I try to exercise regularly, and have always used exercise videos and DVD's, as I'm quite self-conscious and I don't fancy working out in front of other people in the gym. I have tried absolutely loads of different fitness videos, but one of my top three would have to be Ultimate Results by Beverley Callard.

~About the DVD~

This is the third out of four fitness videos Beverley has released. I already owned the first two, Real Results and Rapid Results when I bought this one, and I enjoyed them both. The first two were hour-long workouts, this one however is slightly different, as it is split into three separate 20 minute workouts. I think this is much better as for a lot of people, finding a full hour to exercise is not always easy.

You will need an exercise mat before you begin, and you can also use weights between one and three pounds if you wish. It is suitable for both beginners and people who exercise regularly.

~About Beverley~

Most of you will probably know Beverley better as Liz MacDonald (or now Liz Tomlin, since she married Vernon) in Coronation Street. Beverley is also, however a qualified fitness instructor and still teaches classes at the same time as appearing in Corrie.

~Introduction~

The intro of the DVD shows the girls from the exercise class wearing camouflage and marching around chanting in a boot camp style way. Beverley then turns up and says exercise doesn't have to be like that, it can actually be fun. She explains that these workouts are aimed at women who have busy home or work lives and can't always manage to find a lot of time to exercise.

~Workout One~

The first half of this workout is done with standing exercises, and the second half is done lying on the mat. starts with some gentle exercises to warm up, such as gentle stretching, marching on the spot and lunges. You then move on to doing moves such as chest presses, squats and knee lifts. This is the only one of the three workouts that includes some high impact exercises - such as jumping, so if you have problematic knee joints you may find this is a problem.
The second half of the workout moves to the floor where you will do toning exercises for the stomach, waist and back. I find that thw floor work is the most difficult part of workout one, especially if I havent exercised for a while when I do it! The workout finishes with some stretching to cool down.

~Workout Two~

The start of workout two has a bit of a latin feel, with some standing exercises, which are very loosely based on salsa moves. After the initial warm-up which only lasts about five minutes, you go straight to the mat. The reason an exercise mat is required is to protect the knees, I find though as I have laminate floor I need to put a cushion under my knees as the mat itself is not enough to protect my knees on its own.
If you want a nice toned backside, then this is the best of the three workouts to do! There is a lot of work on the bottom and thighs in this one, and the exercises aren't too difficult either.

~Workout Three~

This is my favourite workout and the one I do most often, as I'm not a big fan of mat exercises. Starting with some basic aerobic moves and stretching, you then move on to lunges. The lunges are a bit repetitive and at first can be quite difficult, I find them especially hard if I havent exercised for a while and then go back to them! There are lots of upper body exercises so the arms get a really good workout in this section. There are also a lot of squats in this section, so it is good for your bum and thighs.

~What I thought~

I thought Beverley's first two videos were excellent, and I'm pleased to say that this one lived up to expectations. Even when I do have a spare hour, I sometimes find it hard to get motivated to do a full hour of exercise, but 20 minutes is a more manageable amount of time.

The exercises are all easy to follow, there are no complicated or confusing moves to get your head around, or constantly moving camera angles as I have found with some others. Because there are three different workouts you don't get bored as easily either.

Don't let the fact that the workouts are short discourage you. They definately do work, and I find that doing this three times a week makes a noticeable difference, and makes my body feel much firmer and toned. I would say that it is best to vary which of the workouts you do, as workout three doesn't really have any stomach exercises and workout one doesn't have a lot of upper body exercises, so if you want to tone all of your body do all three workouts over the course of a week.

~Price and where to buy~

The price of this DVD varies depending on where you buy it, but it is currently on Amazon.co.uk for £9.43, which has got to be cheaper than a gym membership!

~Conclusion~

This is a great set of short workouts, which are manageable and easy to do, and really do work, keeping you firm and toned. If you are looking to lose weight or just improve your fitness levels, I would definately suggest giving this a go.