“This ain’t no fluff. If you want fluff, go buy a pillow!” Alan L.F.Harris

I was expecting a full workout (including aerobic) when I grabbed this dvd, not realizing that this is part of a set of four. This workout is weights only. So when I finished up 50 minutes of ’strength conditioning’, and I vaguely heard Alan mentioning something about ‘now you only have to do the 40 minute aerobic workout’…well, you can just imagine my thoughts.

What I liked:

• The workout featured real people, men and women, ages 20 - 50 +, and able to keep up, or modify as necessary.
• Men and women should feel equally comfortable with it.
• The only equipment necessary is a pair of dumbbells, from 2 to 12 pounds. In the dvd, everyone had step aerobic benches, which I don’t, but it was easy to do without.
• Alan encourages everyone to work with what they’ve got, but keep challenging themselves. He is very high energy. (And kind of funny.)
• He takes you through exercises for all of your body. It felt good, and I wasn’t sore the next morning.

What I didn’t like:

• It seems a bit rushed. For ‘time constraints’ on this dvd, there are two sets of 8 repetitions for each exercise. (If you keep going while he is doing his motivational bits, you can fit in extra reps. I’m assuming though, that while he’s talking is when you’re supposed to be resting.) You could also just use the pause button to do extra sets if you wanted.
• He doesn’t actually do the workout. He sometimes picks up the weights to do a rep or two with you, but he’s mainly there as a coach. And cheerleader. See above quote for an example.
• If I spend that kind of time on a workout, I want it to include cardio and strength.

I like to try out new workouts; it shakes things up and motivates me. I’ll probably check out some of the other Absolute Body Power workouts if I come across them. I have my own ‘time constraints’ though, and have to streamline my fitness efforts, so this morning I am back to my 15 minutes of weights before the kids wake up and shoveling snow for cardio. Real life fitness…

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