With today's economy, it may not be possible to spend tons of money on gym memberships and sessions with a personal trainer. So to save some moolah and have access to a variety of workouts you can follow whenever and wherever, DVDs are perfect. Not only are they inexpensive, but I love that an expert can guide me through a workout without me having to think about what exercises to do next. It's tough to find good ones though, so I'd rather have a friend recommend an awesome DVD instead of paying to find out myself.
So FitSugar readers, I'm asking for your input. What's your favorite fitness DVD right now? Tell me the name of the video, what kind of workout it is (like dance or Pilates), the ability level, and what you love about it. Then check out what DVDs your fellow FitSugar readers recommend.
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Mia St John's kick boxing - excellent cardio and abs. Very intense, yet anyone can do any exercise. At the start, I did 2 series out of 4 and was exhausted.
1Any Self Magazine Workout DVD. My favorite though is Bikini Ready fast because it is a full body workout. You feel it the next day with all of those pleas. Just make sure you use a heavy enough weight for the upper body. Plus, I love the instructor!
2Jillian Michael's 30 Days Shred
3Biggest Loser Boot Camp. I just got this DVD and I love it! Bob is so good at making sure you don't give up. Also it has 3 levels and you can customize your workout. So for your first 2 weeks you are supposed to do the warm up, level one and then the cool down. For the following 2 weeks you are supposed to do the warm up, level one, and level 2 and then the cool down. For the final 2 weeks you do everything! Warm up, level 1, level 2, level 3 and the cool down. It definitely makes me sore. When I don't have time for all 3 levels, I do the first 2 weeks workout ... in 30 minutes I've completed a full body workout.
4This is kind of 90's, but Tae Bo (Fat Blasting Cardio specifically) is pretty effective. I lost 5 lbs the first week with this.
5Also, forgot to mention that Billy Blanks is a fantastic motivator!!
6i agree w/ mng -- jillian michaels' 30-day shred is INTENSE!! it's a great way to get a good cardio work @ home -- if you make it
7Workout with Jackie Warner. It's the best I've seen in a long time and it has everything!
8Crunch: Burn & Firm Pilates, Super SlimDown, Fat Burning Pilates, Pick Your Spot Pilates
Love them all. Ellen Barrett is the fitness instructor and I just love her. She's motivating without being annoying.
930 Day Shred here too!
10Definitely, Exhale: Core Fusion - Body Sculpt!
11LOVE LOVE LOVE HEMALAYAA! Especially "Bollywood Booty"
12Ministry of Sound's Pump it Up.
:D
13I second the Hemalayaa recommendation - she's great! And Bollywood Booty is a lot of fun.
14I think the production value of Jillian's stuff is a little weak. The sets are so boring and old school. I've recently tried Weight Loss: Pilates with Kristin McGee & it is TOUGH! It answers both my needs for toning and cardio since it does traditional pilates moves with spurts of cardio sessions mixed in. And it's so much more interesting to watch! Also, something that's quick and easy for targeting trouble spots is Exhale: Core Fusion Pilates Plus. I've taken class with these instructors and done the DVD. They have some great, effective moves that you'll definitely see the results of. Check 'em out!
15I second the Exhale DVD's-both Body Sculpt and Pilates Plus.
16Ability Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Genre: Pilates/Ballet
Lots of leg lifts, plies, abdominal "curls", arm work, and push ups. They are so excellent and are great at doing overtime to see how you improve.
Jillian Michaels' 30 day Shred. I always get good results from it.
17My favorite, favorite, FAVORITE DVD is TaeBo Power/Strength workout that uses 2 lb hand weights. It seriously kicks my butt every time and Billy's stepdaughter's body in those videos is some serious motivation.
18Um. I heart Richard Simmons. Corny as can be, but it's a fun workout.
19I was doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred but now her new dvds are out and theyre even tougher. Great stuff!
20Not a DVD, but I've kept an episode FitTv's All Star Workouts. It's an hour long of Ellen Barrett combining pilates with yoga and tai chi. It hits every spot you'd have anxiety about, and Ellen Barrett is a great non-annoying instructor.
I also like NYC Ballet Vol.2 because it reminds me of dance class and surprisingly really worked my abs.
21I love any of the 10 Min videos. You can make your own work out by combining any of the 5 10 min workouts or just do one 10 min workout focused on a body part and save time that way.
22As the mommy of an 11 month old, I need to get the most bang for my time (I work out and shower during his morning nap). The only DVD I've found that does this so far is Jillian Michael's' 30 Day Shred. That said, I'm almost done with my 30 days so I need to find something new to do next
23anything by chris freytag. she is the only human who can tell me to do another rep without me wanting to murder them.
24I love the new Jillian Michael's dvds, the metabolism one is awesome. No equipment necessary!
25I like the 30-day shred and I love just about all the Women's Health DVDs, especially anything with Amy Dixon. She's my favorite instructor.
26I love the Prevention line of dvds, Chris Freytag is awesome. And shame on me but I love Yoga Booty Ballet too....
27The Billy's Bootcamp series by Billy Blanks is my favorite set of DVD workouts. Thanks to Billy Blanks workouts, I've lost weight and am now using them in conjunction with other workouts to build up some strength. He is the most encouraging, straightforward, and descriptive instructor out of all my DVDs.
I also enjoy the 10 minute series of workouts, especially 10 Minute Solution Kickbox Bootcamp with Keli Roberts. I especially love the abs segment and the fat burning blast segment. All five segments are gems though. She is a fabulous instructor throughout the DVD, I wish I could find some more workouts by her.
28I love the Jillian one too also her old dvds as well.
29I really like the Jackie Warner one. I was super sore for like 3 days and thats because I was working out regularly to begin with!
Jillian Michaels 30 day shred - for sure, level 3 has almost made me puke on more than one occassion. But for when I have more time I really love "Reach" by Kari Anderson, my really burn the next day..nice!
30fitness exercise videos are great, but they are predictable. i love my wii "my fitness trainer", because i never know what exercises are ahead of me. i can choose from the options (core, cardio, lower body, upper, yoga, ect.) but the sequence of the exercises are always a suprise. the game doesn't use the fitness board, so if you own a wii and are in to fitness, i suggest that you look into this game/great workout.
31T-tapp DVDs are the ABSOLUTE BEST! Low impact, results guaranteed! The emphasis is to lose inches. Each time I do the boot camp, I lose about 6-10 inches all over my body. Basically 1 dress size in 2 weeks! You don't need a lot of space either. They even have an audio CD so you can exercise when there's no TV around. It's geared for all shapes and ages of people. Totally effective!
32I got Hemalayaa's "Bollywood Booty" and I love it. I had just started to lose weight when I got it last fall, and it's a big part of my weeklong routine. I also like Crunch's "Candlelight Yoga" with Sara Ivanhoe. I had trouble finding a good beginner's DVD just for night/restoring yoga, and this one is great. If you have Netflix and do "Watch Instantly," it's available through that until April 1. And I also burn FitTV episodes of "Shimmy," "Namaste Yoga" and "All Star Workouts" onto DVD. That alone saves so much money, and I have different workouts each week.
33I'm a dvd junkie, but 30 day shred is great and in rotation w. Chalean Extreme...I loveee Chalene Johnson!
34Exhale's Body Plus. I LOVE it.
It's 5 10mins workouts that each target specific areas, so it's easy to pick just one or two if you don't have time for the whole DVD. The trainers are really relaxing, no loud music - I'm obsessed with it!
35And you can feel the difference; I still can't go through a whole workout!
I'd have to agree with a lot of others on here so said the 30-Day Shred - it's quick, easy, no-nonsense. I need that; no fancy choreography for me!
36I like the Tracy Anderson Mat DVD
37I LOVE Jackie Warner's One on One. I always feel strong and accomplished after doing it. By far it outshines the 30 day shred by jillian. I like Jillian's workout too, but I don't think it is tough enough, and there is not enough stretching before or after for me. Jackie's workout get everything in, lower body, upper body and core. It is a great, make me really sweaty, workout. Give it a try. Sometimes you might find that you think you are done with an exercise and you are not - so that is my only complaint, some of her cues are misleading.
38I do a lot of Billy Blanks. The only thing that twerks me about him though is he constantly is like YOU CAN DO IT! ONLY A FEW MORE! But he doesn't do the exercise with you the entire time, he walks around the room and shows you other people who are doing it right, but he's like I FEEL THE BURN! and its just like REALLY?!
39LOL @ Danielle.. I know what you mean about Billy. I'm so bored of his workouts though.
I'm gonna have to try the 30 day shred that everyone's talking about!
40I love the Wii My Fitness Coach workout too, Nessa! It is never boring. Each workout is different, and you can choose what area you want to work on each time and how long you want to work out.
41Jillian Michael's 30 Days Shred is one of my absolute favorites. It's a quick workout, but it will kick your ass.
Also, the Skinny b*tch fitness DVD's (Body & Boot Camp) are pretty good.
42My favorite is "Strong Body, Ageless Body" by Erin O'Brien. I also really like Jackie Warner and Bob Harper.
43Ana Brett and Ravi Singh's yoga DVDs are my loves-the Yoga Beauty Body and Dance With the Chakras.
44Carmen Electra's Strip tease workout...lol it's a lot of fun actually other than that I just do stuff on my own
45Despite the negative reviews, I absolutely love Tracy Anderson's Mat Workout and Post-Pregnancy Workout DVDs. Unlike others, I love the little-to-no cueing and the workouts are very effective. I have a Denise Austin pilates video and while the routine is great, I have to keep it muted cuz she doesn't stop talking! Also, I just bought Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred and can't wait for it to arrive. I like mixing up different styles regularly so I can always keep my body guessing.
46Turbo Jam!!!!!!!!!
47I love 10 minute solutions DVDs. You should definitely check them out. There're pilates, dancing, workouts for pregnants etc. My favourite!
48I saw the ad at the top for the Firm Wave, and oddly enough, that was JUST what I going to mention!!! "Rock it Off" from the Firm Wave series is a deceptively easy, but butt-kicking 40 minute cardio/sculpt workout!!! PLUS, it's fun!!! I'm sweating buckets by the time I'm done!!!!
49I'm a FIRM workout junkie and have been for years! All of the workouts are so different and you can pick and choose what you feel like doing based on the routine/time/weights you want to use. I lost 40 pounds in the first 6 months and have been addicted ever since. If you like *tough* workouts, I'm a huge fan of "Bootcamp: Maximum Cardio Burn" with Alison Davis. It alternates high-intensity cardio bursts with plyometric bursts with weight training. The "FIRM Yoga" is an awesome 35-minute stretch one, too.
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