Video Fitness

Serious Results

This video is divided into 3 different workouts for your lower body and abs. No upper body. Each section starts right into the Standing Leg workout with no warm-up. There is a cooldown for each section. Jay teaches the standing leg work solo. He does squats (2count, 1count and pulse) and side squats. He also uses a step but that is optional. Jay also uses a bodybar and chair to help with balance. He also does dips, lunges, calf raises. He teaches at half temp and then at tempo. His teaching is slow and he tends to talk alot before each exercise which would be good for a beginner.

Jay doesn't use any weights on any of the standing leg work. There is a nice bunch of black dumbbells lined up right behind him but I guess they are only for decoration. Jay has a very nice muscular body and I'm sure he uses weights so I think the reason why he didn't use any for this workout is to make a beginner feel better? Jay is friendly and chatty during the exercise. At the end of each section, he has one of his students and clients come in to do the ab work while Jay coaches.

The ab work is slow and controlled. For example a lift hold crunch and then he has you lift out your leg to make it tougher. Then you do oblique twists with the leg out. Also he does ab stabilization by lifting your leg out and holding it with your abs. No back work. The girl doing the workout was in great shape. Jay even mentioned that she had 3 kids, including twins to my awe! I've had twins and my question is,"Where is her twin skin?!" Her abs are awesome shape with no loose skin.

Jay seems to have a raspy, frog in the throat voice which was distracting and he keeps telling the model, "You look great!" and you at home. She does look great but it was overly emphasized. He finally recommends using a weight at the end of the workout to make it more challenging. I wish he demonstrated this. I would say this is a more beginner to intermediate workout. The music is CIA. I recognized some songs from the new 9900 series (9903 Donna Read Step, 99?? Step with Franny, Stepping Zone/Christi Taylor). The cool down music was from CIA Dynamix Just Chillin' Again and I recognized in from CIA 9903 R.O.M stretch section and CIA 9801 step cooldown. You get the picture, we've heard it before. Jay is friendly and laid back but if only he picked up some of those big black dumbbells behind him, I would consider the title of the video more seriously.

Mandy Lee
9/2/99

Jay says he created the format for Serious Results based on the fact that over the years his clients always seem to be concerned about two trouble spots--thighs and abs. This video contains 3 short workouts that target those areas.

The lower body sections feature Jay demonstrating the exercises, and the abdominal sections feature Jay leading his friend Lisa through the routines. This is particularly helpful because he uses unusual positioning in many of the ab exercises, and he can better illustrate his form pointers as Lisa performs the moves.

I liked Jay's concept, which would make it very easy to tack a short leg/ab workout onto the end of a cardio workout. This seems to be his intention, since there is no warm up on the video.

On the other hand, I was disappointed that the leg exercises (almost w/o exception) use your own body weight as resistance, without any free weights. I personally feel that any tape called "serious results" should use weights, even if it targets beginners. Jay does comment at the end that more advanced exercisers can add weight for a greater challenge, but like Mandy, I wished he had demonstrated these modifications. In some cases, form issues would arise when free weights are used that wouldn't apply as the workout is performed on the tape.

I was impressed with the ab workouts, however. As Mandy says, the movements are slow and controlled, so they're time efficient, and each segment includes stabilization exercises. Fans of Keli Roberts' ab work will probably like these segments.

Jay does a great job of varying positioning (and he's very precise about describing the proper positioning), and he puts a step bench and a chair to good use in the 3 ab segments to increase the variety.

Anyway, I'd say this one is a good bet if you either don't want to use weights for your lower body or if you don't mind some serious modifications to make the lower body workout challenging. It might also be good for those training their legs with the "freestyle" philosophy, since it's not designed to work your legs to failure. Those who strongly prefer using heavier weights to train the legs should look elsewhere. It will also please those looking for different ab workouts.

Wendy Niemi Kremer
wendy@videofitness.com
9/30/99


Hi everyone! Before you get this tape, read this....Personally, I was surprised, it was not what I expected: but You may like it.

Intro: Before the tape begins Jay does a one on one with the camera telling his professional background...

Warm up: there is none.

The tape is composed of 3 parts each a little less than 20 min. they can be done together (you are superman or superwoman if you can!!!!) or done on separate days..

Equipment: You can and probably "should" use a Step, the full size type step, if you want your workout to be more effective. He also uses a chair for the Abwork.

His Form: His squats are Ok, his lunges are soooo extended that the back leg is almost straight! (seems too wide a stance to me) but then he is very strong.

Part 1: He does all these exercises one on one talking to the camera, explaining form as he goes.

1st combo: Ontop of the step he opens legs wide accross the length of the step and does a open legged squat, then does a closed legged squat (works different muscles). 8 reps of each.
2nd combo: then goes on to open legged squat comes back to Dip one leg back to the floor down to a lunge position. 4 reps each.
3rd combo: 2 squats 1 lunge 4x
4th combo: feet together calf raises 8x

He comes back to starting and does all 4 combos on other side, using other leg.

6min point: ABS
A girl comes in and lays down on step. he squats behind her speaking to the camera explaining the moves.
1st move: she begins with a set of crunches holding at the up position.
2nd move: then, with one leg raised - crunches 8x
3rd move: oblique twist 8x

then repeats all 3 moves on other side.

Both do Stretches.

Part 2: again one on one, he explains moves as he does the moves.

1st combo: with a chair behind him: open leg squats then closed legged squats 8x
2nd combo: squat then lunge 8x
3rd combo: static lunges, quick wide squats 8x

repeat 1st, 2nd and 3rd combos with other leg.

ABS: girl comes in lays down with foot on chair, legs at 90 degree angle. he is behind explaining.
1st move: static crunches
2nd move: lower leg slowly to chair, crunching
3rd move: while holding leg just above chair, raise opposite arme above head..

repeat 1st 2nd and 3rd move on other side.

Both do Stretches.

Part 3: one on one, he works out while explaining.
Using the step, he tells you holding dumbbell in opposite hand is optional.
1st combo: Lunges with one foot on step. holding a bar or dowel.
2nd combo: Lunge then rear leg lift.
3rd combo: Legs wide apart, side lunge then wide squat.

ABS: girl comes in to do Abwork while Jay explains.
1st move: Elevator crunches
2nd move: Static holding torso and legs up in V position.
3rd move: 8 crunches extend one arm in up position.
4th move: 8x other arm
5th move: both arms.
6th move: 8x crunch oblique twist then down
7th move: 8x other side

Both do Stretches.

Lucy

Instructor comments: Jay is good at what he does, and he is clear in his instructions. It is not the most visually appealing tape. my favorite part was the abwork because it was tough.

Sunshine

2 July 2003



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