Title: Tendu Toning (Speck Fitness)
What's the promise? A total body workout that fuses ballet techniques with resistance training -- a strength workout for dancers or a "ballet body" workout for intermediate to advanced wannabes.
What does "tendu" mean? Rachel Speck says it "tawn-dew"; it refers to moving a tautly stretched leg and foot through various positions.
Format: Speck and two backup ballerinas exercise on a green carpet in front of a fitness center's free-weight equipment for 66 minutes: four-minute dynamic warm-up; 11-minute squat series with constant tension in the inner thighs; eight-minute attitude series, standing on one leg with the other leg lifted to hip height and a ball tucked behind its knee; seven minutes of second position exercise (a whole bunch of pulsing plies); six-minute band kickback series, using a looped stretch band and ankle weights; six-minute lunge series in which the working leg glides on a plastic disc; 11 minutes of traditional arm exercises using a stretch band; eight minutes of abdominal work using a plastic inflated ball; six minutes of brief stretches.
Is it a good workout for beginners? No, she doesn't cue back and knee posture, and the "beginner" model does most everything the advanced model does, including the splits.
Any risky moves? The fast, full neck circles in her warmup. Kinesiology students are taught that such motions can cause nerve impingement. (Here's a helpful explanation: bit.ly/29zH3OB)
But her posture's good, especially in the attitude series where it's easy to hyperextend excessively. She also doesn't hyperextend her knees. Her feet do turn out during hamstring kickbacks, which isn't the goal.
Can I do it barefoot? yes
Gear needed: barre, chair or counter for support; stretchy resistance band, ankle weights, hand weights, inflated ball, plastic glider or a plate
Who is the presenter: Speck retired from professional ballet in Miami at age 20, after a childhood dedicated to ballet training and scholarships. She's certified in Pilates, personal training and group fitness with the American Sports and Fitness Association (criticized by the Better Business Bureau here: go.bbb.org/29zlCgN). She taught at Crunch before opening her own fitness business in Miami. She teaches children's ballet and adult classes in Tendu Toning and offers teacher certifications. Her website, speckfitness.com, has gear for sale; its blog section was just Lorem Ipsum dummy text when I checked it Friday.
Price: $25
ActiveStyle on 07/18/2016