Fitness
Hipper than Taebo, sexier than Pilates, The S Factor–stripping–is the hottest new Fitness trend. Created by actress Sheila Kelley (LA Law, Sisters, and a host of film and Broadway roles), S-Factor classes are wildly popular and generating an avalanche of attention from Extra, Entertainment Tonight, The Los Angeles Times, Allure, Us magazine, Fox News, and CBS’s 48 Hours, which proclaimed: “Women don’t even know they’re working out until two months later when they say, ‘I’ve never had a better body in my life. I’m strong, I’m limber, I feel great.’” Sheila even convinced Barbara Walters to try a pole dance on The View.
No wonder. Combining yoga, dance, and erotic movements, The S Factor is a program that tones muscle, firms the body, increases flexibility, promotes weight loss, and gives you a few new tricks for the bedroom. Illustrated in hundreds of photographs that show step by step how each move is done, the exercises are sensual yet demanding, requiring a balance of strength and finesse. There are slow, rounded warm-ups, the Spine Circles and Hip Circles. Strenuous motions, like the Rocking Cat-Cow. Peels and rolls, grinds, pounces, arches. And pole work, from the Firefly to Descending Angel.
Something else happens, too: These exercises and routines boost self-esteem and give women a new way to think about their bodies. Stripping is a liberating act, out of which comes a new look, new body, new confidence, new you.
Fun, effective exercises – very easy to follow The book is very well laid-out. It starts with detailed stretches for every muscle group and then goes into some simple floor work. The floor work is very derivative of yoga and Pilates, but with an erotic twist, of course. Floor work is especially good for the abs, but it also works your shoulders, arms, and legs.
Fabulous! I have to admit that I was a bit sceptical about buying this book and trying the workout. I thought it would turn out to be another trendy, fad workout that I’d try for a couple of weeks and toss aside. Not so at all! Kelley has done an excellent job of explaining the movements and exercises included in the book, especially considering how hard it can be to learn from pictures rather than an instructor. I suppose I may have found it easy to learn because I’ve had some dance training, but I’ve practiced with a few friends and they’ve managed to pick it up easily. I’ve been working with the book for a couple of months now and practice every single night. I just love it! I can completely see a difference in my body, flexibility and level of comfort with myself. I feel like a new person. I’m definitely going to get the video as well so I can learn more advanced moves and would love to take classes at her studio one day.
Not bad I liked the workout in the book and I think her explanations of the movements are about as good as you’re going to get without having a video in front of you. The workout section is a bit of a pain as the movements aren’t listed in order in the book, so the first few times you’re going to have to flip back and forth and back and forth. I wasn’t sure I wanted to order this book based on most of the other reviews being more a review and history of Sheila Kelly’s career, but it’s not a bad book at all. If you want to see the moves illustrated better I recommend getting the video, although it doesn’t show all of the moves in the book. The workout is a lot harder than it looks and I’ve found a few muscles I didn’t know I had before! You might even find that you want to get a pole of you own. I know I sure do! The pole exercises look to be about the most fun you’re going to find in a workout.