Kathy Smith: Ageless Staying Strong

Kathy Smith workout videos are great. They give a good workout that one can do at home.

What impressed me the most upon first viewing of this video was the seamless blend of a variety of exercise influences. I recognized exercises "stolen" from the Lotte Berk Method as well as traditional gym style weight training, plus active recovery exercises without weight that were reminiscent of Jane Fonda's earliest work or elements of Tracy Anderson, who was influenced by Jane F. The cueing is excellent, as would be expected from an old pro like Kathy, and she kept things moving. She gets a LOT done in only 15 minute so it's an efficient workout that moves briskly without feeling rushed. I loved the fact that she had such a variety of exercises to offer so it's highly unlikely a person would get bored with the offerings, and I loved that she did not kill you with an ultra-high repetition count the way some instructors do. I think a greater variety of exercises and fewer reps is healthier and leaves one less prone to injury. As for her personal demeanor, Kathy was encouraging without being fake, and I only heard 2 "whoops" out of her which is her most irritating mannerism, one that is generally used when she is showing off for visiting experts and class members. In this video, she is by herself in a living room setting and I liked her much better in the way that she came across. You can do anything for 15 minutes, this should fit anybody's schedule and limited energy. Give it a try!

You can count on Kathy Smith to guide you safely in exercise.

I had a Kathy Smith video way back in the early nineties and I used to do the stretching sequence every morning so I was inclined to get this DVD on the strength of that. Glad I did, I've got lots of other workout DVDs but this has become my favourite. I'm not sure why it's marketed as 'ageing' exercise because I think it would give a large proportion of young people a pretty strenuous workout, and certainly hasn't been softened down for it's market. I'm not sure what category it's in but it's not aerobics - there's 4x 15 minutes exercise sections for abs, legs, glutes and upper body, plus a good stretching section of 12 mins. You need a chair for all of them and weights for the exercise sections - how heavy is up to you. The exercises have some of the usual moves but quite a few variations as well to make it interesting. Kathy is personable, less 'fake' than some of the instructors on the other videos (although her face doesn't move quite as much as it did when she was younger!). The setup is in a large concrete floored room seemingly in a house, with large glass vases in the background - no apparent reason for this but it is a bit more arty than the usual pseudo gym rooms. I've been using this for a few months and haven't found it to be too repetitive. So far I'm still motivated to use it - I do it first thing in the morning most days, 2x 15 minutes workouts plus the stretching, and I've noticed some difference in my figure (if I cut back on the desserts I'd probably see even more). I'd recommend it.

If you are 65+ and have mobility challenges getting up and down off the floor, I wouldn’t recommend this dvd. The upper body workout starts standing then goes to the floor for a series of exercises I wasn’t able to do. There were no modifications to allow me to build up to a more challenging level either. This workout is better suited to those have been working out regularly and require no modifications of any kind. I am disappointed.

This is definitely a workout for the intermediate to advanced exerciser. I am pretty fit and work out 3 - 5 times a week 50 minutes at a time. I also have lower back issues, specifically L2-3 and L4 -5 disk problems which I have healed through chiropractic and exercise. I injured badly the last time 4 years ago and it was a long journey to get to the point where I can actually do the "real" stuff again. There are moves in this DVD that I do modify because of my injury, but overall I rate it high because it is challenging, thorough and safe. But this is not a beginner video at all. I can do this video because I did train as a fitness professional. Kathy does include modifications and they are good. I modified in other places specifically the hamstring exercises with the chair. It was a bit much for me, but I will probably work up to it. I have done this workout twice now (previewed before I attempted) and I can really recommend it. I am looking forward to doing it again next week!

This's video is perfect for my age and lifestyle(50yo). It's short and doable, and is just the combination of different types of exercise I need. Really liked her other ageless video as well. I'm looking for something short these days I can do after work and this is perfect. I'm not in very good shape at the moment so I was looking for something short and doable to get me back into exercise. On the other hand if you are in good shape there would be nothing stopping you from getting a good workout by varying the intensity. Ive used Kathy Smith videos for many years and have always loved them. Her instructions are great. I always know what I'm supposed to be doing and there are never any crazy fast switches you can't keep up to. I was very happy to see she is still making videos.

I've been using Kathy Smith's workout videos since my 20s and I'm now 54. I've been noticing as I've aged I'm not as strong in my legs as I used to be, my balance isn't great, and my butt, which used to be amazing all my life, is starting to head south. I changed my workout routine to this video, and even though it's a little dated, boy, does it work. It's actually amazing. I can see a difference in the way my butt and legs look after just 2 weeks and I'm stronger, which is so important when you age. I do not feel self conscious about my sagging butt anymore. I feel more confident in my body now and look forward to these workouts. Kathy never disappoints. Her techniques and exercises are timeless.

I bought this because I wanted to improve muscle strength, and because I liked the 'Total Body Lift' DVD also by Kathy Smith. I'm in my mid-40's with no significant health problems, and I exercise every week (usually more than once), so I'm neither elderly, nor unfit. My main concern was whether this DVD would simply be a repeat of 'Total Body Lift'. It isn't. Many exercises are familiar, but this DVD focuses more on building muscle strength rather than tone, so it is more challenging. I couldn't keep up with what Kathy was doing all the time, but was able to do the workout with some of the easier modifications that she suggested. It gives me something to work towards, so I know that as I get fitter, I'll still get value from it. It's organised into four 15 min segments - arms, legs, glutes, abs. Each segment has a warm-up type activity, and a very brief stretch/cool down. There is also a 'bonus' 12 minute stretch on the DVD, and I would do that (or some other stretching) to supplement the brief end-of-segment stretches, which weren't long enough for me. I did enjoy it, so much that I did all four segments in one go. Exercises have high repetition to really make the muscles work. Kathy's style is genuinely supportive, and she motivates me through the workout (as well as giving me something to aspire to!) A really useful bonus feature is the interview with Kathy, where she explains why it is important to develop strength as we age, and what we can do about it. I found a lot of material in this to help me stay motivated. Talking of which - time to get the weights out!

Wer aufgrund des Titels und des Alters von Kathy Smith (sie ist inzwischen 70), denkt, dass es sich hier um typische Seniorengymnastik handelt, der liegt gaaaanz falsch. Es handelt sich um anstrengendes Muskeltrainig für Fortgeschrittene. Ich bin Ende Dreißig, recht gut trainiert und kam hier echt an meine Grenzen. Die DVD besteht aus folgenden Teilen: 1. Arme (15 Min.) 2. Beine (15 Min.) 3. Po (15 Min.) 4. Core (d.h. Rücken, Bauch, Taille) (15 Min.) 5. Streching (12 Min.) Alle Teile lassen sich einzeln anwählen, Teil 1-4 ist auch als Komplettworkout anwählbar. Als Hilfsmittel benötigt man eine Gymnastikmatte, einen Stuhl und zwei paar Hanteln (Kathy Smith nimmt 4 und 2 kg, ich hatte 2,5 und 1 kg, was mir auch völlig gereicht hat). Die Übungen werden sehr gut erklärt, es gibt meist schwerere und leichtere Varianten. Es handelt sich um reines Muskeltrainig, die Ausdauer wird nicht trainiert, aber das Muskeltraining hat es wirklich in sich. Wenn man die komplette DVD durchturnt, hat man den kompletten Körper gekräftigt. Wer nicht so viel Zeit hat, kann jeden Tag nur einen Teil (15 Minuten) machen. Kathy Smith zeigt, dass man auch mit 70 noch den Körper eine Mittzwanzigerin haben kann, aber sie zeigt auch, was man dafür tun muss. Für mich ist sie Inspiration und Motivation zugleich. Ihre Art ist sehr sympathisch und das Englisch auch gut verständlich. Eine sehr gute DVD für alle, die ihren Körper kräftigen wollen. Alter ist egal, aber man sollte schon ganz gut trainiert sein, für Anfänger ist die DVD definitiv zu schwert!

This dvd is perfect, just what I wanted. Not cardio or weight loss but pure strength training exercises. The workouts are short, very effective and easy to fit into my day. I like being able to mix and match them with other exercise that I'm doing. I can't do all the reps on all the exercises, and I can't do the advanced versions of some exercises, so it will challenge me for quite some time (probably forever!) which makes it great value for money.

I feel like I've grown up with Kathy Smith - from her Ultimate Video Workout back in the 80s to her new Ageless with Kathy Smith range of DVDs. In Staying Strong, Kathy explains why weight training is so important as we age, and how it can help keep us mobile, flexible and balanced. The workout itself starts with a warm-up and is then split into four targeted sections - upper body, thighs, glutes and abs. Each section comprises functional exercises, such as the 'penny in your pocket' squat, which is as much a demonstration of safe lifting techniques as a strength training move. In the upper body section, Kathy uses 5lb and 8lb weights, depending on the part of the arm or shoulder being worked. She also ensures we work each muscle group to exhaustion, by completing two or three sets of each exercise. I'm 40 years old and I'd say I'm of average fitness for my age (although I do have MS, which affects my balance and energy). Although I can comfortably complete each section, I can't finish all four in one go. Kathy may be in her 60s, but she's extremely fit and Staying Strong is by no means an easy workout. If you're looking for a challenging but straight-forward strength building DVD with an expert trainer, I don't think you'll do better than this. Highly recommended.

This is a great dvd for women of all ages! I ordered it because I noticed a decrease in my strength. While this is normal as we age, I wanted to do something about it and this was a great choice. The results are wonderful, but stay consistent. I do the entire workout 3 times a week and have noticed such improvement in strength, muscle tone and shape! I feel great, energized, strong, & lean - and my clothes fit much better!!!