BarreAmped Fire Extreme Sculpt

I have all of Suzanne Bowen's DVDs and really love her workouts. I am a barre enthusiast and in terms of workouts similar to BarreAmped, I own and have used Physique 57, The Booty Barre and The Ballet Physique. While I like them all, my BarreAmped DVDs are the ones I come back to most frequently. I was very excited for Fire Extreme Sculpt especially with the many excellent reviews, and it did not disappoint. The four segments (total body, lower body, abs and arms/shoulders) can be used as stand alone workouts as they are filmed as separate blocks with their own warm up and short stretch segments. I have done the workout twice since I received it last week and I did the full 80+ minutes both times. I was shaking and sweating throughout and felt a nice burn all over. Suzanne, as usual, cues perfectly and maintains a calm and friendly demeanor. You could see that her thighs were shaking too so that was particularly encouraging when I was burning especially in the lower body segment :)To give a little bit of a summary of what to expect in the different segments -1) Total Body Sculpt (28 minutes): Some standing barre work (using light weights), some plank work and variations of tricep dips on the mat.2) Thigh & Seat (17 minutes): Standing barre work followed by pretzels and some leg/glute lifts on all fours.3) Abs Blast (13 minutes): Starts off with some standing ab work, followed by Suzanne's signature 'up and over' ab moves and supermans at the end. Some reviewers have mentioned that this is the least effective portion and it is definitely easy to feel like nothing's working since the moves can hardly be seen. I felt that way my first time around, but quickly felt the burn when I properly engaged my abs the second time.4) Sleek & Toned Shoulders (11 minutes): Standing upper body work using light weights (Suzanne used 3 lbs and I found it sufficient and even heavy halfway through).5) Relaxation Stretch (12 minutes): Nice long stretches on the mat, which I really appreciated after the intense workout.I have written the above details from memory as I forgot to take notes, so please excuse me if there are slight inaccuracies in the order :) I normally find it hard to take 80 minutes out of my day for a workout DVD, but this one flew by! The heat in my body, especially my thighs and butt, the next day was very rewarding and I'll definitely be picking this one up again in the near future. Definitely my favourite BarreAmped DVD and that's saying a lot! :)

I had fun with this workout, the instructor was pleasant and the camera angles were helpful. I will say that I personally did not feel it was an advanced workout, and they were all moves that I have done in other barre videos. I did every workout on the DVD in one evening, adding ankle weights and resistance bands to some of the moves to make them more challenging. Out of all options, I felt the leg section was the most challenging and well rounded, with the ab section being the weakest. My legs were shaking and on fire and though they aren't sore today as they are with weights, they do feel tighter. As a personal trainer myself, I felt the ab section could pose a problem for those with lower back issues. There was a lot of work done on the upper abs, but not so much one the lower abs. I didn't feel like my abs were worked much. Speaking of the ab section, on my DVD the ab section become pixelated and grainy, obviously a defect in the DVD. All the other sections were fine.Overall, this is a great DVD for intermediate exercisers or those wanting a more mild workout in between others.

Excellent! I own 3 other BarreAmped videos (which are also great) but this one is my favorite. Suzanne as always is wonderful, clear and concise; she is easy to follow which is important for safety as well as results. She is instructing solo in this video, which I prefer. There is no dread factor here...dare I say it's fun shaking to change? Each segment has a brief warm up and equipment can include a mat, light weights and often something to hold on to for balance (I use a chair). The background appears to be the same as previous BarreAmped videos. These are effective barre routines that are well paced and you definitely feel your muscles while you are working out...and the next day! I like that the specific target area (segments) can be done individually or combined. I appreciate her Lotte Berk background that is evident throughout the exercises. For the record, I'm older than Suzanne and consider myself an intermediate/advanced exerciser. I think a beginner to barre could still benefit from this workout as some modifications are offered. I highly recommend this video.

1st try - I didnt push hard. Tried to get a feel for the workout. Not much pain after, and I felt great! No ache the next day.2nd try - Muscles realized that I was working out at an older age (I'll let you guess how I felt afterward, and how long it took me to get up from the floor).Overall great home workout DVD. Instructor Lady has an encouraging voice that isnt annoying or long winded.I suggest the Total Body, PLUS 1 or 2 target areas, 3-4 times a week. Dont do daily, or back to back. Do every other day and you'll see quick results.I've started to tone up nicely in the past 3 weeks. I paired this work out with fit tea and Im feeling awesome and lookin hot too! (Got a wistle from an elderly man who must have been looking for his dog, but I'll take it!)