Kathy Smith Total Body Lift promises to "sculpt a leaner, younger looking you" with a warm up and four dance-inspired workouts targeting the arms, legs, buns and tummy. And if anyone can follow through on a promise like that, you know it's gotta be Kathy Smith. The woman has been arching those eyebrows and making us sweat since the 80s, and she looks just as phenomenal now as she did then (and the hair is much improved, but then again, I can't talk much).

So does it meet expectations? I tried it out and can say with certainty that Kathy Smith is one tough lady, and she definitely knows her stuff. Many of the moves don't look terribly challenging, but once you're midway through a set, you realize that those little tips she gives ("Scoop your abs! Tuck your tailbone!") are making you work muscles you didn't think you could work.

As with many videos, you have the option to do all of the workouts, or choose a section or two. And, you can opt to hear her instruction or just listen to the music (which was really good -- current, popular music but played without words, so it was energizing without being a distraction).

Level of Difficulty
I'd put it at intermediate. She has someone showing the beginner moves, and gives some more advanced options, but in general, it was neither too difficult nor too easy. It was juuust right.

Next Day Soreness
I'm going to be honest -- I just did it yesterday evening, so I can't give a fair answer just yet. But, I can say that each muscle group was feeling a little sore at the end of the workout, and during some of the moves, I was seriously feeling the burn.

Who's It For?
You know, it was a fun and challenging workout for me, but I can really see it appealing to women a little older than I am, too -- after all, Kathy is 57, and if that's not inspiration, I don't know what is. But really, it could work for just about anybody who wants to build and tone muscles.

Likes
Kathy is a pro. She really knows what she's doing, and she knows how to explain the exact move you should be doing. She's not a butt-kicker -- she lets you know it's okay to go easy or take a break if you want -- but she's encouraging and gives a tough, complete workout.

Dislikes
My only complaint is that the workout requires light weights (which I don't have, so I used cans of soup), and it doesn't mention anything about that on the box. The workout itself is solid.

Bottom Line
Kathy doesn't rely on a fancy studio or crazy music to get the job done -- she really puts the focus on the moves, and so will you. It's a keeper!