A New Skill . . . Does 'The Method' Work?

You gotta admit, GP has a pretty rockin’ physique going on these days (I will spare everyone a photo). She’s toned in an non-bulky yet non-anorexic kind of way. Like a dancer. A really tall one.

The tall part won’t be happening for me, but I would love to get that dancer-y look that her trainer (and business partner), Tracy Anderson, is known for. The prescription: work out every day, for 2 hours, doing a combo of dance cardio and toning.

Yikes. Who has 2 hours a day? GP talks about sticktoitivness here in her first post about Anderson. I admire that, I really do. But I repeat, who has 2 hours a day?

As a “stop & start” type of exerciser, I’ve attempted several of the Tracy Anderson Method DVDs and recently purchased her book. Doing Anderson’s exercises in addition to some time on the treadmill and cleaning up my diet, I’ve lost close to 50 pounds (47 of which I put on in pregnancy). So here’s my 2 cents on the Anderson Method for us mortals.

Dance Cardio

Good luck! Seriously. This would be an awesome workout if I could manage to learn the routines. I think this is a pretty common problem for folks trying to follow along at home. I have some rhythm and I still felt like a total fool.

Plus you need a really big space (sorry, no special workout studio in my home), preferably with hard wood floors since I couldn’t go fast enough wearing tennis shoes on my carpet. So I ended up doing the routines in socks, which is probably why I ended up with MAJOR calf aches. I have a bad knee and it was hard to sticktoit it with all the bouncing.

For now, I’ll stick with doing Zumba classes at the gym. Still dance cardio, but WAY easier to follow.

Anderson also has a treadmill workout with lots of skipping that I haven’t tried (again, the knee). Has anyone else?

She has also a routine done on a mini trampoline and that looks uber fun.

Mat Workout

This I LOVE. I am not big on weight training and this is perfect as 3lbs is the max she uses. I’ve used both the Mat Workout and the Post Pregnancy DVDs, and they will kick your butt. I am always sore the next day in a weird, flu-like way (as Anderson describes it).

I love that the Post-Pregnancy DVD starts with abs and works them in a zillion different ways for a solid 20+ minutes. It makes me feel like the 2nd baby tummy droop might actually disappear one day!

On the downside, the DVDs need chapters so you can easily find the section you want (abs, legs, arms) and the warm ups and cool downs are not great. But if I have an hour while the baby is napping, this is perfect.

Tracy Anderson 30-Day Method Book

A pretty good bargain at only $15 (versus $30 for the DVDs). I can’t say much for most of the book – it seemed rather haphazard, even contradicting itself in places, which is so frustrating when you are trying to follow pretty complicated instructions.

I didn’t even bother reading the diet section. It didn’t say how many calories the menus were but it looked intense. No carbs. Lots of salad. Still breastfeeding, so no thanks.

But it comes with a DVD that is quite good. It includes three sets of exercises that you rotate through every 10 days. Plus 2 10-minute dance cardio routines that you don’t really “follow” per se, just bounce along to.

I’m looking for a partner to take the 30-day exercise challenge. Anyone interested?

Metamorphosis

This is new! Description from Anderson’s website:

“In the newly released Metamorphosis by Tracy, you will transform your body, defy your genetics, and create the body that you never thought possible.  Prepare to be challenged throughout this 90-day program that includes 9 discs of transforming muscular structure work, designed for your specific body types,  a cardio component, and a dynamic eating plan. Experience this total transformation through your own Metamorphosis!

Metamorphosis buyers are also eligible to extend their workouts with Metamorphosis Continuity. Starting 90 days after you place your order you’ll receive a set of Metamorphosis by Tracy muscular structure workouts automatically shipped to you.”

But it’s $90. Hmm, can I call it research?