Walk Strong 6 Week Total Transformation System (10 complete workouts on 4 discs plus wa

I love this girl and her dvds, I first discovered her on YouTube and liked her so much got the walk off 30 days boxset to ease myself back into exercise after being quite poorly for a few years. That lead me onto this DVD box set. It's great mix with a 6 week wall planner of the workouts you tick off each day. Her style is very relaxed, positive and encouraging. I'm on my 2nd time round already. I've noticed my body has firmed up and I've lost weight too, I have more energy and feel fantastic. 30 mins each day is easy to fit into my day and doesn't drain all my energy like the 'balls to the wall' workouts I've tried. There are variations in each exercise to suit your abilities. If you're looking for something really high impact this might not be you, but this will challenge you and firm up that body. There's enough workouts to keep you interested with a lovely dynamic stretch and prehab routines to keep you feeling all limber and lovely.

I have all of Jessica Smith's Walk On DVDs and this one doesn't disappoint! She is joined again by her Mom Debbie, who looks terrific and does the beginner moves, and Beth, who is like the energizer bunny (i.e. she performs advanced options). There are ten 30 minute routines that offer a wide variety so you won’t get bored, and I was happy that she incorporated a lot more weighted work into them than she has in the past. She also utilizes a chair and towel in a couple of the routines - be sure to have those handy! All the routines are highly effective but doable and many sneak up on you the next day (hello, 350 abs!). There is something for everyone here; HIIT, ballet inspired work, targeted strength training, abdominal exercises, basic cardio, stretching, and an excellent routine for the joints. Upper body strength: This one snuck up on me (but then again it's been a while since I last exercised). Jessica recommends one light set of weights and one heavy; I used 5's and 10's. After a brief warm-up she does a lot of shoulder work with the heavier set then moves on to the front shoulder/chest, does "w" flies, hammer curls, regular bicep curls and tricep kick-backs with the light weights. From there it's down to the floor for chest presses (some of which utilize the triceps as well). Jessica finishes with ab and back exercises: basic crunches, side crunches to hit the oblique’s, a modified side plank with pulses, modified superman pose, and pelvic tilts to target the pelvic floor (i.e. where that nasty belly pooch lives). I thought it was a very comprehensive and effective routine that packed a punch as I could barely move my arms the next day. You can easily upgrade or downgrade your weights depending on your level so there's always room to grow. Lower body strength: You'll need a sturdy chair along with your light/heavy weight sets. Jessica starts with basic squats (over the chair) then adds the heavier weights with squats and squats emphasizing each leg. Deadlifts are next, followed by split stance deadlifts and finally light weight work with the chair. Think kicking your leg up in back of you with the lighter weight lodged between your thigh and knee area following by pulses in the same position, side kicks, plies, low lunges/pulses (all weighted), etc. She finishes with a series of bridges on the floor (also using the chair), leg criss crosses, butt work while on your tummy then a nice stretching session. Cardio party: This routine was very similar to many of Jessica’s others and she, Debbie and Beth were joined by other members of her online community (I think). Some moves include grapevines with a side kick, traveling V steps, double hamstring curls, skaters, cha-chas, sashes (?), side steps with claps, and speedbags. There were a few new steps but for the most part everything was pretty familiar to exercises she’s done before. At the end there is a five-minute cool down. Brain fitness fun: I really enjoyed this workout and was surprised how sweaty I became since it wasn’t too strenuous. There were the usual skaters with arms crossing in front, hamstring curls with front ankle taps, kicks with the opposite arm doing other things, and grapevines (leg in front then leg in back) but she included things I haven’t seen before on any of her DVDs: box steps, a “tightrope” walk, and something called the flamingo that totally boggled my brain (think one palm facing down while another if facing up above your head). Fun facts about the brain popped up every now and then, which I found interesting. Prehab routine: Jessica definitely targets almost every joint in your body doing this routine! If you have her Walk On: 30 Day program you'll recognize some of the moves that strengthen the back and feet but she doesn't miss a spot. She begins with your neck (the "chickenhead" to realign everything), then uses a towel to stretch your shoulders in every imaginable way. She targets the elbow joint by doing some 90 degree tricep bends with the towel... I felt it! From there she focuses on the wrists: circling them ("wax on/wax off"), lateral side to side movements, and has the wrists up (stop!) and down. You head to the floor from there to do mini-cobras, supermans (lifting opposite arm and opposite leg), bird dogs (on hands and knees lifting opposite arm and leg again), bridges with a focused pelvic tilt, and inner thigh lifts. The feet are the final focus with point/flex, "swats" (batting your feet from side to side), spreading your toes, picking up the towel with your toes, etc. The most difficult move was the one she cited as the most important and functional: standing up and sitting down without using your hands. It's harder than it sounds! Although this routine does focus on the joints I was also sweating since it wasn't simply stretching; she incorporated some yoga, did some calisthenics, and even the abs were worked a little. I can easily see why doing this regularly would be very beneficial for both your joints and muscle groups. Fun facts were also presented along the way. While not strenuous, I think I'll be coming back to this one quite a bit. Excellent! Dynamic stretch: This routine was very relaxing and would be great to do when you've got sore muscles. It was gentle: side to side neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, side twists with the towel, back/shoulder stretches using the towel, etc. She does the "hurlder" to stretch the quads, the "butterfly" for the inner thighs, pigeon for the hamstrings/hips, "happy baby," and ends with a quiet meditative moment at the end where she asks that we all think of something we are grateful for when it comes to our bodies. Total body strength: This was a tough one for me as I'm not the best at circuit training. Of all the exercises I've done on this DVD this one had my heart rate at the highest (my Polar heart rate monitor entered the target zone more than once!). Jessica starts with forward lunges combined with a shoulder press (I used 10 pounds and could feel it) then does weighted squats, 90 degree standing chest raises, side lunges with bicep curls, pulsing tricep kick backs, rear flies, curtsy squats, etc. Then it's down to the ground for rows on all fours, onto your back for criss crossing chest presses, swimmers on your stomach, and ab work. She hits the oblique's, the pelvic floor ("diamond crunches"), and oblique's again with modified plank dips. By the time she got to the plank dips I was a sweaty mess and had to call it a day. When she says it's a total body workout she's not kidding! But it's definitely effective and packs a huge punch in a short amount of time. Barefoot fusion sculpt: This routine was very ballet inspired and while more flowing in nature it was sneaky. I'm not sure how heavy the weights Jessica used were but she does a LOT of repetitions and 5 pounds was too much for me. Of course, doing this after total body strength didn't help so 5 pounds might be perfectly doable. Bicep curls with leg sweeps across, tricep dips with plies, tricep kick backs with rear leg kicks, shoulder raises with step behinds, oblique work with passes (?), etc. Everything is graceful (expect for me) and fluid but accompanied with many reps so it wasn't easy. She finishes with a great series of Tai Chi movements - these were new to me and required a bit of balance. It thought it was more focused on the upper body but Jessica does throw in grand plies and plie pulses so everything is worked. A nice change from full-blown weight training or cardio. Interval mix: I confess that I'm not a big fan of HIIT training but I actually enjoyed this one. Jessica does most intervals using a chair or mat for plank work; think mountain climbers, jumping from side to side, and lowering/lifting the knees. I stuck with the chair and was breathing heavily. She mixes in skaters, grapevines, swimmers, high knees, etc., to keep you moving until the final five minute cool down. 360 abs: Wow! I was already becoming sore even before the routine ended! Jessica includes punches/leg lifts, up/down punches while shuffling, shuffling twists, high knees, side oblique crunches, side chops with a hamstring curl, side chops and squats, "around the world", etc., many while using a weight (she advises no more than five pounds; I found five pounds to be more than challenging!). She finishes on the floor with elbow plank dips, kneeling knee to elbow (weight optional), exercises for the pelvic floor and the "dead bug" before doing some brief stretching. No need to work your abs on the ground all the time - those to me were the easiest! Standing abs also makes for great cardio so it's a two for one bonus. Jessica as usual is her encouraging and cheerful self and not some drill sergeant (hi, Jillian!). She understands that we are all at different levels and cheers us on to do our best. You'll get what you put into it but this program is more about embracing our bodies and doing what we can to improve them rather than become a body builder. There is no "dread" factor with Jessica - she makes exercising enjoyable and is my absolute favorite trainer. Here's hoping she keeps the DVDs coming!

Cannot praise Jessica Smith enough, this is a perfect workout series, geared for women in the sense that it targets a lot better "tricky" body parts to tone like the abdominal region and thighs. I've done all the P90X series from the original to the 90X3, and was looking for something slightly less violent and intense due to constant injuries. I highly recommend Jessica's workouts..

I admit I was skeptical at first with a name like walk in the title. I wasn't sure if it would give me a good enough workout. I may be 47 but as an ex dance instructor and someone who works out, I'm in pretty good shape. But boy was I pleasantly surprised. You get out of the routines what you put into them. It works for beginner to intermediate exercisers and for people who are really fit. Some of the routines are harder than others, but this gives you nice variations. Even with easier routines I feel like I had a nice workout. And more importantly, I actually look forward to the workouts. I finish feeling good instead of exhausted and worn out. Don't get me wrong you will also feel as though you've worked your muscles especially on the strength training, but you feel refreshed as well. The cueing is fantastic. You never look up and think when the heck did we switch exercises. As an ex dancer of over 30 years, I love that Jessica uses 8 counts. It just feels much more natural to me. Before Jessica Smith I was doing Jillian Michaels dvds and Beachbody workouts and I have never had so much fun exercising as I have with Jessica Smith. I may do an occasional Jillian workout now and then, or something in the p90x series, but Jessica will be my main go to. I'm slowly buying everything she has out. You can't go wrong with any of her workouts. Thank you Jessica, Debbie and Beth for being my new workout buddies!