Lightyear has been releasing the how-to series of classic workout and fitness videos starring Jane Fonda made throughout the decade of the 1980s. This one preserves a 1990-ish nostalgic Warner Brothers Home Video logo at the start. Utilizing a weight-control regimen developed by nutritionist/personal trainer and author (Get Real: A Personal Guide to Real-Life Weight Management), it is a "fat-burning" choreography-like affair, with backup exercise-dancers outfitted as though for a contempo Broadway production number (Rent, perhaps?) street-style.
The format was a bit varied this time: featured guest strength trainers Jeanne Ernst and Laurel Sparks are introduced at the beginning, and Fonda (exquisitely attired in a lacy see-through number) advises home viewers to follow Laurel's examples for a more "high-intensity level" or imitate Jeanne's more relaxed style for a low-impact effect.
At times the other ladies take over leading the sessions. Jane also recommends beginners only try the first 20 minutes, or individuals wanting more of a burn to check in later in the material (thanks to advances in the digital format, viewers can now jump directly to menus taking you to the specific exercises, rather than fast-forwarding in the VCR).
Interesting little consumer advisory for those with long memories: "LEAN" here started out as an acronym. It stood for "Low-impact/high energy, Every skill level, Aerobics intervals, and Nutrition." But whatever supplementary material on nutrition came tied into the initial VHS was evidently left behind in this DVD remastering. So perhaps a more truth-in-advertising title is "Jane Fonda's Lea Routine." Recommended as a fitness collections mainstay regardless. (Aud: J, H, C, P)