Review: Bob Harper's Inside Out Method: Yoga for the Warrior

Image: My Trainer Bob

This DVD is part of a set that includes three other DVDs designed to provide a comprehensive workout system. This particular DVD comes with two options to choose from when the menu screen loads. The first is a full sixty minute yoga workout, and the second is a fifteen minute sections that focuses specifically on abs. In order to do the workout, all you will need is a yoga mat. 


I have only done the fifteen minute section on a few occasions but I found that it is one of the more comprehensive short workouts that is so often included on exercise DVDs. The moves are dynamic and there is no rest given between different moves which made me really feel the burn, especially in my lower abdominal muscles. Some of the moves include: crunches, scissors, and a variety of boat poses, which get really tough toward the end.


The second workout on the DVD is the one hour portion. This is one of my go-to yoga workouts because at the end I always end up feeling relaxed and my muscles feel limber and well stretched out. The first thing I noticed when I started the sequence was that there is a countdown clock in the lower right hand corner of the screen. It shows how much time is left in the workout and will occasionally flash the name of the pose you're in. This did not really bother me or inspire me either way, but I can see how it would be helpful to those looking to push through when they only have a few minutes left.


A lot of the moves included are pretty standard yoga fare, such as warrior positions, downward dog, chair, triangle, and a few others. However, Bob does throw in a few moves that I was pleasantly surprised to see like happy baby, bird of paradise, tree pose, and a few strength training moves. 


The sequencing is done very well and all of the moves flow together. I did not notice awkward transitions or long pauses between different moves. The people behind him who demonstrate the moves do a good job, and there is a modifier who does a simpler version of each position. The interaction between Bob and the people with him is not distracting and is sometimes helpful because he does occasionally adjust their position. Bob himself does not do most of the moves, but I did not find this distracting because the people around him do a good job. 


The moves are challenging, and the first few times I did it I definitely had sore shoulders the next day, but none of them are impossible for people with at least some exercise experience. Overall I would recommend this DVD if you are looking for something to add to your yoga rotation, it gives a full body stretch and a great relaxation cooldown at the end.