Health, Taken Seriously

It’s been over six months since I’ve posted and I’m hoping to start writing more regularly.  My family has moved to a new state and I’m in the process of trying lots of new workout programs and DVDs.  About two months ago, I stumbled across a DVD from Jillian Michaels that I liked so much, I bought three more of hers.  I have to say that overall I find them very impressive.  Impressive enough to review and recommend here!

The first DVD I tried was Killer Buns and Thighs.  What I love most about this DVD is that there are three workouts.  What bang for your buck!  They are all about 30 minutes, with each level more difficult than the one before.  I was impressed with the variety in the moves.  I work out a lot, and have for almost two decades, and I’m always amazed when I see new moves I’ve never tried.  The video was short, but challenging, and to my surprise, I was incredibly sore the next day.  That’s the best way to hook me–make me sore!  Then I know it’s working.  The Level 2 workout is my favorite, and I love switching up which ones I do.  On days when I have less energy, I do Level 1.  When I really want to hit it hard, I’ll do Level 3 and then immediately after do the Level 2 or Level 1 workout.  I also do her moves without pausing (so when Jillian finishes a set and begins to describe what to do for the next exercise, I keep working through that break).

I also tried Ripped in 30 and 6-week Six Pack.  I really like the format of Ripped in 30.  Basically, Jillian knows what she’s doing.  She knows that in addition to strength training, you have to get your heart rate up to burn calories and fat that cover your muscles.  She also maximizes your time by working multiple body parts in one move (an arm or back exercise, for example, while you’re lunging/squatting).  She gives great motivation to push though the burn and really challenge yourself.  Her moves are hard.  Some of them I can barely do the first time I try, and like I said, I’m in great shape.  And the Ripped in 30 DVD includes 4 workouts that never repeat a move, so there’s lots of variety to keep you coming back for more.  I like to do 25 minutes of Just Sweat on my Wii, then do one of these workouts.  I’m sweaty and out of breath for a good chunk of the workout, and find myself really hungry afterwards, so I know it torches calories.

I wasn’t as crazy about 6-week Six Pack.  There are only two workouts on this DVD, and a focus on cardio to burn fat.  I’d rather just focus on my abs when I select this workout.  I also have a No More Trouble Zones DVD to try, which got an impressive five solid stars from 717 reviews on Amazon.

As for the results, I can’t really speak to them because I don’t need to lose weight and I mix these DVDs into my workout rotation.  But I can say I would recommend them to someone looking to tone up and drop a few pounds.  These are definitely the best exercise DVDs I’ve tried since first using P90X two years ago.