"Yoga Fusion: Basic Steps to Great Abs" (30 minutes, $14.98; 800-433-6769; www.amazon.com). Reviewed by Jody Finnegan, 33, of Bellingham.

The bulk of this workout, Finnegan said, was about 21 minutes spent on abdominal exercises, shown in two versions. "After performing the lower-intensity version, I didn't feel like my abs were worked very hard," she said. But she found many of the positions in the higher-intensity workout required significant upper-body strength, "which I do not possess. My arms were very sore the next day. My abs, on the other hand, were not as fatigued as I had hoped they would be." She wished there'd been a medium-intensity version. Finnegan, who hadn't tried a yoga class before, recommended using the tape at the end of a workout, "because everything is geared towards calming and soothing you."

"Kari Anderson: Curl" (20 minutes, $9.95; 800-433-6769; www.greatmovesvideo.com). Reviewed by Juli Ward, 42, of Seattle.

Though she'd been doing ab workouts three times a week before trying this video, Ward used this tape exclusively for a month. "I definitely notice an improvement in my abs and a slimming of my waistline," she said. The program is now part of her regular exercise, alternating with Kathy Smith's "Ultimate Stomach Workout." Ward would call the "Curl" workout intermediate to advanced, not for those with back problems. She liked the narration, demonstration and the mix of models. "It's a fun tape."

"Pilates for Abs" (30 minutes, $12.95; 800-433-6769; www.collagevideo.com). Reviewed by Claire Barndt, 43, of Federal Way.

Barndt had difficulty staying connected with instructor Kathy Smith. "Maybe it's just me, but I kept tuning out her instructions, which I have not done in all the other exercise videos I have. She talked constantly, and my mind never had a chance to absorb what was being said." Barndt found the main exercises too easy or too hard. "Two of the routines required full sit-ups, which I have not done since I was a kid and my friend held my feet. There were no options on an easier way to do these. If I had been able to do these two exercises in some fashion, I think I would have felt this workout. But after four attempts I wasn't able to."

"Basic Ab Workout for Dummies" (40 minutes, $9.95; 800-433-6769; www.collagevideo.com). Reviewed by Heather Gertmenian, 33, of Kirkland.

"I really liked this video for its simplicity," said Gertmenian, who tried the video in the months after giving birth to her second child. She liked the lack of music, the presence of just a single instructor, and Gay Gasper's pleasant but not overly chipper voice. Numbered so it's easy to pause the video or fast-forward, the 10 simple-to-follow exercises include common ones such as crunches and obliques, unusual ones ("toe dipping," "abdominal circles") and stabilization exercises. The "Dummies" format includes tips, cautions, myth-busters and options for basic or challenging. "A keeper for my fitness-video library," Gertmenian said.

Molly Martin is assistant editor of Pacific Northwest magazine. She can be reached at 206-464-8243, mmartin@seattletimes.com or P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.

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