This workout is totally unique, and really works. I have bought other workout dvd's in the past, and have found them usually set to hip-hop style music. As a woman nearing 40 I have shelved them all pretty quickly, as a combination of awful music, bad dance moves and boring routines seems to be the norm.
This dvd however is very different. Firstly, Claire King is very subdued and obviously feels the pain as much as you do! There is no bad music, no woop wooping and no jumping up and down. Do not be fooled though, although this is low intensity that any age/size can do, it is the single most difficult workout I have ever tried.
The trainer who takes the main role, is a young northern lad who teaches tension training methods. I hadn't heard of this, and on watching it through before attempting it seemed very easy. In some ways it is, the moves are simple enough to follow and there are very few repetitions to complete, but it is the way you have to do them that makes it work.
I will try and explain the best way I can. If you imagine a muscle man tensing and flexing his muscles to make them stand out, you are halfway there. Sqeeze your fist as tightly as you can whilst tensing your muscles as tightly as you can, and then keep squeezing whilst raising and lowering an imaginary barbell above your head 4 times. It sounds silly to do weights without the weights, but it is more difficult than lifting them for real. Try it and see!
The abs section looks particularly easy and ineffective as there are none of the ubiquitous sit-ups or crunches that are the usual fare. How wrong can you be?! The whole principle of this workout is to teach your muscles to be tight and toned, and even after the first go I could feel myself holding my tummy in for a couple of hours afterwards.
As it is such a low impact workout I didn't really expect to break a sweat, but again I was wrong! I was 'glowing' quite a bit, and my heart was really pounding (not dangerously so - please work to your own limits and build up!) The dvd is broken down into sections (arms, bums, abs, legs, total body) so you can do different bits on different days if you need to start gradually or are just pushed for time. There are also make-up tips, nutrition tips and an interview with Claire King.
It is the most deceptively difficult workout I have ever seen, and you will need to work hard, but you can feel it tightening and sculpting your body. I ache this morning in places I didn't know I had, but I can't wait to have another go! This dvd is aimed at women of 40+, who have bingo wings and other stubborn areas to tackle. Claire is refreshingly normal, the trainer is likeable and I have no doubt whatsoever that I will get leaner and more toned with this programme. Very, very impressed!!
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