Pump It
Recently (within the last 6 months), I've become enamored with workout DVDs. They are so much cheaper than a gym membership, so much more convenient, and 100% user-friendly. I decided to review the three that I own/use. Perhaps I may persuade others that these little gems deserve some consideration.
First up - So You Think You Can Dance, Cardio Funk
Pluses: (1) This DVD is hosted by some of the more popular SYTYCD contestants from the earlier seasons (seasons 3 and 4, I think). It's very enjoyable to see them again. They really seem to be enjoying themselves throughout the workouts, which helps me want to participate with them. (2) The warm up and cool downs are nice and lengthy with lots of stretching. I have actually seen a measurable difference in my flexibility due, in part at least, to the warm up and cool down exercises. (3) There are three different styles of dance featured: hip hop, contemporary, and disco. (4) Lauren (instructor for the hip hop segment) is a great instructor and could really make a career out of doing fitness DVDs. Hers is my favorite workout on this DVD.
Minuses: (1) Travis' segment (contemporary) is a bit disappointing simply because he's not a very good instructor, in my opinion. All of his queues are followed by "yeah?" So, he might say something like the following, "now we going to take three steps to the right, yeah?" (2) It's clear the dancers are doing their first fitness video ever, in some cases they mess up the lines or look awkwardly at the camera. (3) The music they chose to go with the workouts is just so-so.
Second DVD - So You Think You Can Dance, Tone and Groove
Pluses: (1) As with the other SYTYCD DVD, this one includes the same favs: Twitch, Dmitry, Lauren, Courtney, Katee, and Travis. (2) Three dancing styles are showcased on this one: hip hop, jazz, and cha cha. (3) Dmitry's Cha Cha is a serious ab workout, and the steps are challenging enough that it takes a some tries to get it right. I'm actually smiling almost all the way through.
Minuses: (1) The warm up and cool down segments are identical to the SYTYCD Cardio Funk DVD. A little more variety would have been nice. (2) The same awkward looks at the camera occur in this DVD as in the other one. Once these guys had a couple videos under their belts, I'm sure that would stop.
Third DVD - Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred
Pluses: (1) Her approach is very old-school, so all of the moves are familiar and very easy to follow. (2) She does not shy away from the good ol' jumping jack. I'm a fan of jumping jacks, and I completely agree with her use of them as full body cardio exercises. (3) She reminds viewers regularly what position their bodies should be in, where to hold their arms/legs, and how to engage the muscles. (4) The workout is compact - 20 minutes and you're done.
Minuses: (1) The introduction to the DVD is rather long and you can't skip it and go straight to the DVD menu. I find this a bit annoying. (2) The hook for this DVD is "lose 20 pounds in 30 days." I don't want to lose 20 pounds at all; therefore, I get a bit scared that instead of losing 20 pounds, I would bulk up due to the push-ups, etc that she has in the video. (As a plus though, for those people who want to lose 20 pounds, I can see how this video would really work if done every day for 30 days). (3) The warm up and cool down are a bit short for my liking.
There you have it. I do these DVDs 4-5 times a week. When I don't use them for a few days, I actually miss it and can't wait to do it again. I'm not even sure how long it will be before I tire of these and want to buy new ones. But I think I'll be set for a while yet.
