Strong Body, Ageless Body Workout DVD with Erin O'Brien - Home Fitness Exercise for Women, Strength Training & Toning Routine - Perfect for Busy Moms, Beginners & All Fitness Levels

One word: Wow! I am so glad I found this DVD. I'm in my mid-20s and am in good shape, as I've been working out fairly consistently since college. However, I wanted to incorporate more strength training into my routine and thought this would be an appropriate-level challenge for me. I have been doing Erin's Strong Body, Ageless Body workout for several weeks now and love it. This is a great strength routine to add to your existing cardio and/or specialized routines (abs, Pilates, etc.). The individual exercises are basic and uncomplicated, so participants of nearly any age/weight should be able to enjoy and benefit from this workout.Erin O'Brien is amazing. With this particular workout, she set up a tripod in her living room and created a comprehensive strength training routine just for you. Although you can't "customize" this DVD like some other workouts (the 10 Minute series comes to mind), it is so much more personal than the cookie-cutter studio routines; it honestly feels like you have a one-on-one session with your favorite trainer. Erin is a strong, down-to-earth, no-nonsense woman who cares about health and wants YOU to be strong too. She makes you feel good about yourself and good about working out. Her encouragement is nurturing ("Yes you can!" and "You're all right, I promise!"), and her demeanor is calm and focused.For this 43-minute workout, you need a set of dumbbells (or soup cans) and a yoga mat (or towel). Erin keeps the routine fast-paced, so even though there's not a lot of cardio per se, your heart rate stays up and pumping the whole time, and you still burn tons of calories. She uses 6-pound dumbbells throughout the routine, but I started with 3-pounders and have worked my way up to 5-pounders, which I think I'll stick with for a while. The routine covers all major muscle groups in the body: shoulders, upper/lower back, biceps, triceps, pectorals, upper/lower abs, hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. It consists of 7 parts:* Warm-up: A fun, get-your-blood-pumping series of aerobic movements. (4 minutes)* Four standing upper/lower body segments: You need the weights here. Erin does three sets of 16 repetitions for each exercise, and she alternates between upper and lower body -- 16 reps upper body, 16 reps lower body, repeat 2 more times, then move to the next set of exercises. Transitions are quick. In these four segments, Erin works the shoulders/upper back, biceps, triceps, lat row, quads, glutes, hams, calves, and inner/outer thighs (not in that order, though!). (20 minutes)* Floorwork: This is where you need the mat. Erin works the pecs, upper/lower abs, lower back, inner/outer thighs, hips, glutes, hams, calves, and overall balance. She uses many Pilates moves in this segment and, as before, quickly alternates between upper and lower (or core) -- 8-16 reps depending on the exercise. (15 minutes)* Cool-down: This calming stretching session finishes off what is possibly the most fabulous workout I've ever done in my life, but I do wish this segment were longer (4 minutes). Erin doesn't stretch every muscle we used during the workout (no biceps, triceps, shoulders, or pecs), so I do my own stretches after the DVD ends. Not a big deal.There's a little call-out box in the upper right corner of the screen during most exercises that shows an advanced modification. Erin does the "easy" move in the main frame, and once you're familiar with this, it's no problem to check the box for the advanced mod. This is the opposite of how most instructors do it, and it ends up more encouraging this way because the advanced moves aren't the main feature.The music is fun -- a little sporty/dancy, but not obnoxious, and definitely not loud or overbearing. It's mainly there to keep you on pace with Erin's movements.The first few times I did this workout, I kept up with Erin's quick-yet-manageable pace when I could do the exercise; but truth be told, I couldn't do every exercise! Erin does a LOT of quad work in the four standing sections, and I sometimes had to sit out during the second and/or third sets of squats. I can now do all of the exercises without stopping, but man, it's tough!The only minor gripe I have with this routine is that sometimes Erin transitions very quickly between different exercises, mainly during the floorwork segment. I have to pause it so that I can get my weights, get into position, ensure that my posture is correct, and then resume. Erin is so seasoned that she can do this in 3 seconds, but on certain transitions, I need about 10. :)Because this routine incorporates strength training for the whole body, and because Erin O'Brien is such an inspiring instructor, EVERYONE -- regardless of age or gender -- should have this in their home workout DVD collection. Highly recommended!