Search - Body Target: Abs on DVD

2 workouts-great abs!

M. Stevens | 07/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD has 2 workouts: Pilates for Abs w/Ana Caban and Abs Yoga for beginners w/Rodney Yee. I'll review each one then talk about the tape as a whole.



Pilates for Abs: This is a workout that is certainly for people who are already familiar with pilates and have practiced it before. There are very few modifications and Ana assumes that the viewer is looking to improve upon their pilates practice. With that being said, this is an excellent workout for those who want to really focus on the abs without doing tiresome sit-ups, crunches, etc. The exercises are as follows:

The 100

The Roll-up

The Roll-over

Leg Circles (for each leg)

Rolling like a Ball (hands crossed at ankles)

Single Leg Stretch (bicycle motion is used, also a version w/out hands is shown)

Double Leg Stretch (with hands, then without)

Scissors/Single leg Stretch (with hands, then without)

Double Leg Lower & Lift

Criss Cross (10x slow & 10x fast)

Open Leg Rocker

Closed Leg Rocker (also demostrates with or w/out flexed feet)

Corkscrew

Neck Pull

Shoulder Bridge (both feet 1st, then 1 foot on the floor and 1 in the air)

Spine Twist

Teaser

Hip Circles

Combination of Teaser, Open and Closed Leg Rockers, and Rolling like a ball



After the combo, you stand, walk down your body to a plank, rise to Neck roll, go into Child's pose and end seated.



The workout clocks in at about 22 minutes, which is good for in the morning or doing after cardio. I really felt it in my abs as well as my hips. Ana is a energetic and enthusiastic instructor who seems to really enjoy teaching Pilates, which made the tape fun and encouraging, even when I couldn't complete all of the moves.



Abs Yoga: This workout combines the relaxation of yoga with the focus on the abs. I've never done yoga before and wasn't really into the idea of adding a yoga workout to my pilates routine. However, this tape serves as a good indication of whether or not a yoga workout is right for the viewer. Rodney is a great teacher and his form is beautiful to watch and to aspire to while in your practice. My only gripe is that he does an exercise of lowering your legs and lifting them too much in a 20 minute workout. Other than that, I love it and this workout has peaked my interest in other beginner tapes by Rodney Yee.



Overall, I really love this DVD and think this is a great addition to my other tapes. The fact that it is short on time and has seperated the workouts makes it easy for me to combine it with another tape to focus on toning other body areas. Great buy!



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Does work the abs.

K. Wallin | Akron, Ohio United States | 02/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This video has both ab workout in yoga (30 minutes) and pilates (30 minutes). Both workouts target your abs and you can definatly feel it working. This is not for absolute beginners, but someone who wants a challenge should be ok. The yoga workout is based a lot of the lower abs and the pilates seems to be more focused on the upper abs. Great workout!"

Great Abs Routines

Kika Bisogno | Caracas, Distrito Federal Venezuela | 05/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD is great especially because it has 2 different level routines. The Yoga routine by Rodney Yee is excellent and somehow easier to perform than the Pilates routine. This last one is truly difficult. If one manages not to get frustrated at the beginning, it does become easier as time goes by.

Perhaps it should be labeled as "Advanced".



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