Tighten Tone and Torch with Suzanne Bowen

I discovered Suzanne recently on YouTube and liked her personality so much that I purchased two of her DVDs (this and "BarreAmped"). I haven't done the cardio section as I rely on Jessica Smith's low impact walks to cover that but I've done the other two on the disc repeatedly and can only say that the results were pretty instantaneous.The lower body lean segment seemed slightly easy compared to other videos but my legs are much stronger and even caught the notice of a usually distracted boyfriend so I'd say it's definitely worth the effort! Suzanne does a variety of moves involving plies at different angles, see-saws for rear hamstrings, "knee dancing" for the thighs (I feel those!) and then moves on to the glutes and a short bit for the inner thighs. Not too difficult but you get a bang for your buck.Upper body sleek was a different story. The bodyweight only exercises were quite challenging; however, I've been doing them following 20 minutes of Leah Sarago's upper body moves in her "Ballet Body: Total Body" video and since they were very similar I'm guessing I was too burnt out. Whatever the case, Suzanne does a lot of shoulder work involving forearm planks then transitions into side planks that work your waist, shoulders and back. It's not easy and even she stresses that you should listen to your body. She finishes with tricep dips before moving onto the weighted section. At that point 3 pounds was about all I could handle and even then I had to stop once or twice. She focuses on the shoulders, triceps, middle back and more but I never thought 8 reps of one exercise could cause so much muscle trembling! It works, though, and her "shake to change" motto is no joke.Suzanne is a very pleasant instructor who is not a drill sergeant or too perky. She packs a lot into the two segments I've been doing and there is no dread factor (or annoyance factor in her case). I like that she incorporates stretching into the upper body workout; Leah Sarago doesn't give you a break but Suzanne does. I've very happy with this purchase and would buy additional videos by Suzanne in a heartbeat.

Suzanne Bowen is a very likeable instructor. She's precise and gives great form pointers. As for the workout, I felt it in those small movements. This is a nice addition for those who like barre-type workouts but want something different. Each section can stand alone or put all 3 together for a burner. I appreciate the pick and choose option. The upper body section is intense and I used only 3 lbs weights. There's a lot of shoulder work here. The lower body section didn't feel as difficult but interestingly I really felt it in my muscles later. And the cardio - well that one sneaked up on me. It seemed easy until she started doing wide plie jumps. There's a bunch and they fry the legs. The stretch is nice and plenty long without being rushed. It's not my most intense workout but I wouldn't call it a light day workout either. It's great for days when you don't feel like jumping around - except for those darn plie jumps. I've used over 500 workout dvds and this one is a keeper.

I love Suzanne Bowen! Great queuing and workouts.

I bought this postpartum, as I had used Suzanne Bowen's Long & Lean workout during my pregnancy. This is a great workout and I'm very happy with my purchase! There are 3 workouts--an upper body, a lower body and a cardio segment. Right after I had my baby I did just one segment, which is about 20 minutes. Now that I have a little bit more time, doing 2 or all 3 segments during one workout is awesome! There are modifications for beginners and more advanced participants, which is great. It gets my heart rate up, and I can really feel it in my muscles. Even with my newborn-induced sporadic workout schedule, I'm seeing results and feel great! I would definitely recommend this workout as it will boost metabolism with all of the strength training and also work on cardio with fun and challenging exercises.

I'm not going to lie, this is not the type of workout I would enjoy. I have a couple pilates dvd's at home that I do sometimes (mostly Ellen Barett) but enjoy trainers like Jackie Warner, Cindy Whitmarsh and Jillian Michaels. I didn't realize this was barre based when I bought it. For those new to barre the workout will require some extra time watching the moves before you can perform them. A lot of the arm work is in plank position on the floor so it's hard to watch and do the moves at the same time. After doing the workouts a couple times a person would become familiar with them. Overall though I feel like this dvd will provide a great workout for someone who enjoys this style, that's why I am giving it 5 stars. I felt as though I should review so others can decide whether or not this would be for them.

This is a great set of workouts that doesn't involve a bunch of flailing and dancing around, which I appreciate. Even if I'm a little low on energy, I don't dread doing this DVD, but I still feel like I accomplished something. My body is changing after 2 weeks of doing 1-2 segments of this video 4-5 times/week. I really love Suzanne as an instructor. She's calm but still very motivating. She says things like, "Could you go an inch lower?" in a way that makes you think that maybe yes, you could, even though you feel like you're dying. I was tempted to skip the stretch segment at first, but after trying it, I now love it.

I have Suzanne Bowen's 10 Minute Abs dvd, and like it so I took a chance on this DVD, and think it is excellent. The torch routine will definitely raise your heart rate and make you sweat. It that way, it is challenging. However, one of the reasons I like it is that it is not dance oriented - no complicated steps or fast rhythms. If you've been doing some aerobic work and want to step it up a bit, I'd recommend this dvd. If you are re new to fitness, it would be a challenge, but something to aim for.