I recently picked up this 60 minute video at a garage sale for $1. Callan Pickney promises to “turn your pear [rear-end] into a sweet, tight peach”!

I am going to go for the Don’t knock it until you try it! attitude with this video. Callan promises that if you practice Callanetics for 10 hours (that’s doing the video 10 times), you will have a much better body than when you started. Well, it’s worth a shot, I say.

The Introduction shows lots of close-ups of Callan’s amazing, fat-free body. The costumes are very much from the mid-80’s, as are the thick, perfect make-up and the fluffy, permed hair.

I took notes for y’all on the moves in this video, so here they are. **Remember, this review does not take the place of exercise instruction!**

Warm-ups

#1~~ Stretch the arms over the head, squat, let arms sweep down along the sides of the body, and stretch back up to starting position. Repeat 10 times, keeping the knees relaxed, behind tight, and pelvis tipped up.

#2~~ The Underarm Tightener- Holding arms straight out to the sides, rotate them under so the palms are facing up. Push arms toward each other behind the back. Shrug the shoulders up and tip the head back. Keep the arms up and move the arms toward each other, pulsing ½ inch at a time for 100 repetitions. Try to get the thumbs to touch. This BURNS, and Callan promises that this will keep your arms from pooching or sagging!

#3~~ Waist Stretch- With feet hip width apart, send one arm up and place the other hand on the hip. Stretch up high and over to one side, lengthening out the side waist that stretches up. Gently pulse ¼ inch at a time for 100 repetitions. Bend the knees deeply and sweep the arms down to come out. Change sides. After completing the second side, keep knees bent and grasp the ankles for Warm-up #4.

#4~~ Hold the outside of the ankles with the hands. Relax the head and neck down toward the floor. With elbows out to the side, gently pull your head between your legs ½ inch at a time for 20 repetitions. Stay down and move your head to the left, motioning it to you between the outside of the left leg and the left arm. Pulse gently for 20 repetitions, then change sides. Do the same thing on the right side for 20 repetitions. Roll up very gently. Wow! That feels great, like I REALLY stretched!

#5~~ Neck Stretches- Do these very, very gently. These may seem easy, but if you do them wrong you could seriously hurt yourself. So be careful, go slowly, relax and enjoy. Ahh!

Stomach Exercises- These are amazing abdominal exercises. I wholeheartedly believe that if I were to do these every other day for the next 2 months, my tummy would be much flatter and I would feel better about wearing a bikini to the beach.

#1~~ Lie down, knees bent, feet hip width apart. Hold inside of thighs tightly. Move elbows out, spread shoulder blades and send elbows up toward the ceiling. Round the neck and shoulders up off the floor, sending the chin into the chest. Let go of the thigh and send arms out along the sides, parallel to the floor. Gently pulse ½ inch forward 100 times, trying to round the chest into the ribcage. Keep body relaxed, especially the Stomach and the Bottom. Remember to keep the movements very subtle and gentle.

#2~~ These are more of the same except with one leg up in the air at a time. Do 100 gentle pulses for each leg being up, so 200 total.

#3~~ Lie on back, bend knees, raise both legs up toward the ceiling. Grab the outside of the thighs and round the head and shoulders up off the floor. Take arms out parallel to the floor. Make subtle movements drawing the chest into the rib cage ½ inch at a time for 100 counts. Once you do these easily, take the legs down a bit but keep them straight. Roll out gently.

After the Stomach exercises, we see some “inspirational” before and after photos of one of Callan’s students. This is where I ask myself, “What do I want to look like? What will it take for me to get there?” OK, let’s keep going!

Legs Exercises- These exercises lengthen, strengthen, stretch and feel wonderful!

#1~~ Find something to hold onto: a bar, ledge, sofa, table, chair or whatever’s clever. Stand on your toes with your heels together. Lower your body 1 inch. Tighten the behind and tip the pelvis up dramatically. Lower the body down 1 more inch. Tighten the behind and tip the pelvis up dramatically again, as high as it will go. Come back up one inch and do the pelvis tip thing again. This completes one whole round. Do 5 rounds.

#2~~ Start in the same place as in #1, standing on your toes with heels together. Lower body down into a plié squat as far down as you can comfortably go without lowering your heels at all. Squeeze the behind tightly as you come back up. Repeat 10 times.

#3~~ Stand at the bar, sofa, table or whatever, and face to the side. Place the right ankle over the edge (you may need to place a towel under the ankle). Stretch the arms up and turn the body to face the bar. Stretch arms up again and reach over toward the right foot, resting the body on the right leg. If your body doesn’t reach all the way over at first, just take it to the farthest threshold without being uncomfortable. Gently pulse ¼ inch at a time for 50 counts. Lower down gently. Callan suggests to go ahead and do #4 on this side before switching to the left.

#4~~ Place the arch of the right foot on the bar. Bend the knee slightly so you can grab the bar (or whatever) with both hands. Scoot in the foot of the standing leg a bit. Gently straighten the leg. Let everything sink down and relax and you gently pulse down ¼ inch a time for 50 counts. Lower down gently.

After you do #3 and #4 on the right, do #3 and #4 on the left.

Callan shows many variations of all the exercises, how we can accommodate our furniture at home and also accommodate our different bodies and the limitations we may have.

We are shown an image of “the perfect legs”. This photo does inspire me to work out, but is misnomered significantly. Legs are only perfect in their imperfections! What one person sees as “the perfect legs” may be too small, too big, too soft, too hard, too wide, too narrow, too round or too chiseled for someone else’s taste. So remember that YOUR LEGS ARE ALREADY PERFECT as you move on to the real whoppers in this video, the Behind and Hips Exercises.

Behind and Hips Exercises- I cannot tell a lie: these babies will burn like the Dickens, and I am not talking about Charles! They are hard to do at first, but don’t give up. These are the most difficult exercises on this video for me. I just keep telling myself that what is the hardest is also the most rewarding. Ready, Set, UGH, I mean, GO!

#1~~ Sit on your right side with the right foot 8 to 10 inches in front of you. The left leg is out to the side with the left knee in line with the left hip. Roll the left hip forward, and keep doing this throughout this exercise. Lift the left leg up onto the left knee. Keeping the hip here, hold the bar (sofa, chair, table) with the left hand. Tighten the behind and tip the pelvis up. LEAN to the right and take the left knee off of the floor. If your knee feels like it’s glued to the floor, just lean further to the right. Now, gently take the left leg back and forth ½ inch at a time 100 times. Ok, now do the same thing on the other side.

During Behind & Hips 1 and 2, Callan promises us that these exercises will make the hips look like they disappear and turn the behind into a tight, little peach. And she’s got the Before & After pictures to prove it. Judging from the way these exercises burn, I’m SOLD!

#2~~ Same starting position as B & H #1. After you roll that left hip forward, take the left leg straight out to the side. Push the hip forward with the left hand. Tighten the behind and tip the pelvis up. Lift that left leg 3 inches off of the floor. Pulse up & down ½ inch at a time for a count of 100. If the leg feels nailed to the floor, just lean further over to the right. Now do it on the other side. Whoa, just get a load of the way those hips just burn away that fat! It seems like it hurts, but does it? No, that’s just the feeling of the weakness leaving your body. You go, girl!

Stretches-

#1~~ Sit with legs spread wide apart. Lean forward and try to touch your chest to the floor. Hands should be on ankles or thighs. Pulse up and down ½ inch at a time for 50 counts. Roll gently up. Place left hand beneath left knee. Stretch right arm up and over left leg. Twisting torso very slightly, place the right hand next to the left and reach your chest toward your left foot. Relax the head and neck. Pulse up and down gently for 50 counts. Roll up gently and do the same on the right.

#2~~ Sit with legs together and outstretched in front. Hands should go in front of or behind the knees, elbows out to the sides. Reach forward and down and relax the whole body, especially the neck and the legs. Pulse gently up and down ½ inch at a time for 50 counts. Roll up gently, vertebrae by vertebrae.

Lower Back Stretch- Lie flat on the back with elbows out even with the shoulders. With the knee slightly bent, take the right leg up, over and across your body to your left side as far as it will go without lifting your shoulders, elbows or body off the floor. Pulse leg up and down ¼ to ½ inch 50 times. Roll out very slowly and do the same thing with the left leg.

Pelvic Rotations- This is the second hardest exercise, right behind the Behind and Hips Exercises. Sit on your heels. Stretch arms up toward the ceiling. Stretch up high! Lift up your behind about 3 inches off of the heels and push hips to the right, pull them in to the front, take them to the left and then back around to the center to complete the circle. Do this 10 times, then repeat going the other way.

At first, you may not be able to complete 10 Pelvic Rotations in the time given. Either pause your VCR and complete them or do as many as you can in the time allowed. Eventually you will work your way up to doing the 10 in the time given. What is it that “they” say? “No Pain, No Gain?” OUCH! And who are “they” anyway?

Pelvic Scoop- Kneel and send the hands straight up. Stretch up high! Bend forward like you are about to dive into a cool swimming pool. Stretch the base of the spine down and the top of the spine up. Gently bend the knees, touch the heels with the behind. Tighten the behind, tip the pelvis up and “scoop” back to the starting position. To avoid pain, you will want to have a pad, towel, or blanket beneath your knees while doing this. Do 10, or as many as you can, and lower down gently.

Thigh Stretch- Still sitting on the heels, walk the hands back behind you. Hands should be about a foot or so behind you with the fingers facing away from you. Tighten the behind, tip the pelvis up and lift up off of your heels. Keep the neck straight but relaxed. Gently pulse the pelvis up ½ inch at a time while keeping the body relaxed. Repeat 50 times then gently release.

Inner Thigh Stretch- Place the arches of the feet around the legs of a chair. Squeeze the feet together. Slightly lean forward with hands by the sides of the body. Let the shoulders relax and slump the torso. Squeeze tightly for a count of 100.

Well, there you have it: Callanetics Revealed! You will see many disclaimers and pieces of advice about different body parts, problems and pregnancy. Please read all disclaimers and advice carefully because it just might pertain to you.

There is a bit of a biography about Callan at the end of the video- be sure to check it out and see how precious she looks in her debutante gown! Seriously, though, Callan is one special lady and a terrific teacher. I highly recommend using all her videos and books. Thanks a million, Callan!


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older