Yoga is deeply personal. This means that what a person likes is highly subjective. Some people may prefer a traditional fitness approach while others are looking for stretching and there are those who want meditation.
Yogalosophy by Mandy Ingber, is one of the best workout DVDs on the market today. It combines all the above without being intimidating, intense or overly spiritual. It is perfect for yoga beginners as well as intermediates who are looking for a mix of toning and relaxing yoga session.
Ingber is famous for her A list celebrity clients such as Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Aniston, brooke Shields, Ricki Lake and Kate Beckinsale. Since these celebrities have plethora of choices, it only means that mandy Ingber has something good to offer.
About Yogalosophy
Yoga style in yogasolophy is different from the traditional yoga in that it combines toning exercises and yoga poses. Ingber’s delivery is lighthearted and positive which makes the experience enjoyable while you are doing something that benefits the body and mind.
One of the best features of this workout DVD is the blue and calm setting near the ocean. Also, its music is not distracting and the audio and video are clear which makes it easy to follow.
Yogalosophy Workout
This workout DVD features two different workouts.
It starts with warm up by doing sun salutations in order to get the blood moving. Ingber suggests either sun salutations or cardio for warm up before every practice. This sections runs 7 minutes and 44 seconds.
There are eight types of sun salutes and in case some are too difficult, she suggests doing one that you are comfortable with. Most importantly, she talks you through the warm up exercises which are accompanied by a voice over.
After the warm up, she reminds you to get a goal for the practice-that is what you would like to achieve after the practice.
The next section lasts for 35 minutes. It is the major section of this workout DVD and it contains a variety of exercise to engage your whole body such as tricep dips, push ups, leg lifts, lunges and combines with yoga movements and breathing for Mandy’s signature fitness approach. Ingber uses voiceover instruction along with cuing.
Some of the moves in this section are easier, but at the end, you will have had a great workout.
After you familiarize yourself with most of the workouts, you can choose the other version of main yogalpsophy workout that does not have verbal cuing but has music and affirmative text that dissolves in-and-out of every picture.
The 3rd section is known as the Rock Block’. It contains warrior possess that are aimed at strengthening the thighs. It runs for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. At the end, you will be feeling a burning feeling in the glutes as well as the arms.
The 4th part is the yoga balance challenge aimed to enhance the core strength. It lasts for three minutes.
Lastly, the 5th section contains stretching exercises. It runs for six minutes which is perfect after the toning exercises and yoga poses.
Pros
- This workout is very rewarding especially if you follow the five sections with no breaks. It will leave you sweating and shaking after each exercise.
- Mandy gives clear directions on the right alignment for each pose.
- You do not need any special equipment
- Once you master the workout, this DVD has a music only option that you can use
Cons
- Mandy focuses mostly on having a nice butt and legs but it would have been better in helping people feel strong than how the body will look.
- There are easier options offered for several exercises but only after completing a full set.
- Some of the exercises are not accompanied by a verbal cue which means that you have to look at the screen so as to know how to a certain move or even when to move to the next position. However, after following the DVD several times, you kind of learn the timing and moves.
All in all Yogalosophy is a great workout. It takes time and a lot of practice to master some of the tough positions such as V-ups, boat and push ups. This means that even after following it for a while, it will still be challenging and you will not easily get tired of it.
