Denise Austin: Shrink Belly Fat

Wow, Denise really delivered with this DVD. Someone before me already gave a good breakdown of the exercises included so my review will be more general...OVERALL: The DVD comes with with options to customize playback... you can play any of the sections in any order you want... and it comes with a "Music Only" option, too, which is nice. Denise is quietly encouraging in this; she has really toned it down over the last few years. Her cueing is decent here, though not stellar. I highly recommend watching this DVD all the way through for two reasons: 1)It is an ab workout so some of the moves will be awkward to have to look at the tv the whole time and 2) The difficulty level really varies between the three sections and the modification and form pointers tend to come after Denise has already started the exercise. These two things in NO WAY detract from the quality of these workouts... just know to plan ahead a little.Cardio Abs: Perhaps better called "Standing Abs", this section is the easiest of them all. It will have some cardio benefit for beginners, but not so much for everyone else. That said, this is a wonderful section that works your balance and your obliques quite well and has a "functional fitness" vibe to it that I can get behind. I liked this section A LOT (best suited for my level of fitness right now) and I could definitely feel it the next day. It would be easy to fly through this section and complain that it doesn't work, but you have to really mentally focus on the muscles you're working with standing ab work. Level: Beginner/Low IntermediateAthletic Abs: Make sure you have a cushiony mat if you have sensitive knees, there is quite a bit of kneeling in the first few minutes of this workout. Also, if you don't watch any of the other sections before doing them DEFINITELY do so with this section. Some of the moves are more advanced and are not meant to have you craning your neck at the TV. Overall, I had a tough time with this section and will have to work up to a couple of the moves. The section ends with some really great back work that I will incorporate into other workouts. Level: SOLID IntermediateClassic Abs: Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I felt this for three days afterward. This is, as the title suggests, classic floorwork but with some pilates style twists to spice it up. But that "spice" still consists of a lot of crunches. Denise provides a couple of short (and much needed) rests/stretches, but this was an endurance test for me. Totally worth it, though, because it really torched my lower abs; a tough spot to target. It's hard to name an ability level for this one because anyone can do the moves but Beginners should prepare for some pain when tackling this section.I highly recommend this DVD. I feel like you can start with "Cardio Abs" if you are a beginner and work your way up to and through the other sections over time, so you get a lot of bang for your buck in that way. For the more advanced folks, you are getting a great variety of moves that are interesting and safely done. And, finally, I appreciate that Denise tries to balance the ab work with at least a little back work, something that can go missing with Ab focused workouts (though, thankfully, the trend is swinging to more focus on the back muscles).

My Wife could not do the exercises but I enjoyed watching Denise.

Love it so much I replaced it when I realized it was missing. I’m in decent shape bc of Denise and Kathy Smith for the last 40 years. Thanks to both of them. Denise is fun, I love her cheerful demeanor which is way more fun than the gym. It’s effective too. You don’t need to hurt yourself to stay in shape, 30 min a day and add a walk in and your legs are ripped before you know it

This "Shrink Belly Fat" DVD contains 3 intermediate workouts which also include a few intensive moves. Denise Austin instructs 2 ladies and 2 gentlemen.Here is a time breakdown.1. Cardio Abs (15:22)2. Athletic Abs (15:51)3. Classic Abs (15:18)Each workout is about 15 minutes and you can combine them into various combinations. I did all 3 workouts in one session. The exercises are fast paced so the session began and finished quickly which I found to be a pleasant surprise.Here's a breakdown. Most of the exercises are listed. A single light weight is used in workout 1 and in workout 2.1. Cardio AbsKnee lift, with twistSide bendOblique pull inPunch and rotationPlank with spider walkHook with twistTwistTwist, reachOverhead press, with ab extensionSide bendTwist, reachOverhead press, with ab extensionSide bendTap, side hopSquat with pull & kneePass it throughWood chopTriangleStretches2. Athletic AbsStretchesCamelTwist & crunchThread through & side crunchSide plankPlank, crossover & side crunchTurkish get upLeg crunchScissorsLow hover, with mobilityTable top, with various planes of movementStretches3. Classic AbsStretchesLong crunch, with leg liftOblique crunchJack knifeIn & outStarfishSide plankWalking plankRolloverBicycleLift upLow plankSupermanStretches

I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 but this is still an excellent video for someone in great shape, up to 40 years old. I am a senior citizen and in great shape and broke out in a sweat on all three workouts. They are divided into 3 15 min. high cardio moves. I rated the first, cardio abs, as good. The moves were mixed with stuff from prior videos and were mainly standing, kicking, bending. The 2nd workout, athletic abs, is done half the time on your knees and not good for anyone with knee probs--however it could be modified. there were some new moves which required some balance and were hard for me to do, but felt I got a good workout. No. 3 is done mainly on the back, again for the abs. some were familiar but I did feel not too repetitive. Each workout included a short warmup and cooldown. All in all, I felt energized and pretty good after working out. (typically do 30 min and vary my dvds every day). Denise is also every upbeat and encouraging. If you don't like that sort of thing you have the option to work out with music.