Leslie Sansone: Walk It Off In 30 Days

**Menu Screen**- Introduction to the DVD- Burn 30 Workout (with or without music ) 30 mins- Firm 30 Workout (with or without music) 30 mins******Burn 30 Workout******This consist of high-intensity aerobics. They are NOT miles. This is just a full blunt workout for 30 minutes. The major moves consist of bouncing with a fist pump in the air, jogging, the run-run-run, and a new move called 'skater' where you combine side step with a foot behind the other. You can use hand-weights if you want.PROS- Clock: The clock does show up, but only when 10 minutes remain in the workout and it stays until the end. I guess there's really no need for a clock. We all know how long the workout lasts.- Key execution movies: Leslie is excellent when executing her moves. She does not surprise you or switch legs- Music: The music is great. It forces you to be on key becuase the beat is very catchy. When you first do it, it may not seem like the music reaches out to you, but you have to give yourself a chance to get used to it. The music makes me feel young. The last song before the cool down is THE JAM! It makes you feel like you're on this serious mission. :p- Her Friends: All are like college-based age with one woman being Leslie's age (just guessing) and then a much older woman is in the back. I felt sorry for the older woman in the back. This workout was clearly not within her abilities. She could not keep up entirely. One other thing about them is that to Leslie's left (right side of the screen) are two women that are using weight. These women are like robots! They motivate me to push myself. There was one time I was tired of holding the weights, but when the scene switched to them still carrying it, I picked mines back up.CONS- None*******Firm 30 Workout*******This consist if toning your arms, thighs, stomach, and butt. The first part is a warm up with some brief jogging. You get right to work with squats of wide legs and legs close together. There is A LOT of squatting and lunges. I cannot stand lunges. So, I just substitute them with more squats. You'll do some lunge stances in position and then work on the arms. She'll rotate legs, but it gets you tired quick.I normally do not like floor work, but when it's with Leslie I'm more confident about it. One the floor, she'll start with the weights raised high over your chest and then tell you to bring your elbows out and in. Then she'll do chest raises with the weights. She'll then work hard on the stomach with the little crunches. The stretch is pretty short but involves leaning on one need with the opposite hand pointing out, and the last stretch is on your back with your arms over your head laying FLAT out.PROS- Clock: By the time you get on the floor the clock will appear and remain for the last 10 minutes.- You'll get a very good workout for the legs, especially when she gets you to lean in the lunge stance while doing the arm workout.CONS (VERY minor cons)- The music for this session is very nice. But the second (and last) song repeats 3 to 4 times in a row. This last song actually makes you feel like you're on a fancy beach somewhere in another country. It's really nice, but it can get old after a while. I usually have a big ear for music.- As soon as she says that you've finished the standing workout, QUICKLY get out that yoga mat, becuase she does not give you enough time to set that up. So either have already in place or close by.- I felt like the arm session was not competitive enough, but that could be due to the pounds I had. I only had 2 to 5 pounds. I would upgrade it to 6 or 7 pounds****OTHER INFO*****I did the workout as suggested, doing them everyday. For the Burn 30, I burned between 188-205 calories. For Firm 30 I burned 89-92 calories.Because this workout is set up for 30-day challenge, having it only motivates me to actually do it everyday. That's the plus side of having it.

Growing up I wasn't into the one video of Leslie's I had tried (Advanced Walk Aerobics when her last name was Tommelleo) in the early 90's. I exclusively used the Jane Fonda videos, mainly the earlier and more difficult videos like her first, the New Workout and Workout Challenge. Jane's format stuck with me, and it was nearly impossible to persuade me to try another instructor, aside from a brief period of Tae Bo.Fast forward to 2014, at a much higher weight and out of shape. I gave the Walk Away the Pounds 1- and 2-Mile Walk videos a try. A nice pace (not too slow, not too fast - enough to get me sweating using the weights). I liked her. She was cheery, fun to listen to, and I felt accomplished finishing the video. I tried a few of her other videos, as well, and found them to provide a great workout.Then I tried this one out, and I'll say it gives you a heck of a workout. The DVD has 2 programs - Burn 30 (aerobics) and Firm 30 (toning and sculpting). The Burn includes the basic moves you have come to expect from her videos, plus some modified versions of sidestep and "boosted walking" - jogging, simply. Leslie and some of the participants behind her use hand/wrist weights for added intensity, but you won't feel intimidated by a class where everyone is performing to the max. There are various walkers not picking up the pace as much, not using weights, and doing less intense side steps/lunges/etc. You will do some squats in Burn 30 and prepare your thighs for quite a few sets of them in the Firm section.While the exercise class uses a full-size studio to film/perform this program, this and many of her videos can be done with minimal space. If you can't do double side-steps, I recommend doing single side-steps and taking them deeper. There are days when I did this with the 2x4 space at the foot of my bed with the DVD playing in my laptop. It's all about how intense you take the steps. I also live in an apartment with a floor that can't hide much movement, but with the carpeting and wearing shoes, too much of a racket isn't made.The plan this DVD is structured on is for users to do 'Burn' Mon/Wed/Fri, and Firm is done Tue/Thu/Sat. I often find I do more of the 'Burn', as I enjoy the aerobics much more, but this is a great cardio/toning combination that will surely work with a sensible eating plan.The original DVD release (I believe it was by Anchor Bay) gives you the option to play the program with music & vocals or just music - a great option once you master it. A number of Leslie's later DVDs between 2014-2018 had this feature. It is not a feature you can select if you buy the digital/streaming version, and later re-issues by other video labels may or may not have the option to play a music-only audio track. Note that when purchasing this and other videos that, when released by Anchor Bay, had two audio options.I dropped a considerable amount of weight utilizing this video and I'll say, even years later, that this is definitely my favorite program of hers. I like the use of the weights in the aerobics, the music is enjoyable, and it does make you sweat. Beginners and more advanced exercisers alike will greatly benefit from this program.

We have many Leslie DVDs. This is one of the best. Have used it weekly for many years now

I love Leslie Sansone. She saved my life! Doing her workouts, I have lost forty pounds and have continued to maintain the weight loss. I have ten, maybe fifteen, of her DVDs. I was excited to see the writeup on this latest DVD and preordered it through Amazon. Well, it arrived today and I hit the ground running.The DVD is in two segments - you are supposed to do segment one on M, W, F - this is the cardio segment with lots of our favorite moves but to a super quick pace. The music is much improved but it is fast. Leslie also does some new moves, bounces, skaters (side steps with a toe touch to the back) and a cha cha move. There are a mix of people with her - none of our old favorites however. There is also a brief cool down.The second segment is the weight segment. You are supposed to do this segment on T, Th, Sat. (taking Sunday off). After a brief cardio warmup, you pick up your dumbbells - I used two 5 pounders - and you squat and squat and squat some more - If you don't like squats, you won't like this. And after squats, you do lunges. Killer! Leslie also does some floor exercises with the weights as well. That's it!Because it was new and I wanted to write a review, I did both segments. I did sweat a lot - a real lot - but I was able to get through both segments one after the other. This is not your normal Leslie DVD, and I thank her for putting out something that is more challenging and mixes things up a bit. A give it FIVE stars.