Johanna Osment 2008-10-13

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

I had this DVD sitting on my shelf for a few years now. I had tried it a few times and just never got hooked. I've since started other exercise and with a bit more flexibility and core strength then I used to have, I decided to try Lotte Berk again. It's definitely not something that will everyone will like. You have to focus on what you're doing, the movements are small and precise, and you will feel a burn. I will stick with Pilates and Yoga as my primary "core" and flexibility work but I'll start adding Lotte Burk back into the mix now too.

Khezla Durr 2008-09-08

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

I have noticed several reviewers upset about the way the instructor, Stephanie Lyons, comes across in this video. I had 8 yrs of intensive ballet, and she reminds me very much of a strict ballet teacher, which must be why I like her. She herself started ballet at age 3 and danced with the NY City Ballet. The remarks she makes to draw one's attention to where the movement is felt, where it should be felt, are not meant to be condescending. What she is trying to do is assist you in building the "muscle memory" of the correct form of the movement, so that when you have the movements memorized, and start doing them without the video, you will immediately know by the WAY IT FEELS whether you are doing them correctly.
I thought this video was excellent with its instruction, as are all the LBM videos, although rather more beginner than ideal for my personal use. I hope my commentary offers a fresh perspective on this particular instructor.

Zori 2008-08-22

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

If you want a leg workout that centers on quads, buy this one. Many people have already listed out the main points of this DVD. Here's how I use mine: skip the weird march-in-place warmup, start with section 2 (of 4): thigh & seat. In about 3 minutes, you get a screaming thigh workout that strengthens quads noticeably. My knees are weak, and lunges are no good. These plies get results without the joint instability risked when doing front lunges. You really feel this workout, but when it ends, you're not sore. The next hamstring/butt exercises are ok, but the positioning they ask for seems undoable by humans. You still get noticeable results even if you're only in the ballpark position-wise. I AVOID THE AB SECTION COMPLETELY because they make no modifications for people with neck problems. Skip to the very end of this section for some more quad work, and I'm done. This is about all I can take, because these ballerinas are VERY angry, but I keep coming back because the 10 minutes a day I spend with them is a faster, more effective leg workout than I get anywhere else. I also like the value placed on stretching every part that's been worked.

Special features has an even more compressed workout that's a nice alternative, just as effective and even harder because it takes place in a shorter time. This is one of my top 5 workout DVDs for a few years now.

busy mom 2008-04-19

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

These are great workouts, I need to buy one more and I will have the whole series. If your biggest trouble spot are your legs then these will get it!!!!

Anonymous 2008-01-28

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Lotte Berk Method For Beginners - Basic Essentials The instructor was so irritating and condescending to the point of distraction. It was very hard to concentrate on the precision movements when I just wanted to rip her head off for constantly saying, "Can you tuck? Can you lift your leg? Can you do that? Can you?" The movements themselves were rather easy and required way too few reps, so it wasn't an issue of "can" at all.
I have no motivation to try any of the other DVD's because of this woman's poor attitude. Even the DVD editors themselves offer a "workout with music" option on the DVD so that you can tune out this woman and focus on the moves. However, the workout itself was not challenging at all, so it's just not worth it!