Michelle Dozois Peak 10 More Cardio Strength

WOW! That is the word that comes to mind regarding this workout! I wasn't sure what to expect but was not disappointed in the quality of the workout that I received from Michelle! I had never done a workout of hers but I must say this one did not leave anything on the table. It was TOUGH! When I put in time doing a workout, whether it be an hour or more, I want to feel like I have made good use of my time. There is nothing worse than committing to an hour long class or DVD only to end feeling like you have to go do more. By the time the hour with Michelle is up, I am ready for it to be over! I love the variation from the normal workout that I get with this 59 minute sweat soaking, heart-pounding, high-intensity muscle/cardiovascular challenge!! I am a fitness instructor and have done about every kind of workout at home that there is out there from P90X to Jackie Warner to old school Billy Blanks Tae Bo (may be showing my age here now ;) ) so it is hard to find one that challenges me at a level that this one does while being "new" and unique! This one delivers! The way heavier weights (meaning 10lbs for me) are incorporated into strength moves (some that I've not seen done before) that are fast paced and the way the progression of the Peak 10 regimen works, gives me a workout that is so challenging overall. Mentally, I really have to toughen up to get through this workout and stick to the heavier weights rather than drop down, because that's what I want to do. I don't know that I have worked up a sweat like this in a very long time!! Wasn't sure when I ordered it if I would like it or not, but am SO glad that I gave it a chance! Would definitely agree with the "intermediate to advanced" label for this one. I cannot say enough great things about this workout. I will probably think about others of hers in the future. This will go into my regular rotation. Try it....not for the weak of heart, mind or body.

I have been searching for a decent range of workout DVDs since 1994, and in most of that time, have only come across a precious few that I could repeatedly use that both challenged me enough to meet my appetite for a burn, and that I did not get bored with after so many times. Over the past few years I have discovered interval training as the way to go: more intense workouts combining strength and cardio = less time working out and faster, lasting results. Or so it seems for me.This video is one of those precious few, and definitely one of my favorites for a number of reasons. I've had it for at least a year now, and it is STILL my first go-to video to get an intense workout. I consider myself to be fairly active/strong, but I'm ashamed to admit that I have not been able to hang for the entire length of the video it's that intense (which is quite alright and one day I'll get there), but for the time being, I love the way she's broken up the full length into chunks of ~12 minute levels of continuous intervals between strength w/ weights and cardio. I feel very satisfied with my workout if I only get through half of it, and can easily do the first 20 minutes before heading to work in the mornings and feel like it was worth it.Once you get the rhythm down and the segue between moves, it makes for great flow. Otherwise, allow for several attempts to learn the routine because she tends to move quickly. At this stage in my life (i.e. working out at home), I do really appreciate losing the sometimes-too-long slow motion 'walk-thrus' some instructors throw in that you're stuck with forever after learning the moves the very first time you watch it. Also, some instructors pair fairly awkward moves together or worse yet, choreograph pretty lame motions into their routines that become the "hurdle" one must "endure" to get back to the more interesting exercises, which for me sometimes means that's about when I stop using those videos. 'Your Best Body Circuit' thankfully (in my opinion) doesn't have those annoying minutes worth of exercises I'd rather not do at all. Michelle really knows how to build a challenging workout and still, after this long of using it, I am striving to make it without dying to the official end of this particular video.

I've been using the older Firm videos for years (with Susan Harris, Sandal Bergman et al) but the newer ones just don't deliver and I don't always have time to drive to my gym 20 minutes away. I wanted something challenging, long enough to actually be difficult and interesting enough not to get boring after a couple of attempts. This DVD delivered. The cues are a little fast but as Dozois recommends in the intro, you should familiarize yourself with the workout before attempting it (there's also always the option to replay the chapter ;) ). I can do the whole workout after three attempts although I'm sure my form could use improvement, but it will definitely be a challenge to work up to heavier weights!!! I'm only using 7, 8 and 10 lbs dumbbells (you only need a light set and a heavy set, but "light" for the experienced exercisers in this workout starts at 10 lbs). If you have bad knees you can always do the modifed versions of the high impact exercises; if you don't like her warmup you can always tailor it to your needs, but overall I think this is pretty great considering that hardly any equipment is needed! She also has some interesting choreography and a few kick-boxing inspired moves that makes this workout more fun than others on the market.