I have been so blessed in my life to have awesome friends and one of them I met through a local home business I had was a world class Ballerina. She danced from the time she was 4 and throughout her adult life. She danced for over 40 years before retiring to open a studio. She is such an inspiration in my life in many different ways. Even today, she is fantastic lean body and shape, all due to ballet. So when Acacia asked me to review a set of Ballet exercise DVD’s, I knew wanted to check them out.
BALLET BODY™: Upper Body Workout, Lower Body Workout and Core Workout
with Leah Sarago
On DVD April 2, 2013 from Acacia
Three muscle-focused DVDs sold separately or in one set online at Acacia:
Define & Flatten Abs
Define, Tighten & Sculpt Upper Body or
Sculpt, Lift & Lengthen Lower Body
As ballet-inspired workouts continue to gain popularity, Acacia is excited to expand the distribution for one of the most popular workouts, the Ballet Body™ series from Leah Sarago. Exercisers can lose inches while building lean muscles with movements inspired by ballet, dance, Pilates, and yoga.
Designed by certified strength and conditioning specialist Leah Sarago, these workouts provide a long and lean physique by integrating traditional body-weight resistance exercises with muscle-elongating techniques. Suitable for all fitness levels, these workouts draw on isometrics, the stretch-reflex principle, and eccentric muscle-contraction training for optimal results. Each workout is sold separately as a DVD single, so exercisers can choose which section of their body they want to focus on or purchase all three to get a defined upper body, sculpted lower body, and defined abs.
CORE WORKOUT — Flatten your midsection and develop core strength with this dynamic, Pilates-inspired workout. You’ll start with standing balance exercises and movement sequences before progressing into variations on side planks and mat work. Complete the routine with exercises to support the spine and back, along with deep stretches for flexibility. If you want strong abs and a bikini-ready belly, this incredible core workout is for you! Approx. 45 min.
UPPER BODY — Strengthen, sculpt, and define your upper body with this dynamic, results-oriented workout. Start with mat exercises for the arms and core, then grab a pair of light hand weights for some dance-inspired movements. You’ll improve your muscle definition, posture, and strength without getting big or bulky. It’s the ultimate workout for a sculpted, sleek, and graceful upper body. Approx. 46 min.
LOWER BODY — Get the dancer’s legs you’ve always wanted with this calorie-torching barre workout. The muscle-sculpting moves lengthen the thighs, lift the backside, and sculpt the backs of the legs for sleek definition and a slim figure. After the workout, relax into a 13-minute yoga- and dance-centered stretch. Approx. 54 min.
Leah Sarago is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® with a BS in Exercise Science and Dance. She has starred in several top-selling fitness DVDs, trained top NFL draft picks (2009 and 2010) including Tim Tebow, and travels the country leading workshops and trainings featuring her Ballet Body™ techniques. Leah previously self-distributed the Ballet Body DVDs in 2012.
My Thoughts :
These dvds are a definitely created for the those that are at a medium to advanced level of fitness, however as a beginner, I found that I could do many of them but not as many and in a modified position. If you love yoga and are used to mat exercises, this the the set for you. The instructor combines amazing workouts for the entire body that combine weights, dance, barre and the mat work.
The Upper Body dvd was one that I found many movements that I could do to work on my arms and shoulders. She has so many fabulous exercises that I have not seen before and much of them are done on the mat or with light handweights. I was able to do many of them at a modified level which also will challenge your body for sure!
On the Lower Body dvd’s, there were a lot of exercises I could do as well, but many of them were challenging too, which is great for the intermediate and advanced. There are exercises for all levels in this set. The instructor does use the ballet barre in this, but a sturdy chair works well. I enjoyed working on my legs with this dvd. I could really feel them working hard and I have a long way to go to become proficient at these! Some of the moves she does really amazes me. She is strong!
The Core dvd was a bit beyond my capabilities in many way. I did find a few that I could follow and do so I felt good about that plus it gives me something to work towards here and there.
The instructor has amazing exercises that are different in many ways from any of the other dvd’s that I have reviewed. If you are looking for a full body workout that is smooth and beautiful yet challenging, this is a fabulous set to choose. Plus each of the DVD’s are available separately too so you can move through them as you choose or work on certain areas of your body that need it.
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