BALLET BODY: LOWER BODY WORKOUT

I consider myself to be an advanced exerciser, but have never done any of Leah Sarago's workouts before getting the three Signature Series DVDs. I had heard such raves about her downloads and these DVDs on the Video Fitness forum, though, that I decided to give them a try. Although I have done workouts like Booty Barre, Rockin Models, Physique 57, and Core Fusion before, I had been worried that the Ballet Body workouts would be too advanced for a newbie like me. While they are definitely challenging, they are fun and tough -- and I'm so glad that I got them!As other reviewers mentioned, the Lower Body workout will have you shaking, but in a good way! It's tough, but you can start by taking more frequent breaks if you need to or by doing half the reps. This particular workout is divided into half standing work and half mat/floorwork. The workout runs about 54 minutes long, and you'll need a mat and a chair or ballet barre to do it.One of the only negatives in this and the Core workout is that sometimes I had a hard time seeing the angles and positioning of Leah's body. Instead of shooting her straight on, the camera sometimes shot from a side view, which made it hard for me to see the exact placement. I'm hoping that as I do this DVD more, though, I'll be able to make sure that my positioning is correct.On her website, Leah also has posted various rotations for using the DVDs. (I would include the link here, but usually Amazon won't allow you to include links in reviews; if you look at the product description above, though, you'll see it.) Here is a basic rundown of some of the rotations:BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE:Day 1 Lower BodyDay 2 Cardio for 30-40 mins.Day 3 CoreDay 4 Cardio for 30-40 mins.Day 5 Upper BodyDay 6 Cardio for 30-40 mins.Day 7 Rest dayINTERMEDIATE:Day 1 Lower BodyDay 2 Core + Cardio for 30-45 mins.Day 3 Upper Body + Cardio for 30-45 mins.Day 4 Rest dayDay 5 Lower BodyDay 6 Core + Cardio for 30-45 mins.Day 7 Upper BodyADVANCED:Day 1 Lower Body + Cardio for 30 mins.Day 2 Core + Upper BodyDay 3 Lower Body + Cardio for 30 mins.Day 4 Rest dayDay 5 Core + Upper BodyDay 6 Lower Body + Cardio for 30 mins.Day 7 Core + Upper BodyFor cardio, Leah suggests that you do things like dance workouts, cycling, or swimming -- activities that won't "bulk" you up.I'm just starting a six-week rotation using these, so I'll be sure to update my reviews of each DVD as I continue with this program.Overall, though, I really love each of these workouts, and am eager to see what changes they'll bring.UPDATE AFTER THREE WEEKS: I did the Intermediate rotation using all three DVDs for three weeks (after which time I had to stop working out for a few weeks due to some stitches), and loved the results I was getting! My abs and arms were noticeably tighter, and I could see more muscle definition. My legs seemed to lag behind a bit, and I felt like my saddlebags were a little more prominent, but perhaps that is because I needed to add in a bit more cardio. These are great workouts, and I look forward to starting back up with them! The next time, I will take measurements to track my results better.UPDATE ON 5/22/12: I put something in my original review about how I thought that this workout made the sides of my thighs (the saddlebag area) bulge out more, but I think that that was the result of the program I did right before this one, which was Chris Freytag's 10 Pound Slimdown Extreme. I plan to give Leah's rotation another go some time this summer, when I have a bit more time to work out for longer periods.

I've done all three of Leah's Signature Series and consider this the easiest (the upper body I still can't get through). That doesn't mean it's not challenging, however! She is very good at using different moves to work the most muscles possible and switches focus the minute you think you can't do anymore. By that I mean she'll kill your thighs, shift to the glutes, return to the thighs, etc. The mat work at the end is almost entirely is glute work and had me feeling the burn. I liked the bridge positions as they are great for the back muscles as well as your legs. She also does a wonderful and comprehensive stretching routine at the end, which is to me is a rarity.I have a few issues with this DVD, though. I didn't know if I was in proper form during some of the exercises, which could be why I thought it was easier than it really might be. The lack of pointers regarding how exactly to perform the moves didn't dissuade me from using the DVD, I just wish I knew if I was doing things correctly. I realize Tracy Anderson provides zero instruction but because Leah is more precise and the moves slower a bit more information would have been helpful. My other main gripe was that some of exercises were a little difficult to do even with a sturdy chair and mat. Again, it's possible I was not using the correct form and could be why I had some trouble.Overall this is a solid workout for your legs. I have a feeling that the reason a lot of people have noted not feeling sore the next day is because of how thoroughly Leah stretches you out at the end. I would recommend this entire series and don't find Leah to be annoying in the least despite the voiceover and relatively bare studio. I prefer the one-on-one format to those where numerous exercisers are in the background so these DVDs fit the bill.

In this DVD Leah offers a great leg routine. As in her other series DVDs, reps and sets are never numbing and variations allow you work several group muscles. As I wrote in other Leah's DVDs reviews, I do not follow her periodization. I work out 14-16h a week on ballet / barre / toning DVDs, but I do like to keep some of her DVDs in my weekly rotations: one is upper body, the second one is lower body (I don't have Total Body and I find Core very mild).Within my current rotations are: MHB's, Sleek Technique's and Leah's.In this DVD, some sets of exercises, like those on front thighs, do give my legs a shake and these are just on muscular groups I don't usually work with such an intensity apparently, so perfect deal!On the other hand, I don't find the workout intense enough on outer and inner thighs, reason why I am happy to use this DVD as a complement to my usual lower body routine. I would have probably made it a bit longer to pincorporate these muscle groups in a more intensive way. Arabesques don't come out of the blue...though I guess this is not the key objective of every customer :)The stretch could be done in between series, but she prefers putting it at the end of the routine. It'ok, not super complete, but good.On a total personal note, I am not a fan of her music style and scene colours. I find her voice very pleasant, but the execution very 'robotic'. I don't take stars off for this as this is a personal remark and takes no points off the efficient workout proposed by Leah.Enjoy it!

Perfect workout for lower body. In the complex with uppercut body and core workouts you have a Perfect home workout splited in 3-6 days per week. Not for beginners, but you are improoving your streight each time.

This is a great workout for your legs because you are using your own body weight to create resistance which is more effective than anything else. It is a difficult and challenging workout but very thorough in targeting almost every muscle in your lower body. When I first began I couldn't do all the moves and had to stop and take a break because my thighs were burning. Now after 4 months I am able to do them all the way through. I am a seasoned runner so my legs were already strong but the moves in this video target areas not usually used during walking and running which I really appreciate. I don't really like the moves done in plié because I can't get my legs to open up the way Leah does. And I find it really hard to move the hips from side to side. But overall it is a great low impact and challenging workout. I'm happy I purchased it and it's well worth the money.

this dvd really puts emphasis on lower body like it mentions. You will do leg lifts and plies and many other moves. I just wish it was shorter. But break it up into two segments if you have to. But doing this dvd really made me feel that my legs were getting a good workout

So worth doing