1) These 20 minutes flew by.

2) These 20 minutes were hard.

3) These 20 minutes were worth it.

I chose wrist weights (3 lb on each wrist) and had my 3 lb dumbbells so I could drop half of the weight as needed. There were certainly times I did, and then picked them back up when I felt I could. Try this class and giving yourself the permission and freedom to reduce some or all of the weight and just keep your arms moving. I appreciate some lower body movement incorporated (wide second, then parallel). We are primarily standing but one series sequentially brings us down to our knees (one knee at a time) and brings us back up to standing. Brief moments of releve optional. Core is worked by intentionally stabilizing while arms dance away.

Minutes 23:20 - 26 incorporate the Movement ball in the cool down stretch and that alone is worth checking out and knowing we can substitute that for any ending stretch (the ball under my fingertips of stretched out arms in child’s pose felt AMAZING!). I agree with Faith and other comments below, don’t skip out on this 20 minute Movement ball class! It’s a class THEN a Q&A. Our warmup incorporated the ball quickly; we start in standing with some combination choreography and fairly fast paced (getting the warmth in quickly for a short class of course), then we bring it down to the mat laying on our sides with the ball under our torso (in between hips and ribs) for some leg movement that activates core, hips, and legs (oh my!) and end on our sacrum doing crunches while upper body and lower body are lifted (and ball between legs). This class activates your brain to keep the combinations going and keep up with the quick pace of changes. If some of the Movement ball classes in the 300s feel more complex and frustrating, consider starting here to prepare for those. In a short amount of time I am feeling my arms, shoulders, core muscles, hips/glutes, and legs. That’s some Marnie Movement Ball Magic!

Favorited! The words of healing in this class (especially at the end) resonate deeply, and identifying the silhouette between healing and hurt and how beautiful that space is and important to feel rather than numb out… wow. This class brings the cardio dance quickly with change ups and had me quickly sweating. Optional jumps in the beginning (not later in class, no rolling sautées in this one), and arm dance with the hand weights also felt quickly paced and had me feeling it immediately. We do have relevé in wide second for the standing series and briefly at the barre (our movement ball was squeezed in between our legs for the barre series), but this class felt like a moderate amount of relevé (not a ton). The barre choreography has both legs supporting us; the one-leg work was down on the mat in table top position in between standing barre work. Abdominal muscles and hip muscles and glutes felt worked throughout class, and the elongated leg stretches on the mat felt glorious (those long rainbow leg stretches side to side). This is a wonderful Signature that skips over some of (what I consider) go-to M/BODY moves, making class feel Signaturely familiar with moments of predictability, but not in a rut.

I really liked the choreography setup of this class, it flowed so nicely! I felt ignition of side muscles and the class description is on point with the areas we work. We are up at the barre briefly a few times but floor mat glutes (with core activitation and arm strengthening) breaks it up nicely. We are invited for three and four sets of 8, as this power class celebrates the end of a year (and a Challenge) and all of the growth within. Yet this class also highlights many modification options (different not better) so this class is ready to challenge you and connect you to yourself no matter which options you choose in class today. I love Marnie’s words of making shapes throughout class, and at the end of class visualizing what shape we want to move toward (the description following makes me think of the state of our bodies as connected to our being: energized, rested, mobile, flexible) and highlights again my adoration for a movement practice that focuses on our wellness journey but does not focus on the size and the appearance (yet I appreciate hearing the specifics of what muscles we are engaging). Solid 60 min Signature class!

Class starts at minute mark 4:40. While totally no equipment and good for on-the-go, I chose to grab hand weights for the arm dance (and slowed it down slightly as a result) and I opted for the modification to use my Movement ball behind my lower back during the Pilates crunches. This brings optional jumps, this brings mixes of standing/down on the mat/standing to shake it up and keep it moving. I found myself breathless and sweaty at multiple points during this approximately 50 minute workout, and I feel wonderful afterward.

Twiggy puppifies this entire class with sweetness, playfulness, and naps. This one brings familiar moves in a mindful way of setting them up and re-exploring them even if you’ve done many classes, then adds some awesome choreography combinations. The messages about bringing joy into a healing space, moving through emotions, letting salt water (sweat/tears) heal is a beautiful. While a bright/joyful class, there is a lot of holding space for deep emotions, and invitations to bring it all to the mat. Mention of an optional chair so you have balance support when feet and legs are close together in a plié relevé as well as when doing a standing one leg lift and wrap around stretch, but absolutely no equipment works with space all around your mat (we incorporate leg extensions all around). While equipment-free, I may choose to add hand weights for my second run through this class for added oomph.

This class brought lots of three and four sets of 8 and seemed to focus on standing and down on the mat work. Our time at the barre was very brief (of course still felt the stretch and the sculpt). The choreography felt interlaced and while the moves were not complex, the pace of changes and shifting was fast. I had to grip my ball even tighter behind my knee in table top position as my legs were so sweaty! Loved the celebration words throughout and at the end "I am enough. I always have been, and I always will be." 

Day after: yes my arms are worked, but there are muscles in my back that are VERY awake today, that I previously did not know existed.

Ohhh this Signature had so many hip opening moves (hip tucks and hip circles in every position I can think of) and serious strengthening and sculpting of the legs and glutes. The ab series was fire as others commented (my child told me "I felt your heat!" as he played nearby). The abs were worked throughout class including standing series, but laying on our backs on the mat the crunches incorporated a "figure four" motion that felt different and intense. Marnie's messages throughout class reminds us of what we can do, we can do hard things, and some say training begins when you are at the point you want to stop. The words throughout felt motivating and supportive.

This class reminds you of YOUR power as you build upon it with heavier weights (I used wrist weights + hand weights). We stand, we pulse, we squat, we plank and table top, and we sit on the floor with our core power and weights lifting. It keeps it moving with short rounds of arms up and down, different than our arm dances in Signature classes with lighter weights where we don’t drop our arms (rather this class offers quick moments of reprieve). Twiggie the puppy makes this class even better. 🐾 Happy Marniversary to Faith, Stephanie, and Anahita! HBD to Lizamary!