Feel Good Fusion

Feel Good Fusion is one of Jessica Smith‘s newest workout DVDs. This DVD contains two workouts, a strength and stamina workout and a cardio workout that were meant to be done barefoot. I did not do them barefoot because I have bad feet (screws and plates in my heels). These workouts are both done by Jessica only and set on a deck with the ocean in the background.

I am actually very grateful for these workouts. They came out at a time when they are exactly what I need. Due to cancer treatment my fitness level has fallen so far. I’ve done chemo and am now in the middle of radiation and the combination of the two have taken their toll on me. My immune system is compromised so I am struggling to fight the flu plus I have pericarditis which my body is also struggling to fight. So I need workouts like these that help me move my body but don’t run me into the ground. These workouts are great for beginners and even for more advanced exercisers who need recovery day workouts. I will be using both of these workouts frequently in the next few months.

Fusion Strength is 47:30 minutes; 7 minute warm up and 5 minute stretch. This is a high rep light weight workout. I used 3 pound dumbbells. I actually did Flow Cardio (below) before I did this workout (not in the same day/workout session). I am still doing poorly health-wise and have actually had to skip working out a few days the past week <sad face>. But this morning I was feeling better so I decided to give this one a try. Just like Flow Cardio (below), this was perfect for my current state of health. I got a good workout, but it did not raise my heart rate so much I was breathing hard. Even using 3 pound dumbbells I felt my muscles being worked, but that could be due more to the fact my strength has fallen so far. I did feel on at least half of the exercises I could have used 4 pound dumbbells so I will try those when I am stronger. But anyway, this was a great workout. This is a great way to work all the muscles in your body and get some light cardio. This would not count as a true strength workout so you could do it the day before or after a true strength workout (one that uses heavy dumbbells). I really enjoyed this workout.

1. Wide plie squats w/ a straight arm cross chop (bring arm overhead and down to opposite knee)
2. In wide split stance, lunge forward and back (only front knee bends and straightens, back leg stays straight) while bringing DBs in front of knee when lunging and pushing DBs back behind you when straightening (arms stay straight throughout); arm movement changes to reaching arms overhead when lunging then pressing them back behind you
3. Still in split stance, do a wide back row while raising and lowering back leg, bending other knee when raising leg
4. Repeat 1-3 on other side of body
5. Knee raise + tap back while scooping arms/DBs forward and pulling back
6. Start in narrow squat while holding DBs together outside of one knee, step out and stand while raising one arm/DB overhead to side
7. Repeat 5 & 6 on other side of body
8. In split stance again, bend front knee into lunge then straighten (back leg stays straight the entire time) while doing a single arm overhead press
9. Still in split stance, put all your weight on front leg, extend one arm straight overhead and other arm reaching to ground, raise and lower straight back leg w/ foot flexed (she calls it half moon leg lift)
10. Repeat 8 & 9 on other side of body
11. Step side to side with cross over tap, arms start at side, DBs at hips w/ palms facing up, push arms straight in front of you, rotating wrists so palms are facing down
12. Put all weight on one leg with other leg behind you, (straight) toe on ground, do a one leg squat while rowing
13. Repeat 11 & 12 on other side of body
14. Plie pulse w/ heels together, hinge forward and do tricep kickbacks w/ palms facing ceiling
15. Heels still together, toes turned out, raise and lower heels while doing bicep curls
16. Plie pulse w/ heels together; step out into wide plie and continue pulsing; bring heels together again and pulse; step out into wide plie (other leg) and continue pulsing; continue repeating this sequence, pulsing less reps each time until you are stepping out wide then back in (no pulse but lowering into plie squat w/ each step)
17. Repeat 14-16
18. Stand on one leg and raise and lower other leg to the side and slightly behind you (leg is straight, toe pointed)
19. Wide plie squat while pushing arms/DBs overhead in a V at bottom of move and bringing arms down to side so elbows tap hips at top of move (she calls the arm movement W-V)
20. Repeat 18 on other leg
21. Repeat #19
22. Step side to side bringing heel to tap inside of opposite shin; changes to bending knee out to side and tapping toe to inside of opposite knee while doing straight arm press backs, palms facing behind you
23. Stand on one leg and raise and lower other leg straight behind you while hinging forward slightly and doing wide rows; turn knee out while bending knee so you are now raising in attitude
24. Repeat 22
25. Repeat 23 on other leg
26. Wide pulsing plie squats w/ alternating bicep curls
27. In split squat w/ back toe on ground behind you, do squats while pressing straight arms/DBs behind you then bringing them together in front of you
28. Repeat 26
29. Repeat 27 on other leg
30. Hold both DBs on one hand, get into a wide lunge (back leg always stays straight) and bend and straighten front leg while doing one arm row
31. Still holding both DBs in one hand, stand on one leg and punch one arm/DBs in front of you then pull back while tapping toe behind you then to the side
32. Repeat 30 & 32 on other side of body
33. Wide plie squats w/ overhead tricep extensions
34. Windmills
35. Repeat 33
36. Repeat 34 on other side of body
37. Set dumbbells aside
38. Squats in eagle pose
39. Stand on one leg, hands behind head, and do a knee lift and lower that draws a sort of circle with calf/foot and when you raise the knee you twist opposite elbow toward knee
40. Modified and flowing triangle pose
41. Standing on one leg, clasp hands together and with straight arms, chop hands down to opposite hip while doing knee pull and extending leg out behind you (tapping to to floor) and reaching clasped hands overhead
42. Repeat 38-41 on other side of body

Flow Cardio is 35 minutes; 7:30 minute warm up and 1 minute stretch. The warm up starts with deep breaths and shoulder rolls while Jessica talks about the purpose of the workout–not intensity, but steady state cardio. Even if it is not mentioned in the breakdown, there are large arm movements with every lower body move that increases the intensity. Unfortunately I had to shift my workout schedule around a lot this week due to cancer treatment side effects. But it brought me to this workout sooner than planned. I am in a bad place right now, physically, but I need to do something–not just sit around doing nothing–so having previewed this, I knew it was lower intensity cardio. So I gave it a shot this morning. It worked very well for my current needs. Radiation has caused the sack around my heart to swell so I am short of breath and my chest and upper back hurt when I take deep breathes–therefore, I need exercise that will not make me breath hard. This fit the bill perfectly. I got lots of large functional movements, broke a sweat, but my heart was never racing. It did fatigue me more than it would someone in good health, but for my purposes it was perfect. It is a great recovery day workout, a nice workout to do before doing some yoga or one of Jessica’s deep stretches. In fact, that is exactly what I did. I followed it up with Deep Stretch from her new Total Stretch DVD. The two together worked me gently but nicely. Just what I need at a time like this.

1. Step side to side; changes to side step back (tapping toe behind other foot); tap back changes to curtsy lunge
2. Wide plie squat pulse
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Low impact lateral skaters
5. With weight on one foot, tap other foot to the side then behind you
6. Repeat #4
7. Repeat #5 on other leg
8. V steps
9. Alternating toe taps behind you; changes to alternating rear leg lifts
10. Wide plie squats then step feet together to side and do narrow pulsing squat, return to wide plie squat pulses then repeat narrow squat on other side; while in narrow squat, add alternating stepping legs back while raising arms overhead
11. Hamstring curls
12. Wide squat pulses w/ windmill arms; changes to squats w/ wide arm rows at top of move
13. Lunge  w/ rear leg lift at top of lunge
14. Repeat #12
15. Repeat #13 on other leg
16. With weight on one leg, bend other leg w/ knee turned out, bringing toe in to inside of other leg
17. Stationary lunges
18. Repeat #16
19. Repeat #17 on other leg
20. Step forward and back
21. Fast front knee pulls
22. Repeat 20 & 21 on other side of body
23. Step wide then narrow (step out and in)
24. Alternate lifting straight legs out to side
25. Repeat 23 & 24
26. Giant arm circles (one arm) while doing mini squats; changes to alternating giant arm circles
27. Squat pulses w/ breathe stroke arm movement
28. Repeat 26 & 27
29. Forward fold
30. Tree pose
31. Warrior 2
32. Side angle pose
33. Reverse warrior
34. Crescent pose
35. Repeat 31-34 on other side of body