Tips n' Tricks: Dance Conditioning

Improve your ballet turnout and strengthen your feet!

One of my ballet instructors took a day to show the class some theraband exercises that we can implement into our conditioning program if we aren't already. These exercises are intended to improve strength, turnout and foot bevels specifically for ballet. During a weekend sometime I'll put together a video demonstration of each of these exercises.

Each exercise is intended to work towards 6 reps ea. and holding for about 8 SLOW counts of music...or in otherwords what feels like forever. ;) The foot exercises can be done before or after class, but the leg exercises should be saved for after class or an activity that warms up your body to avoid injury. Start by doing these exercises about 3x a week (every other day).

FEET/LEGS
Sitting up straight: One foot at a time

• Wrap the theraband around the ball and toes of the foot, pulling back towards your torso for resistence. Press through the ankle, progress to spreading the toes and pressing to an extended pointed foot.
• Point your foot, have a partner wrap the theraband over the top of the metatarsal and toes. Keeping a straight leg, lift the toes then continue to flex the foot. The partner should add resistance but not keep you from being able to lift the toes.

Sitting up straight: Both feet with one theraband
-Wrap from the bottom of your feet around and tie in a lose knot. Hold onto the theraband ends and sit up straight.

• Keep the legs in parallel with the ankles together and bevel the foot from the ankle. Do this with a flexed and a pointed foot.
• Keep the legs in parallel and separate them from the hips without losing the alignment of the legs and feet. Do this with flexed and pointed feet.
• Keep the legs straight. Begin in Parallel then rotating the legs outward from the hips keep the legs together but try to hold a first position with the legs. You will probably feel this in the rotators below the butt.
• This is an extra one, but in that turned out first you could try separating the legs. You may need to move the theraband to the ankles to avoid hurting the feet.

LEGS (continued in a future post)....
 

Pre-Thanksgiving Core Blast!

What kind of fitness blogger would I be if I didn’t give you something to do in preparation for Thanksgiving feasting? So here it is, one of my favorite core workouts, ever. I put this together one day before ballet when I really wanted to increase my core awareness during class. I hope you feel the burn as much as I do, and enjoy your Thanksgiving feast guilt-free!

 

This core workout isn't limited to just Thanksgiving Day! ;) Below is a video that takes you through this workout! Or click here to view it on YouTube.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

PILATES: Intermediate Mat Workout with Ana Caban

You will see me reviewing a few different DVDs instructed by Ana Caban. She has danced all of her life and was introduced to Pilates while recovering from a back injury. Ana was certified through the New York Pilates studio. There are several different DVD covers for this DVD so as long as it is the same title with Ana Caban it should be the same workout. To the left I have posted the three different covers that I am aware of, the top being the DVD that I own (which also has a bonus 12 min. workout).

Ana has an incredibly lean and toned body, which is very motivating when it gets hard. Ana focuses on concentration, precision and coordination between the body and mind. Engaging and lifting the core and abdominals throughout the workout is an important key to getting the most out of it!

This is a great workout for your abdominals, lower back muscles, and legs. I feel warm (and sweaty), and ready to face the day! The workout lasts about 30 minutes, but she uses the time efficiently so that it is a beneficial workout! Make sure that you do warm up before you participate in DVD work-outs unless a warm-up is included. Warming up will help prevent pulled muscles or strains. Cooling down afterwards is also a good idea with some stretching and meditation.

I particularly like her smooth transitions and that she states the name of each exercise (and it is printed on the screen) which is so helpful in learning this movement vocabulary. For those of you who don't know what Pilates stance is, it is a slightly turned-out position of the legs, like a natural first position in ballet.

This is an intermediate Pilates workout, so that it keeps moving with minimal pauses for explanation. She does have a beginners DVD out if you are interested.

I recommend this workout to anyone looking to trim their waist, strengthen their lower back, tone their body or strengthen their core. 

If you are interested in purchasing this workout DVD click here.

If you are interested in learning more about Ana Caban click here to visit her website!

Happy Training! à bientôt!

MTV: Power Yoga with Kristin McGee

I hope everyone has had a good day! I know that I'm having a hard time focusing on my homework so this post was a nice outlet while awaiting the final votes for the Presidential Election. I actually saw this DVD while looking for some Pilates for my back, and was interested in seeing what MTV has produced. Unlike traditional yoga, this yoga is done to the music of Blue Six, which is like a pulsing mild techno or house style music. Kristin McGee takes you though a routine focusing on gaining flexibility mostly through dynamic stretching with some static stretching. 

Filmed in Arizona, I think at a Hilton hotel or resort, the scenery is lovely with rolling hills (or short mountains) in the background, and a beautiful stone patio. While I was doing research for a paper I turned in yesterday I decided to look into where Power yoga came from. In summary it is a popularized form of yoga that draws mostly from Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga methodologies. Power yoga, however, has the flexibility of being a different style per instructor, and customizable routines. This is often the yoga that you will see in gyms or conditioning programs. I was pleased to find out that Bryan Kest (one of my favorite Power yoga DVDs is his) is one of the "founders" of Power yoga. If you want to read more about where Power yoga came from click here for a good place to start looking.

This is a great program for flexibility that begins with a chest and shoulder opener. The routine starts moving right away and the instructor talks you through every movement like, "exhale, press to downward dog". The instructor demonstrates the routine along with three others all facing a different direction, and one of which is a man (proving to the world that yoga is for both genders). I like that you get to warm up before stretching your spine to the side or moving into the spine-twisting poses. 

I really like the transitions and postures that the instructor has chosen. They really focus on warming the entire body, increasing flexibility and building strength at the same time. After the spine-twists there are a series of balancing poses that then move into seated stretching poses. The routine finishes with corpse pose, and a comfortable cross-legged position.

Something I didn't know about this DVD is that there are a few minutes of ab-work pilates tagged onto the end of the yoga routine. This is awesome, it is like the cherry on a cupcake! Creating a core awareness and stability for the rest of the day!

I would recommend this DVD to any level of home yogi, although the level it is taught at is probably an Intermediate/advanced. If you have basic yoga experience or knowledge of some of the basic terminology and poses you will be able to work at it and perfect the routine. Kristin advises using the DVD about 3x a week or more to see results. I would have to agree with this.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD on Amazon click here.

Happy Training! à bientôt!

BALLET BOOT CAMP: 2 with Jessica Sherwood

I have done a post already on Ballet Boot Camp: Stretch, I enjoyed this one because it warmed the muscles and prepared your body to stretch during the workout or even any extra stretching after the workout. Ballet Boot Camp: 2 was what I was next interested in trying. Someday I may try Ballet Boot Camp: 1, but for now let's focus on 2.

The warm-up is great, it consists of some core warming movements that roll through the spine and lengthen from your tail bone to the top of your neck. The second portion of the warm-up breaks down balancés (a weight shifting step in ballet). I love balancés and was pleased to find this was part of the warm-up! If this movement is new for you, don't get discouraged, place your hands on your hips until you get the feet, or go at a slower pace that you are comfortable with. With practice you will find it easier.

Her arms segment I felt in my upper back, which is a good thing since I know that I need to strengthen my back, but someone else might feel it elsewhere like the deltoids or triceps. I'm liking how Jessica is breaking down the exercises and alignment before each section in order to help you get the most out of the workout and prevent injury. Abdominal exercises include more than crunches but also include crunches. She is great at reminding you about your alignment! If I didn't have her talking me through these things I don't think I would be motivated to work so hard. After the glute section Jessica moves into more ballet.

The ballet section includes center barre consisting of plies, tendus, degages, rond de jambe, leg swings. She then has 5 choreography phrases all done to the same music because at the end she puts them in a pattern and you then have this long sequence to practice.

If you have never had ballet experience there are still exercises that you can do, mainly the first half to three quarters of the DVD. If you have ballet experience then you  may look forward to the second half of the DVD, which is titled "ballet basics" and "choreography." Although the combinations are simple, she teaches them quickly (picking it up quickly is a great skill for auditions), if you need to repeat the break down of the phrase, or pause then go ahead! If you have been doing ballet for a while then you may find it just good practice for technique rather than challenging.

This is definitely a great workout DVD, and I was sweating long before the end! My three favorite things about this DVD: works on toning, and strengthening lean muscle; stretches are included between exercises to prevent any bulking of the muscle; and it includes actual ballet technique.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD from amazon see the link below:
Purchase from Amazon

 Happy Training! à bientôt!

BIKRAM YOGA: Hot Yoga 26 Postures

This post is about my first experience with hot yoga, or Bikram Yoga. First, this is my experience, and it may not be what everyone else experiences. Second, I am no doctor and my personal opinions are expressed below.

For those of you not familiar with hot yoga, it is a different method of yoga that is done in both heat and humidity. You can see this link to wikipedia for more information on Bikram Yoga. The breathing techniques are different than for example ashtanga yoga or vinyasa yoga. The temperature is approx. 105* F and about 40% humidity. Because of the heat I would recommend wearing something light on top (or no shirts for men) and shorts. I wore my yoga/running tank with some yoga shorts. We also put a towel over our mat and had a water liter water bottle by our side during the entire thing. This is also a form of yoga that you do not want to wear sweats during! The throaty breathing done during ashtanga is in order to warm your body. In bikram you are warming the body from the outside and therefore we only used that breathing technique for maybe the first five minutes. The rest is done quietly and for the most part in and out through your nose.

At first I was a little concerned at whether or not I could make it through the class--I'm on the tale end of a nasty cold, and my lower back/upper leg on my right side has been giving me fits. However I didn't need a single cough drop, and it cleared my sinuses enough that I could participate in the correct breathing techniques for most of class. I did not feel any pain in my lower back or leg where it usually is very painful just walking around campus (again this is my experience and may not be the same for everyone). Even now that it has been almost two hours since the end of the class my back still feels better than it did before I went in.

Triangle Pose

I feel energized, ready to take on the day, and my mind is clear. I can focus now, and relax. I feel like it was good for stress relief, and even meditation (if you are familiar with the sequence). I was also talking with my yoga buddy, and we decided this must be a really good form of yoga for runners or dancers recovering from injuries because of the heat which loosens up your muscles.

A note on nutrition and hydration: I did feel nauseous the last 10-15 min. of class, and from what I understand that is normal to feel nauseous (differing degrees for everyone-one guy said he gets nauseous at the beginning of class). If you do feel nauseous the teachers seem to be understanding, and our instructor advised that you not move until the nausea goes away. If you are on a diet that restricts your nutrient intake (which I don't necessarily approve of) then I can imagine hot yoga being dangerous and possibly some passing out or worse. Make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet the day before. We went to the 6 AM class and some people can keep a light breakfast down and others can't, just be aware of what your body can handle and be healthy! Most of all stay hydrated!

We were totally going to take a picture doing a pose after the class just to document the moment and include in this post. However, we forgot. So my husband was kind enough to take a picture or two of the two poses that I felt I learned the most. One that I didn't get a picture of but was one of my favorites was Garudasana or eagle pose, which I have done before with one of the Tara Stiles routines. I like to refer to it as "pretzel pose." :)

Toe Stand Pose

Triangle Pose- Different from the ashtanga warrior series, you do not place the hand on the floor and you want a triangle of negative space between the side of the torso and the thigh. You only go until the elbow is lined up with the knee.

Padangustasana (toe stand pose)- It was definitely challenging! I'm going to have to work at this one since it is pretty new to my movement vocabulary.

If you are interested in how to prepare for a class click here to see what the Brick Canvas studio advises.

If you are interested in the studio that we attended see the link below:

Bikram Yoga at Brick Canvas

Bikram yoga studios are more difficult to find than other yoga studios, but if you look for one in your area hopefully there is one close by.

 Happy Training! à bientôt!

CORE STRENGTH VINYASA YOGA: Total Body Sculpt with Sadie Nardini

Sadie Nardini is the creator of Total Body Transformation yoga DVD series. She's also a wellness expert with Dr. Oz. Sadie breaks up the routine on this DVD into eight different sections that you can select separately to build your own workout using the fabulous matrix option, or you can do the entire thing. Again, I love this flexibility in the workout to be customizable to your needs for each day! I'm not going to lie, this was a difficult routine, she has unique approaches and transitions that I haven't experienced before. I found some poses difficult and so I would advise that this is an intermediate/advanced yoga DVD. If you are a beginner you can certainly still use this DVD and work your way up to doing each pose.

Sadie narrates as she demonstrates the routine. There is an option if you play it on your DVD player to select audio 2 which includes music. I was using my laptop in my studio so I didn't have that option (or couldn't figure it out), so I ended up playing some Japanese flute music which was an incredible experience with the movements. If you choose no music the only sounds other than her voice will be that of the outdoor location she was in, a soft breeze, a thunderstorm in the distance, etc.

Below you can find each of the different segments and what I thought of each of them:

1 Core Warm-Up (12 min)- Includes some great progressions and abdominal work!

2 Core Salutations (14 min)- Really good for your core and your lower back alignment. Sadie takes you through the poses with unique transitions and she includes kicks and lunges, down dog splits, and other power-full movements. She has you exhale a little "ha!" for some of them, I have a sore throat and am losing my voice, so I couldn't do that, but I imagine that it would allow you to access your core much like martial arts. You also get to do some hops that might be counted as inversions. It is incredible to watch her power and control as she does these. If you weren't warm enough after the warm up, you will definitely warm up during this sequence!

3 Standing Sequence (14 min)-My favorite transition was from warrior I to diving warrior to reverse warrior. The images that she gives about a golden egg in your core is helpful in remembering to lift the abdominals. When I think of standing sequences I think of tree pose and dancer pose, and all of those other balances. While I was doing this section I wasn't sure why she called it a standing sequence, but in hindsight you are standing, you aren't on the floor.

4 Standing Sequence 2 (12 min)-lots of prayer twist, prayer twist lunge, and other twisting poses. In the morning this feels fantastic on the spine! Crow pose is a part of this sequence as the ending goal. Sadie calls these goals adventure poses.

5 Standing Sequence 3 (11 min)-The goal is to work towards firefly. This sequence goes by pretty fast and feels fabulous! You get to venture through half moon, and other poses that are similar. Firefly pose is done at the very end of this sequence.

6 Deep Core Strength (7 min)-This is a tough one, but short! So keep your energy up and it will be so worth the effort! Lots of plank, twisting plank, etc.

7 Floor Stretch and Counterpose (12 min)-This is a nice stretch sequence that begins with boat pose and moves into other poses including pigeon, down-dog split then bending the knee and opening to release the hip flexors. There is also a middle splits pose that feels fabulous.

8 Inversion and Counter Posing (12 min)- This is for those that are into headstands. I used to be able to do them, but I've stopped practicing and preparing so I wasn't so graceful on this one. After the headstands she moves into bridge poses and finishes.

This is a yoga DVD that is going in my favorites list! It is challenging, feels good, and builds strength and power physically and emotionally.

Here is a link to purchase it on Amazon:

Purchase Total Body Sculpt

Here is a link to Sadie Nardini's Website:

Sadie Nardini

Happy Training! à bientôt! 

RADIANT FLOW YOGA: with Janet Stone

**For the Intermediate/Advanced yogi

Absolutely exquisite! Radiant Flow is an intermediate-advanced yoga DVD for those that want to take their practice to the next level (Or those with dance experience like ballet, contemporary, jazz or modern). Right away I knew that this was a routine that I would love! It keeps you moving and at times it would be fast moving for a beginner. I lean more towards yoga that moves like a dance, which usually means power yoga or Vinyasa flow yoga--which is exactly this! Your body will warm up quickly and you will be introduced to some "new" poses (Some of her poses I have never seen on a yoga DVD before) almost immediately. If you are looking to get into the "pretzel" yoga poses (i.e. putting your foot behind your head) then this is the DVD for you! Janet does encourage you to use a strap or towel if you aren't as flexible as she demonstrates, which I did have to do for a few of the poses.

The menu is pretty simple, there's an option to either play the entire routine or to go to a chapter selection. If you are familiar with the routine I imagine that this would be an awesome feature to go to the section you like! (Again with the customizable stuff...you guys probably have me all figured out!) The music is incredible. The studio is done on a cement floor that has a small amount of water and the class is on slightly raised mats. This makes the visual really cool! Janet narrates as she and the class demonstrate the routine.

This DVD includes a 69 min. routine that will challenge any yogi! You will begin with a small amount of meditation (literally only a minute), finding where you are at that time. Janet doesn't mess around, she jumps right into the routine. I can tell that she has thought through the routine and that she has created a sequence that will prepare you to be strong and progress to the more difficult poses in the routine. Her voice has the perfect tone to give you energy and keep you relaxed at the same time. This is definitely one of my new favorite yoga DVDs, and I definitely recommend it to anyone that is looking for a challenge and progression in their yoga practices. An incredible routine for strength, balance, core connection, flexibility and of course for muscle toning! The routine ends with some counter poses and the ever-popular corpse pose.

Some of the poses include:
Scorpion
Down-dog Split
(Some poses that Shiva Rea used in her Dancing Warrior sequence  that I LOVE...but obviously don't know the pose names)
Side Crow
push-ups before down-dog
Warrior 3-arms entwined
Back bends
Half-happy baby
Plow

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see below:
Purchase Radiant Flow

If you are interested in Janet Stone and her yoga studio or other DVDs see below:
Janet Stone Yoga

Happy Training! à bientôt!

NEW YORK CITY BALLET: Workout I

Given that the New York City Ballet post randomly landed on September 11th I thought it prudent to mention that if anything this is meant to honor those who lost their lives and loved ones that day so many years ago. 

I've owned this DVD for a while, and always enjoy doing it. I love how gain an increased sense of your rotation (turn out) and alignment. There is a fluid quality to a lot of the movements that make you feel like you are in a modified ballet class. I was first introduced through conversation a few years ago to the series and I was intrigued but thought it beyond my skillset. However, I think that anyone could pick it up given that they have basic dance or particularly ballet experience. You will be able to work on your strength, core, flexibility, as well as your turn-out. The additional benefit on top of all those listed above is an increase in body-awareness; which is so good for everyone!

The DVD has a caption at the base of the front cover that says "Stretches and Exercises Anyone Can Do for a Strong, Graceful and Sculpted Body." I agree whole-heartedly with this statement. It truly will sculpt your muscles and make you feel like a dancer even if you aren't one! The dancers that demonstrate the entire workout are evidence of this. Their bodies are beautifully sculpted, strong and limber. Everything you need to be functional and more!

All of the exercises are done to classical music (also an option for contemporary music on the main menu!), demonstrated by dancers, and narrated/instructed by Peter Martins. 

What's included on this DVD:

Workout:

•  Section 1 -Warm Up One (3 min.): You begin working in parallel and then turnout, using the arms separately and with the movement. I love this warm up! I always feel my stiffness go away by the end of the 3 minutes!
• Section 2-Warm Up Two (1 min. 30 sec.): Two ballerinas take you through a balancé sequence that moves side to side and slightly forwards and backwards. arms are used, and some parallel is employed in addition to the turn-out.
  Section 3-Warm Up Three (1 min. 40 sec.): two danseurs (male dancers) take you through a sequence, that is very similar to Warm Up Two.
• Section 5-Abdominals & Leg Darts (4 min.): just like it sounds, you are doing core work involving crunches, and rotating crunches including bicycle crunches. Just the right amount to get you sweating if you aren't already. Demonstrated by one of the men.
• Section 12-Passe (2 min.): a simple exercise to increase balance, as well as precision in the passe movement (lifting one leg to the knee then passing it to the back of the knee before lowering the foot in turned out position.). There are some lovely variations including a plie.
• Section 9-Plies (4 min.): Plies are an essential part of a ballet barre warm up. When bending the knees make sure that your knees are tracking over the toes and not in front of or behind them (this will protect your knees). Also keeping your butt tucked and abdominals lifted will help you engage the correct muscles.
• Section 13-Front Attitude (3 min.): This is a great exercise to work on your attitude devant/derriere (bent leg in front/back). You also work on some basic rond de jambe (circular movements of the leg).
• Section 14-Grand Battement Front (2 min.): The grand battement is a essentially a kick. This is a simple exercise that is great for your propioception and balance. Remember to keep the shoulders down and not to tense up, this will help you keep your alignment and your muscles available to stretch.
• Section 15-Arabesque Raises (1 min. 30 sec.): An arabesque is lifting your leg directly behind you. be sure to keep your pelvis aligned and spine lengthened in order to protect your back (much like back bends in yoga). 

Sports Options: This includes options for football, skiing, and racquet sports. I haven't ever used this selection but from what I can tell they have taken the segments of the warm up that are helpful in conditioning for the above listed sports. (This might also be fun for my husband to try the football selection)

Exercises: This selection on the menu takes you to each of the exercises that are used in the workout but listed by section #. If you are familiar with the workout then this would be a great place to go to select the exercises you specifically want to practice. The awesome part about this is that there are exercises that weren't included in the workout that you can add to your workout! I am such a sucker for customizable workouts!

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the below link to Amazon.com:

Purchase this on Amazon

If you are also interested in workout II of the series, I will be reviewing it at a future date, but I also enjoy that one.

New York City Ballet: Workout II

Happy Training! à bientôt!

10 Minute Solution: Slim & Sculpt Pilates

If you've been reading my blog, you already know that I prefer customizable workouts. This is another one of those where you can select which routines you want to do and in what order. You can do one, or all.

This is a great low-impact workout that you can squeeze into any down-time you have in your day!

Pilates for Abs (10 min.)- This section goes by pretty quickly. I'm glad because I don't enjoy ab work, even though it is so good for me! My favorite exercise involves a twisting motion and that is where I really broke a sweat, and I was sad when we moved on to the next exercise! Done on the floor, a yoga mat or rug would be helpful.

Upper Body Pilates(10 min.)- Probably the most difficult section for me to do. My shoulders and arms were burning, definitely a fast and great workout for your upper body! No special poses required, the entire thing is done standing.

Lower Body Pilates(10 min.)-not as difficult as the upper body section for me, but that may be that my legs are just stronger than my arms. All of the exercises are done while on the floor. a yoga mat or rug would be helpful.

Total Body Pilates (10 min.)-This is a great segment to do if you only have 10 minutes to workout but want a total body workout. She moves through the different sections of the body, each sections gets two or 3 exercises. A fantastic and quick way to break a sweat.

Pilates for Flexibility (10 min.)- Begins standing then moves to the floor. A series of gentle stretches to help calm your body after a workout. If you have more flexibility you can always take it further.

*For those of you who purchase the DVD without the band included, please note that you will want an extra long Pilates band (theraband). If it snaps while using it you need a stronger one that will provide better resistance. 

If you want to see the trailer to this DVD see the link below:

Slim & Sculpt Trailer

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD please see the link below, note that you will want one that is new and comes with the Pilates band.

Amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

FLOW YOGA: Strength & Flexibility

To be honest I bought this BodyWisdom DVD because I liked the way it looked... and because I am becoming fond of flow yoga. I find that it moves a little more, calms a little more, and gives you more dynamic stretches. I feel like I'm dancing and meditating at the same time! Of course this DVD moves slower than some of Shiva Rea's routines, but I think it is all the better for the strength-building and toning!

This DVD has hours of incredible yoga! It is recommended on the main menu that whatever amount of the DVD you do that you include time for a warm up and a cool down if possible. There is a warm up and a cool down included on this DVD that I would recommend using if you have the time.

I also like the format of this DVD because the routines are split up into target areas. I love it! You can customize your workout to where you want to feel the burn. When you select a routine, (e.g. hips) it will give you several options, like "hips (45 min.), hips w/ warm up (55min.), hips w/cool down (60 min.), hips w/ warm-up & cool down (75 min.)." So if you are already warm, or have your own cool down then you are set to go! If you want to do multiple target areas, never fear, you can just select the first option (hips (45 min.) and go back to the main menu and select another sequence when you are done.

Fantastic workout! Definitely challenging for anyone. This may be a slow flowing yoga, but it is fit for a warrior! See if you can't convince your husbands/significant other to try it with you. ;) If you are a beginner, start small and work your way up to longer routines that require more strength. If you are intermediate, or an active person this will still be a challenge, but you could probably start with the longer routines to see how you like it!

Below is a list of the sequences included:

• Warm Up (10 min.)
•  A short and gentle warm up with some twists and mild movement improvisation.
• General Flow (25 min.)
•  Starts slow for the first minute or so, then she gets right into the movement. My legs were burning a little over halfway through, but especially during Warrior 3 pose! Very good for developing overall strength and tone. She also has a dynamic stretch that I have done before in dance and absolutely love how it feels! You go from a low lunge into what she called monkey pose that stretches your calves and hamstrings.
• Arms (40 min.)
•  Knowing how difficult it was to complete the other routines I was dreading this one. But instead of the enormous amount of push ups that I was expecting, there were arm and shoulder stretches. There were also poses like side plank, forearm plank with some small movements. Another great workout!
• Back Bends (35 min.)
•  This sequence is not only to strengthen and tone like none other, but also to build the strength and teach the correct alignment when doing back bends. There are small baby back bends until the last few poses and you are able to do bigger back bends. I loved doing this because I was able to do the back bends without feeling any compression in my lower back. I believe this is because I did this exercise.
• Legs (40 min.)
•  Ever wanted those beautiful yogi legs? This is the way to get them! down-dog split, warrior, low lunge, chair pose, and other balancing poses create the perfect toning and strength building exercise for your legs! A yoga band, towel, theraband or other item may be used at the end during stretching.
• Core Strength (45 min.)
•  Begins with delicious cat-cow poses! You then continue to move through a rigorous sequence of ab sculpting poses. I love this one, and would do it any day instead of crunches. ;)
• Hips (45 min.)
•  Killer workout!!! Intense stretches that are great for runners! Pigeon, down-dog split, and other awesome hip-openers! She also has some nice transitions from pose to pose that I enjoy!
• Cool Down (20 min.)
•  Begins in a seated twisting pose, this is a great cool down with stretches that will help your muscles relax and release to reduce soreness. Deep relaxation and light meditation makes up the last 7-ish minutes of this cool down. Great for preparing yourself mentally for a productive day, or simply to relax and clear your mind before bed.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the link below:

amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

YOGAWORKS, BODY SLIM: Sculpt Lean Muscle, Increase Energy, Burn Fat

This is a great DVD for feeling the burn while doing yoga! The instructor speaks more like an aerobics instructor (which I know some people like better than the relaxing voice), and she pushes your strength!

The only thing that bugged me was her time management, I felt like she could talk less or demonstrate while talking a little more. I just played the DVD at 2x speed for those parts until we started moving. However, if you are not familiar with the poses then you might find what she is saying helpful.

She uses a pattern of slow movement, then fast movement at the top of the mat, then moves to the middle of the mat for hip opener poses. I love the burn that I feel during this workout, and I'm already sore! I'm feeling the soreness in my shoulders and obliques, so this is a great one for your core and your arms. :)

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the link below:

amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

TEEN YOGA: Feat. Alley LaForce & Kathleen Kastner

Yoga expert Kathleen Kastner is joined by Alley LaForce (MissTeen USA 2005) in a flow yoga class. Even before I've started the routine I already love Kathleen's teaching style! She describes breath in a way that I never have heard a yoga instructor say before! You'll have to use the DVD to find out how she says it! ;)

I think this is a great routine for beginners and intermediates, I found some of the poses difficult, and some of them easy. Kathleen provides variations going from beginner to advanced so that you can always get a good workout from this routine! 

As the title indicates, it was made specifically for teens, to keep them healthy, strong and beautiful. It also builds flexibility, which I think is important to being able to function with less injury. An example of this is that she works you into the splits over time and the straddles as well. I think this is a great routine and I'm so glad that I found it! (thanks to Sonya who asked me to try it!)

If there is one thing that I would change the next time that I practice this routine it would be to select the "instruction without music" option on the DVD and play my own. I felt like the instructor was very positive and relaxing, but when it was difficult I wished that the music would carry me through the poses a little more.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the link below:

Amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

AIM TRUE YOGA: Calorie Burning, Flexibility & Toning

Kathryn Budig is a great yoga instructor! I love this DVD because she moves through progressions that help you and your body perform more advanced poses. She is very cheerful, and encourages a smile during the routines. Her imagery and analogies are unique, and the workout leaves you feeling motivated and satisfied. Because she includes the more complicated poses in her workout, it takes more energy but it is so worth it! She gives you something to work towards. 

The DVD comes with two different workouts plus a killer downloadable workout for your core!


Here are the different routines included on the DVD:

• Beginner’s Practice (Mid Beginning/Intermediate) 25 min.  
•  Kathryn takes you through plank, down-dog, Introduces you to cobra and up-dog and uses a series of warrior poses as well. She takes you through some great preparations for poses that are in Authentic Flow and prepares you to do jumps in and out of plank.
• Authentic Flow (intermediate/advanced) 45 min.  
• You should probably have some basic Yoga experience in order to complete this section. It is more difficult and some of the twisting warrior poses get a little confusing. Dancers, you would LOVE this! Backbends, handstand/headstand prep, standing split, etc.  

• Power Up Your Core 6 min. 
• This is the downloadable workout for your core that comes with the DVD! Awesome to quickly blast your core anytime! 
• Yoga Poses Demystified
• This section of the DVD is a great resource for yogi's of all experience! Kathryn goes through basic poses and movements and demonstrates while explaining the alignment and feelings needed for each one. You can just watch or do it with her and feel what she is explaining.

If you are more interested in Kathryn Budig then you could check out her website:

kathrynbudig.com

*Just be cautious when it comes to her "Press" section because of some of the advertisements she has been in, and her lack of clothes in them. I personally avoid that section.

Since Amazon.com is an awesome place for DVDs I've included the link below:

Amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

*second image pulled from her website, and is not a pose included on this DVD.

YOGALOSOPHY: Yoga Meets Toning to Sculpt Sleek Muscles

This morning my sisters and I did this yoga workout. Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy combines yoga poses with other toning exercises to create a great toning and strengthening workout! Also, some of you may know Mandy as the Jennifer Aniston's yoga instructor; no wonder Jennifer is so gorgeous!

This workout includes:

• Chair Pose/Squats
• Crescent Pose/Lunges
• Temple Pose/Second Position Plie
• Boat Pose/V-ups
• Bridge Pose and many others...

The general pattern of the workout is that she will introduce a pose, hold it, then add the exercise (i.e. squats), and then pulse.

The entire workout is 35 minutes. I haven't tried the "Fully Loaded Challenge" yet, but even the 35 minutes, to me, is worth the purchase.

Mandy does talk a lot through the workout, but there is also an option to do the workout without the instruction if that bothers you. I think she is hilarious and actually enjoy listening to her talk me through the exercises. There are a couple times that she uses the phrase "I have a great a**!" simply because that is her mantra, and if that bothers you, you can always select the option without the verbal instruction.

I felt the burn mostly in my legs. Mandy has gorgeous legs, and having an instructor that looks the part is always a motivating factor for me. Some of you who are a bit more sensitive to clothing modesty may notice that her shorts are just short enough that sometimes the camera view can be a little awkward. However, if you are working out you won't be focusing on that anyway.

I purchased mine from Amazon.com for less than $10:

<http://www.amazon.com/>

For anyone interested further in Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy can check out her website:

<http://mandyingber.com/>

Anyone interested in her Youtube channel where she posts some short routines check out this link:

<http://www.youtube.com/user/MandyIngber?feature=watch>

Happy Training!  à bientôt!

SLIM DOWN IN A SPLASH: Pool Workout

Summer is coming to an end, but we are also approaching the warmest month! So why not "Slim Down" in the pool while you are having fun? My sister sent me another routine that she used during her first and second trimesters. I have also tried some of the exercises and am game for anything that will burn, tone and strengthen! The following is her detailed review on the workout since she is more familiar than I am.

• K-Tread is much more difficult to do than you would think - it really works out your arms and abs. I had to use water-weights under my arms to support myself or I couldn't keep my legs straight without sinking, but my sister was able to do it solo. 

• Otter Roll is fun, though I altered it slightly to keep my head out of the water - it can make you dizzy if you aren't careful. We only did this one occasionally.
• Ball Lever is another very difficult one because it requires you to use core muscles to keep your body straight while countering a lot of resistance from the water. I didn't do this one as often as my sister.
• Pike Scull (we just called it "V" for the shape) was one of our favorites and we would have races down the length of the pool to see who could move the fastest while maintaining the v-shape with their abs. I had to use floatation under my arms on this one too.
• Wave Maker is great if you don't mind attracting attention from the splashing. I was a little self-conscious and kept my waves below the water and didn't do it as often, opting instead to just flutter kick.

So we would do a random assortment of these exercises (always "K" and "V") plus "bicycle"ing our legs with some water-weight curling to work our arms and a lunging and stretching cool-down in the shallows at the end. Flutter kicks or Frog/scissor kicks were the "filler" exercise, just doing laps for however long we wanted to after the more rigorous stuff. Our workout always lasted for about 45min-1hour. If I felt any straining or pain I immediately backed off and did something gentle instead. I've found that many workouts can be adapted for prenatal use by just paying attention to how your body is feeling and using common sense.

This is the pool workout that can work for anyone:
<http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/lose-weight/total-body/pool-workout/?page=1K-tread>

Thank you Krysta for the awesome review on the Slim Down in a Splash Pool Workout!

Happy Training! à bientôt!

*Image from Fitnessmagazine.com picturing K-Tread from this workout.

10 MINUTE ABS: 10 Crunch-Free Moves inspired by Pilates & Kickboxing!

I've never loved crunches and never did more than 10 at a time until I got into my university dance classes. In these classes, we had an hour of pilates, yoga, and other conditioning exercises before an hour of dance M-F. That summer was the most fit I've ever been, and the most capable of doing awesome stunts in modern dance! From this experience I have learned that a strong core means that you have more freedom and will-power to do things, even outside of dance.

 I found a circuit on Pinterest that is great for anyone's abs! This will burn, tone and even build some strength. :) It only takes a few minutes, but if you are reading through it for the first time then it might take a bit longer. I read through the exercises and walked myself through the movements before I really went for it. Then, I timed myself once I felt more comfortable with the exercises (with the guidance of the pictures) and I came in at 9 min. 35 sec.... And oh heavens...I'm feeling the burn! I started out comfortably warm, and now I'm melting from the sweat that these simple, non-crunch moves built up! 

Totally awesome, quick and I will definitely be incorporating this into my warm-ups!! Something helpful is that whenever you are contracting our abs you should exhale, pulling the belly button back to the spine to encourage flat abs, and engage the internal abdominals. :)

My favorites include:

• Cross Knee Strike-the first step in the circuit, and I'm already sweating!
• Front Knee Strike
• Front Kick Tabletop-pictured above
• Cross Punch Roll-up
• Back Kick Plank
• Side Kick Plank

Least Favorites:

• Bob and Weave-Because it is difficult to find a comfortable speed/groove for this.
• Abs Jabs-Just because I'm not a kickboxer.

Here is the link to the slides:
<http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/10-crunch-free-moves-killer-abs>

Happy Training! à bientôt!

*image from the Shape.com link above

BRYAN KEST'S POWER YOGA: Energize, Tone, Sweat

Ever since my friend introduced me to Bryan Kest's Power Yoga I have been a fan. There are three different sections to this DVD; Energize, Tone, and Sweat. The first two are definitely worth the purchase! With Bryan's routines you will definitely sweat and feel that awesome burn.

Some of the poses that I really loved and were worth the burn include:

• Down-dog
• Chaturanga
• Up-dog
• Warrior Poses
• Prayer twists
• Some balance poses
• Boat pose

Energize: Beginners/Intermediate Power Yoga
Tone: Intermediate/Advanced Power Yoga
Sweat: Intermediate/Advanced Power Yoga

I just wanted to give a heads up that in the Energize sequence there is a lot of white spandex going on, which is a little odd, but you get used to it. There may or may not be interpretive meaning to the color schemes of each routine. :)

I purchased mine from Amazon.com:
<Bryan Kest Power Yoga on Amazon.com>

Happy Training! à bientôt!

YOGA ZONE: Power Yoga for Strength & Endurance

My friend and I have been doing yoga in the evenings, and last night was Yoga Zone with Lisa Bennett. Both beginner and more advanced variations are demonstrated. This is a great workout for anyone looking to tone, strengthen and even work on their balance. My legs were burning before we were halfway through, and I even felt the burn in my ankles and sometimes in my feet! It burned so "good" and I definitely will be doing it again. It is older so their outfits are slightly dated...particularly Charles, that is demonstrating some of the variations for you. But, if anything this just adds some fun to your workout. :)

Poses include: chair pose (very much like holding a squat), warrior poses (lots of lunges), chaturanga (like a push up) and down-dog. 

If you don't mind commercials and don't want to invest in the DVDs quite yet there are some routines on Hulu for free:

http://www.hulu.com/yoga-zone

I purchased my DVD from amazon.com but you can find it other places too, I'm sure.

Happy training! à bientôt!

BALLET BEAUTIFUL: Blast Series

Ballet Beautiful is a foundation that I recently came across while searching for new exercises to try. I like to look for exercises that dancers can do without bulking up simply because being muscle-bound is not my goal. First I watched the DVD to see what I was in for, and it appeared simple, lovely and not too difficult. I then tried the first three sections (Swan Arms, Body Blast, Butt Series Part 1) back to back this morning. To be perfectly honest I couldn't make it through the last section without a break first. It was a lot more difficult than I expected it to be, and this is now one of my favorite ballet exercise DVDs! I found that much like Ballet that appears lovely and not too difficult, it certainly is a work-out. I can already feel my arms and legs getting sore. She does move fast, so for those unfamiliar with basic ballet movement be patient, pay close attention to her posture and try to keep your shoulders down and relaxed as much as possible.

I would recommend that you do the exercises at your own pace, whether or not you have ballet experience because you will still get the workout, for sure! Something that I would also do is pause it whenever she takes a breath to stretch and take a little longer if you feel like you would like a better stretch.

She is precise and stays to her 15 minute limit for each of these 4 sections. This time limit can be used to give motivation because it is very short and oh so worth it! You can also mix and match or do the entire DVD all the way through. Whatever you need. I personally love it, but everyone is different.

Mary Helen seems to also have a YouTube Channel where she posts information on her new releases:
<http://www.youtube.com/user/MaryHelenBowers>

There are also live classes offered for a fee over the internet for those of you interested in that, you can find more info on her website:
<http://www.balletbeautiful.com/>

It looks like she also has a book that should have some good recipes, and exercises. If I ever get to take a look at it then I will definitely blog about it!

Happy Training! à bientôt!