Gaiam Iron Yoga Mat - Non-Slip, Eco-Friendly Exercise Mat for Yoga, Pilates & Home Workouts - Perfect for Hot Yoga, Gym & Studio Use

I've been wanting to include a slow weight routine in my overall rotation of strength routines for a while now, but had worried that I would find a slow workout boring. Because this routine includes yoga, it engaged my mind while challenging my balance. This proved a great combination with the slow weights.The concept behind slow resistance training is that you do light weights at a very slow pace of lifting and lowering the weight with excellent form. This type of weight training is primarily recommended for beginners or those undergoing rehabilitation where they cannot handle the heavier weights. However, slow work also makes a great occasional change up to keep your body from adapting to your normal weight routines or to shock your system out of weight loss plateau. To keep my own weight loss journey going, I have been constantly rotating my strength routines to induce muscle confusion and keep my body working hard.I would call myself an intermediate yoga practitioner and an experienced weight lifter. I normally lift fairly heavy dumbbells (up to 15 pounds) so I started off with the heaviest dumbbells in the range that Anthony Carillo recommended -- 5 pounds. One third of the way through the workout, I had to drop down to dinky 3 pound weights. The combination of the slow weights and the challenge of holding the yoga poses gave me the shakes by the end of the routine. The shakes were a sure sign that my body had a thorough workout that exercised the muscles to fatigue. My muscles felt like they were humming, and my whole body felt relaxed and stretched. It was a phenomenal workout.I enjoyed Anthony's calm, soothing voice and loved the combination of strength and flexibility that this DVD provided. I checked my copy out of the library, but am planning to purchase this one. I think that it has earned a place in my regular rotation of strength workouts.I do agree with the downsides that others have listed for this DVD -- it does not have a lot of ab work, and it does require a full hour of time. I was willing to do an additional ab routine (I did the "Stomach-Zapping Abs" extra from Joyce Vedral: Speedy Non-Stop Fat Meltdown Plus Stomach Zapping Abs) and devote the extra time for this particular workout. I don't mind doing an occasional long workout if the rest of my strength routines are short and snappy.