“I Want That Body!” - Workout DVD Review at Her Active Life

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“I Want That Body!” - Workout DVD Review

Posted June 25, 2007 at 05:15 PM by Alexandra Haller

Section: Her Fitness, Training Programs, Her Health, Her Motivation, Special Features, HAL Reviews

I-Want-That-Body! I’m guessing you do want that body. Sure, we might not all desire the same hair color, skin color or body measurements, but there are a few body parts that we, as women, obsess upon. We want sleek, sculpted arms - not flags flapping in the wind when we wave. We have differently shaped bums but we all want them to be toned and tight. We have different hip-to-waist ratios but whatever that may be we want a less rounded middle. While a lot of aerobic activities are great for your cardiovascular system they do not always help with firming. This is where Tamilee Webb’s I Want That Body! (IWTB!) comes to the rescue.

The DVD contains moves you are probably already familiar with so it’s not rocket science. That said, it is based on the “science of fitness and advanced technology.” According to Tamilee Webb, she relied on science to find out just which moves would truly change your hard-to-tone body parts. She joined efforts with San Diego State University’s Dr. Peter Francis, research scientist, and his grad assistant to discover the answer. She did this by hooking herself up to an EMG machine with tiny electrodes to measure how effectively her muscles were working in each exercise. With that knowledge and evidence, she designed I Want That Body!.

IWTB! is broken into three appropriately targeted chapters: arms, abs and buns. Each chapter is comprised of two 15-minute segments. The first segment is easier, and when that becomes too easy, you move on to the more challenging second part. However, the routines never really become too easy if you continue to push yourself with heavier weights. In fact, in order to do this DVD, all you need are some hand weights (usually 5lbs or 7lbs), a mat and a chair. You can handle that, right?

The first abs chapter consists of floor work. You lie on your back and go through a series of crunches done in a variety of ways. Each move is done slowly at first, allowing you to focus on your core, and then you up the pace and really increase the burn. The second chapter uses moves pulled from the old Jane Fonda videos. They are incredibly challenging. I would recommend this segment to the advanced exerciser.

The segments in the arms chapter are not that different in their level of difficulty. In the first one, she takes you through a series of exercises for three sets. In the second, she adds more moves but only two sets. You will focus mainly on your shoulders (lateral raises, upright rows), biceps (curls) and triceps (kickbacks, extensions). She also includes moves for the back and the chest, but not many since they are not the targets of this section.

The final chapter grinds the buns. These moves are exhausting. You will find yourself yelling at the TV screen, but, most importantly, they work. After all, Tamilee Webb first gained fame as an exercise instructor with her popular Buns of Steel series. She knows how to sculpt the muscles that define the buns and the thighs. The moves are the basics: lunges, squats, one-leg raises. However, she guides you with small changes in posture and form. These slight changes then hone in on your thighs with a driven intensity that does not let up. She refers to the basic squat as “the grandfather” because it works all the muscles of the leg. (In fact, this is valuable information since a survey of ACE-certified fitness professionals just named squats as the one exercise they could not live without.) I can bet that some of you are gung-ho exercisers and you will dive right into this chapter. Beware. You may end up walking bow-legged. Don’t worry though. You can work at your own pace and gradually increase your intensity.

I Want That Body! is a superior workout DVD. It is a must for any collection. The instructing is fluid and on queue. Webb is extremely informed about posture and the muscles of your body. All of the exercises are familiar and easy to follow. It’s a great complement to any training program because it helps you to build strength. Strength training is just as vital as cardio endurance and it helps you to prevent injuries. You can have that body, but be ready to work your buns off.

*Keep in mind that any exercise regimen works best when done on a regular basis and coupled with a reasonable eating plan.

References:
http://www.collagevideo.com/
http://www.tamileewebb.com/