Educational Media Reviews Online

In an over-saturated market where they may get lost among more flashy and famous workout DVDs like those from Jillian Michaels, Dancing with the Stars, and freebies on YouTube, Tracie Long’s Longevity series and Focus series definitely deserve a look. Ms Long is a well-qualified instructor and her workouts consist of moves that most people looking for a home workout will be able to do. Several of the workouts in these two series use free weights, medicine balls, and a step as main equipment. Both series target cardio as well as muscle toning and strengthening routines.

Longevity Series.

The first program in this series is Defining Shape; Step Forward is number two, and Staying Power is the third. All of these DVDs work up incrementally from warm ups to a high level intensity and back down again to the final stretching sequences. The main workouts are 50 minutes in length, and because the DVD is chaptered, one could skip around through different sections of the routines if desired, as well as play them straight through. The Longevity DVDs also have an added section called “Premixes” which consist of mini-workouts that range from 12 to 20 minutes in length. There are two or three Premixes on each DVD. This is a nice touch—giving the option to do a quick, intense workout, or add them on to the main workout for a longer session.

Focus Series

The “focus” of this series are 30 minute intense cardio and weight training workouts. The first DVD, Lift Higher targets the lower body; Kickback provides an interval workout for both upper and lower body using traditional lunges and squats together with kickboxing moves; and Power Up is a cardio step workout designed to boost metabolism. All the workouts are divided into three chapters for versatility. A little more intense than the Longevity series, the workouts in the Focus series use heavier hand weights, ankle weights, and a step.

Both series are professionally designed, produced, and filmed. The workouts are moderately fast paced which might discourage some beginners, as might the use of equipment (I wonder how many folks have steps at home), but the moves are not complicated, in fact they’re pretty traditional exercise fare. The routines encompass working out the entire body and the adaptability of workout times by using the chapters and the Premixes is a plus, allowing for spot workouts. Ms. Long has a nice style for leading the sessions, the gym setting is very appropriate, as is the music, being the usual exercise/dance tracks heard at most gyms. Those who workout regularly will find them a good addition to their personal collections of exercise tapes for home or group workouts. Pricing is not expensive, at about $10 per DVD. Both series will be right at home in public library collections, but academic libraries will most likely find them as non-essential additions to exercise science collections.