Body for Life for Women Workou

Initially, I hated Dr. Pamela Peekes "Body for Life for Women" book. Telling me I had a "menopot", raging hormones, chocolate cravings etc. Geez by the time I was finished the book I felt like a total mess. I was thinking about returning the book to the store in disgust..but when I reflected on the book's contents I had to admit EVERY WORD SHE SAID WAS TRUE!

So I decided to incorporate some of her ideas into a simple health plan. (I often use her strength training plan for upper body, some of her nutrition ideas, count calories ala "The Calories Queens" book and mix up my cardio often including using my favorite Dance Revolution game) I picked up her DVD for more ideas. The "Body for Life" DVD is a nice compliment to her book, however, it isn't a replacement..more of an overview.

The DVD begins with an introduction by Dr.Peeke. Dr. Peeke is a rangy blond who embodies the vibrant, fitness she preaches. I saw her speak several years ago on her "Fight Fat Over Forty" book and she is just as slender and energetic now as she was then. In the introduction, Dr. Peeke encourages you to take charge of your health and she does something many women would like to do...she smashes a scale and tells you, that you can use other ways to "measure" your size. (In the book she recommends the Tanita line of scales and I agree - see my review on the Tanita BC533..so smashing your scales is not a necessity..but for anyone whose emotions are determined by the number on the scale it may be a good idea!)

Next the workout is introduced. In her book, Dr. Peeke recommends alternating days of weight workouts with cardio workouts so I was surprised and disappointed that the workout in her DVD does not follow this principle. Instead she shares three 10 minute workouts. The cardio is not long enough to meet the 30 minute recommendation she makes in her book and the upper and lower body workouts are also very short at only 10 minutes each. That is not to say these are not nice quickie workouts..but they don't follow the method she recommends in "Body for Life for Women". It would have been really nice if she had followed the method described in her book and demonstrated proper technique for the strength training exercises using a weight bench and including a full upper and lower body workout and a separate 30 minute cardio session.

The 10 minute cardio session includes basic moves like side by side step, reach and pulls, jump squats etc. The upper body workout includes basic moves that call for one to five pound weights and the lower body workout uses a mat and chair. There are two exercisers and one demonstrates modified positions.

The next section discusses hormonal milestones. Dr.Peeke discusses what happens to a woman's body during the teens and twenties, thirties, fourties, fifties and beyond. This is covered in much greater depth in her book. I should note that though the DVD is of a nice quality, at times Dr. Peeke is looking at a different camera and thus not at us, her audience. This is a bit awkward at times but overall does not effect her message.

One interesting aspect to the DVD is the 12 Week Challenge section. In this section you click on one week at a time for tips that cover MIND, MOUTH and MUSCLE. The first week for example implores you to Embrace Adversity for Mind, Dejunk your kitchen for Mouth, and Take the First Step for Muscle. This is a really nice feature. Because you can hear some bite sized advice each week and incorporate it into your life. The next week you can click on a new week for fresh ideas.

A bonus section is also included in the DVD. Called Smart Food Choices. In this section Dr. Peeke has an array of food and she makes suggestions as to the types of foods you should eat ie: lean proteins, unprocessed food, water rich vegetables etc. She covers quality, quantity and frequency. This is done very quickly and she doesn't cover portion sizes in detail.

The DVD does not include a lot of discussion on weight loss, it is really just a simple overview of the book, a chance to see Dr. Peeke and get some fresh ideas. It is not a replacement to the book..just a supplement. It would have been much better if it had included the workout plan as demonstrated in her book.

Lee Mellott

This dvd is so much more than a workout dvd. It's really like a 50 minute health and fitness 'seminar' and then a workout. Pamela Peeke who wrote the book, leads the informational portion and she is terrific in helping you understand everything she talks about because she talks in a friendly and easy to follow way (laymans terms). You'll learn about exercise, nutrition, hormones stress relief. For the workout segment, Ellen Barrett leads it and that section is both fun and effective. There is the usuall marches, hops and step touches (but you can modify it all to make it either easier or harder). After the cardio there is a body sculpting section with Pilates moves. It's not the absolute most challenging workout I've ever done, but it still gets the heart rate up and still will help you tone up. All together with the workout and the information, I think this is one of the better fitness dvd's out there.

I am 50 and have always been thin. Lately, I have a bit of a pooch and cannot seem to lose the 15 extra pounds of weight I have put on the last few years. This DVD and book are a GREAT starting point for people who have resisted exercise. Well worth the money. The 10 minute segments are great if you are short on time, can be done twice, or all together. You decide what works for you! Buy this set.

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