Brooklyn We Go Hard, We Go Hard...

Every year around February I picked up that coveted Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue and use the photos inside as inspiration for my summer bod.  This years cover model, was the adorable Brooklyn Decker (Andy Roddick's wife) sporting bright yellow bikini bottoms, layered necklaces, perfect beach blonde hair and not much else.

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So for the past few months I have been staring at this cover hoping it will encourage me to get my butt to the gym, which sadly was not enough.  However, my girl Spry arriving in town for Memorial Weekend poolside in Santa Monica was a bit of a reality check and kicked my fitness regimen into gear.

I checked out my trusty On-Demand Exercise TV options and found a tab labeled "Bikini Revolution", um yes please.  After a little more research I found that all four workouts available featured the beautiful Brooklyn Decker.  The girl who looks like this in a bikini....

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Clearly a girl with a body like that has got to be doing something right that I need to be partaking in?  And so began my trial session of Elle's Make Better Workout Collection, which promised to give me a better bikini body in just 21 days (following their schedule).

Below is a review of the 4 different workouts I tried out using a scale of 1-5 (1 = couch potato, 5= come on let's sweat).  I must disclose that I used the On-Demand versions which are shorter than the DVD workouts, so my opinion could be a little skewed due to that.

Two days ago I dragged my butt out of bed at 6:15 AM and made myself do the 20 minute Elle Make Better Series: Elle Workout Yoga.  While the workout felt great because it was a lot of stretching I just didn't feel like it was really that challenging.  I am not very skilled in yoga (working on it) but found this workout was very catered towards beginners.  I did feel energized and great at the end but barely broke a sweat. 

Rating: 2.5

I tested out both of the Elle Make Better Series: Elle Cardio Body workouts and let me just say that I was most definitely feeling it.  The workouts were 25 minutes long and you are constantly moving and in action which made me feel like I was really getting a good workout.  The workouts were part cardio, part weigh lifting and a whole bunch of jump roping (yuck).  My only complaint was that the trainer was a little (okay a lot) on the annoying side.  She said the same thing over and over again and it kind of drove me batty.  However I plan to add one of the cardio workouts to my weekly series as it really did give me a good cardio workout. 

Rating: 4

I finally finished my workout analysis yesterday with one of the two Elle Make Better Series: Elle Beauty Sculpt workouts and have to say that this one was by far my favorite.  It was fast paced, had a little cardio, some lunges, and a little bit of free weights.  The trainer was enthusiastic without being overbearing and like all the other workouts, Brooklyn is there with her hot bod doing the exercises with you and what's refreshing is she wobbles a little sometimes and also gets corrected by the trainer a few time which makes you feel like she is human!  By the end of the 25 minutes I was winded and red as a tomato. 

Rating: 4.5

I think I will incorporate one of her cardio blasts and one of her body sculpt sessions into my weekly routine The videos are rooftop in what I am guessing is NYC, Brooklyn's workout outfits are pretty cute and the music isn't too bad either.  I think they are great options to add to your regimen if you are feeling a little stuck or in a rut.  Who knows, by following their routine,  maybe you'll be wanting to wear your little polka dot bikini in just 21 Days!