TA Slim & Sculpt Cardio

[eventmom]

Originally Posted by ssgilby

The one thing I found odd about this video is that there is something about the filming of it that seems kind of off. It almost feels/seems like a computer-animated thing. Kind of like her Xbox workouts. Hard to explain, and I don't think it actually is a computer w/o, but there's just something about it. Did anyone else notice that?

I think it's the music - it sorts of cuts out and starts a totally different song. Express actually has spots where the music cuts out and nothing comes on....

[aspidistra]

I just saw this at Best Buy in the New Releases section - not even with the other fitness videos. It was only $15 and I've been looking for it for ages so I got it. My feelings about it are mixed, after watching it all the way through and doing the band portion of it twice.

The segments: there are 2 cardio segments without the band, and one segment using the band. I hate the cardio which includes jumping jacks - something I absolutely don't need to see in anyone's exercise videos ever - I had enough in high school gym class and can't do them now because of osteoarthritis in both knees. In general I can do some of her earlier cardios which involve more dancing than jumping and I have no desire to do these two cardio segments.

The band: it smells horrible and I don' t know what it's made of, whether synthetic or real latex, but it's not an "OK" rubber smell like the little green Gaiam band that came with Marisa Tomei's workout dvd (which I don't enjoy but I like the band - it's just too small). The band in Tracy's dvd is thin and wide and very long. She demonstrates quite thoroughly how to use it but I still see too much potential for injury to my knees with some awkward stances while anchoring the band across the back, and so on. I totally believe in the theory of why resistance bands will give faster results, and I used them 2 years ago but abandoned them for weights and body weight simply because the way it stresses my muscles just doesn't feel right. Yet I remain intrigued by the possibility and so I have been incorporating resistance bands lately. I just can't do her entire workout with the bands.

The dvd workouts: it's the same backdrop like a mini hacienda outdoors, as her last dvd, Method Express, which came out months ago. I really don't get why the big difference in release dates. I remember I was critical of the ultra bright backdrop making it harder to see the movements and I never did get into using the Method Express. Will I get into this? Highly unlikely but I've been using it for two days and I may use it a little longer. I am not drawn to it or intrigued by it as I still am by her other workouts such as Perfect Design Series and Metamorphosis. I always go back to these. I think the newer single dvds are meant for a new audience or someone who never tried her longer series of dvds. And they can be a good introduction to her method.

Her look: Her ultra fit body is as inspiring as they come. She made some of her previous workouts when she just had a baby, even while pregnant, and was not at all thin yet she was very fit. Now she combines thin with fit. Still not ripped and still with a soft feminine look but very inspiring. Why? She is famous for loving cupcakes, chocolate, milk, and eating whatever she wants. I am always reminded looking at her workouts that you can be more lenient with your food choices if you work out at least an hour a day 6 days a week. For sure you can't starve yourself and expect to last through one workout. That is very much part of her message though she sort of dropped the ball with her extreme low calorie diets in her book and in Meta. Almost no one followed them or could follow them and she doesn't either.

So my bottom line is that this is either for newcomers to TA or for completists like me who have to get everything she puts out. It could be a challenge to use the band, but I can hardly stand the smell so I won't be able to give it a real chance. Unless - and I just thought of this - I use my Pilates band which is a heavy stretch cloth. I bought it about a year before I ever did TA and so I could combine it with her instructions and that might work to avoid the horrible band that came with her dvd.

I hadn't seen many positive comments about this dvd so I thought I should write my impressions of it.

[Usia]

Thanks for the review. I'm not a fan of TA, so it was easy for me to decide not to buy this dvd even though I did consider it briefly.

As far as bad smelling band goes;
Few months ago I purchased an extra strong band from Amazon, and when it arrived, it smelled so bad that I couldn't even keep it in the house. Nothing seemed to help to get rid of the smell until I read that leaving it in the sun for few hours on each side should help. Since the band was unusable otherwise, I tried it and it worked! After couple of days of this treatment, there was almost no smell left. I did this in the fall when the sun was not that hot, and I left the band out for only couple of hours on each side. If you decide to try this, make sure you don't leave it out in the sun in this heat for hours - or no telling what will happen. Good luck!

[aspidistra]

Thank you for the tip about leaving the band in the sun to get rid of the smell. I will do that!

[Suzan66]

I wonder if they put the same bands in all the dvds.. mine doesn't smell one bit, it's very thick & strong too, but not as long as Gaiam one. I've only done the sculpt segment once then got on a HDM kick but I'm sure I'll do it one of these days. Altho, I will never pre-order anything again, I never would have bought this one had I known it only had one sculpting chapter. I'm not a fan of her cardio.

[Fitstick]

I saw this at Costco the other day for $9.99.