Gilad Lord of the Abs: Maximum Abs! Heavy Ball Standing Workout

I own other workout videos from Gilad and he is a timeless instructor that keeps giving results!This workout is wonderful because all you need is a little bit of room, and just a 2-4lb medicine ball! If you don't have a ball, you can simply use a 2-5 lb weight OR a child's play ball (basketball, soccerball, etc), or even a small pillow if you are new to working out!I love that this workout is aerobic while working abs. I own other workouts who use medicine balls for abs, but this one is just a great solid cardio/standing ab workout using the ball the whole time. I have a 4lb medicine ball and this worked greatly. When I first did this video I used a 3lb weight just to get used to the moves and I still got a very good workout! It does work the shoulders as others have mentioned, but I find that keeping your core tight and focusing more on your abs and not your shoulders-will reap better results. The first segments you do feel it alot in your shoulders but if you feel you are getting sore, you can modify by not lifting your arms too high and keep them a bit lower.This workout is much longer than any "ab" workout but I feel it is great to use for a "cardio day" without having to worry that I need to add an "ab workout" at the end. This has both!! I really felt this one in my abs the next day, but not TOO sore that I felt overworked either. ;) The aerobics are more low impact as you don't do any jumping around-however-there IS a man in the workout who does higher modifications where he does the high impact moves, so you can choose to power up your moves if you want. There is lots of different moves in this workout that keeps you from getting board. Some moves you do while just standing.The moves are very basic and easy to follow and his cuing is very good. :)Get ready to turn, twist, crunch, and chop your way to great abs in no time! I love Gilad's workouts!

This is my first Gilad workout dvd and will most likely be my last. Several things I really disliked about it:1. There are no chapters or premixes. It’s just one long workout.2. The pace is so fast that there is no time to really learn the moves while engaging your core, which is the whole point of this workout.3. Gilad’s cuing leaves much to be desired. He cues the moves as they start, rather than a few beats ahead. This left me always feeling behind. There was no instruction before new moves on how to do them properly so as to engage the abs.4. Way too much flinging the ball around and twisting at a fast pace. Back injury anyone?I had high hopes for this dvd, but can’t recommend it. I much prefer Gin Miller’s medicine ball ab workout which is slower, controlled, and has excellent cuing and instruction.

I first saw Gilad, who I've been exercising with since the early 90's, use a heavy ball in his workout routine in one of his 30th anniversary shows. What a revelation to get a total body workout without going to the ground. At only 21 minutes, those shows became too easy to do. I ordered this dvd and couldn't be happier. This is a total of 55 minutes and a much harder workout. When I first tried it, I had to tap out midway through. Now I can finish it with no problem. I first used an 8 lb heavy ball, which was a big mistake. It was impossible to keep up at their speed. So I ordered a 6 lb ball from Amazon. Much easier.I lost 20 lbs in about 8 weeks and I have abs now! They are still somewhat hidden under a layer of fat, but I am getting there. I highly recommend this series.Update: 8/22/18 I have now lost 30 lbs. Right now I am back to using the 8 lb ball for the 22 minute 30th anniversary show which became easy using the 6 lb ball. When that becomes a little easier, I will again try the 8 lb ball with this workout. As it is with the 6 lb ball, I am jumping like Steve.

In this workout, all abdominal work is done standing with the heavy ball. The heavy ball is equivalent to a 3 to 5 pound dumbbell or a medium-weight medicine ball. (I used a medium-weight medicine ball.) This is an intermediate or advanced workout depending on the weight of your ball and your desired cardio intensity level.I liked the variety that this abs workout offered. This is another way to work your abs and includes working your arms through various planes of motion, with quite a bit of cardio, including jumps, lunges, squats, and side steps.Total workout time (51:19)Warm up (4:18) This is cardio and stretches.Workout (40:01) Work your abs in a cardio fashion with many arm movements.Cool down (7:00) This is composed of stretches with the ball.Here is a breakdown of the workout. Most exercises are listed.CircleCircle and squat, pivotCircle with knee upHammer throwSide to sideLunge back with twistCircle and pivotCircle with knee upCircle with hammer throwHold positionsStep and extendTwist to the side, backFull twist to sidesDiscus throwTwist and extendStep and liftSquat twistLiftPivot liftLift with heel raiseLunge seriesSide lunge, with twistSide lunge and liftAbductionHold and balanceKnee and lift, with holdSide stepStep circleStep pressCircle and pivotCircle with hopSide lunge with arm extensionCircle side to side, with hopFigure 8, with hopFront lunge with pushBack lunge with pressLunge and push/press comboLunge with twistLunge push, press, and twist triple