Video Fitness Forum  

Go Back   Video Fitness Forum > Video Fitness Reader Forum > General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 01-08-16, 01:42 AM  
Lorelai
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Missouri
I'm an Ellen fan so I feel like I can weigh in on this one. I think it all depends on what you're looking for though, and even those who are fans will have different opinions on which are her best, which bother their shoulders, or what have you. So this is my personal take on the ones I've done, in no particular order.

Fat Burning Fusion - All time favorite, some of her best work IMO. It flows, feels well rounded, and just really clicks with me.

Slim Sculpt - For me, another all time favorite. Makes great light cardio if you don't feel like carrying weights.

Skinny Sculpt - This one is too shoulder intensive for me. I tend to feel achy afterwards. I don't think it flows as well or is as balanced as Slim Sculpt, but that's only my opinion. But sometimes I pull it out and do it as light cardio without the weights.

Yogini - This one is too advanced for me so I haven't done it all that much. Maybe one of these days I'll work up to it.

Fusion Flow - I really like this one, it's my favorite from her second set of Studio releases. Nice side body work, and I like the diamond push ups for the triceps. I'm usually sore afterwards, which sometimes surprises me. I struggle with posture and a weak back, so it's one of the first things I notice when I start working out again after an absence. FF really hits those back and posture muscles. I think it's that cobra series in particular. There is nice side body stretching here too if that appeals to you (obviously it really appeals to me).

Grace & Gusto - Another all time favorite. I'd classify it as lighter cardio, but it has such wonderful side body emphasis. I notice this in my core and back as well, particularly around the top of my rib cage. I love it for the figure eight lunge and flourish series towards the end. Also pays more attention to the feet than some of her other workouts.

Barefoot Cardio - I wish I liked this one, but I don't. It tends to make me feel achy like Skinny Sculpt, and it's a clock water IMO. Unfortunately it's the only one of Ellen's that has a curtsy lunge series, at least, that I know of. I wish she'd do that again, because traditional lunges don't agree with me as much and I tend to have to modify a lot.

Stretch Sculpt - Speaking of lunge series', I wish she hadn't included one but she did as she often does. Otherwise, I think this is a slower, easier version of some of her other weight routines, which is nice if you're coming back to exercise or just want to take it easier. She was also a little all over the place with her commentary, not so much with the helpful tips and more random unnecessary stuff. I probably won't buy this one.

Peace, Love & Cardio - I can understand why this isn't as well liked, but I think it has its place. It's slower and more deliberate cardio, very accessible, and I liked how the slower pace enabled me to really concentrate and feel exactly what the v-step works, for example.

Sleek Sculpt Express & Super Fast Body Blast - I only tried these once or twice each (borrowed from the library), but I can say that SSE is hard but good, and I really didn't like SFBB. At all.

Bikini Ready Fast
- I like this one a lot. A little more traditional, a little less uniquely Ellen, but some may appreciate that. It's a great workout.

All of her Crunch offerings are great too... again, a little less uniquely Ellen, but still good. Pick Your Level Weight Loss Pilates is also good and one of the few pilates dvds that don't make me want to fall asleep.
__________________
Laura

"Practice makes progress." Jessica Smith

"There's always an option before we quit." Jessica Smith

"You don't have to be a ballerina to feel like one." Ellen Barrett

Last edited by Lorelai; 01-08-16 at 01:16 PM. Reason: Just a few more thoughts.
Lorelai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 07:05 AM  
snapfish45
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: NJ
My personal Ellen favorite is Super Slimdown, Pilates Yoga Blend. It is one of her Crunch offerings, and is the first Ellen I ever did. I don't do Ellen that often, but this is my favorite. I think of it as kind of a "Yogini lite!"
__________________
I lost count, but I'm doing good!

Snap out of it!
snapfish45 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 08:44 AM  
Lilypad
 
Join Date: May 2010
Thank you Laura for taking out the time and breaking these down for me. I really appreciate it. I'm just looking to stay in the shape that I am already in. I'm not looking to lose weight. Cathe gave me a wonderful foundation for the last 8 years or so but at this stage in my life I'm ready to bring it down a notch which I have been doing so for the last year or so. I will throw Cathe in or some other intense workout for good measure about 2x a week but that's it. I'm really enjoying Travis some Jessica smith lots of pilates and now some Ellen. Thanks again.
Lilypad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 10:06 AM  
JackieB
VF Supporter
 
JackieB's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Minnesota
I really like Ellen, too. I think my favorite is Grace and Gusto b/c it is so stretchy. I like Yogini, too...a less intense version is her Crunch Super Slimdown Yoga Pilates Blend.

I like her Fat Burning Pilates with the bongo drum player, too.

I agree, doing an Ellen is so pleasant...her personality is so zen and encouraging.
__________________
Jackie

Certified Essentrics Instructor, Level 4---February 2017
Yoga Tune Up Roll Model Method Practitioner---December 2021

"Movement is a privilege. You don't have to exercise. You get to exercise. Visit a person whose mobility is severely limited, and you'll appreciate the distinction. Do what you can, count yourself lucky, heal yourself in the process." Essentrics Colorado
JackieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 10:13 AM  
summer breeze
VF Supporter
 
summer breeze's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
I like many of Ellen's workout, I'm thinking maybe Power Fusion and Grace & Gusto being favorites. Speaking of Ellen, wasn't there talk of a new dvd/dvds of hers coming out?
summer breeze is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 11:10 AM  
Pat58
VF Supporter
 
Pat58's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Connecticut
As time goes by I find myself reaching more for the old Crunch workouts, or Pick Your Level Pilates. I let myself get severely burned out on Ellen, there was a time where I did nothing but her Studio videos and some gym workouts. Super Slimdown is a fave and so is Fat Burning Pilates. Also the ones from Exercise TV - Slo-Robics and Zen Sculpt.
Pat58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 11:33 AM  
aunatural
 
aunatural's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
I had no idea that this site existed. Thanks!


Quote:
Originally Posted by kelsey211 View Post
I was a HUGE Ellen fan for a few years; I need to get back to doing some of her workouts since she makes me feel energized.

Fat Burning Fusion is my favorite workout. I also love her Self and Crunch workouts.

By the way, Ellen is offering 1 year of free access to her Yogini workout on her Ellenbtv.com.

http://ellenbtv.com/workout/preview/yogini-workout
__________________
Tracey
What I want to do doesn't matter. What I actually do does. I want to eat donuts for breakfast every morning but I'm not going to. I may not want to work out today but I'm going to.

2014 Goal- Be consistent! Embrace yoga!
aunatural is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 01:11 PM  
Lorelai
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Missouri
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilypad View Post
Thank you Laura for taking out the time and breaking these down for me. I really appreciate it. I'm just looking to stay in the shape that I am already in. I'm not looking to lose weight. Cathe gave me a wonderful foundation for the last 8 years or so but at this stage in my life I'm ready to bring it down a notch which I have been doing so for the last year or so. I will throw Cathe in or some other intense workout for good measure about 2x a week but that's it. I'm really enjoying Travis some Jessica smith lots of pilates and now some Ellen. Thanks again.
No problem, it wasn't too time consuming. In fact, I'm going to edit in a few thoughts and bold the titles I reach for the most for those who want to skip reading the post all the way. If you read old threads, even within a group of Ellen's fans, her workouts can sometimes be really polarizing. I tend to search and read old threads, and I can appreciate when people take a little time to mention why they liked or disliked something so much, because otherwise it's like ooooh something shiny! And then I have a gazillion tabs open.

Anyway, sometimes nothing can beat Ellen's personality, and every time I start exercising again, I automatically gravitate to her. This time I kicked off with Peace, Love & Cardio and thought it was pretty perfect for that. Very Ellen, but sometimes 45 minutes of her compound movement full body ROM stuff can be exhausting if one is out of shape or just not wanting to be as mentally present during a workout.

With workouts, I tend to first look at a genre, and then what I like is very dependent on the instructor. Jessica Smith is another favorite, have you explored her YouTube channel? She offers so much variety there! She's put out a lot of dvds in the past year and a half that I've been out of touch (first pregnant, the no appetite, energy or motivation type of pregnancy, and then this whole other kind of exhausting known as a baby), but they all seem to be walking workouts. Don't get me wrong, I love her approach to walking, but I admit that the fusion style first introduced to me by Ellen is what is most near and dear to my heart, so I do hope she returns to that, even if she's just fusing it into walks. Sadie Lincoln is also a joyful personality if you're at all interested in the barre side of things, and she gives excellent form pointers.
__________________
Laura

"Practice makes progress." Jessica Smith

"There's always an option before we quit." Jessica Smith

"You don't have to be a ballerina to feel like one." Ellen Barrett
Lorelai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 02:26 PM  
willwolf
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cali
Thanks, kelsey211, for posting about the free Yogini workout. Also, thanks to aunatural, for reiterating this, as I missed her earlier comment. I just got it!
willwolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-16, 03:48 PM  
cherimac
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Georgia
I personally was less than thrilled with her 30 minute offerings. The exception is Super Fast Body Blast, which is a lot of bang for your buck. The rest I rented for a year at Ellen B TV and feel no compulsion to purchase. My least favorite is Peace, Love, and Cardio, which tries to do too many things at once, but I can see how people might like it.
__________________
Cheri
cherimac is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
ellen barrett, natalie spadaccino, pick your level, slorobics

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
© 2009 Video Fitness