Tracy Anderson's 30-Day Method: The Weight-Loss Kick-Start that Makes Perfection Possible [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

I read the book in one day. After receiving motivational encouragement from Tracy, I decided to commit.
Pros:
It's been 3 days and I've lost 3 lbs.
I like the idea of switching up the routine every 10 days.
The meals are not hard to cook (look at my cons for the rest of the menu)
It's ONLY 30 days!
Cons:
Cardio is VERY repetitve. I turn on different music so I can finish the 40 minutes.
1 1/2 hours to work out is long. I schedule it in. I am dripping with sweat after!
Meal plan is hard to follow. Lots of ingredients. I modify the menu by picking and choosing the meals that appeal to me.
No wine- I still have my glass of wine!
I am glad I bought it and am motivated to continue.

I've been intrigued by the Tracy Anderson Method for a couple of years now, but hesitated to spend the money on her DVD's, as they are somewhat expensive. When I discovered the book, which includes both a dance cardio routine and mat work, I bought it immediately. I've always been very active, yet have given birth to three kids. In my mid-40's, I'm very fit, but have just never been able to get rid of that pregnancy "pooch". After having done 20 days of the 30 Day Method, the pooch is gone. I've done so many different kinds of exercise routines over the years, but nothing has given me the tight, knitted stomach that this does. I'm now definitely a believer of using cross-vector muscles to knit the larger ones tighter. However, I do want to make a few comments:

CONS:

1. This workout is LONG! Tracy describes the entire workout as lasting between 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. If you are continually increasing the repetitions during mat work as suggested, that alone can take up to 1 1/2 hours, bringing total time to 2 1/2 hrs. I found I had to split the mat work from the cardio just to get them both in, otherwise, I would have to start my day at 4:30 in the morning!

2. The food. Even though I live in the boonies, I've been able to find most of the ingredients listed in the diet portion of the book. However, the diet seems kind of bland and repetitious. I understand the concept of "eating clean," so instead of following the diet to a T, I've made several substitutions that worked to my tastes and time availability. Anyone with internet access should be able to find more user-friendly recipes that are similar to what Tracy has in the book.

3. As mentioned by previous reviewers, following the cardio portion on the dvd is difficult not only due to editing problems, but there is NO instruction given. After several days, I finally "got" the routine, but it was frustrating in the meantime. It would be helpful if Tracy were to have her back to the camera so it would be easier to follow along.

PROS:

1. As I stated before, this works! I've done all sorts of exercise over the past decade or so - P90X, Jillian Micheals, yoga, Pilates, marathons, triathlons, etc..., and I've never been able to get my stomach reasonably flat. While I still have some excess skin from my pregnancies, my stomach hasn't looked this tight and flat since my early 20's! I can see definitive toning improvements in my hips, glutes, and arms as well.

2. I found the dance to be fun, and once I mastered the routine, I found that I could just turn on my stereo, and dance around the house to my favorite tunes. I found a couple other Tracy Anderson dance routines that were free on YouTube, so I wasn't stuck doing the exact same thing for days on end. Learning this DVD routine helped me master the other ones a little quicker.

3. I like how the mat routine gets increasingly challenging, yet you have 10 days to master each set of exercises. By the end of each of the first two 10 day sets, I was very aware of how all my little and big muscles were being used. I literally felt like I was controlling the outcome of how tight my muscles have become by controlling my movements.

4. Considering the price of Tracy Anderson's Mat Work DVD, and her Dance Cardio DVD (each around $30), this book/dvd combo is a bargain. It's easy to read, and it helps to understand the philosophy behind doing what you're doing for 1 1/2+ hrs. each day. It's helpful to have each exercise broken down in the book as well as on the DVD. Plus, you get several healthy, nutritious recipes as well.

Bottom line:

I really didn't need to lose weight, just the "surface fat" that Tracy discusses in the book. Still, I've lost 4 lbs., and I've dropped almost two dress sizes in just 20 days from using this book. If you consider yourself fit already, but not tight and toned, The Tracy Anderson 30 Day Method, if followed properly, WILL get results.

I've had other Tracy Anderson DVDs, and think the exercises and her approach is great. This book isn't that great.

1. Ok fine to follow her 1.5 hour a day routine. It's alot but it I can make that kind of commitment for the hoped for outcomes...

2. But on top of that, I just spent 1 hour creating 2 out of the 4 meals for the first day. I don't have this kind of time to create meals like this just for myself. Recipes call for things like "2 tablespoons of chive" which means I have to throw the rest of the chives away or figure out how someone else in my family will eat them...

3. There are quality issues with the DVD program. In the book, it says things like "you can start with 20 repetitions, move on to 25, when you get to 60 start weights and go back down to 40 repetitions." THe DVD, however, simply states to do 40 repetitions.

Because on the DVD she doesn't do the full 20, 40 or 60 repititions, I have to constantly stop the DVD so I can finish my complete set and catch up. Obviously, we are meant to memorize or follow along with the book -- but since this is a DVD and we have to follow along with the cardio anyway, why not just have her run through at least a full set?

The cardio is nice and fun, but it does move fast through the sequences. Four repetitions of a move, and its off to another movement. Most of her cardio DVDs are like that, there is a steep learning curve.