I have them and I like them.
I'm a big fan of combination moves and Marta manages to squeeze in so much lower body work (even during UB & core) segments, my legs get a good workout too even though they may not be the focal target.
She's not a party in a box instructor but I like her calm demeaner and that the reps are executed at a controlled pace which allows full range of motion. She rarely does more than 10 reps of a move so I never feel repped to death. At the same time, the intensity builds over the course of the workout. They are kind of sneaky that way, especially Endurance. She does a lot of balance moves which I love for strengthening my knees & core. While her moves are often creative, they aren't dangerous because of the pace she uses. You aren't flailing & flinging weights around & you have enough time to get set up for the next move.
My least favorite segment on the 3 dvds is Upper Body Strength because I felt her back & chest moves worked the shoulder more than those areas. I think she's also missing a tricep set. Honestly though, I can overlook that kind of thing and sub in a different move. I understand that some people get more irked by that sort of thing than me.
I didn't have any problem understanding her, maybe because I LOVE foreign accents! I'm so impressed by people who speak multiple languages, I don't mind if Marta pronounces "dumbbell" as though it rhymes w/ "bumble". She's not teaching me particle physics or complex choreography!
I think these work great as add ons to other workouts because of the pacing. You don't have to get psyched up for them. Note though that nearly all of them run a few minutes longer than their advertised 21 or 10 min. durations & none of them have warm ups or stretching. You're on your own for that.
Are they must-haves? No, but I find myself incorporating them more than I expected because of their structure, length & format. I like the MM set. I like the MM music. Marta is a bit wooden in front of the camera, but it suits the workout IMO. She's not trying to be a rah-rah type or project a tough guy image.
HTH!
