Slim in 6 Review
Listen to the stories of real people just like you and me. Kimmah was 198 pounds after having a child. She lost 70 pounds with the Slim in 6 Rapid Results program. Nothing in Alessandra’s life felt good. She was overweight and didn’t know how to take the first step to get out of the depression she was living. She stumbled upon a Slim in 6 commercial that changed her life. Watch these powerful videos and see what Slim in 6 can do for you.
Slim in 6 uses what Debbie Siebers calls slim training. This program is designed to reshape your body in 6 weeks. It’s a proven workout program that combines cardio and light resistence to slim your thighs, tighten and lift your butt, tone your arms, and flatten your abs. Are you ready for a new you?
POSTS ON SLIM IN 6
Phase III of Debbie Sieber’s slim training workout, Burn It Up, is about 59 minutes in length. After you’ve done this routine several times, you can anticipate what exercise is coming up. I think this program is lacking in one area. It doesn’t have a list of the exercises in writing, so you can follow along, and it doesn’t put the names of the upcoming exercise on the screen.
I guess I was kind of spoiled with the P90X Extreme Training Fitness Guide. Each workout had it’s own section where each exercise was not only listed but a brief description was included. When you had a DVD playing, the bottom of the screen would tell you what exercise to expect next. As you learned the names of the exercises, it was easier to develop a comfortable routine as a member of the class.
I was thinking about this because I did Tony Horton’s July One on One: Cardio Intervals DVD last week. I didn’t have a list of exercises, but Tony had one taped to the mirror in his gym. That kept him on track. He would announce the exercise that we were doing next, but I didn’t have a list anywhere and the screen didn’t provide that information either.
P90X is a newer Beachbody workout program than Slim in 6, so it sounds like the company really brainstormed on how to take P90X to the next level. You can tell that a lot of work went into developing every aspect of the P90X Extreme Training System. I still refer back to the Nutrition Guide even though I’m not actively doing P90X right now.
To help myself and my readers, my last post listed the exercises in Cardio Intervals. Today, I’m going to give you the exercises in the Burn It Up video. Knowing the names of the exercises not only allows you to follow the routines more congruently, it also helps you talk about it better on the Message Boards or in the chat room in WOWY, Beachbody’s online supergym.
Please keep in mind that I am naming these exercises based on the narrative provided by Debbie the DVD. I’m adding my own narrative here and some time stamps. I hope you find this informatin useful. Add your own comments about this workout by clicking on the comments link following this article.
The Burn It Up Exercises
(About 59 Minutes in Length)
WARM UP EXERCISES
Reaching Up and Over This is an exercise that stretches the side muscles from top to bottom. I love this exercise as it’s great for warm up, keeping your heart rate up, moving into another exercise, or just plain stretching.
Reaching Across the Body This is a reaching exercise that helps warm up back muscles and works on the abs. It’s a lot like the first exercise except you’re reaching forward and across rather than up and over.
Step Touch – Add the Arms & Pull This is a warm up exercise that also helps tone the arms and back muscles. As you get more advanced, this would be a good exercise to add small hand weights or weighted gloves.
Knee Up Arms Up The name says it all. My comment here is that anytime you lift your leg or raise your arms above your head, you are increasing the intesity (workload) of your exercise. That means you’re using more energy (calories). The knee up portion of the exercise is working on your abs while the arms up is working on both your shoulders and triceps.
Kick It Front, Arms Side Kicking exercises require the use of almost all of your leg muscles. If the kicks are difficult, do what you can and keep working on it. I think kicks are the best exercises to firm and shape your legs and butt. Raising the arms to the side primarily works shoulder muscles.
Half Squat Biceps I’m not fond of squats but read any bodybuilding magazine and they’ll tell you that squats are one of the foundation exercises. Squats work on the glutes (butt) as well as the core and leg muscles. You’re also working biceps with this exercise. Again, you could add small hand weights or weighted gloves with this exercise if it stops challenging you.
Step Touch Chest Flye The step touch movement keeps you moving but allows you a few moments to catch your breath. It doesn’t require as much energy as the last few exercises you just completed. The chest flye works on toning your chest muscles. Focus on your chest here, not your arms. Light weights could be added to this exercise in time as well.
Kick It Back Now, you’re working on your hamstrings and triceps. Light dumbbells are a good option here, too.
REPEAT the above sequence. After you’ve completed the sequence again, you’ll have about 55 minutes left in the workout. Yeah, that was only the first four minutes. You don’t have time to get bored with Debbie’s constant change of movement.
KICKING EXERCISES
Squats Medium Stance Welcome back to squats. We’re doing these to
get ready for NINE minutes of leg work, primarily kicking exercises. When you’re doing squats focus on your butt, not your legs. Imagine squatting and pushing your butt back to sit on a chair that is just a little bit further back than you thought.
Knee Pull I love this exercise. It’s similar to an exercise in P90X Kenpo X. Imagine that you’re grabbing someone by the shirt collar and bashing them into your knee. This is actually a self defense move and anytime you can visualize something like this, you’ll stay more focused on the exercise. This helps you work at a better intensity.
Squat Kick Front This combination exercise should really get your heart rate up. If this one is too difficult, modify it. Do what you can.
Kicking Front & Back The kicking front and back exercise is one of my favorites. Kicking was really hard for me when I first started doing P90X Kenpo X. It’s not as difficult for me now that I’ve got kicking in my blood. This may be hard for you in the beginning. It gets easier. It’s not important how high you kick. The higher the kick, the higher the intensity…but in the beginning, the higher your risk of injury. What’s important is that you keep moving. This is a cardio and toning workout.
Squat Kick Front Repeated.
Kicking Front & Back Repeated, just starting front with opposite leg.
Squat Side Kick with Lateral Raise Now we’re working on our outer thighs. The lateral raise is working on your shoulders.
Right Kicks You’ll get better over time and might even feel empowered. You’ll definitely know what muscles you’re working.
Left Kicks Just when you think you can’t do another kick, switch legs…afterall, you’ve got two of them!
Squat Side Kick with Lateral Raise Yep, back to working the outer thigh and also the shoulders.
Right Kicks Repeated.
Left Kicks Repeated.
Squat – Knees, Legs Together This exerecise is like the medium stance squats except that your feet are together. There is also a wide stance squat that Debbie doesn’t use in the Burn It Up routine, but she does do a plea squat which is very similar. As the foot position widens or narrows, different leg muscles are called upon to make the squat movement. These variances will help bring nice muscle definition.
After jogging a little and some half jacks, you’ll move right on to some standing ab work. You now have about 45 minutes remaining in your workout. I’m always sweating by now!
STANDING AB WORK
Alternating Oblique Crunches Focus on your abs and do not pull your neck. Form is important when you’re doing abdominal exercises.
Repeating to the Left Now you’re putting a focus on one side of your oblique muscles.
Repeating to the Right Just switching to the other side for concentrated oblique movements.
Reaching Up and Over This exercise feels so good about right now. Stretch and reach.
Side Crunches Now you’re standing on one leg and bringing your other leg up to allow your elbow and knee to touch or come close to touching. This was hard for me in the beginning. It’s a great ab cardio combo. Debbie really puts a lot of focus on toning the core muscles.
Reaching Up and Over Repeated.
Side Crunches Other Side Repeat side crunch on the other side.
Reach Across Body Another familiar exercise. It’s about time to try something new.
Uppercut Punch This is a fun exercise. Maintain your focus on your mid-section not your lower body. Your lower body should remain stationary.
Front Punch This is another one of my favorites. Imagine punching whatever frustrations you need to leave behind. The more focused you are in this exercise, the more you’ll get out of it. Remember, this is an ab exercise. Don’t hyper-extend your elbows.
Low Side Crunches This is a slow movement. Keep your back straight and don’t pull on your neck.
Plea Squat We’re getting a break from abdominal work with a little leg routine. This is the plea squat that I mentioned earlier. Focus on keeping your knees over your ankles, not beyond them.
Plea Squat and Reach I’m tired by the time I get to this point. My legs are tired and reaching up until I’m on my toes is a challenge, but I do my best. Go to work the calves, too.
Plea Squat Repeated.
Reaching Up and Over Nice fall back exercise, huh?
Double Knee Pull Think about grabbing the shirt collar and bashing the attacker’s face into your knee.
Ok, so a little jogging, half jacks…march it out. We only have about 38:30 minutes to go! We’re going to hit the legs and do some more ab exercises before moving on to the resistance portion of the workout.
Reverse Lunges, Same Leg I never have liked lunges. Watch the DVD to check your form while doing any lunge or squat exercise.
Hold It Down and Press This is an isolated lunge which should draw a burn in the muscle.
Stationary Lunge This is a lunge where the lunge position is maintained even in the upward portion of the exercise.
Hold It Down and Press
Same Leg, Lunge Front/Bicep Curl Adding the arms doesn’t really help with the burn in your legs, but it does give you variety.
Hold It Down and Press
Knee Up Arms Up, Reach
REPEAT sequence with other leg
Alternating Oblique Crunches
Repeating to the Left
Repeating to the Right
Reach Up and Over
Side Crunches
Reach Up and Over
Side Crunches Other side, of course.
Reach Across Body
Uppercut Punch
Front Punch
Crunch Side Low
Plea Squat
Plea Squat Lift Press
Reach Up and Over
Double Knee Pulls
Double Knee Pulls Other side.
Traveling Pleas This works the inner and outer thighs. It feels silly, but it’s effective.
After a little marching it out, there’s a paultry 28:30 minutes remaining in Burn It Up. Pick up your bands. It’s time for resistance training. Debbie does an excellent job describing how to do each exercise. She tells you what how to maintain proper form and how to modify if needed.
Bent Over Row You’re working your back muscles with this exercise.
Double Bicep Curls Now, you’re working on your biceps. Don’t worry about bulking up. You’re using low intensity with high reps. This tightens and tones your muscles, but you won’t bulk up.
Alternating Bicep Curls
Double Bicep Curls
Double Shoulder Press
Alternating Shoulder Press
One Arm Tricep First, you’ll do one side and then, switch to do you other tricep. This is an outstanding exercise for getting rid of flappiness under your arms.
After resistance training, it’s time to move to floor work. The workout has about 20:30 minutes remaining. The next section is by far the hardest section of all for me. I keep working at it because I know the muscle burn I’m feeling is getting me closer to my fitness goals.
Right Leg Extend and Down This exercise, along with the next three exercises are performed with on your knees with your forearms on the floor and head relaxed (not looking down or straining up). As you do this exercise think about how it feels to push something backwards using the bottom of your foot.
Right Leg Straight Leg Lift In this excercise, keep your leg straight and image that you’re a puppet with a string tied around your ankle. Now, imagine someone pulling that string straight up and then, lowering it just as carefully.
Flex Foot, Hamstring Curl This is the same movement as laying on a hamstring curl machine at the gym except you’re using your own body mechanics instead of weights.
Squeeze It Up & Down Burn! Burn! Burn! This one is challenging for me.
Push Ups Do your best if you’re new to push ups. If you’re not new to push ups, push yourself!
REPEAT Time to make the other leg’s muscles burn, too.
Hey, Burn It Up is almost done. At 10:50 minutes remaining, it’s time to do a little ab work on the floor. Then, it’s off to cool down with some stretching and yoga.
Crunches Focus on the ab muscles. Your neck should not hurt when you’re doing crunches. It’s not about how high up you can get your head and shoulders off the floor. It’s about using your abdominal muscles lift your upper torso.
Alternating Crunches with Legs Up
Crunches with Legs Up
Double Crunch
The rest of the Burn It Up workout in Slim in 6 is stretching and yoga. The last 6:30 minutes are devoted to cooling down and stretching out. You’ll be smiling as you’re doing a full body stretch because you know you just made it through the Burn It Up routine. Hope you got a little inspiration or at least a laugh or two from this article. Again, you can add your comments on Burn It Up using the link below. It’s as easy as sening an email.
Keep pressing play!!
Ramping It Up: Slim in 6 vs. P90X
I attacked Debbie Siebers’ Slim in 6 Ramp It Up workout yesterday for the first time. It was longer than the first workout, Start It Up and built upon the basic moves demonstrated in the first workout. 
I was amazed at the muscle soreness I was feeling during the workout in my triceps, glutes, and abs. These are three areas most women want to tone up, myself included. Debbie Siebers does a good job going right to the trouble areas, but she hits all the muscle groups systematically with the goal of getting slim in 6 weeks.
Hitting all the muscle groups everyday is a major change for me. Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Training System is based on classic weight training principles…lift the maximum amount of weight that you can for 8-10 reps to gain muscle size or a weight you can lift for 10-12 reps if you’re wanting to tone without increased muscle size. Whether you choose to work in the shorter or longer rep range, you’re trying to use a heavy enough weight to challenge you during the last couple of reps. P90X works through two to three muscle groups during a typical workout and allows for rest days before working that muscle group again.
Debbie’s Slim in 6 workout takes a slightly different approach. In “slim training,” you work through each muscle group everyday. You don’t have time to get too sore or bored with a muscle group because she changes up the routine every 3-5 minutes. Read some Slim in 6 reviews and you’ll quickly find out that this program is more challenging than some believe. Maybe that’s why some people quit pressing play. Please read my Slim in 6 review each day as I go through this program. I tell you what’s going on with my body, mind, and motivation level. You’ll get a little bit of my workout philosophy later in this article.
Slim in 6 was designed with weight loss in mind. Like P90X and other Beachbody workouts, Slim in 6 incorporates interval training which keeps the heart rate in a working zone while toning, slimming, and trimming. Again, as a P90X graduate, I was amazed to feel the burn in my triceps, glutes, and abs during my second workout. It’s not as easy as I thought it would be and reminded me of a truth in fitness. It doesn’t matter what get’s you moving. Any activity can bring you results as long as you’re consistent and balance your exercise routine with a balance nutrition plan.
The nutrition plan in Slim in 6 provides a nice guide to help you gage what you should be eating, how much and when. Whether you’re doing the 2 day fast, 6 day express plan, or eating to lose weight as you do the workouts, you’ll find the guidance you need with the Slim in 6 program. I’ll write more on the nutrition plan in future posts.
For now, here’s my philosophy with fitness, happiness, health, relationships, and life…Balance, Intention, Endurance, and Resilience. So let me break it down for getting fit and staying fit.
1. You’ve got to have balance in your fitness routine. This means changing your activity as your body, mind, or goals change. It means balancing your how much energy you consume (calories eaten) and burn through activity. It also means listening to your body and balancing muscle recovery with muscle growth which might mean modifying an exercise, taking a day off or making sure you’re getting enough sleep.
2. Intention. If you don’t have a goal, you probably won’t get there. If you don’t plan your nutrition, you’ll probably eat for pleasure rather than fuel. Good intentions are not enough. You must have a plan to support your vision. Beachbody workouts can help you with the plan, but you have to have the intention. No one can make you press play and get your body moving.
3. The third element for getting fit and staying fit is endurance. I’m not necessarily talking about having the endurance to run a marathon or swim the English Channel. I’m talking about consistency, sticking with it even when you don’t want to. It’s like graduating from high school. You go to school each day. The weeks pass, the months pass, and finally, it’s your senior year. Somehow, you’ve made it through four years of growth one day at a time. That’s endurance. Relate it to something in your life, and you’ll see what I mean. You are capable of reaching all your goals and dreams if you do it one small task at a time.
4. Have you ever seen a baby fall down, scream, and then get up and go about playing and laughing like nothing ever happened? This is a good example of being resilient. Sometimes, we may have set backs but we must remember that we can spring back and continue toward our goals. Some of the things that get in our way as women as far as our workout routines include our monthly cycle, family demands, summer time parties, and overworking because we want to lose that last ten pounds so bad. Hey, give yourself a break. Sometimes, you’ve got to practice balance and then, resilience – just come back into when you can.
By the way, if you’re new to Slim in 6, you may be new to Beachbody workouts. I highly recommend becoming a member of the Beachbody Club. As a member you’ll be able to access a lot of cool tools to help you stay on track. If nutrition is your weakness, you’ll be surprised at how much information is available to you as a club member. Did I mention you also get a 10% discount on Beachbody products?
I also recommend using the Message Boards. You’ll find a lot of good advice from other members who are doing the same Beachbody program as you. You can post your own comments and ask questions. Until I used the message boards, I didn’t realize how important they would become in keeping me motivated to turn on the DVD player everyday.
My plan for today is to complete the Ramp It Up workout again. Then, I will do the Slim and Limber routine. If my abs aren’t killing me, I might even throw in the 6 Minute Abs. Join me in WOWY. We’ll do this thing together! Oh – WOWY is Beachbody’s Online Supergym. You can win $300 or more each day you work out in WOWY and you can get a free Beachbody account to participate. Hey, no gym fees. Imagine that! See you there.
taking advantage of every opportunity to reach your fitness goals.
