Reviews

There's no way I can touch on everything available out there, however, you can share with others the cardio, strength or weight training dvds you've tried in the comment section...please note the level when doing so.

In my opinion, if you do not already have a Netflix or Blockbuster account--get one. Both companies (though I prefer and promote Netflix) offer low monthly memberships for renting dvds online. You can keep the videos as long as you like without worrying about late fees. Once you're finished with a DVD, simply slip it back into the postage paid envelope and the next video in your queue will be on its way. It's much better than buying a workout dvd that you end up hating. Best of all, you'll be able to continually add variety to your workouts!

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Advanced Strength Training


Exercise/Weight Loss DVD Reviews

Jari Love Get Ripped: Slim & Lean was the most challenging workout that I've ever come across so far. You don't just do 18 single count bicep curls and move along to another exercise. Oh no. Love constantly changes the dynamics of the entire session. You count four up slow and down slow, then up two and down two, down three and up one, pulsing, and finally single counts--then you repeat this three to four times. It's the same whether you're doing squats, shoulder presses, lunges, dead-lifts, or triceps.

After doing Slim & Lean every two days for six weeks I still could not manage to do a full set of shoulder presses and found the lunge segment hard to keep up with. Even if you are doing regular shoulder presses now with ten pound weights, I strongly recommend you begin with five pounds and work your way up. The same goes for bicep curls. Before doing Slim & Lean, I could easily pump out three sets of 15-18 reps using ten pound weights--not the same for Love's intense bicep session; I could barely lift eight. In fact, I ended up with Tennis Elbow for one week because I tried to push myself to hard.

Despite not being able to complete the full one-hour plus workout session without breaking, I still gained muscle. It's a great workout, just be careful not to over do it.
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Beginners - Low Impact Cardio

Denis Austin: Kickin' with Country Workout

Warning: This video contains the song Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus which has been known to cause people to find the nearest wall and start banging their heads uncontrollably to the point of unconsciousness. Kidding of course...I hope. :-)

Even though I loathe country music, I found the Denise Austin: Kickin' with Country Workout to be the easiest, albeit corniest (I'm corny so that didn't bother me), exercise routine I've ever done. I love Austin's energy and optimism and found the workout fun, refreshing, and enjoyable. There are no lunges or squats, the workout basically involves dance moves seen in most country bars. However, at the end there is an abdominal crunch segment--skip it if you are unable to do crunches without hurting your neck.