Dream Body

Dream Body was recommended to me as an advanced workout, so of course I had to give it a try. On first search, I found that Dream Body is a system that costs $95. I wasn’t ready to spend that kind of money on a system I knew so little about and had never heard of before. But I did some more searching and I came across a stand alone Dream Body workout. I think it came out before the system but I am not certain. Either way, it was in my price range, so I bought it to give it a try.

This morning I did Dream Body and I have so many thoughts about this workout I don’t even know for sure where to start or how to organize my thoughts. Let’s start with the basics. It is a very advanced workout. Very challenging. It moves non-stop and is very high rep. It was hard and I had to take several personal breaks during this workout so I could continue. It is primarily an endurance workout, but the majority of the exercises are done so rapidly (and there are so many of them) that you get a good cardio workout, too. It is a workout that definitely gives you something to work towards… that is, if you can stand the trainer and the way the workout is edited.

This is the real problem with the workout that puts me in a quandary. Lets start with the trainer, Darby. She looks like a cheerleader and she never shuts her mouth. NEVER. I have never heard anything like it. I would never willing spend time with this person outside of the workout DVD and to be honest, I don’t know if even the best workout is worth having to listen to her again. I cannot decide. I am not exaggerating when I say she never shuts up. This workout is filmed live. Darby does 99% of the workout right along with the exercisers–and she talks nonstop, hardly taking a breath, with excellent form. It’s actually impressive. She truly is a machine who NEVER SHUTS UP. It is incessant babbling. It is all workout oriented, btw–giving form tips, encouraging, blah, blah, blah. It just never ends. The best parts of the workout are in a few segments the music gets so loud it partially drowns her out.

But there is more that is irritating about this workout!  “Stars” appear at various places on the screen in which exercisers that frequent Fusion Fitness (Darby’s studio I guess) talk about how much they love the workout and Darby and tips to help you get through it. WTF? CONSTANTLY. Oh, and Darby is still babbling incessantly in the background. And finally, there are “bubbles.” Every time a new exercise is introduced, a bubble floats up (you hear a popping bubble noise, too) and Darby is in the center of it demonstrating proper form. She is wearing various colorful workout costumes in these bubbles and always looks exceedingly happy. We also occasionally get a bubble that just shows Darby posing in shorts and high heels.

That is the basic summary and why I cannot form a good opinion of this workout. I honestly do not know if I will ever do the workout again. It is challenging and tough, but there is an absurdity to it as well–and a huge irritation factor. I don’t know that I can stand to do it again. While doing it this morning I couldn’t wait for it to be over on so many levels–the irritation factor and also it was not a fun workout. I love high rep workouts such as the ones done by Jari Love and Cathe, but these uber-high rep workouts like Dream Body and Tonique suck the fun out of working out. Though I hate to put Tonique workouts (review will be posting soon) in the same category as Dream Body since Sylwia (Tonique trainer) is not irritating.

The only weight used by Darby and crew are very light dumbbells–they look like one or two pound weights (Darby’s are definitely one pound handweights). You cannot go heavy in this workout, btw–way too many reps. I used 3 pound and 5 pound dumbbells. You also use a stability ball. You will need a mat because you do a lot of work on the floor.

I have one more note about this workout. In spite of it being very challenging, this is a workout anyone can do. Even someone new to exercise. There are no exercises that are complicated to perform. The difference would be that a beginner takes more breaks, doesn’t do balance moves (there aren’t many but the workout does start with a zillion reps of a balance move) and does push ups on knees. This workout is doable for anyone. There is very little impact, but if you have knee problems, just don’t jump when Darby jumps. You’ll still get a great workout.

Dream Body is 65 minutes long; there is no real warm up, 63 minute training time and 2 minute stretch. Remember, every single exercise described here is done many, many times–this is a mega high rep workout. Have your weights nearby. You start in a plank and bend your knees, bringing your bottom back toward your feet then straighten back into plank. 4 mountain climbers then grab weights and stand into warrior 3, drop back down (alternate legs each time). Stay in warrior 3 and do bent over flys. Push ups. Do mountain climber and warrior 3s again, then warrior 3s (on opposite leg) with bent over flys. Pulsing squats on toes with weights held out in front of you. Side lunge with a hop. Pulsing squats again. Side lunge with hop on other side of body. Pike push ups. Get on all 4s and kick leg to side. Get onto forearms, hover one knee inches off floor and kick the other foot toward ceiling. In down dog bring one leg high toward ceiling then under body bringing knee toward opposite elbow. Get back on all 4s and do the all the kicks on the other leg. Sit on bottom with arms on mat just behind bottom; bend one leg and turn the other so inner thigh faces ceiling; raise and lower leg while raising and lower body (working triceps, too). Hold working leg stationary (weight is on one leg and both hands) and do tricep dips. Cross legs at ankle and bring feet in and out, raising and lowering upper body again. Grab weights, do skull crushers while raising and lowering one leg (the other leg is held straight, hovering a few inches off the floor). Hold one leg straight toward ceiling and bend and straighten other leg while lifting and lowering torso and bringing arms (with weights) overhead and down to legs. Sit up and put knuckles together (dumbbells still in hands) with elbows out to the sides; twist to the side while raising knee (oblique work). Go back to the inner thigh lift and do all of the leg/tricep/core work on other side of body. Still on bottom, drop back onto elbows and scissor straight legs. Crow push ups. Plie squat hops with weights held out straight at sides. Bring weights to sides of head while in deep plie squat and lean to side, touching elbow to thigh, straighten legs and bring weights overhead. Fast feet pushing and pulling weights in front of you. Do plie/oblique work again followed by fast feet again, then plie hops again. While in plie, hold one arm out straight and bring it in and out (bending at elbow) fast (tricep work). Weighted punches same arm. Repeat tricep work and punches other arm. In plie squat do fast overhead presses, then fast overhead tricep extensions. Tricep push ups. Get stability ball and get into V-sit leaning back on forearms. Put ball between feet and twist feet side to side. Pulse feet against ball. Raise and lower ball, bending knees. Grab weights and raise and lower weights over head as you raise and lower ball (legs straight this time). Hold both weights in one hand and hold ball (with feet) in air and punch weights toward opposite foot. Open arms wide (like a chest fly) and pulse weights. Reach both weights toward opposite foot (other hand). Full crunches (both upper and lower body) with ball between knees. Put ball between thighs and twist legs side to side. Get into forearm plank and twist hips to floor, alternate sides. Up/down planks (straight arm planks to forearm planks). Plank walk side to side and do push ups each side. Mountain climbers. Squat thrust, push up, jump back in, stand, do chair squat. Very short stretch.