Yoga Total Body Makeover with Alanna Zabel Use traditional, flowing yoga to totally tansform your body. Yoga Total Body Makeover moves you through sequences that are targeted on specific body parts and muscle... more » groups for the ultimate body makeover. It begins with a simple warm-up and moves to lower body to lift and tighten buns, thighs and hips. Next is a middle-whittling core segment, followed by a sculpting arm and upper body sequence. YouÆll finish with a total body stretcn to lengthen and sooth all your muscles. Get lean, balanced and buff with Yoga Total Body Makeover. Alanna Zabel is a certified Yoga instructor and personal trainer. She currently lives and works in the Southern Calirornia area, providing yoga instruction to some of HollywoodÆs elite, as well as organizing retreats in locals such as Desert hot Springs, California and the coast of Costa Rica. Alanna teaches weekly classes at CarlsbadÆs famous La Costa Resort & Spa. She is also passionate about child development and early education. She has written several childrenÆs books and teaches a yoga class just for kids.« less
Vanessa R. from FORT BELVOIR, VA Reviewed on 10/20/2009...
This is just my opinion and all, but it's exactly what I've been looking for. The style of yoga, the length of the poses, the instructor's cool calmness, not having to ignore spiritual references and such (I am a Christian). Just call me pleased!
Movie Reviews
Relaxing, yet fitness oriented yoga session for adv. beginne
Lena, LMT | Nassau, NY | 03/20/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Menu Options:
Warm Up, Lower Body, Upper Body, Core Conditioning, Stretch & Flexibiity, Complete 50 min makeover, Special Extras (extra 10 min Buns burner, trailers).
Alanna Zable is alone in a room w/ white wall w/painted green swoosh & tree, large vases, towels in baskets & blocks to give you something to look at. The music is played at a very low volume, but it's nice, not too boring. Alanna speaks real time (no voice over) with only fitness/anatomical terms & the focus of this dvd is fitness w/flexibility. She gives good basic tutorial info, but to keep it going, she is limited in what she can say so this should not be a first yoga dvd for that reason. Alanna has a good personality & good body awareness from what I sense. This pace/work done is hard since it does all upper at once & all lower at once so your muscles will not get a break. This is best for those who have been working out regularly or some decent muscle strength.
Only listed SOME Poses in each section:
Warm-up: 10 min
sun salutations, etc.
Lower Body: 15 min
chair, twist chair, sun salutations, warrior 1, 2, 3, reverse warrior, side angle, standing split, tree (or leg straight out fwd), (poses are held a long time
Upper Body: 11 min
some arm circles, plank, side plank, 1 armed down dog, crow, shoulder stretch, etc.
plow, shoulder stand, reclined straight leg to face stretch, reclined spinal twist knees to side, reclined knees to chest
Here's the breakdown of the Buns to give you an idea of how Alanna does poses/moves & then moves on:
Extra: Burns Burner 10 min:
chair on toes, 1 legged chair, standing fwd bend, plank, cobra, down dog, down dog w/lifting straight leg up/down & pulsing straight leg, warrior 1, warrior 2, wide legged fwd bend, wide legged fwd bend w1 lifted straight leg, standing frog (wide legged squats & one foot on toes only), squat w/stretching shoulder, lunge, plank, cobra, down dog, table (hands/knees) w/lifted straight leg & pulsing leg, child's, pigeon"
Very well made DVD, better if you have a yoga background
C. Britt | Coconut Creek, FL | 01/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This DVD is great. Alanna is very professional, nice to watch without being annoying, and has wonderful form and strength. She's also as flexible and limber as a piece of cooked spaghetti!
The studio is visually appealing, with stacked yoga blocks, a tree, yoga mats, some plants, etc. I was calmed just looking at it. The production quality is good. There are five 10 minute routines.
However, this is NOT for uncoordinated people or beginners to the exercise/yoga lifestyle. There is one part in particular that had my jaw dropping open. In the warrior pose (warrior 2, I think?) where you are standing on one leg and have the other behind you in the air lifted (in arabesque position for you ballet dancers) with your arms out, she bends her leg and straightens it repeatedly. I for one cannot do this. It takes a LOT of leg strength and very disciplined coordination, which I don't have yet. Also, there are several exercises that are very twisty, pretzel like. It moves at a flowing, quick pace with not much time to relax between transistions. This DVD is wonderful, but not for me. Hopefully I can work my way up to it! For those of you seasoned in yoga that are pretty flexible, I think you will really like it!"
Amazing Experience
K. Kisner | 10/28/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a find! Anyone with any interest in yoga will love this program - it targets the whole body and is a beautiful, clean, flowing, super effective workout. Get this DVD - you won't be disapointed!"
Love Yoga
Raquel Robledo | USA | 11/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a beginner for yoga. This DVD is great! It keeps you going...and going. I would recommend yoga to people who just can't seam to get themselves to the gym.
"
Very Satisfying
Ms. Teri A. Isacson | 10/06/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I am new to yoga. I have done pilates, tae bo, good old fashioned running swimming and biking. But I am new to yoga. I started with The Firm Power Yoga DVD and then added this one. I am glad that I started with a more basic (but still challenging) DVD before trying this one.
The instructor in this DVD expects you to know a few things about yoga. She does not give you a lot of instruction regarding how to get into poses and she does not walk you through them. I had to do the DVD three times before I was able to actually flow through it. Otherwise I was having to stop and watch what she was doing and then try to do it myself. She speaks quietly and again, you have to watch to understand what is coming next. She also doesn't give you very effective alternative poses for the beginner. Another reason I was glad to have done The Firm yoga first. That DVD walks you through poses so that you start with the beginning pose and work into the advanced move. As a consequence I already knew some modified poses for what this insturctor was having us do and I could move right into them when I needed to.
This DVD does some repetive motions while holding poses. For example, tree pose while doing arm circles, warrior three while doing knee bends, tricept push ups while in a modified boat pose. As a consequence your muscles and your balance are challenged not just in being able to move into and hold the pose .. but in the additional pushing that she makes you do while you are holding the pose. The result is what she describes as a mixture of western and eastern philosophy .. and it creates a great burning sensation in all kinds of areas that you want to create that burning sensation in.
Once I did this DVD a few times and learned what was coming next I found it to be a wonderful work out. There are some poses that I can't do yet (and some that I will never be able to do, this woman is VERY bendy!) but I am improving. I like the soft music and I like the instructors quiet easy voice. This DVD challenges me at every level: balance, flexibility, strength and perseverence.
I reccomend this DVD if you have at least a little prior experience with Yoga. I would have been lost without the little knowledge that I had. Also, if you are newer to yoga, plan on doing the dvd through a few times. Don't get intimidated by the difficulty of the poses, muscle memory will kick in and you will find that they become easier with repetition. Also, I still do my arm circles with one arm over the TV in case I lose balance while in tree pose .. I can just set my arm down briefly to regain balance and continue on. Don't be shy about doing a few modificiations if you are new like me. I found that this dvd was challenging and a great work out."