Product: Gunnar Peterson's Core Secrets: Full Body Challenge (2003)
Rating: 4.0
A Good Little Workout
A good little workout to get you started. I give it 4 stars and it is a steal for the price advertised. I purchased my dvd locally at Big Lots in a combo package with two 3 lb. weights for $10. This combination is also a good deal if you can find it. The weights are very comfortable red foam and they are solidly constructed and easy to grasp and hold on to. I like the idea of the cross body exercise that simulates chopping wood, pulling the starter on a lawn mower, rowing, etc. and the use of the weights unequally on one side of the body to get a more inefficient workout. He also incorporates traditional and effective squats and floor exercises such as crunches and abdominal side lifts (don't know the name for this). You will need a yoga mat (or a comfy carpet) and two weights.Gunnar has a very pleasant, unpretentious and soft-spoken voice and he is an attractive middle-aged man (in a Carl from "Desperate Housewives" sort of way). The women doing the workout are also attractive with great abs. One woman is doing the easier alternative of some of the exercises. All in all it is a great start primarily for weight-bearing exercise and it could be incorporated into a longer workout.The exercises are fairly straight-forward, but it may take several tries to get good form. The 30 minutes go by quickly. This is a good all-round workout for men, women and teens. The weights can be adjusted for different intensity or strength levels. What may be lacking is a longer warm up and cooldown stretch. I have already ordered another of Gunnar's workouts because he is unlike some fitness trainers very calm and easy to follow.