Rating:

The Yoga for Weight Loss Workout Kit includes three components: the workout DVD (in a simple cardboard sleeve), two 3-pound purple handled “push-up” weights, and a round purple 8″ x 3″ foam yoga block (Gaiam calls this a “bolster,” but Miller refers to it as the “disk” during the workouts). The DVD contains two workouts, each just over 30 minutes in length. Miller describes the first workout, Functional Strengthening, as a session to focus on toning the buttocks, core, and arms. For the second workout, Kinetic Conditioning, she states that you will be “consciously sweating.” Finally, the DVD also includes “Core Connect,” a bonus abs segment. All three sessions are filmed outdoors, and Miller is teaching in bare feet, with the only other equipment needed being a yoga mat.

This kit definitely offers something from Jill Miller that we haven’t seen before. She does an excellent job of staying true to her yoga roots while still providing challenging, strength-focused workouts. I’m not convinced that these workouts would be likely to produce weight loss per se, but they could certainly be the foundation of a beginning strength program. Furthermore, even more advanced exercisers will likely benefit from Miller’s skill in taking the body through unique ranges of motion and providing superb functional training. Although some of the moves in these workouts are probably a bit too demanding for new exercisers, overall, Miller is quite accessible, and I would recommend the Yoga for Weight Loss Kit to a fairly wide audience.

Rating:

The book is rich in explanation while maintaining an elegant simplicity that anyone can follow. It is the first, no the ONLY weight training book I wanted to browse like a coffee table book.