Element: Barre Conditioning

This is a great workout for toning your legs and it has not lunges which is great for people wirh knee issues like me. I have had knee singer and can do all of these exercises.

Very clear and concise voice-over for the movements, with simple and clear instructions that follow the basic principles of ballet, Pilates and yoga. The poses themselves are offered with modifications and are accessible to all levels of athletic ability. The background music and scenery enhance without distracting and the filming allows the viewer to see the entire movement and understand the finer points of the isolated and smaller ranges of motion. I'm very happy to go through the sections and feel as though Sadie Lincoln knows both her anatomy and how to effectively work the entire body. I cannot wait to find more of her DVD's to add to my personal collection. 'Grace meets athleticism' is indeed accurate in describing Barre Conditioning. Ten stars for this DVD in terms of home workout achievements from this Pilates and yoga instructor.

In the last few months I've been doing a lot of barre workouts. I bought a bundle of DVD's from Barre 3 featuring Sadie Lincoln and I really like her as an instructor. There are two workouts filmed in a gorgeous outdoor setting. Burn & Firm is a lot more challenging than Lengthen & Strengthen. I was sweating up a storm and my legs were shaking durning B & F, whereas L & S was much more gentle. Compared to the Barre 3 workouts that I've done, these have almost no upper body work and I missed that element. Also, the instructions are done via voiceover, in the B 3 workouts they have microphones. I don't like the voiceover as much. This is a good introduction (and a great price) to barre workouts.

Each workout is a little over half an hour. The video is shot outdoors with a beautiful ocean view and lovely garden. The music and instructor's voice are soft and gentle. The workouts use small moves with many repetitions to tax the deep muscles. The next day I feel noticeably stronger and more balanced, but not sore. The only thing I don't care for too much is the instructor's emphasis on qualities such as "physique, tone, carriage, and grace" rather than strength, balance, and flexibility. In other words, there is too much emphasis on your appearance. She does talk about athleticism and functional fitness too, though, so it's not too bothersome. I gave it five stars because of the results.

Good video if you want to focus on the big leg and butt muscles without having to do crazy amounts of lunges and squats (there are some, but they tend to be smaller and more controlled). She says it tones deep into the muscle, but I did not feel that. I was actually surprised that I could feel the layer of muscle right on top, all the way around the leg, but nothing down deep. I have been doing Mary Helen Bowers' workouts that really do get down deep into those muscles, and there was definitely a difference. I was also surprised at how tight my muscles felt afterward. After the first section, just standing up straight felt like I was constantly stretching rubber bands in my legs, and that their "relaxed" state would have been slightly bent, into a squat. My calves were also worked way more than I prefer. I get the feeling my legs would get bigger, not smaller if I did this workout consistently. I can see myself using this on occasion, just to mix things up and make sure those muscles get some attention, but it's not really a video that I'd get excited about doing. I'd actually prefer to return it, if that were possible. I enjoyed some of the exercises, but a few were still a little hard on my knees and I did not like the tightness in my muscles after the video. I'm sure I could have done some more stretches, but I feel like a workout video should include enough to get you reasonably loose again after the workout. I do want to mention that I did like the pace! She is very good at taking things slowly and getting you into the proper position, which is great, but I could see this being a bit slow for some people. It's a nice, relaxed workout for those days that you don't feel like beating yourself up!

I am an over 50 exercise shunner in middle-age fair shape. This workout is difficult, but doable even for me, not hard on the joints. As I get more familiar with it, I've been able to concentrate on really isolating and working the muscles. I think it will still be challenging months down the road. This workout is great for the following reasons: you do it barefooted all you need is a mat/towel and a chair peaceful, mellow music set on a grassy cliff with the Pacific Ocean in the background the trainer doesn't yak too much slow, purposeful movement lasts 30 minutes

I have never enjoyed a workout as much as the two on this DVD. In just 3 weeks my waistline has shrunk, my legs and core are stronger, my posture is improved and overall I feel healthier and more energized. I love the beautiful backdrop of the garden and the Pacific Ocean, and Sadie's voice is calm and supportive, which helps to get me through the tougher parts of the workout. Both workouts on the DVD are thorough and efficient and will strengthen, lengthen and tone your entire body.

This is a workout routine that is deceptively difficult. Seems like very small movements, but those movements work out the muscles intended. I like it and would recommend it to others seeking a Barre rountine.

What a great DVD! I enjoy the barre class at my local dance studio, and this Barre Conditioning program is perfect to do at home between classes or while I'm travelling. All you need is a chair and a rolled up towel! Can be done in a hotel room while on business trips! Brilliant! I just pop it in my laptop. The DVD features two different workouts. I love to mix it up from one day to the next, or even do both if I have the time. Sadie Lincoln is very encouraging and has a very pleasant voice. If you have and enjoy Elements: Ballet Conditioning, you'll definitely want to add this one to your workout DVD collection (or vise versa)!

Teils richtig anstrengendes Homeworkout

I give this 5 stars, because this is a really good workout. It makes my legs tremble and ache each time I do it, though I have a rather good fitness level and exercise daily. I still think that it would be nice if Sandie would have added an abs/core and an upper body part to the disk to make it a full body workout.

I LOVE this Barre conditioning workout! I am a new Mom and started doing this workout just over a month after giving birth via C-section. I really wanted to get back into working out but didn't want to start with weights or running as my body was still healing. This workout is amazing! It's helped me get back into shape after baby and is still challenging a few months later.

I am fit, experienced with using DVD workouts and have done some Barre before. I found these workouts easy to follow and beneficial.