Canyon Ranch: Strong & Sculpted [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

"Canyon Ranch: Strong & Sculpted" contains 3 intermediate workouts: Core, Strength Training, and Yoga. The workouts are roughly 20 minutes each and all three take place in a sunny desert setting, with cacti and other desert plants. All three workouts have a separate stretch section or a relaxation segment.

Here is a breakdown.

1. Core (18:36) 3.5 stars: Darcy instructs and demonstrates. I liked the exercises, although I felt that the exercises moved too fast from one to another. 3 to 8 lb weights are recommended.

Step, squat, lunge
Diagonal reach with hip raise
Isometric hold with reach
Lunge, with weight from the floor to the ceiling
Sideways
Halo
Single leg deadlift with reach
Reach to plank
Squat hold and swing

Side plank, lateral flexion
Plank with knee in, knee cross
Side to side
Opposing limbs reach
Weave

Downward dog, leg reach
Tap toes down and up
Single leg raise
Prone position hold
Flutter
T position with leg roll to the side
Prone plank, with leg lift
Bow and arrow, rotation and extension
Pushup
Downward dog

Stretch (5:11)

2. Strength (19:37) 4 stars: Heather (the woman on the cover of the DVD) instructs and demonstrates. This is a fairly standard workout which includes compound movements. Dumbbells are used.

Squat
Lunge
Squat lunge combo
Curtsy lunge

Squat to curl to press
Side lunge to lateral raise
Single row to reverse fly
Front raise with back lunge
Shoulder press with back lunge
Biceps curl with curtsy lunge
Hammer curl on a single leg

Pushup
Alternating row
Pushup with alternating row

Chest press and dumbbell fly
Triceps work

Bridge with leg hold, hip work

Stretch (9:05)

3. Yoga (21:48) 4.5 stars: Heather instructs and demonstrates. I could do most of the poses and, in general, this is a fairly easy to follow routine, with a few challenging poses. i liked this one the best.

Here are some of the poses. Some poses are repeated in a cycle.

Mountain pose to extended mountain, to backward bend
Extended mountain to mountain
Five point star to goddess pose
Goddess pose to heart center to mountain pose
Extended mountain pose, swan dive to forward fold

Chair flow to extended mountain
Goddess pose to five point star to heart center
Extended mountain, swan dive to forward fold
Extended mountain to heart center to balanced chair
Extended mountain to forward fold

Head yes, no
Extended mountain swan dive to forward fold
Child pose to downward facing dog
Plank to downward facing dog with leg lift
Lunge to extended child pose

Forward fold to extended mountain
Swan dive to forward fold
Warrior 1, chest expansion, to mountain
Fall forward to forward fold
Swan dive to extended mountain

Downward facing dog to plank
Extended mountain to forward fold
Warrior 1 to warrior 2
Side angle to extended side angle
Lunge to downward facing dog with leg reach

Plank to crocodile to downward facing dog
Upward facing dog to downward facing dog
Forward fold to extended mountain
Warrior 1 to warrior 2
Side angle

Downward facing dog to crocodile to plank to crocodile
Upward facing dog to downward facing dog
Forward fold to extended mountain
Warrior 1 to warrior 2
Triangle pose

Lunge to heart center
Crescent lunge
Downward facing dog to extended mountain
Warrior 1 to warrior 2
Triangle pose

Warrior 2 to heart center to crescent lunge
Forward fold to mountain
Swan dive to forward fold
Neutral spinal balance
Hip lift to recline plank

Knee to chest, stretch
Final relaxation

Savasana (5:25): This is guided relaxation or meditation.

~~~

Bonus features

1. Cooking with Super Foods (7:08): Anti-inflammatory foods are discussed, including the following:

Omega 3 foods including fatty fish such as tuna and salmon
A salsa recipe with blueberries and mango
Spices, condiments, berries, etc.

2. Building Lean Muscle (3:19): Weight train to build and maintain muscle and strong bones.

3. Healthy Joints (3:41): Keep moving, exercise properly, take supplements, and eat healthy.

Debuting from the award-winning Canyon Ranch Resort & Spa is a total work-out DVD incorporating their renowned wellness principles. With three 20-minute routines designed to strengthen, firm, and tone the body, these easy to follow segments can be used individually or combined for a complete toning work-out. Led by Canyon Ranch fitness experts Darcy McCue and Heather Schmidt, this program is designed to improve balance and flexibility while engaging the core muscles and focusing your mind.

Also included in the DVD are three bonus segments worth checking out. Cooking with Super Foods focuses on the importance of using certain fruits, veggies, and spices such as mangoes, red bell peppers, and turmeric in everyday cooking to help fight inflammation. The Building Lean Muscle segment gives helpful tips as to how to build muscle through exercise. Finally, the Healthy Joint feature highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy balance of exercise and eating right in order to truly benefit from the overall program.

As a nationally certified exercise and aquatics instructor, I highly recommend this DVD for the following reasons. First, the program is easy to follow. I added one routine at a time to my work-out schedule incorporating all three within one week. Secondly, the core and strength training segments had some fun and new exercises that I had never seen before. The routines were refreshing, not the same old exercises found on most DVDs. Thirdly, the yoga routine was restorative and invigorating. I like practicing yoga; however, I have limitations due to my rheumatoid arthritis. For the first time ever, I was able to physically do about 98% of the poses. I was thrilled! For dedicated yogis, the routine is absolutely divine. Overall, the Canyon Ranch DVD is an excellent balanced program worth adding to your exercise regime

There are 3 ~20min. segments on this dvd. I like the idea of 20-30 minute routines because I can almost always fit them into my day, (the 45-1 hour dvd's I'm less likely to do because of the time committment). I primarily purchased this dvd for the strenghth work out, using hand weights. The routine is good, but I feel it moves too quickly from one exercise to the next. I realise they are trying to give a good workout in a short time, however I feel adding just a couple more minutes & doing the same amout of exercise would've worked better, for me at least. The core routine is also good, however I still feel it moves too fast & didn't offer much instruction. I enjoyed the yoga routine the most, although it also moves fairly quickly, although I use yoga dvd's daily, so I'm more familiar with the routines. I will continue to use this dvd, at least for the strength workout, but will work at my own pace. The exercise routine is good, works out many areas of the body.