Leslie Sansone: Walk It Off In 30 Days

Growing up I wasn't into the one video of Leslie's I had tried (Advanced Walk Aerobics when her last name was Tommelleo) in the early 90's. I exclusively used the Jane Fonda videos, mainly the earlier and more difficult videos like her first, the New Workout and Workout Challenge. Jane's format stuck with me, and it was nearly impossible to persuade me to try another instructor, aside from a brief period of Tae Bo. Fast forward to 2014, at a much higher weight and out of shape. I gave the Walk Away the Pounds 1- and 2-Mile Walk videos a try. A nice pace (not too slow, not too fast - enough to get me sweating using the weights). I liked her. She was cheery, fun to listen to, and I felt accomplished finishing the video. I tried a few of her other videos, as well, and found them to provide a great workout. Then I tried this one out, and I'll say it gives you a heck of a workout. The DVD has 2 programs - Burn 30 (aerobics) and Firm 30 (toning and sculpting). The Burn includes the basic moves you have come to expect from her videos, plus some modified versions of sidestep and "boosted walking" - jogging, simply. Leslie and some of the participants behind her use hand/wrist weights for added intensity, but you won't feel intimidated by a class where everyone is performing to the max. There are various walkers not picking up the pace as much, not using weights, and doing less intense side steps/lunges/etc. You will do some squats in Burn 30 and prepare your thighs for quite a few sets of them in the Firm section. While the exercise class uses a full-size studio to film/perform this program, this and many of her videos can be done with minimal space. If you can't do double side-steps, I recommend doing single side-steps and taking them deeper. There are days when I did this with the 2x4 space at the foot of my bed with the DVD playing in my laptop. It's all about how intense you take the steps. I also live in an apartment with a floor that can't hide much movement, but with the carpeting and wearing shoes, too much of a racket isn't made. The plan this DVD is structured on is for users to do 'Burn' Mon/Wed/Fri, and Firm is done Tue/Thu/Sat. I often find I do more of the 'Burn', as I enjoy the aerobics much more, but this is a great cardio/toning combination that will surely work with a sensible eating plan. The original DVD release (I believe it was by Anchor Bay) gives you the option to play the program with music & vocals or just music - a great option once you master it. A number of Leslie's later DVDs between 2014-2018 had this feature. It is not a feature you can select if you buy the digital/streaming version, and later re-issues by other video labels may or may not have the option to play a music-only audio track. Note that when purchasing this and other videos that, when released by Anchor Bay, had two audio options. I dropped a considerable amount of weight utilizing this video and I'll say, even years later, that this is definitely my favorite program of hers. I like the use of the weights in the aerobics, the music is enjoyable, and it does make you sweat. Beginners and more advanced exercisers alike will greatly benefit from this program.

**Menu Screen** - Introduction to the DVD - Burn 30 Workout (with or without music ) 30 mins - Firm 30 Workout (with or without music) 30 mins ******Burn 30 Workout****** This consist of high-intensity aerobics. They are NOT miles. This is just a full blunt workout for 30 minutes. The major moves consist of bouncing with a fist pump in the air, jogging, the run-run-run, and a new move called 'skater' where you combine side step with a foot behind the other. You can use hand-weights if you want. PROS - Clock: The clock does show up, but only when 10 minutes remain in the workout and it stays until the end. I guess there's really no need for a clock. We all know how long the workout lasts. - Key execution movies: Leslie is excellent when executing her moves. She does not surprise you or switch legs - Music: The music is great. It forces you to be on key becuase the beat is very catchy. When you first do it, it may not seem like the music reaches out to you, but you have to give yourself a chance to get used to it. The music makes me feel young. The last song before the cool down is THE JAM! It makes you feel like you're on this serious mission. :p - Her Friends: All are like college-based age with one woman being Leslie's age (just guessing) and then a much older woman is in the back. I felt sorry for the older woman in the back. This workout was clearly not within her abilities. She could not keep up entirely. One other thing about them is that to Leslie's left (right side of the screen) are two women that are using weight. These women are like robots! They motivate me to push myself. There was one time I was tired of holding the weights, but when the scene switched to them still carrying it, I picked mines back up. CONS - None *******Firm 30 Workout******* This consist if toning your arms, thighs, stomach, and butt. The first part is a warm up with some brief jogging. You get right to work with squats of wide legs and legs close together. There is A LOT of squatting and lunges. I cannot stand lunges. So, I just substitute them with more squats. You'll do some lunge stances in position and then work on the arms. She'll rotate legs, but it gets you tired quick. I normally do not like floor work, but when it's with Leslie I'm more confident about it. One the floor, she'll start with the weights raised high over your chest and then tell you to bring your elbows out and in. Then she'll do chest raises with the weights. She'll then work hard on the stomach with the little crunches. The stretch is pretty short but involves leaning on one need with the opposite hand pointing out, and the last stretch is on your back with your arms over your head laying FLAT out. PROS - Clock: By the time you get on the floor the clock will appear and remain for the last 10 minutes. - You'll get a very good workout for the legs, especially when she gets you to lean in the lunge stance while doing the arm workout. CONS (VERY minor cons) - The music for this session is very nice. But the second (and last) song repeats 3 to 4 times in a row. This last song actually makes you feel like you're on a fancy beach somewhere in another country. It's really nice, but it can get old after a while. I usually have a big ear for music. - As soon as she says that you've finished the standing workout, QUICKLY get out that yoga mat, becuase she does not give you enough time to set that up. So either have already in place or close by. - I felt like the arm session was not competitive enough, but that could be due to the pounds I had. I only had 2 to 5 pounds. I would upgrade it to 6 or 7 pounds ****OTHER INFO***** I did the workout as suggested, doing them everyday. For the Burn 30, I burned between 188-205 calories. For Firm 30 I burned 89-92 calories. Because this workout is set up for 30-day challenge, having it only motivates me to actually do it everyday. That's the plus side of having it.

I'm female, 5'7 and about 187 pounds, early 30s, mom of one. The higher calorie burn is from the aerobic workout and lower the strength training portion. I'm not a newbie but not advanced, I would say I'm somewhere above beginner. Keep in mind these calorie burns will vary depending on several factors. Now to my review! I discovered Leslie on YouTube. I needed something easier that day and she offered a nice and steady walk. I enjoyed it. I tried others she had on there and some for me were much too easy. Something I would do again if I needed steps or something to just get moving. I decided to check out Amazon to purchase a DVD (I'm also a huge Jessica Smith fan too and own several of her DVDs) and read reviews on a couple different ones. The reviews on this from fans were saying that this was more challenging than other workouts of hers. I have to agree! Hand weights are used in both. Both are a total body workout and one focuses more on cardio and the other strength training. I hate floor work, and the segment was short on the floor part of strength training and I didn't think it was that bad. Some movements I missed reps because my back and neck muscles aren't very strong but I could still do the movement and will get better as I do it more. It wasn't that crazy, and like I said I'm not a fan of floor work. You can make this more or less intense by getting heavier weights, not using weights etc. The cardio especially flew by, I had a good amount of time in peak HR. I was working hard but enjoying it, not doing super crazy moves , it didn't feel like a workout but I got a great workout. In order to have long term success you need to be able to keep up and want to do your workouts or you won't. I feel both Leslie and even Jessica I mentioned previously offer that. I love walking, kickboxing and barre the most and this had a slight feeling of all especially in the cardio portion of the workout. Plus weights used in both so you're toning and getting more of a workout! I would say that's a win win. Highly recommend this DVD and the price point too is great. I usually jump around with all my DVDs but I'm going to try and do this for a solid month and see what my results are using this combined with weight watchers.

I've been using Leslie's videos for about a year and a half now, and have a dozen or so that I like to cycle through. This is one of my favorites. If you are new to exercise, this probably isn't the video you want to start with. I can do her 5 mile walks and don't start sweating until mile 3 - this one has me sweating not long after starting the walk. There are two segments, the first is the Burn 30 workout that you do Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The second segment is the Firm 30 workout that you do Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Burn workout uses optional light hand weights and is fast. Even the warm up is on the fast side, and along with the usual side steps, kicks, knee lifts and kick backs, there are skaters, "step-step-run, run, runs", tap outs, double tap outs, moving kick backs, and arms go up, down and out to the sides several times. At one point, Leslie stops doing the arm moves and walks around to talk to the walkers while everyone else keeps moving the arms. You end with some squats before a brief cool down. There about twelve walkers, mostly women with two guys. Most of the walkers are on the young side, with two older women near the back. The older of the two does her darndest to keep up, but also modifies the moves as she goes, and she does not join the Firm workout. The Firm workout uses dumb bells, and starts with a peppy few minutes of standard walking moves. The Firm workout is all basic stuff, like squats with feet apart and together, toes turned out, rows, chest presses, lunges, etc.; there is also work on the floor for the abs and buns, along with the weights. It ends with a full body stretch. All in all, an excellent workout that is a great addition to my Leslie Library! If you like Leslie, and are looking for a more challenging walk from her, this is a good one. You can preview this DVD on YouTube from Collage Video or Anchor Bay Fitness.

I have done some Leslie Sansone workouts throughout the years and while I liked them, I was never crazy about them. However, this one I like a lot! I used to be an intermediate exerciser but this past year, a chronic illness has prevented me from doing much of anything. I really appreciate the simplicity of this workout and how I can feel I accomplished something without killing myself or being over extended. The "Burn 30" (cardio workout) is definitely faster paced than I'm used to with Leslie and she does add some jogging and bouncing, but it's so easy to modify to your own level and pace that this would be just fine for beginners, or someone recovering from illness like me. She holds light hand weights during this part too but again, that's optional. You can make the cardio segment as tough or easy as you'd like. After a brief warm-up you get into the workout which includes her famous side steps, hamstring curls, kicks, marching/jogging and knees up with a few skaters, cha cha's and bouncing in place added to the mix. At the end, she does some squats and then there is a short stretch. The "Firm 30" workout is more for beginners and slower paced, but a good total body workout. The workout begins with a short warm up of marches, side to side, kicks and knees up and then it's on to squats! There are lots of squats (wide legged, narrow legged and plies for the inner thighs), as well as lunges. While Leslie only does a few actual lunges in place, the rest of the workout for the upper body is done in a lunge position. For example, you will do back rows, tricep kickbacks, bicep curls, overhead presses, etc., all while in lunge position (she switches which leg is in the lunge for each upper body movement). I actually like this because the whole workout works your lower half but if you have knee issues or just hate lunges, you can always do the upper body stuff standing. She finishes the standing segment with some more squats and then it's on to the floor with chest presses/flies, abdominal work, bridge work for the backside and a movement for the lower back (I forget the name but you're on your knees for that one). As I mentioned above, this has been just what I need for my current health needs. You get a good workout and can still go on and enjoy your day, not feeling beat up but rather, energized! I only gave it 4 stars because I felt the cool down in the strength workout was less than sufficient considering all the lower body work. It's less than a minute of just lying on the floor in a full stretched out position. There's nothing for the legs or any other part of the body. I understand she had to fit in a lot in 30 minutes, but a few more stretches would have made this perfect. I just do them on my own.

I've been a big fan of Leslie Sansone's Walking DVDs for some time now - they're not complicated, you can get your heart pumping and don't require a bunch of equipment. If you can walk, you can do her workout. This new DVD is awesome! There are two things I REALLY love about this video: 1. The 10 minute countdown. On those mornings when I'm not super motivated to exercise, I constantly look at the clock and when I see I've only gone 12 minutes, I'm bummed and have to really push myself to keep going. With this workout, a count down clock pops up at the 10 minute mark, and for sure you know you're on the downhill side. Now when I'm less than motivated, I know I only need to get to this point and I can make it through the entire 30 minutes. Maybe a little silly, but psychologically speaking, it really works for me! 2. You can listen to the work out with Leslie talking or music only. While I love her workouts, Ms. Sansone talks non-stop, and I find it to be a little grating. However, you may like her high-energy motivation, but it you don't you can do the workout to music only. With her other workouts I turn the sound completely off (this is how super manageable her workouts are - you don't need any explanation of complicated maneuvers). The opposing workouts are a great idea, it makes a big difference to work different muscles each day. Doing the same thing over and over again only makes you more efficient at doing them, not necessarily building strength and stamina. Lastly, Ms. Sansone has a variety of people doing the work out with her; super fit young women, men and even an older woman so you can model your workout based on your fitness level quite easily.

I really like this DVD. I wanted to add strength training to my workout routine. This is a great one for beginners. I don't use the cardio one ("Burn 30") e/o day like suggested - I do my regular cardio daily and the strength training ("Firm 30") 3x a week. The cardio one is a great workout, but I just like to mix it up a bit and love to get outside and walk and run or use some other walking workout dvds. I have been doing the firming for 2 months and have noticed a big difference in my fitness. The muscle building carries over to add endurance to my boxing and running workouts. It was motivating to be able to increase the weights I use and also to realize that my squats, lunges and crunches were getting deeper as the weeks went on. I use 5 and 8 pound dumbbells. You will also need a yoga mat for the floor exercises. All in all, I am very happy with this purchase. The only thing I do not like - and debated about giving it four stars instead of five, but it is something that is easily corrected when you know about it: she has you doing "curls" instead of "crunches" - where you curl your head up as you lift your shoulders. This is a killer for the neck !! I have compressed vertebrae in my neck and the curls were excrutiating !! Instead, I use proper crunch form (relaxed neck, look at a spot on the ceiling - do not curl head up) and can do the ab workout painlessly (well, except for that excellent burn in the abs you want to have !!)

I have been an avid Leslie fan for years but in August of 2016 I decided to really try to lose weight. Through diet moderation and exercising with Leslie at least 3 days a week I have lost 40 pounds and gained a tremendous amount of muscle. My favorite workout of hers is "Walk Strong." In that workout you alternate 3 minutes of fast walking with 3 minutes of weight training for 30 minutes. She makes you do an enormous amount of squats and she throws in a few sets of lunges as well. Walk It Off in 30 Days kicked my butt in the weight portion. There are even more squats than Walk Strong and a ton of lunges, as well as upper body work in the lunge position. I would estimate 10-15 minutes of squats and lunges. By the time I finished my butt and legs were trembling. The squats and lunges have really toned and tightened my butt and thighs. I love them when I have finished them. The next day I could feel the changes and new muscles in my butt hurt. The cardio portion made me sweat right away but was doable and fun. Not a beginner walk video for those new to exercise. Long time Leslie fans will love this video. So glad I got it as I am trying to lose another 40 pounds.

Easy to follow and a great start to the day.

COST: FAIR BEST BITS: Another great dvd to add to my collection. Love these walks and they really do work for keeping the weight off. BAD BITS: None RECOMMEND: 100%

Diese Powerfrau macht richtig Lust zum Mitmachen!

Dvd molto divertente e non troppo faticoso. L'istruttrice poi e' la migliore!

Leslie's latest DVD is out and it's another great one! She takes a big group of walkers through a 30-minute workout with hand weights to bump up the intensity, and the option of doing a separate strength training session is always a good thing to have. You will be challenged in that, especially if you go with heavier weights, but if you're new to exercise or haven't worked out in a while, be sure to start lighter and work your way up. I always say that it's good to challenge yourself, but never to the point of injury. Note that for the walk itself, don't go any higher than 3 lbs to protect your joints long-term. I loved the cast in this one - it was nice to see some new faces - in particular, Louise in the back row, who, if I'm not mistaken, is a Grandma! Just goes to show how Leslie's program is suitable for everyone! There are a few new moves in the walk, such as squats with your feet together, and of course, as with all of Leslie's walks, you can do it with or without the weights - some of the walkers use them, and some don't. For the strength training session, I went with 7 lbs and wow, did I get a workout! My legs and my triceps in particular, but I really felt it in my core, too! I've been doing sets of 100 bicycles daily for two weeks, and I'm glad I did - I needed that extra stability! Leslie does some nice variations with squats and lunges to target specific muscle groups - my new favorite is the squat with your toes turned out to target the inner thigh. Wow, did I feel those! Even positioning the weights differently can make a difference in how your muscles are working. I just love the variety in this program! I don't see how your body could get used to it! This DVD gets a huge thumbs up! Nancy Ehle Calgary, Alberta CANADA