MARK LAUREN Bodyweight Workout DVD EFX | Calisthenics DVD

Before writing this review I used the program for two months. I am fifty six and was determined to get back into shape and was looking for something different. I have always been physically active and was not in "bad" shape but had not really done anything significant or consistent for many years either, so I was in worse shape than I appeared to be at six foot and two hundred pounds. After nine years in the Army and twenty years in the construction trades the biggest problem I have, from leading a fairly physical life, is that I had herniated a disc in my lower back about fifteen years ago and had several bulging discs in my mid back. Every time I attempted a workout of some type I always aggravate these old injuries and end up having to lay off to heal back up. Pete Egoscue's exercises have helped, as well as Yoga, but they don't really give you a true hardcore workout and strength building tool. When truly physically exerting myself I always injure the areas that I need to make "stronger" when attempting conventional workout methods. I cannot seem to overcome this obstacle and achieve the fitness level I desire. Mark's program offers "posturally correct" exercises and they worked extremely well for me. Never once have I hurt anything or injured myself during these fairly intense workouts. The EFX system offers three different workouts which are performed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. When I first started I had to pause the tape probably twenty times to get through the first workout, lying there on the living room floor huffing and puffing. By week six I finally made it through all three workouts, during the week, without having to pause the tapes at all. That was a big week for me as I had come a long way in six weeks. As I continue to improve I intend to use these workouts as a warmup to Marks other program "You are your own gym" which I will perform also on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday following EFX. As you can probably tell, I have become a big Mark Lauren fan as his routines have saved me. As a side note this is the first time I have ever tried anything on a CD and I find it amazingly effective. No weights, no props, no driving to the gym, no books, just pop in the CD and follow the leader. I just have to muster the discipline to POP IN THE CD, at any time of the day from the privacy and convenience of my own home and Mark takes it from there. Finally, something I can stick with, no excuses. Incidentally I have also lost eight pounds and have better tone with some minor adjustments to my diet. From 200 to 192, in eight weeks, I am gradually losing weight (although that was not my major goal) as I get more in shape. Thanks Mark this is just what I needed and I am finally, finally, on the road to getting back in shape, injury free. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and God bless...

Pros: Can be done in roughly 30 min, only need to do 3X a week, easy to follow, clear instructions, clear details of which muscles are being worked,Cons: uses same warm- up and cool down for all three complexes, is missing one side of one exercise in the warm up, does not include some of the philosophy behind the program that can be found in the bookAt 52 I have years of experience lifting weights, as well as a lot of time invested in yoga and pilates. It now seems ridiculous to me to have to pay to get in shape. It is illogical, not to mention I am burned out going to a gym.After several months of doing nothing I realized I was getting out of shape rapidly and needed to get back to it. The first time I did EFX It seemed easy but I felt like I was hit by a truck the next day. Muscles I didn't know I used were sore. I started studying his muscle use description before each exercise to see what to expect. Then I started getting stronger and realized that I could now work harder on form or stop rushing and try to go at his pace. Each time I improved my form or speed I would get sore again, but stronger as well. Somewhere I picked up that I needed to do the program for two months. At the end of one month I got his book YAYOG For Women and suddenly his tconcpet and program became crystal clear! My guilt for only working out 3x a week was removed, my suspicions that I needed to slow down were confirmed and my dislike of paying for and attending a gym or buying fancy equipment was fully supported.I see my posture improving and I feel better. It's too soon to see a lot of body changes but I feel them. I intend to get his mobility DVD as I need to improve flexibility and his YAYOG dvd so I can continue to have new work out challenges once I complete EFX.You don't need to book to follow the DVDs but there is a lot of explanation and insight that is clearly and succinctly explained and it is well worth reading. Plus if you are so inclined to put together your own program it is all laid out right there.

After beginning the workouts, without doubt my strength and posture will improve, and probably the sciatica. However, there is room for improvement as far as the presentation is concerned. The most annoying thing is the loud repetitive computer-generated music, which really has no purpose, especially since no beat is needed for the workouts. It is so loud, it drowns out the instructor. The "music" on exercise, yoga, and medications tapes is almost always awful; I really wish there was at least an option for turning it off or down, but still be able to hear the instructions. So, once I learn the workouts I will not use the DVD anymore, so what was the sense of making or having the DVD? Second, another objection is that the instructor does not do a complete enough job of moving you through each step of the exercise. Especially when you are in an exercise position that makes it uncomfortable or impossible to look at the screen at the same time, then the instructor has to be thorough. But, he is not. Even if for some reason the session cannot be re-filmed, at least corrections could be made with a voice over, but it was not done here.The instructor also makes some distracting moves, like adjusting his pants, that should have been edited out. I suggest that the next time a similar tape is produced, there should be a director and film editor with better judgement.