Element: Ballet Conditioning [DVD]

Oh my God, thins workout is so hard!!! But amazing! Probably not great if your fitness is low but if you have lost a bit of weight and need to tone up then this is for you! My bum was higher after the first go and it does get easier every time you do it. A word of warning- the ab exercises are relentless but if you end up looking like the girl in the DVD then they are certinally worth perservering!!!

Really good but very tough, my msucles were aching the next day...but in a good way!!
Really works on toning your thighs and core muscles, relentless but good. Probably hard for those who are not that fit though, but it does get easier with every go.

I have been doing this dvd for 5 days of the past week (I did Pilates for Dummies on the other 2 days) and my legs are still aching. I could feel the results after just 2 days, although my legs felt like jelly. I have never done a workout dvd that is this tough - and I have tried quite a few including Bootcamp workouts etc.

Most of the workout is conducted more or less on the spot and the the moves are often slow & small, but very intense. There is little in the way of cardio apart from a few minutes of jumps, but that is fine by me. However as they follow some serious muscle work, the jumps almost finish me off. There is also a challenging 10 minute (approx) section of ab work too. There is little in the way of "breathing space" like you get in some dvds, she just keeps pushing you on relentlessly.

I am about 2.5 stone overweight but I do tend to exercise pretty regularly, using an exercise bike, Pilates, Yoga, weights etc. 15 years ago I was into body building and although my muscles have now lost their strength, they do bulk up fast. I was therefore expecting to find this workout easier after a couple of days. It was not to be. It wasn't until my 5th time that I managed to do every exercise all the way through - but it was agonising and my legs still felt like jelly at the end.

I would dispute the review by E Veneziano that you need "professional stamina", you simply need to build up slowly. I would also dispute Ms Gregory's comments that the instructor looks "bulky". I think she looks fantastic. Ms Gregory is also fairly scathing on the instructor's technique. This is a workout dvd, not a ballet instruction dvd, and I am too busy concentrating on what I am doing to bother about whether or not the instructor is pointing her toes. Ms Gregory also recommends Pilates instead of this workout. Well I do both - and I do Pilates when I want an easy day.

In summary, this dvd is brilliant for anyone wanting to build lower body strength (skiers, cyclists, dancers etc) and those wanting to tone their legs, abs and bums