workout

Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
$14.98
First, the good points. This DVD is reasonably priced, so it doesn't make fitness unaffordable. The exercises really are challenging, so there is a lot of room to grow into the disc once you buy it. I am in pretty good shape, and was sore for the next two days after doing it. The circuits were really challenging.

Downsides:
I would have liked more cardio, or maybe just more interesting cardio. She was talking about how you should be feeling your chest pounding at this point...doing just some jumping jacks or running in place. I felt like, "eh, whatever." But then again, I'm not a couch potato. But I feel like I get a better CARDIO workout in Zumba, running, or dancing at a club. (However, the circuits really did push my upper body and abs and I like that).

I think Michael's style is kind of blah, but that's a personal thing. A lot of people really seem to love her no-nonsense approach.

This workout would not be very good for beginners just starting out. It would take some work to be able to do some of the circuits.

I would not say I had "fun" doing this workout. It's not really something I would do by choice. If it's raining or too windy outside to run and I don't have time to drive to the gym, then it's okay to get in my 60 minutes of exercise for the day--but given the choice between this and a 3-mile run or an hour of zumba, this tape would be last on my list.

How could this video be better for me?
I'd like a little better music, a sense of fun, less kickboxing, and generally a lot more energy.

P90X Extreme Home Fitness with Tony Horton - Set of 13 DVDs, Calendar, Fitness Guide, Nutrition Guide, & Workout Log
$139.80
the fifteen minute ab workout is ridiculous. but if you do it, it's over in fifteen minutes.

The Biggest Loser Workout: Cardio Max
$14.98
I love this dvd I started with level one for two weeks as recommended I am not really overweight I only have a few extra pounds but still at first I thought well this fat people on the video can do it I will be able easier WRONG they could resist more than me but as Bob says just relax keep at your own pace so I kept doing it losing my breath resting slowing down low impact. Now it's been two weeks I don't get to tired I started lever two it is kind of hard but I am doing it I have already lost the few extra pounds I had I am so glad besides that I feel very energized I just feel a new me. So I would def recommend this dvd and workout to anyone but remember nobody did it in one day so relax and do as much as you can little by little you will improve :)

Women's Health: The Wedding Workout
$14.98
Okay, so, i bought this video because -- while I'm completely wedding obsessed and capable of spending five hours choosing, say, exactly the right ribbon for my DIY ceremony programs -- I couldn't seem to get off my butt and exercise. At. All. Lazy-ville! Only three months to the Big Day. So I wanted something that could translate my wedding obsession into workout motivation, ya know? Hey, presto! What could be more perfect than a wedding workout?? Right? The first let-down was that there's basically nothing wedding-motivational about this workout, beyond one two-minute segment of boxing moves during which the instructor says something like, "That over-priced photographer? Pow! Knock 'em out!" or something like that. Otherwise, there's almost nothing said or done to tie it into the wedding theme. (In fact, the few times the packaging or the instructor mentions the wedding theme, it's tempered by a message of "your big day whether it's a wedding or a job interview or your high school reunion." Kinda blah. Couldn't they just go with the wedding theme, as promised?) Okay, so that's my beef #1. Beef #2 is that the box says it's a 50-minute workout ... but it's not! The pre-programmed workouts are only about half an hour. Which is only enough to barely break a sweat. (And believe me, I'm not a buff -- or young! -- bride. So if it's a bit too easy for me, well.... This isn't a butt-kicking workout. And it's not 50 minutes. Well, if you customized it to do ALL of the mini-section options -- or just to do the upper body or lower body but repeat every section twice -- you could get up to 50 minutes. There are NOT some 20 options, as someone said above. There's less than half that. It's quite slim pickings, compared to other programable DVD workouts I've tried.) Also, note to brides: You need hand-weights to do this DVD. If you don't have hand weights of 3 to 5 pounds, you'll need to buy 'em... an unexpected cost. Another beef, #3, is that there is very little specific direction in body placement. Usually, my workouts are yoga, so I'm accustomed to specific body-placement info... but this rarely goes beyond, like, "And lean to the left! Squeeze! And lean to the right!" etc. I think it's better for both fitness and injury-prevention to have at least a BIT more specificity on how, exactly, your neck or hip or foot or whatever is supposed to be aligned. Finally, it kind of makes me LOL and ROLF and hah-hah-hah that the instructor on the video keeps saying stuff like, "Great work! You look great! Well done!" etc. Hello? You can't see me! It's silly. A video instructor can offer motivation and encouragement without pretending she can see thru the TV. All this said, this isn't a bad workout. It's not obnoxious, as so many are. It's... okay. I hope it gets the job done!!!