In a nutshell, I found many pro's and con's to Tracy's method. I didn't order a DVD, in fact I didn't invest a dime....I found Tracy's webinars uploaded for free on YouTube, and was able to use this info entirely for free. BAM!! I now understand why the reviews are mixed. Below, you'll find a description of my findings.
The Jist:
* 30-45 Minutes of Cardio per day - "Dance Aerobics"
* 10 Minutes of Abs - "Standing Abs" and "Lying Abs"
* 10-12 Minutes of Arms
* 16-20 Minutes of Butt/ Thighs
The Routine:
I love cardio. I don't really like the butt/thighs. I do the butt/thighs first. This makes for punishment...then...reward. Some people are just the opposite. If you're going to do this method, do what you hate first, what you love last. The routine I followed was: warm-up, stretch, butt-thighs, arms, abs, cardio.
Arms, Butt-Thighs:
Tracy believes in using "accessory muscles". What this means is that the biceps and triceps (for arms), quads and hamstrings (for legs) never become mesomorphic (meaning that they don't grow to exponential "man-ly" sizes). Her method is to exhaust large muscle groups first, then utilize accessory muscles that lift and rotate the limb to sometimes-uncomfortable or awkward positions. She utilizes one's own body weight. This is nothing new....if you've done your yoga, you realize that lifting your own body weight can really be difficult, and can result in toning and elongation of muscle structure.
Abs
The ab-workouts are more along the lines of female version of "Shaun-T". I felt like a dancer. Much of the ab workout is standing, meaning that one shifts from side-to-side while keeping hips stationary. The lying abs are mostly with straight legs versus a bent-leg.
Dance-Cardio
Is she genious? This is retro to those of us who are are now in our 30's. She kinda-reaches the pole-dancer / feminine woman inside of all of us. Really, this is only a throw-back to the 80/90s - pre step-aerobics (and step-aerobics are now pretty old-fashioned, although I LOVE them). Basically, you memorize a routine. You put it to a song/songs that are 130 BMP or so, and you do this for about 30-45 minutes. You perform. The muscles are hit from all different angles versus a repetitive angle, and it's kinda FUN. There are multiple routines uploaded onto Youtube by her, just do a search for "Tracy Anderson Cardio Breakdown". This is WAY MORE FUN than running for 30 minutes, and really does hit the muscle from various angles. I can see how the theory works as far as it limiting a mesomorphic structure.
The Diet
I won't be following her diet strategy.
Her diets have modified tremendously from her earliest workout routines and/or materials made public until now. However, it's basically low-carb, low-fat. There are multiple nutrients missed, and my primary concern is with metabolismic changes (when the caloric intake drops too low, the body shifts the metabolism into survival-mode to preserve caloric expenditure). I would also be concerned with electrolyte imbalances. I believe in a 1200-1500 daily caloric intake that is high in fiber, water, fruits/veggies, and lean proteins. I believe that the most healthy diet is a vegan diet (although I'm not a vegan nor a vegetarian), and the best sources of nutrition for our bodies come in the form of nuts, beans, fruits, and veggies. The initial diet she put forth is most equated to a starvation-diet (700-1000 calories).
The Opinion
I would absolutely follow her workout routine for some fun change-up to the norm. I do believe that if I were to do her routines for 90 days, I'd probably get the results that she promises with longer and learner muscles due to utilization of multiple accessory muscles. When it comes to the diet, I believe the P90X/Insanity/Beachbody approach is much more gentle and less toxic to the system, and considerably more sustainable. It may take longer to lose the weight with their approach, but I believe that it's a much healthier approach.
If you're interested in ordering her material, her website is here. Also, this is a fun link for a video with her and Kelly Ripa.
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