BarreAmped

This is a great barre video that is not too tough but works you out nonetheless. Suzanne is an excellent instructor and I'm pretty finicky when it comes to fitness trainers I like and who provide results. She's pleasant but not too perky and explains how to perform each exercise correctly; she also includes modifiers for those that are just beginning these types of routines. The DVD starts with and introduction and brief warm up then shifts the focus into each muscle group.The first segment is light weight work (9 minutes). I admit that one of the reasons I bought this DVD was because I tend to get bulky and thought that trying light weights would made my arms look smaller. Who knew 3 pounds could feel so heavy? Suzanne focuses mainly on your various shoulder muscles, the middle back and the triceps. She doesn't do a lot of reps but the flutters and "holds" she does with most of the exercises had me quivering a bit. I combine this with the upper body work outs in Suzanne's "Tighten, Tone and Torch" and Leah Sarago's "Ballet Body: Total Body" and my arms are much sleeker. My boyfriend was amazed by the results and said my arms/shoulders have never looked better so I'll be sticking with my little 3 pounders from now on!The second section is thigh work (14 minutes). These are basic barre moves: plies, plies with pulses, leg lifts, "v" position exercises, etc. At first I thought they were too easy but when I realized my form was off my legs were screaming and wobbling around like jello. Suzanne's motto is "shake to change" and that's exactly what my thighs were doing!Seat work is the third segment (19 minutes). Suzanne does leg lifts, subtle muscle movements, etc., along with the "pretzel." I had never done the pretzel before but she explains it well and I'm sure I'll be feeling the after effects tomorrow!Last but not least is mat work (16 minutes). This was my least favorite part of the DVD. She starts with some plank and side planks, which are effective for both the arms and the midsection, but she doesn't do much else for the core. I think the exercises she does are referred to as being "C curves" but they were hard on my lower back and did little for the abs (I probably was doing everything incorrectly, however). At least she included the "superman" to stretch out the back but I don't think this did a thing to strengthen my abs. I'd recommend the core section of Leah Sarago's "Ballet Body: Total Body" for a decent workout in that area. She works your abs from every angle.Suzanne also includes a great series of stretches at the end (13 minutes) that work out the kinks and feel wonderful.All in all I'm very pleased with this DVD and will be using it quite often, if only for the arm thigh segments alone. Suzanne joins the ranks of my favorite trainers with this one and her "Tighten, Tone and Torch" video, which is a compliment since I have a ton of work out DVDs and the ones I use the most are those done by Suzanne, Jessica Smith and Leah Sarago. Highly recommend!

I'm a pretty critical person, in general, but especially when it comes to workout dvd's, most of which are beyond my tolerance and lean toward a richard simmons type placating. This looked interesting and both dvds had good ratings so went for it. I needed something I could do at home in between prepping snacks and playing puzzles all day. I like this type of workout, I sweat but not a ton, but I feel like i get a really great and deep workout.My kids like to watch and try to emulate the moves too. I was worried that my easily injured knees wouldn't be able to handle the moves but I was not only able to do the moves, now the muscles around my knees are stronger than ever and I feel zero stress on my knees during workouts and much less pain overall in my knees during other activities. All you need is a yoga mat, small weights, and tall back chair to do this workout and it has a comprehensive program from warm up to stretch that simulates an actual class. I don't workout everyday, or even every week if I'm busy but I try to do this video once or twice a week and have completed the dvd just under 25 times and Ive been already seeing changes. My legs are leaner, tighter and much stronger, my arms are getting stronger and I'm able to hold plank through the mat section when i wasn't before. And my favorite part, the 'seat' work aka the butt. Ive always had a very small and rather flat butt. I didn't like but figured it what it is. Well after several workouts, maybe 15? i was trying on some clothes and noticed my derriere looked much happier. It inspired me to workout even more and my husband commented that my butt looked lifted and rounder. Rejoice!!! Im getting a butt! And a sweet one at that! I would definitely keep doing this just for the butt benefits but am really liking my overall physique more and feel in much stronger and capable. I also LOVE that suzanne bowen does streaming workouts and hope to graduate to those soon as I'd like to change it up a little more and keep challenging my body.

This is a good workout. It wasn’t as hard as I expected. You definitely will “feel the shake” as your body’s changing. The arm and thigh workout were the hardest and best for me. However I do Pilates a lot, so with that being said, the Core workout on this dvd didn’t feel like much of anything. The instructor is good and easy to follow. She also gives tips on how to do the poses right. I did the whole workout and I really thought the “thigh” work was the best. If you’re looking to reshape your thighs, it’s a great workout. Done correctly, this workout will definitely do that for you👍🏻