After being married for a few months, and falling off the healthy lifestyle bandwagon, I decided to start getting back into shape. When I attempted to recruit my wife in my crusade, she did what she always does… mellow me out. Instead of evenings of sprints and hours out the gym she suggested we do something a little more reasonable, and produced a set of DVDs called Turbo Jam.

Turbo Jam is produced by a company called Beach Body, which specializes in at home workouts. At first I was a little wary of anything that had “Jam” in the title but after some cajoling I agreed to give it a shot. The DVDs contain 6-7 (depending on how you count) workouts. Each workout combines cardio with kick boxing and dance moves. One workout does some light weightlifting, and another focuses solely on the abs. Included is a pre-determined 4 week workout plan telling when to do which workout. There is a beginners and an advanced plan… I highly recommend starting with beginners because in a few weeks time the workouts can get pretty intense if you’re not ready for it.

The woman leading the workouts is Chalene Johnson, a perky SoCal mom/fitness instructor. She does a good job of leading you through the workout, unlike some other programs she gives the viewer time to adjust and get comfortable doing new moves. She really plays up the goofiness in her character with after the workout background portraits of her, her cast, and pranks she enjoys playing on those around her. It’s nice to get a little background, but she plays up the “Ima gangsta yo” a little too much for my taste.

As is typical there is a small group doing the workouts with her. All of them are very fit, unlike some other DVDs which show all body types doing the workout. What is nice is that 2 of the group do a more toned down version of the workout so that those who are having trouble or have joint issues can still see some examples. One thing I really enjoy is that each workout has a completion bar at the bottom. It really is nice knowing you only have 5 minutes left when you’re out of breath and your abs are on fire!

As with any workout, style is nothing if it can’t produce results. Luckily the Turbo Jam
does deliver. After 4 weeks my pants were noticeable looser and my cardio capability was definitely rising. The key to making a program like Turbo Jam work is a good clean diet, something which the DVD really pushes. I realize that buying a whole set, especially the Beach Body brand one are a little pricier, but if you’re willing to stick with the program it’s an investment that will pay off.

Tags: Exercise, fitness, Turbo Jam, weight loss

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Posted in Reviews by Casey 1 Comment