All Rise...

After doing the Body Makeover Mix for 2 weeks, Judge Christopher Kulik has developed sweet cleavage.

Editor's Note

Our reviews of Denise Austin: 3-Week Boot Camp (published January 9th, 2010), Denise Austin: Body Burn With Dance And Pilates (published February 28th, 2009), Denise Austin: Get Fit Daily Dozen (published February 28th, 2009), Denise Austin: Hot Body Yoga (published October 2nd, 2010), and Denise Austin: Sculpt And Burn Body Blitz (published September 11th, 2011) are also available.

The Charge

Get a better body in just one month!

The Case

It's been awhile since I've watched an exercise video. The last time may have been during the Legwarmer Age, but I've mostly stayed in shape thanks to an 8-year stretch in the military. Since leaving, however, there has been a need for more fitness in my daily routine. Thus, I decided to tackle a couple of Denise Austin videos to see if they could stimulate and energize my body.

As with all Austin DVDs, there are a handful of workouts offered in Body Makeover Mix:

"Upper-Body Sculpt" (14:55)
After a simple warm-up, you pick up the weights and take off. Among other things, Austin teaches you circular rows with stationary lunges; goes over bicep & tricep curls, with emphasis on the lower back; an interesting creation called "Renegade Rows," which involves picking up weights while in the push-up position; a set of push-ups keeping your knees planted on the floor and extending legs in the air; and working out your chest muscles while also lifting the weights.

"Lower-Body Sculpt" (14:59)
For the first half of this workout, you use a chair for balance. Most of this routine involves leg extensions and tonal exercises, stretching out quads and hamstrings. A handful of stretches come off like ballet-style plies. At the halfway mark, Austin instructs you to put the chairs aside and get down on the floor for some special tuck stretches.

"Ab & Core Conditioning" (15:40)
Beginning with another series of breathes and simplistic stretches, you perform stomach crunches (each ranging from 6 inches to 90 degree angles). Also included are flutters, scissors, and "plank poses," the latter of which extends your legs and squeezes your buttocks in the push-up position. Finally, a lengthy series of cleverly-titled calisthenetics.

Let's get right to the guts of it (pun intended). During each workout, I broke a sweat, never got a charley horse, and drank a lot of water. And, yes, my body got a bit sculpted, while being a little sore afterwards. This is hardly the best workout I've tried, but it does boast its effectiveness in many ways.

As for Austin, she miraculously manages to keep talking without breaking sentences. To some, this will be annoying, which will lead them to select the audio-only option, avoiding all the motivational fitness guru blab. (Warning: Austin orders you to "zip up" your abs at least 10 times!) As an instructor, Austin is cheerful and ingratiating, but always professional. Plus, she's a knockout at 52 years old, proving she's doing something right. Behind Austin are two assistants who continuously smile and follow her moves fairly well.

Lionsgate has served as the distributor for all of Austin's DVDs. The 1.33:1, full frame presentation is perfectly fine, as far as digital video goes. Audio is a standard 2.0 stereo mix, with Ralph Carter's elevator music appropriately filling up your speakers. Closed captioning is also provided. Extras are limited to trailers for other Austin DVDs and workout customization, which is pretty much all you would expect.

The Verdict

Not guilty. Now, zip up those abs!

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