What a Workout!

I may not have tried all the dance workout DVDs out there, but I sure have tried a lot.  Hip Hop Abs has been a long-time favorite {although I have no interest in seeing what I actually look like while doing it ~ I prefer to preserve the picture I've conjured up in my mind of myself looking like a pop star music video goddess};  Dancing with the Stars has a few workout DVDs out, one of which I love {see links below}; and I tried Carmen Electra's Cardio Striptease series when that was at the height of its popularity {for the record, your clothes stay on}.

I've had the two-disc Rockin' Body workout kit for a few years now {led by Shaun T, the trainer featured on both Hip Hop Abs and Insanity}.  There are four workouts ~ Mark, Move & Groove; Disco Groove; Party Express; and Shaun T's Dance Party ~ featured on the "blue" workout disc {although Mark, Move & Groove is really more like a brief instructional piece on several of the key moves featured throughout the other workouts}.  The red workout disc has three segments ~ Rock It Out, Hard-Core Abs and Booty Time.  The great thing about these DVDs is that on the back jackets, they list the length of each workout ~ so you can pick the segment that fits your schedule that day.

I've tried all the workouts on the blue DVD, and they're a blast.  You may feel a little silly doing some of the "disco moves" in the Disco Groove segment, but who cares?  You're having fun {I've actually laughed out loud at some points} and working up a sweat. 

For some reason I'd never paid much attention to the red DVD, until yesterday.  I wanted to do a half-hour workout, and the Booty Time segment fit the bill.  This workout may be my favorite in the whole series ~ I loved the moves {and actually felt reasonably coordinated doing them}, and today my thighs, quads, hamstrings, calves and booty are burning.  I haven't felt a really good day-after muscle burn from a workout in a while {probably because I do a lot more cardio than strength training}, and I had forgotten how good it felt to feel that good kind of "pain".  I will definitely be adding the Booty Time workout into my regular rotation, and now I'm even more curious to give the 10-minute Hard-Core Abs segment a whirl.

  I have no idea why they show 7 DVDs ~ there are 7 workouts on 2 DVDs

Rockin' Body is produced by Beachbody, the company that also offers Hip Hop Abs, Insanity, P90X, Brazil Butt Lift and more.  I've never tried a Beachbody product that I didn't like, although they can be a little...persistent {especially with Shakeology, the nutrition shake that they offer}.  For links to some of my favorite workout videos, Beachbody or not, see the list below.  {I also included some releases that I haven't tried yet, but sound fantastic}.

 

 

Some of My Faves

Hip Hop Abs  {Shaun T is just too adorable, and nice, which is a switch from the Jillian Michaels'-types of the workout world}

Insanity  {Cardiovascular-wise, I could keep up just fine with this high-intensity workout; the impact is too much, however, for my precarious knees, so I could not stick to the six-day-a-week program they prescribe.  I will probably throw this back into my mix, sporadically, in the near future}

Rodney Yee's Ultimate Power Yoga  {I've said it before and I'll say it again ~ I just love Rodney's style of teaching yoga, and the fact that this this DVD comes broken down into five 20-minute-or-so segments that you can mix and match as you please is just the icing on the cake}

10 Minute Solutions: Pilates  {Another DVD broken down into mix-and-match segments; Pilates is so fantastic for lengthening and strengthening your muscles, especially in your legs and core.  Sometimes I use the last segment on the DVD, Pilates for Flexibility, as my cool-down stretch after a different workout}

 

Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance {This workout DVD is led by Kym, Maks and Ashly, and the jive is my favorite segment.  Some of the other DWTS vids are too hard for me to keep up with ~ literally; my feet don't move that fast! ~ but this one provides a fun, high-cardio workout without leaving me in the dust}

The Biggest Loser: Last Chance Workout  {If you watch Biggest Loser, you know that the Last Chance Workout is the final, give-it-all-you've-got workout done before weighing in for the week.  This Jillian Michaels-led DVD is great for people of all shapes and sizes ~ if you're just starting out with exercise or have limitations, plenty of modifications are given; if you're an old pro, give it your all and you'll get an amazing workout session}

 

 

 

Next On My List

Billy Blanks' Billy's Bootcamp: Cardio Inferno {I've had the original Billy's Bootcamp series for about five years now, and this seems like it will be even more intense!}

 

Bethenny's Skinnygirl Workout  {This is Bethenny's second workout DVD and was just released in December.  Of the ten reviews that have rolled in on Amazon, eight people gave 5-star reviews.  From what I read, these are yoga-based workouts broken up into fairly quick sections}.

Cardio Barre {Ballet workouts are no joke ~ ballerinas are strong, and their muscles are long, lean, and ladylike.}

The Physique 57 Solution {A book, not a DVD, actually.  Physique 57 classes in New York and LA are celeb-frequented, and the company offers both at-home DVDs and this just-released book.  The book offers step-by-step guides to their multi-format workouts, and the handful of Amazon reviews so far are all five-star}

 

 

Have fun workin' on your fitness, ladies!

xoxo

Bean

 

{photo credit:  getmovingcatalog.com}