Review of the "Pick Your Level: Fat to Firm Fast" DVD

If you like exercise DVDs but find that you lose interest in them after a few viewings, "Pick Your Level: Fat to Firm Fast" might be a good choice for you. Two of the main drawbacks of exercising with a DVD are 1) they get monotonous after several viewings and 2) if you do them several times, your body adapts to the workout and you don't get much benefit from it after that. The Pick Your Level concept has the potential to give you much more value for your dollar than many other exercise videos.

The concept
The concept behind "Pick Your Level" is that anyone can customize the workout by choosing one of three difficulty levels for each exercise. The instructor, Michelle Dozois, always does the intermediate or level two moves, both for the weight-training moves and for the aerobic portions, which she calls "mini cardio sessions." Two other women demonstrate the beginner level one moves and the advanced level three moves.

You can do all one level or mix and match. For instance, you may feel comfortable doing mostly level one cardio moves but feel strong enough to do level two strength-training moves. Or, you may feel good mostly doing the level two movements for both cardio and weight segments but enjoy trying out just a few of the advanced level three moves.

The workout
"Pick Your Level: Fat to Firm Fast" is a circuit training exercise routine. This means you will alternate between weight-training exercises and short cardio sessions, working all your major muscle groups over the course of the 42-minute routine. It starts with a warm-up that lasts about eight minutes. This portion consists of a mix of light aerobic dance moves and kinetic stretching. From there, Dozois alternates between a series of resistance-training moves with light hand weights and short cardio sessions where she and the other two women demonstrate a variety of aerobic dance movements. She ends the routine with a cool-down consisting of both static and kinetic stretches.
All three levels require a light set of hand weights, around three to five pounds. If you're doing level two or three moves, you'll need two sets of hand weights-one heavy and one light. For example, if you're doing level two moves, you might use three-pound weights and seven-pound weights. If you're doing level three moves, you might use five-pound and 10-pound weights.

Pros
There are a number of positive things to say about this exercise routine. One positive is that while almost all the moves are challenging, very few are complicated. A few of the Level 3 weight-training moves include a balanc component, and these can be a little tricky. A few of the aerobic dance moves are also a little complicated, but most of them are quite simple. Additionally, Dozois explains the moves really well, starting out with a basic move and then adding components. She usually starts with demonstrating simple footwork and then adds in upper body movements.

Secondly, Dozois does a great job of reminding you to be careful of your form. She repeatedly tells you to be careful of jutting your knees out too far and often reminds you to keep your back straight. Following her cues will help you get the most out of the routine and avoid injury.

Thirdly, I really liked that several different body types were represented in this DVD. Not everyone who wants to improve her fitness looks like the instructors in exercise DVDs, and that can be intimidating. Some people have some softer curves, and some are more muscly and athletic. In this DVD, a woman on the small end of the plus-size range demonstrates level one while a very athletic and toned woman demonstrates the level three moves. The instructor, Dozois, is somewhere in the middle-- she's quite trim but not nearly as muscle-bound as the woman who does the level three moves.
The number one advantage of using this DVD is that you will get a good value for your money, especially if you're a beginner to weight training. With exercise DVDs that show only one set of moves, you will soon adapt to the routine, and it won't be a challenge after a few weeks of using it. With the Pick Your Level system, if you've mastered Level One, you can move on to the Level Two moves. Once you've mastered Level Two, you can move on to Level Three. If you manage to master the tough moves in Level 3, you can still gain benefits from continuing to use the DVD because you can simply up the amount of weights you're using. The instructor recommends hand weights from three to 10 pounds, but some of the exercises can be done equally well with 12- or 15-pound hand weights if you're ready for that kind of challenge.

Cons
I have very few negative things to say about the DVD. One small nitpick is the music. While the cadence of the music works really well with the moves, it does get monotonous after several viewings of the DVD. It's sort of generic techno music and isn't that interesting.

A more serious critique is that I'm not crazy about all components of the cool-down. While I feel Dozois does a good job of holding stretches for the lower body, she only holds some of the upper body stretches for four to five seconds, which isn't really long enough. If you use this DVD on a regular basis, I'd recommend setting aside an extra five minutes for additional stretching when the DVD is over.

Final thoughts

I like this DVD a lot. It has quickly become a favorite, and I use it on a regular basis. If you're interested in an efficient workout that includes both weight training and cardio components, this is a good choice. You get a thorough workout in about 42 minutes. I can easily fit this video in before I leave for work in the morning.

As I've already mentioned, it's also a great value. You can keep using it over and over and still challenge yourself each time you use it by moving up to the next level or increasing the amount of weights you're lifting. I started off with mostly level one moves, and now, a few months later, I'm now generally using mostly level two and three moves.

Dozois is a competent and enthusiastic instructor who explains the moves well. The DVD is good for people who are intimidated by overly complicated dance aerobics routines. I consider myself a little bit of a klutz, and I can easily follow most of the dance steps.

If you're interested, you can watch a video preview on the amazon.com page for this DVD. In the preview, the instructor explains the premise and shows a few clips from the routine. Also, if you like the general "Pick Your Level" concept, you can explore a related DVD, "Pick Your Level: Weight Loss Pilates."

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