Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

I used several of these 10-minute solutions DVDs back in college when I was at my heaviest and was looking for something that I could do in my apartment after classes and homework since I didn’t have a whole lot of energy leftover to go to the gym. I had a very hard time deciding to write about these 10-minute solutions DVDs. Mostly because of the emasculating effect I felt. To be honest, nowhere does it say these DVDs are for women, but it’s pretty easy to see that anyone with a Y-chromosome is not in the target audience.

Aside from that it’s pretty easy to recommend these DVDs as a good place for beginners! If you’re not familiar with how they work, it goes like this. Each DVD is made up 4-6 workouts based around some theme like kick-boxing, abs, legs, etc. Each workout is only 10 minutes long. You get to decide which workouts you do and in what order you do them.
10 minutes may not sound like much, but string 3 together and you have a 30minute, targeted workout that will definitely have you feeling a burn. Studies are showing that several small chunks of exercise are as effective as one single large chunk. So if you can’t seem to find the time to do a whole workout, make it a goal to work through the DVD over the course of a day!

Like any DVD cardio program, you’re going to get what you put into it. But the style and presentation is definitely geared more towards beginners than the hardcore cardio crowd. If you’re new to home fitness programs and want to dip your toe in before committing to an expensive set of DVDs, this is a good place to start. Or, if you’re looking for a simple, easy way to get off the couch and start a basic exercise program these are perfect for that too.

FYI: My personal favorite was the boot-camp DVD, since it had lots of kick-boxing elements and I felt was more of a all-around workout than some of the others.

One of the best ways to work your upper body is by doing pull-ups. You can give your biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back, and even abs, a fast, complete workout in a short amount of time with a good pull-up bar. Even if you can’t do a single pull-up yet, doing hangs and negatives (slowly lowering yourself) is a great workout.

When it comes to at home pull-up bars, they all seem to fall into two categories. The first, require you to drill into your door frame. Personally I hate the idea of doing that, so I opted for the second, which actually wraps around the door frame, and can be put up, taken down, and hidden away within seconds.

There are several of these types on the market, and I wanted a good one that wouldn’t break the bank. Here’s the one I ended up buying.

There are several others like this one out there, but at almost 50% more than this one, I decided to pass. It shipped pretty quickly, and was at my door in less than a week. Assembly was a snap, despite the fact that the box contained next to no directions. I suggest spreading all the parts out and spend a moment thinking about how to put it together and it turns into a pretty simple process. No tools are required, and it had all the nuts and bolts I needed plus a few extras. Assembly took me about 10 minutes, but I also had a curious cat distracting me!

The really great thing about this pull-up bar is the variety of hand positions. While I haven’t tried it, I’ve been told that this bar is ideal for the P-90X program. (I’ll update if/when I start that program)

My one concern is the black foam that presses against the door. Others have had a problem with it leaving black marks on their door frame, but it hasn’t been an issue for me yet. A few quick pieces of duct tape around the foam will take care of that though.

If your nervous about it holding your weight, check the online reviews and you’ll see guys as big as 250+ pounds hanging reliably from this thing! It claims it can also be used for dips and pushups, but I prefer a good set of phone books for that. Also included is a free set of arm slings for doing abdominal work, however you need to pay shipping on them, it’s still a good deal, but to me it makes sense to save the money and just wedge my feet under the couch and do sit-ups.

Remember back around the turn of the century (ha ha I love saying that) when Billy Blanks and Taebo was everywhere you looked? It’s the same reason all of his products are at least 4 stars on Amazon. They work.

While my wife and I were 3 weeks in Turbo Jam which I talk about in this review, my wife suggested we switch it up a bit and throw in some Taebo. I agreed thinking it would be a piece of cake since we were already in the cardio DVD groove. I was wrong, and we both got our butts kicked. Taebo is like a cardio workout turbo charged. You go fast and hard from beginning to end. It’s a lot of punches and kicks wrapped around a lot of martial arts movements.

To keep you moving Billy is very… er… motivational. It’s not uncommon for him to run up to the camera in the middle of the set and fill the screen with his face while pretending to judge your form and talk directly to you. It’s an odd effect, but strangely works after you get used to him doing it. Billy also will move around the group doing the workout motivating others and showing good examples. What I really appreciate is that you see people of all ages and fitness levels doing the workout, not just a bunch of personal trainers.

If I had one complaint, it’s that Billy seems to move around too much. I appreciate his attempts at motivation, but often it feels like he isn’t even doing the workout. On the whole though, these are some serious workouts, and if you feel like a challenge these are definite ways to go. Since most have been out for a while, the DVDs are pretty cheap whether new or used.

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.