DVD Review: Body By Bethenny with Bethenny Frankel

First, let me disclose something -- I've never watched an episode of "The Real Housewives of" anywhere in my life. I knew of Bethenny Frankel because of the media coverage of her diet and cookbooks, but otherwise, I had no idea what to expect from her workout DVD, "Body by Bethenny." That didn't stop me from going in with a somewhat closed mind, however -- I don't watch shows like that because the people in them tend to drive me batty.

Watching the introduction didn't help my frame of mine. Frankel was awkward and didn't inspire much confidence. Still, I was prepared to give the video as fair a shot as possible. And now, I'm glad I did.

It turns out that, while Frankel is part of the video, the workout is actually led by fitness professional Kristin McGee. McGee has been practicing and teaching yoga for over a decade, and although Frankel interjects here and there, the workout really belongs to McGee.

The video includes three sections -- a 40-minute yoga session, a 10-minute strength training session and a five-minute Booty Blast.

Level of Difficulty
Beginner, maybe intermediate.

Next Day Soreness
Some in the upper back and shoulders.

Who's It For?
The yoga workout is really solid, and it's great for beginners in particular because McGee does a great job of describing how each pose should feel -- every time she said to relax my shoulders, I realized my shoulders were by my ears. The strength training and Booty Blast segments were led in a similar fashion, so beginners would have no problem following along. And, of course, Frankel's fans will love seeing her go through her workout. I have to give her props -- she's a fit lady.

Likes
I liked the yoga section a lot -- there was a good mix of strength, flexibility and balance included. The strength training provided a few good moves, too. None of the moves were groundbreaking, but they provide a good start to lifting weights. And, while I didn't love Frankel's commentary, I did like the way the two of them chatted through the video -- it made the workout seem a little more personal. The Booty Blast wasn't much of a workout, but the point of that section was to show you how you can get in a little exercise anywhere, so it was fine for what it was.

Dislikes
This video doesn't have nearly as much complaining as the Valerie Bertinelli or Skinny Bitch DVDs, but Frankel still does her fair share of whining. My only other complaint (is it ironic to complain after saying I wanted less complaining?) is that the strength training session was so short. I know it's because the yoga portion is meant to be a full workout, but I would have loved a 20 or 30-minute strength training session, even if it was divided into a couple of parts. The 10 minutes just felt like a tease.

Bottom Line
Those new to yoga and strength training could really benefit from this video, but unless you absolutely love Frankel, skip the intro (or don't -- you can check it out and get a taste of the DVD below).