Wednesday, February 23, 2011

My Three Favorite Workout DVDs

Since most of my posts are about food, I figured I needed to balance myself out a little with some exercise--in the form of my favorite workout DVDs!

I really love exercising (no, really, I do!) and more than anything, I love to RUN.  But, when roads are icy, the temp doesn't get above zero OR I'm just too lazy to get out of bed before the hubby leaves for work, I gotta have other options besides running.  And, since I don't have a gym membership or a treadmill, I have DVDs!  

I have specific criteria for a good workout DVD:
1.  It has to be CHALLENGING.  In my opinion, there are a lot of wussy workouts out there.  My favorites push me and make me sore!
2.  It has to be SIMPLE enough for me to get it down after the first try.  No complicated dance steps for this girl.  Also, it can't require a bunch of fancy, schmancy equipment--a couple of dumbells, maybe. 
3.   It has to have some VARIETY.  The same workout can get pretty boring.  So, alternative workouts are a must.

And, here are my faves!
Now, I know this one is expensive.  And I guess I really don't know firsthand how pricey it is since I'm borrowing the DVD set from a friend.  But, believe me, I would spend money on these DVDs.  I LOVE them!  I could kiss Tony Horton if I met him.  Okay, not really, but seriously, these DVDs are challenging, but easy to pick up and there are so many different workouts to choose from--plyometrics, yoga, weight lifting, kick boxing.  I've been doing them all winter.  And you don't have to go hard core and do the whole program, unless you really want to get totally ripped.  I just do whatever DVD I'm in the mood for at the moment, although I do try to mix up the harder workouts with the easier ones.  Seriously, I love P90x!  Best workout DVD program I've ever done.
 
Biggest Loser fans know Jillian and how she likes to scream in people's faces.  Well, she doesn't scream in your face in this DVD, but her workouts are definitely hard.  I like this DVD because she has three different workouts, which are all good workouts, and each is only 20 minutes long.  So, if you have a busy day but you still want to get in some form of exercise, you can just do one of these workouts.  But if you have more time, you can add another--and that's a challenge!
 
The Firm goes way back.  And it was one of the first DVDs I ever worked out to.  Despite it being a little old school, the Firm is a good workout.  I particularly love the one above--it's a good overall workout with cardio and weight lifting but it's not too complicated.  There are a ton of Firm DVDs to choose from.  I'd say they are more aerobic-based, which isn't always my thing, but the ones I've done are simple enough for me to get.  And they're not too cheesy.  And the first time I did this DVD, I was sore for over a week--seriously.  Being 7 months pregnant at the time may have had something to do with it, but regardless, it was a good workout.

Oh and one more thing:  a good, cheap (free!) way to try out new workout DVDs is to check your local library.  They should have a selection of DVDs and you can try a bunch of different ones.  I know mine carries a bunch of The Firm ones.
So there you go!!  Go get sweaty!

3 comments:

debora said...

I want p90x. That's next on my list. It's definitely good to mix things up. Nice post Linds! working out is fun, even if you're old.:)

Carly said...

"C'MON YOU CAN DO IT. GET UP YOU LAZY PIECE OF CRAP!"

Dang I wish Jillian yelled like that in her videos. That would be hilarious.

Good post. Love p90x.

Kelli said...

Yes. Can't wait to get my buns back into shape after this baby finally pops out. These sound like good ones, and I've always wanted to try p90x and the Jillian one. Thanks for reminding me.