was wearing five pound leg weights so I definitely felt these.

I skipped the cooldown and also the warmup for 2016 because I was planning to do three chapters. Three chapters with only the first warmup and last cool down give you an hour workout.

2016
In her back yard on those familiar platforms, Margaret did tricpes with no weights at all. I have no idea why these are so bloody hard! A series of triceps kickbacks but with the hands in different positions, i.e. palms up, facing, clenched fists. One series of reps she did with her upper body parallel to the ground.

More unweighted back work and again, why were these so hard to do? Seemed tougher than using weights yet she was doing her same move of extending the arms forward, bringing the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades.

Then she went into unweighted oblique twists, and side to side movements, all familiar.

Outer thighs were done standing. She used no weights but I used 5 lbs. Side leg lifts, nothing new, but when you switched legs, the supporting leg became the working leg and it was harder because that leg was tired from just supporting your body and now the working leg was tired even though you were only standing on it because you’d just worked it! Again with the little leg circles. Ouch!

Standing calf raises but you only came down halfway. I held 8 lbs. dumbbells and my calves always feel nicely worked out with this old standby.

2017
With Heidi joining her, they did a hamstring exercise that I always dread and fortunately Margaret only has it in one 1900 Unplugged and Triple Threat, as far as I know. Stand with legs staggered, leaning with chest on forward thigh and you raise and lower your body, never straightening your legs. Then after you are worn out, she ups the ante and has you pick up a dumbbell and push it forward and back while you are raising and lowering your body. You also feel it in your butt and quads. I just can’t do it, Margaret!

Abs are crunches done with your back resting on the small ball. Then you transition from the same position to leg lifts for your quads for a bit, then move the ball, holdng it between your knees while you do bridge work for the butt. She does several hip lifts and has you lift your heels and then your toes.

2018
The warmup was more of a stretch so I got a little more active to get my blood flowing.

Triceps overhead using one dumbbell to touch the opposite shoulder behind. Margaret used 8 lbs. and Heidi 5 lbs. Then they immediately did biceps curls on that same arm. The upward move of the dumbbell was toward the center of the chest, while the extension was away and slightly behind the body. Then they switched to the other arm and Heidi used 8 lbs. You could see her struggle with the triceps portion and even Margaret admitted she was pushing it. Then they worked the biceps on the same arm. Made for a change from the usual order.

Now this next was new for Margaret. She did deadlifts using one dumbbell, holding each end. Then she continued but placed one foot back on the toes and did deadlifts, then switched legs. This was challenging.

Lying inner thighs were the usual, with reps full range, halfway and pulsing.

2019
Botanical Garden again. Calf raises doing reps with feet parallel, then toes pointing out, then toes in, then alternating feet, then rocking on heels and toes. I liked the variety.

Quads were worked by squatting and almost touching your butt to a chair. I didn’t use a chair. Full range then halfway then pulses. Simple and effective.

Obliques (standing) using one weight to pull you down to one side while your other arm reached past your ear; holding dumbbell overhead with both hands, tilt side to side; twist side to side.

Back: upright rows, then do them and at the top, bring the elbows back to pinch upper back; extend dumbbells forward at waist height, then draw elbows back. Repeat with palms up, down, facing. Then read delt flies.

For delts, she started out doing lateral raises, then switched to the “one o’clock and eleven o’clock,” then did reps where it was more like 10 and 2, finally 9 and 3 o’clock. Followed by holding the dumbbells in front of you, arms extended and moving them up and down quickly, like a doggie paddle. I liked the variety.

2020
Heidi and Margaret were wearing sweaters and mentioned it was “autumn in NY.”

All lower body, starting with inner thighs. You put the small ball under the small of your back, which raises your hips. With legs pointing to the sky, move your legs in and out, full range, halfway, crossing at knees, etc. We’ve seen this before but the challenge was trying to stay on the ball. So you worked your core a bit, too.

Lying outer thighs. The ball wasn’t needed so Heidi and Margaret tossed their balls away, only Heidi’s landed in the creek! Your legs are always bent, which was different. You bring the knee to the chest and then almost back down to your other leg. You never extend your leg, as you would in her typical outer thigh work, which made it very intense.

Lying quads. You “cycle” one leg like a one-legged bicycle, then move into traditional leg lifts ending with twisting the leg in the hip socket. Then repeat on other side.

Abs were crunches. I substituted McGills crunches. Then she did upper body circles, where you rotate your head and arms in one direction, then in the other. She’s done that before. Then she lifted the upper body to reach for one raised leg, then alternated legs.

All in all I really liked Volume 3 because it kept me guessing and there was a lot of variety within each muscle group instead of many reps of the same move. I think for Vol. 2, 3, 4, with only six short chapters each, I will do three chapters at a time because I feel much more worked out than only doing two. I skip all the internal warmups and cooldowns, only doing the first and last. That gives me the Margaret DVD standard of two hour-long workouts on each disk.

The unweighted exercises would be good to remember for when you travel. I might try taking photos of the screen for each exercise because I don't know if I'd remember by writing them down.

In this particular DVD, she neglected abs in favor of obliques. The chest was only worked in conjuction with back or delts, never alone. She had more rotator and back work than normally, which I particularly liked.

All of these were shot over a period of months since Margaret often mentioned the weather or season. She seemed to gain and lose a few pounds over that time – just like the rest of us!

[ilovemybirds]

Thanks for your very thorough review! I'm definitely interested in getting this series at some point!

[videofit]

Okay here are the last few. Not as detailed because I didn't type up my notes when the workouts were fresh in my mind.

2023
Delts and pecs were worked using the small ball as resistance by pressing on it while moving your arms up and down and pulsing. Surprisingly challenging. Precursor to her later Fight Age with Strength workout.

Quads with ball between your knees while squatting but you lean back as if you were sitting down, so you have to hang onto something

Hamstrings were the dreaded standing leg curls.

2024
Biceps curls with dumbbells

Chest flies and presses

Bridge work for butt

Outer thighs lying down, bicycle the upper leg and make small circles

2025

Mostly triceps dips off a chair or done on the floor interspersed with sets of unweighted kickbacks which were challenging because of the pre-fatigue from the dips. I substituted a set of overhead triceps because my wrists can’t take too many dips and she did three sets of them.

Back: Heidi sat in a chair while Margaret stood for rear delt flies, transitioning into back work by holding the weights palms facing and bringing elbows back, then palms down and repeat, upright rows transition into elbows pulling back for upper back.


Standing calf work was her usual but this time I added ankle weights as well as holding a pair of 8 lbs. dumbbells cuz I want bigger calves.

Inner thighs: Her new piece of “equipment” is a pair of furniture glides for lying side inner thigh work. The top foot sits on the glide and you slide your foot and straighten that leg while the lower leg lifts and you keep alternating. I work on a rug and didn’t have the glides so just slid my foot. It was a bit awkward and I need to get a paper plate.

The glides were under your feet for abs because as you raised your upper body, you pulled your knees toward you with feet on the floor. Several reps of that and then you did alternate shuffles with your feet. Made for a change from the usual crunches.

2026
Back in the Botanical Garden with Jean for pushups. Margaret started with full body, then went to knees then did one-knee pushups with the foot of the folded leg supporting the upper leg which went out straight back and up. It was actually easier doing that.

Biceps curls in all variations.

Outer thigh floorwork but you brought your knee to the chest and then straightened it out and down and behind you, sort of a cycling move that I’ve done in Winsor Pilates.

I am going to try to trade Volume 4 of this series for either 2, 3 or 4 of the 1900 series. I need more variety in terms of what I see on the screen for backgrounds. That's just my quirk! I'd also trade for Beauty to the Bone or Give Me Strength DVDs if anyone is interested.

[TinaT]

How much does all 4 dvds cost? I hope no minds me asking.

[TinaT]

Oh..my.. I think I just answered my own question. I fingered out the drop down box at her site. $149.00 and change... hmmm.. that's steep. Makes Mirandas 26 episodes a real bargain. I was going to look at trading my season 4 - 3 disc set for MR Unplugged 2000 set but what a price difference. Good grief!!

[sherry7899]

Tina, Margaret will frequently have 20% off sales, and once in a while she will have 30% off sales. Definitely wait for a sale if you want these.

Sherry