Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

This is a new 2004 release by my favorite exercise trainer, Leslie Sansone. This is a beginning of a new series, "You Can Do." Leslie has been in the industry for 25 years and is the creator of the popular in-home aerobic walking series, "Walk Away the Pounds."

Required Equipment
First of all, an exercise ball is REQUIRED for this DVD and is not included in the purchase price. An exercise ball, also known as a stability ball, can be found in the exercise section of most stores such as Wal-mart and Target and cost around $10-$20. You will also need 1-3 pound hand weights for the arm super challenge segment. Hand weights can also be found in the exercise section for just a few dollars.

Physical Requirements
This activity requires getting on the ground, using your back muscles, stomach muscles, leg muscles, and arm muscles. There is potential to slightly injure yourself if you become off balance. These are strengthening and toning exercises, not aerobic exercise.

Instructional Section
The first section of the DVD is instructional on how to use a balance ball and the positions that the routine will require. I watched this the first time thinking it was part of the workout, maybe a warm up, but was really a waste of time for me. This would be beneficial to anyone who has never used a stability ball before. If you’ve seen other stability ball workouts I’m sure you will do just fine from the instructions she gives during the segments.

10 minute Abs Segment
Leslie is alone in this workout and there is no chit-chat, she's all business this time. She spends a lot of time talking about form and how to do the exercise correctly which makes me wonder why they included the instructional section since she goes over all of it again. She usually does not count reps out loud, she just tells you when you're done. The stability ball section of the DVD was just 10 minutes. I did things such as roll downs, curl ups, bridges, side sit ups, leg raises, back extensions, and plank on the ball. This segment seemed to drag to me. If I were doing these exact moves without Leslie I could have had it done in 5 minutes.

10 minute Arm Segment
The super challenge for the arms was another 10 minutes. All of these exercises required both the ball and the hand weights. I did things such as arm presses, bicep curls, chest press, rows, tricep kickback, and reverse flies. This section also moved at a slow pace.

My thoughts
I feel that this DVD was easier than other stability ball videos that I've seen but probably just as effective. This is for beginners because intermediate and advanced users will likely be disappointed. I have been using this silly ball for months now and I'm still a beginner which is one of the reasons why I chose Leslie's DVD because I know that she will be moving in a slow pace. Every single move is explained in detail. I found it difficult to watch the TV while trying to balance on my ball the first time I watched it. The next couple of times I was familiar with the routine so wasn’t an issue.

Unfortunately, the pace was a little too slow for me. I was very bored through the entire DVD. I really prefer to take it up a notch, turn up the music, and sweat it out. I realize the balance ball isn't as active of a workout but I've crawled out of other stability ball workouts. I didn't feel like I was exerting much effort while doing the workout. I kept wondering when she was going to kick it up a notch. I liked the super challenge part of the DVD a little more because I felt more arm fatigue. I felt really ripped off after realizing the workout was going to be so slow moving and sill was only 20 minutes.

I find almost the whole DVD to be instructional so I don't vision getting this out 2-3 times a week which is what is recommended. The repetitions seemed short to me, only 10-15 reps. I didn't feel like I was exerting muscles until the super challenge using weights with arm work. All these moves are simple basic moves that can be found anywhere.

Purchasing
If you need some more entertainment for your Stability Ball the correlating videos in this series is You Can Do Pilots and You Can Do Yoga, or there is three-pack that contains all three. This DVD retails for $20 which is a little steep for me because I rarely do ball exercises and really expected more than 20 minutes. The VHS version is around $13.00. If I could do it again I would pass on this one and wait for the intermediate DVD to come out.

Other Workouts
Crunch: Burn and Firm Pilates
Denise Austin: Personal Training System
Leslie Sansone Fat Burner Walk 2
Leslie Sansone 3 Mile Advanced




Recommended: Yes

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