Tone & Sweat [VHS]

"Do you want to get toned to the bone?" shouts Richard Simmons. "Yes!" his class yells back. This half-hour video comes with a "Tonin' Cord," rubber tubing with handles, used for muscle strengthening in place of weights. First Simmons gives instruction for using the tubing correctly and effectively. Then he warms up his class, who happen to be instructors from his exercise studio, Slimmons. (It's great to see fit instructors that aren't all slender.) The toning class uses the tubing to create resistance to work the legs, chest, arms, shoulders, and back. The exercises are varied and effective (sometimes enabling you to work two muscle groups at once), and the tubing gives enough resistance to make the workout challenging. This is a different style than the Sweatin' to the Oldies series--no live band or oldies music, a small class of instructors, more instruction of technique, and much better cueing. Richard shines as an instructor here. The class ends with a set for the abdominals (without the tubing) and a relaxing stretch. If you want to strengthen without free weights and with a warm, motivating instructor, Richard's your man. --Joan Price

Price: $19.98

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