19 Customer Reviews
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Life Force with Anni Mairs |
 Great Workout! |
| I have all of Anni's workouts (they are all excellent), but this is my favorite one. By the time it is over, you are exhausted. It has plenty of options, you can switch to heavier weights in some segments. She has an advanced exerciser doing harder moves and another cast member doing easier moves, while Anni works the intermediate version. I love it because you get a great cardio workout but your whole body gets toned as well. I love the music, her teaching and her enthusiasm. Great cool-down stretch and music. Very motivating. - posted by Mary on 12/23/2011 |
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| Nice, basic total body workout that I always come back to. Gets the job done! |
| Everything is here—cardio, strength training, and stretching. In one-minute segments, you will work out all body parts without taking it from the top, having to memorize complicated dance steps, or flailing around and contorting your body in an effort to be cut. Basic, controlled moves are shown that take minimal learning to get down. The cardio effect continues during the strength training intervals. Three levels are shown, so this routine would work well for beginners through advanced, the only exception being super advanced or athletes who would need more of a challenge. You have the option of working out for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, or doing the whole 50-minute routine (not including the initial 2-minute warm up and the 8-minute cool down/stretch). If any move doesn’t feel right to your body, or you have a different strength training exercise you prefer for that particular body part, you can substitute your own exercise in for that minute without losing the flow of the workout. I have to do this on a few occasions within the workout due to personal back issues. The cool down and stretch are, in my opinion, the best in any workout I’ve done. The pacing is perfect and the stretches are great for people whose flexibility might not be the best. The cool down music is a beautiful combination of Gregorian chant/light jazz/Indian pan pipe. It has a very relaxing, spiritual feel to it, but without putting you to sleep--and I wholeheartedly disagree with those who feel this music is spooky in any way! :) I highly recommend this workout for getting all your fitness components done in one package, for the versatility, and as a nice change of pace from the “killer” workouts that are out there. - posted by Rebecca on 11/7/2011 |
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| Good workout for beginner/intermediate levels |
| This is my first Anni Mairs workout and I loved it! Even though I am just beginning to work out again after a a LONG lapse I wanted something I wouldn't get bored with. I am familiar with most aerobic moves and Anni gives good cues so easy to understand. It was recommended that a beginner only do the first 10 minutes and I ended up completing the first 20 minutes (which was a little hard for me the first time around). I have done the workout a couple more times and am comfortable with the 20 minutes and still get a good workout. I do 5 minutes on exercise bike beforehand to make sure I am warmed up completely and also add additional stretches afterward for a full 30 minute workout. I must say that as a 59 year old woman, it was nice to see someone lead the class that wasn't 25 years old and way too perky. Anni has a positive vibe about her and didn't move too quickly (but fast enough to get a good workout). I plan to add on an additional 10 minutes and then another 10 minutes as I become more fit. The DVD increases in intensity as you progress through the 10 minute cycles. My only criticism: why is Eli performing the beginner moves? Eli obviously is in great shape and he just looks silly (and by the look on his face, he felt silly). I alternated the moves between beginner and intermediate levels throughout the 20 minutes and it worked great for me! - posted by Marilyn on 8/26/2011 |
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| Great Workout |
| This is a great workout. Doing each exercise for one minute lets you focus on getting it right, but keeps the variety. The more you do the exercises, the more you get out of it. The dvd shows 3 levels of difficulty, so you can increase the intensity as you feel up to it. There is also an excellent cool down. Anni is a good instructor and very encouraging. - posted by Wendy on 3/22/2011 |
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| Excellent - Great workout |
| Enjoyed working out with this DVD. Great variety in exercises did not get bored. I can see results doing this workout. only complaint is I wish the focus had been less on Eli the easiest version and more on the intermediate and advanced. - posted by Patricia on 3/14/2011 |
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 not bad at all |
| I found that even though this seemed simple, as you progress through the dvd you definitely have a good workout. - posted by robin on 2/17/2011 |
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| Great workout |
| This is my first Anni dvd and found that I liked her style. I like the cardio/strength training that is has - which is not too hard nor too easy. I think it is a perfect combination of both. I also purchased her other 2 and look forward to doing those and hopefully likeing them as well. She is direct and her cueing is good. Her modifier is a little silly to watch,the workout seems way too easy for him to do, but he does modify well as does the other girl who does the higher impact. I actually do a combination of both since I have arthritis, and it is easy to combine both type of moves. I would recommend this workout to anyone that is not looking for a excelled Cathe type workout. - posted by Marsha on 1/20/2011 |
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| Life Force w/Anni Mairs |
| I really like this video. I wanted something challenging but different. I like the one-minute exercises. Tt was a good choice for me as it is easy to follow and I sweat doing it. I have many many exercise videos as I have been doing them for the last 34 years. This is one of my favorites. I am 60 years old and I feel that this is a good workout for me and that I am not going to damage any of my joints. I rate this video a 5 star as I look forward to doing it three times a week. - posted by Patti on 11/30/2010 |
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| Nice change from my usual routine |
| I have a huge collection but I tend to favor Jari Love, Cathe, Leslie and older classic Firm workouts. Life Force fits well into my library and is a nice mix of cardio and light toning. The good: the cardio really gets your heart pumping, especially if you follow the advanced exerciser (Amy); 50 minutes goes by fast. Not so good: Anni says "take a break" after every interval but most of the time she goes immediately into the next move instead of giving you a few seconds transition to move your step (if using one) or move between 1# to 3# weights where suggested. Also, I hate that she stops twice in the middle of active cardio to do ab work on the floor. Abs should come after the cool down IMO. Speaking of which, I agree with the reviewer who said the cool down music is spooky ... kind of like The Omen. I couldn't take it anymore, had to turn it off and do my own cool down/stretch. - posted by Lynn on 8/24/2010 |
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| Ditto on all the Five-Star Reviews! |
| I second all the previous positive reviews and won't repeat all the good things people have already said. I am a life-long fitness fanatic (running, weight lifting, mountain biking, swimming) and, at 47, currently consider myself an intermediate/advanced exerciser. I find myself reaching for this when I feel like an easier cardio workout AND when I feel like a challenging cardio workout; I guess I find myself reaching for this one a lot! It's so easy to modify to suit my energy level and needs. Yes, the moves are not complex, but I find I enjoy the "one-minute per move" format. As for the "dorky" guy (Eli, I think), I get a kick out of watching him make it fun--like when he kind of looks like he's doing the robot during one move. Hey, it's hard to be the one doing the beginner moves when the others have the advantage of impressing with high kicks and other advanced moves! LOVE this one! - posted by Deb on 7/7/2010 |
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