LITTLE ROCK — Denise Austin does it all.
The queen of fitness DVDs is back with a new DVD called Denise Austin: Sculpt & Burn Body Blitz ($14.98 from Lionsgate) that blends a variety of workouts. Austin seems to always be at the forefront of trends and the DVD — which has routines called mixed martial arts, athletic conditioning, kettlebellinspired and “cardio sculpt” — is no exception.
What’s more, Austin also has designed a 30-day workout program for exercisers at home to follow if they choose. She helps them progress from one 10-minute workout a day, plus the five-minute warm-up and cool-downs in the first week, to doing the entire 50-minute program by Day 30. Exercisers can also customize their workouts by selecting one or more programs. It’s easy to see why Austin is so popular. (She has sold more than 25 million DVDs and VHS tapes.) She’s encouraging and easy to follow. She explains things well and structures routines that are effective.
And she has a certain delivery that is familiar after a few DVDs. It’s so familiar some may be grateful that the DVD includes an option to follow along with only music and not Austin’s voice. (I personally love her voice; it’s soft, feminine, pleasant and totally fits her perky blond self ... oh, for goodness sake, where’s the remote?)
OK, seriously, that option is probably for those who will wear out the DVD over hundreds of uses.
The DVD starts with a mixed-martial arts routine. It’s essentially a bouncy kickboxing routine with side kicks and knee lifts and a number of moves that challenge your balance. One calls for the exerciser to lift the knee up, take it back into a back kick then bring it forward again before putting the leg down.
Austin uses a number of combination moves throughout. In the athletic conditioning routine, she has exercisers bring one knee up and over, landing in a squat position then almost immediately going back into a “curtsy lunge.” (Think of a really deep curtsy.)
The routine also has exercisers using their football feet, pumping their feet up and down while holding a squat and also moving front to back, side to side.
The kettleball routine, which uses dumbbells, has a number of chops and swings and other moves that twist and work the entire body. The “cardio sculpt” also relies on the dumbbells to target all of the major muscle groups. There are some moves from the other routines, including lunges and squats, but they’re combined with shoulder presses, or rows or other weightlifting moves.
She seems to make the most out of every 10-minute workout, perhaps because that’s all some exercisers will be able to squeeze in at home. After all, not everyone can do it all.
ActiveStyle, Pages 25 on 10/31/2011