Description

I took the following description from a review of this Training DVD:This is a 20min ab workout that’s an add-on to the Core Secrets kit. It uses the stability ball and a set of dumbbells to add intensity. It’s a solid high-intermediate ab workout with a big variety of unique core moves and weighted ab exercises that I found challenging. It sure beats the same old crunches! Good music, good instruction, some fun moves, some tough ones and a little humor make this workout a keeper.Ab Assault is filmed on a bright studio set with big windows and art deco walls. Gunnar coaches Brooke Burke and four gals who all use the silver 65cm Core Secrets stability ball and 5-8lb dumbbells. I found a 55cm ball works fine. Michelle shows modifications for beginners (no added weight, less range of motion) There is “less window” showing than the Accelerated Core Training workout but I was able to see the hillscape through the window – and it’s Hollywood with the white Hollywood hillside sign!The music in the workout is louder and it’s jazzy pop instrumental (by Daveed). Interestingly, this workout is close-captioned which some might find useful for following the workout.It’s got a 4min warm-up, 14.5min ab workout and 1.5min cool-down. Gunnar demonstrates the first rep and then everyone joins him for 10 reps. There’s at least 24 different exercises in this workout. I noticed that the camera features a lot of shots of Brooke Burke performing the moves. I wish she had rehearsed the moves a little better, it’s a bit stilted when the camera is on her and she is waiting for every cue from Gunnar.Gunnar is straight-forward, cues and motivates and he adds some humor in this workout especially as he nears the end. Some will find him a bit dry. I have absolutely no idea how he continues to breath normally and cue consistently during some of the tough moves, I can barely breathe! During some tough side crunches he says things like: “Do this workout like you mean it, I don’t want you to phone it in”. At the end when he repeats the first exercise from the routine he says: “Everything comes full circle, that’s a little ball philosophy.” During the last reps he jokes “you should see a light at the end of the tunnel, it may be an oncoming train”. But there’s no whooping and I couldn’t hear any of the groaning or “uh-ohs” from the cast as described on the close-captioning (!).All in all a fun & challenging intermed-adv ab workout that I will use often.The breakdown is below. Every single move uses the ball, typically Gunnar does 10 reps, sometimes more:WARM-UP 4.5mingood morningswoodchopsball twistsstatic lungesback/shoulder/chest stretchflexor/hamstring stretch supported on ballWORKOUT 14.5minweighted crunch w/legs on ballupper/lower weighted crunch w/ball dragweighted crunch on ballrotating weighted crunchesseated weighted side reacheslying weighted crunch/thrustsangled weighted crunch/thrustsplank roll-inslying crunches with leg liftside-lying upper crunch w/leg dragbrief stretchhand-to-foot ball pass”penguins” side reaches w/legs on ballbutterfly crunch with feet propped on ballball crunch w/legs on ballCOOL-DOWN STRETCH 1.5minroll-down stretch backseated side stretchforward rollfinal stretchTOTAL: 20.5min