When model Cindy Crawford wanted to trim down and firm up after the birth of her baby, she chose trainer Kathy Kaehler, who had gotten herself back in shape after gaining 80 pounds with her twins. This program includes two short, easy workouts and one long one. Workout A (12 minutes) is a light-intensity routine, mostly stretching with some strength moves such as lunges and abdominal curls, nothing strenuous, with bland background music.Workout B (16 minutes) includes cardio moves that are very simple and low-impact, such as knee lifts and marching, no choreography. You can use light hand weights if you want to add intensity, although your shoulders might fatigue before your large muscles. Workout B also includes strength moves such as squats, lunges (while picking up playing cards for a balance challenge), crunches, and pushups. Workout C is a full-body workout consisting mostly of muscle endurance with some segments of cardio. The cardio is more complex and intense than in Workout B, but not dancy--combinations of marches, squats, and kicks, for example, with or without hand weights.
The production is full of visual stimulation: constantly changing views--color or black-and-white, clear or grainy, insets, beach scene or workout room--and changing camera angles. The workout doesn't stand out as exciting, but it is solid, and if you saw Crawford's awful first workout video many years ago, you'll be thankful that she traded in Radu's unsafe, poorly designed routine for Kathy Kaehler's safe and sane one. --Joan Price
