What are the best workout dvds for weight loss?
I cannot tell you how hard it has been for me to get in exercise every day. We all have very good reasons to not workout. And I feel absolutely justified in thinking that I “don’t have time to workout.” But, as we discussed a few weeks ago, daily exercise (of some sort), ought to be a non-negotiable part of a healthy lifestyle.
But it’s hard. (Have I said that yet?)
I used to get paid to exercise. Now that was some great motivation. I used to wake up every day to teach 6 am classes, & I loved starting my day with exercise. But with a nursing baby (plus no one is paying me to do it), I’m not going to wake up any earlier than I have to.
So my solution?
We go on lots of walks. I walk my kids to school & try to walk & pick them up from school. And as much as I’d love the convience of working out at a gym with childcare, that’s just not in our budget (getting out of debt you know), plus all the gyms with childcare are quite a drive from where we live. Therefore, working out a gym, for the time & financial expense, is just not worth it.
In addition to the walking, I work out at home. I sometimes do my own workouts (a little weird working out to myself, I must admit) or I use DVD’s. Here are five of the best workout DVD’s for weight loss.
5 DVD’s that you need to check out*:
1. Jillian Micheal’s One Week Shred (2014): $11 on amazon
Two workouts–38 minute toning, 34 minute cardio
Jillian Micheal’s is filthy stinkin’ rich & has built a fitness empire because she’s a smart business woman and her workouts work! It’s that simple.
I love interval training & weights, & this workout utilizes both. This DVD isn’t that different from her others–just slightly different exercises & sequencing. But, the idea is to do the toning workout in the morning, & the cardio at night. (I have yet to do that–I’m pretty happy if I’m able to complete one in a day.)
The workout is challenging (probably not the best workout to start with if you’re a beginner or brand new to working out though) & I love how I get my heart rate up & work on strength training, which is crucial for building muscle (especially important when losing weight to prevent loss of muscle mass).
2. Jessica Smith’s 10 Pound’s Down (2012): $9 on amazon
Three, 20 minute workouts–abs/core, arms, & legs
This is my fave workout so far. Jessica Smith has awesome stage presence as an instructor. To be honest, it’s the way I strive to teach when I teach fitness classes. Excellent cueing, & she’s not a drill sargent (so decidely different from Jillian!). She’s down to earth & highly motivating. I love the sequencing of her exercises, as well as her exercise choices (they’re all very effective). I also like the three different themed workouts. I try to do abs on MWF’s, & arms & legs on the other days. Also, 20 minutes is totally do-able. If you want to get toned & sleek, this workout will help get you there.
3. Gaiam’s Cardio Burn w/ Tanja Djelevic (2008): $11 on amazon
Four workouts–10, 30 & 50-minute intensive cardio sequences (+ a bonus abs workout) combined w/ strength building for total body conditioning
Tanja also has great presence & cueing. Gaiam’s workouts are usually very classy & well put together. This one is no exception. I love the blend of cardio & strength training. The 50 minute sequence is my fave, but since I don’t always have 50 minutes, the others are great too. I also like that she incorporates a bit of yoga at the end.
4. Gaiam’s Calorie Killer Yoga w/ Coleenn Saidman (2014): $12 on amazon
Five energizing practices that are geared to increase metabolism, strength, flexibility, & balance.
Workouts include:
Constant Cardio (20 min)
Energy and Endurance (20 min)
Sustained Burn (20 min)
Rise and Shine (15 min)
Balance & Restore (15 min)
You know I love yoga. Coleen Saidman provides workouts that keep you moving & on your toes. Love how the workouts are short, effective, & fun. This is a great workout for anyone who wants to do a yoga practice that has a bit more movement than say, an Iyengar or Kundalini practice. Like the other above mentioned workouts, this DVD includes classy, effective, challenging exercises & great sequencing.
5. Gaiam’s Mandy Inger’s Yogalosophy (2011); $10 on amazon
Two workouts–
Express workout (30 mins), two versions–one with cueing, one with music only
Fully loaded challenge (55 mins)
Mandy Inger is Jennifer Aniston’s personal trainer (among other Hollywood-ites, I’m sure). Her workouts focus primarily on strength. I enjoy her sequencing & choice of exercises, which are meant to sculpt & tone.
I have to say, though I recommend this DVD, a few things about what I didn’t like: 1) I don’t care for her cueing, or really her style of teaching. I’d prefer to do the workout without her conversation & little side notes, which I felt were very Hollywood-ish (“I have a great **s, I have a great *ss,” she says at one point). 2) Since she is a trainer to the “stars” I’m not surprised her approach to yoga is rather shallow (do it to get a great body). If you’re looking for someone with a deeper yoga philosophy, look into someone like Kathryn Budig or Shiva Rea who both have a great vibe & energy, as well as very effective & challenging workouts.
*I don’t actually own these DVD’s. I stream all of these videos online at Gaiam TV. A subscription is $10/month. They literally have thousands of fitness videos (most of them top-notch). You can try a free trial for 10 days here.
{You might also want to check out these posts:
the best laid plans & finding time to exercise
exercise Q & A
10 tips for frugal fitness}
//
weight loss update
As I mentioned last week, I felt it was time to stop tracking calories & food intake & just go for a complete intuitive approach. It’s always a little scary to do this, but after several months of measuring & tracking I have a good grip on what my food intake needs to look like each day if I want to lose weight.
Starting weight: 204 lbs.
Last week’s weight: 175.2 lbs.
This week’s weight: 173.5 lbs.
Net loss: 1.7 lbs
Net total loss: 30.5 lbs. (I’d say hitting the 30 lb. benchmark is something to celebrate!)
{Here, for a recap of all prior weeks.}
Pretty good, especially considering I ate my carrot cake for dessert every day this week. (Which is soo good you guys. You need to make it. It will change your life.)
Since I wasn’t counting calories (or WW points, as I prefer), I tried to really focus on beans & greans.
Here’s a quick recent lunch you can easily make.
chickpea + pumpkin seed romaine salad
I made a big batch of chickpeas at the beginning of the week. I love chickpeas–I snack on them plain, make them into hummus, throw ’em into soups, salads, mains.
This “recipe” doesn’t even require a recipe.
Here’s how I made it:
1 c. chickpeas
1/2 c. leftover cooked grain (I used white rice!–hey, I’m not perfect 🙂 )
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 3 cups?)
1 tomato, diced
a handful of sprouted pumpkin seeds
a little pepper, a little salt, & a dash of balsamic vinegar
This is the kind of quick, filling dish you can make in about five minutes (or less). It was especially quick because I already had chopped lettuce in the fridge. Chickpeas & rice were leftover. A nice little throw together meal that satisfies.
{More meal ideas & quick recipes, including all the details on what I’m doing to safely & healthfully lose weight (while breastfeeding) in my ebook, Fit, Strong, Lean: The Diet. You can check it out here.}
♥
Do you have any fave workout DVD’s to add to the list?
Do you work out at home, at the gym, outside?
Do share!
Hope you have a great weekend.
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