Charlie Brooks: Before and After Workout [DVD] [2005]

I have actually owned a copy of this dvd for nearly a year yet it's not until now that i've actually decided to put it to use.Those christmas pounds got the better of me! Having bought a large amount of workout dvd's in the past i expected this one to be just like the the rest...dull,boring and incredibly repetitive.How wrong was i?!

For a start Charlie Brooks has actually undergone a dramatic transformation unlike many of the other celebs who start slim and stay slim.You can see her transformation on the cover of the dvd though its not until you actually watch it that you realise just how much she has changed.She looks incredible!It definitly gives you some much needed early inspiration to try out these routines.

As many other reviewers have already said this workout is split into 5 different sections.There is a warmup first followed by disco,Combat,Hi-Intensity and finally a Pilates Cool-Down.Each section works your body in a different variety of ways and last roughly 10 minutes each.They are all fun to do so the time flies by.At first you will probably find it difficult to pick up the some of the moves.I know i did! However by the 3rd or 4th time you should be able to do them with ease.Both the fitness trainer (Dee Thresher) and Charlie Brooks are very likeable throughout the sessions.There is no tedious and pointless chit chat going on between the pair and when they do talk it is informative and motivating.

I'm sure the part most of you would like to know now is whether or not this workout actually works.Well i have been doing it 3 times a week for just a fortnight and have already lost 5lbs.I have also lost an inch of my waist as well as lower measurements on my hips and thighs etc.I am ecstatic! I should point out that i have also been following a simple healthy eating plan too.The dvd provides you with a great one which i have taken a few suggestions from.

So my search for my ideal fitness Dvd is over.The others have been put to the side and im going to stick with this one.Incase you haven't noticed yet i highly recommend this.

I love this!! I am now making a real effort to lose weight. I have now decided that after having 2 children, I cannot blame my weight gain on them any longer, especially as my youngest is now 18 months old!! Time to get off that sofa and work for it.

The only thing is, I have never bought a fitness DVD in my life, have never exercised since school (20 odd years ago!) and was faced with a huge array of DVDs to choose from. I chose this one on the basis that Charlie looks absolutely amazing and that is how I want to look. I WAS once a size 10 (and a small one at that) and now I am a huge size 18.

I love this DVD. Truthfully, I didn't expect to still be using this, as I thought that after a couple of goes, I would be bored rigid and go back to sitting on the sofa. How wrong was I? A month later I am still doing it and have gone from twice a week to 4 or 5 times weekly. Because this is split into sections, you do not get a chance to get bored, and it really does inspire you. My goal is to get through each section without stopping or making a mistake. I have cracked all sections apart from the High Intensity. This takes some stamina, but I am now able to do about 7 out of the 10 mins, so I am certainly getting fitter. My clothes feel better, I feel better..... I am SO PLEASED that I bought this and feel sure I will continue to use it until I have shed all my excess weight. Then I will probably reduce to twice a week just to stay fit.

By the way, this has also encouraged me to eat healthily and I haven't broken my healthy eating regime once in a whole month!!! Not much point exercising religiously and then having a huge Mars Bar (one of those kingsize ones mmmmmm!!!! Stop it now!!!)afterwards, is there?

You will not regret this purchase.

I bought this a couple of weeks ago having read various reviews in magazines etc. I have never done an exercise dvd before so was a bit unsure what to expect but this was excellent. I got a bit muddled the first time with what I was supposed to be doing with my feet but Dee Thresher (trainer) takes you through each one and by the second time I did the dvd I found I was able to follow it okay.

I like the fact it is split into 5 sections. This helps me stay motivated and also helps if I have to leave out a section due to time constraints. I find the penultimate section tough going but know that after that comes the pilates section which is a lot easier (although it does work the tummy hard!)

I have been following this about 4 times a week for the last couple of weeks, as well as trying to eat more healthily, and have already lost almost 3 inches around my waist! I feel a lot better and fitter too so am hoping that this will continue.

I have no idea how experienced fitness dvd people will find it but I can't recommend this highly enough. As long as you are prepared to take one or two sessions to get to grips with the routines then I am sure most other novices will love this dvd as much as I do.