Gabrielle Reece - Fit and Healthy Prenatal Workouts

NOTE: you will need certain equipment to do these exercises, and it only goes up to "month 6."I've always liked Gabrielle Reece, she seems nice and very down-to-Earth, and she looks great here. She's obviously in very good shape to begin with, (although surprisingly not very flexible!) since she's a pro athlete, and I don't mind her in this DVD at all.Although, the trainer she uses REALLY annoys me in several ways, particularly the way he constantly says certain words like "straight, strengthen, strain, strong" etc- which he pronounces, "shhtraight, shhtrengthen, shhtrain, shhtrong," etc. Oh my GOD it is so annoying since he says words like this non-stop. I'm not sure if I can handle the same workout and hearing him with his annoying speech habits for a month at a time. {Once they get to the second trimester months, I noticed Gabby has picked up this annoying habit from him, and she starts saying things like this!!} It really bothers me, I'm sure some people won't notice, but a lot of people do this now, I guess it's new lazy American "English." I find it distracting and irritating. Even when my mom was visiting she heard them talking from the other room and was getting annoyed by them!The trainer is always interrupting Gabby and they don't communicate well on camera, it seems uncomfortable and awkward. But I don't think that is her fault. It doesn't seem like they rehearsed much which can come off as amateurish and clumsy.It gets very repetitive after doing them a few times a week since they're such short workouts.Also, they jump around from one thing to the next (the weights, the ball, the band, a chair, a towel,) and unless you have someone there to keep taking them away and handing them to you, like she does, it's kind of annoying and it doesn't flow- you're always getting up to get something when you just had it in the move before last. They could have maybe grouped them together better or something.Other than these things, its ok- not too hard, not too easy, and there's modifications for some moves to make them more challenging. It's also not too time consuming or exhausting to do the warm up/workout/cool down, it goes pretty fast.I guess she has a newer one out that has a third trimester workout and one for after delivery, which makes more sense to buy. This one only goes up to "month 6."

What I like: 1. she looks great, which is inspiring, and she is a real person when doing these exercises (not flawlessly rehearsed). 2. The 15 minute sessions are perfect for my work schedule. I do them in the morning before hitting the shower for work. I never get to do the cool down for lack of time. Hard to talk yourself out of a 15 minute workout. 3. The exercises are very effective...and just challenging enough to bring your heart rate up and work your muscles. 4. The exercises feel safe and well planned.What I don't like:1. I used to like Gabby Reese, and maybe it's b/c I'm pregnant but she sort of got on my nerves in this video. She and her trainer do not have good chemistry, and you get tired of hearing the commentary between the 2 of them. I have to remember that she's an athlete and not a TV personality.2. You need a partner for a few exercises/stretches. He suggests replacing a partner with a door knob or bed post at times...neither of which I have. My doors are modern with a lever rather than a knob, which doesn't give me a secure piece to hold onto. In one exercise, he suggests jamming a stretch band in the door for chest pulls. The band snapped loose from the door jam and whipped me PAINFULLY in the face. I was furious!!3. He transitions from one exercise to the next too quickly sometimes, forgetting that while he is there to assist Gabby with changing out her gear, most ladies at home will not have a personal trainer to fetch these things for her. By the time you have your chair, ball, etc... they are nearly finished with the set! I.e. they are not mindful of the real audience they have.4. The video should start with a quick address on what to expect: gear, partner, what to keep nearby throughout the program, what substitutions are acceptable, etc... I found myself scrambling around for things in the middle of the workout.You need: large bath towel (to make a situp splint), weights, stretch band, partner (or secure door knob or 4-poster bed post!...assuming you are working out in the bedroom!!), stretch ball, and a grippy yoga mat to keep your ball from sliding all over the floor (even on rugs/carpet).

First I must say I read a lot of reviews addressing how great Gabby is, how they didn't like her trainer, or the background, or the quality, or buying the ball, weights and band. On the equipment, Ball $2 at Tjmax, the band and light weights $4.50 at Play It Again Sports. This is a 150 minutes of video for $9.99, still a great deal with the added $6.50 in equipment. The rest who cares, it's just cosmetic. On the actual video, the warm ups and cool downs are great, I use them to augment some of my other videos that don't have good warm ups or cool downs. The workouts are quick and fast pace, which is why I bought them, for days when I don't have a lot of time. If one of the workouts isn't enough for you just repeat it as a circuit, or pause the video and do extra reps of each exercise. I do not recommend ever doing a workout that isn't for your trimester and month of pregnancy. I really liked that the workouts are completely different for each month of your trimester for the first two trimesters, you can really get board of the same workout. The exercises are good, safe, and challenging, most of them are different from all the other videos I have reviewed. I am also very happy to finally have abdominal work explained for the second trimester, such as splinting your abs. However I have to add for the same price you can get her Complete Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Workout video which has third trimester workouts and postnatal workouts  Gabrielle Reece: The Complete Fit and Healthy Pregnancy

I found Gabrielle Reece's FIt and Healthy Prenatal Workouts to be very good. I enjoyed them very much. They worked you from head to toe, and made sure you were careful at the same time. I would recommend them. They included a warm up, a 20 minute workout with a ball, weights and a band, and a cool down. The only thing I didn't like was that the workouts only went up to month 6.

I had a really hard time getting into this dvd and ended up leaving it on the shelf for most of my pregnancy. Gabrielle seemed kinda clueless and I just didn't get why the guy was there doing her workout with her. Not worth the money if you ask me.

I've tried 3 prenatal workout DVD's and this one is by far my favourite. The workout is challenging and I like how it takes you through a different workout each month of your pregnancy so you don't get bored. Would definitely recommend!

I'm really dissapointed with this Dvd it didn't specify that it was first and second trimester workouts only. I'm in my third timester so not very helpful! I put it on willing to give it a go but you need an exercise ball, dumbells etc etc to be able to follow the exercises given which is of no use to me doing at home with none of this equipment available!!