My Journey of Workouts and Weightloss

Review of Leslie Sansone You Can Do! Yoga: A Simplified Approach

2010-01-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

This is my first time trying yoga, so for a beginner like myself, this DVD was absolutely perfect! This DVD is divided into two sections. The first section is devoted to explaining the yoga poses and techniques. She really gives very thorough instruction with everything. You learn the mountain pose, the warrior, the stork, the downward dog, the triangle pose, and end with the corpse pose, which is basically laying down on your mat and relaxing all your muscles at the conclusion. The techniques and poses is not meant as a full workout, rather, she is just going through the steps on how to complete each exercise. She doesn't even work on both sides, saying that we'll do the other side during the workout. For the workout portion of the DVD, she takes all these poses that you have just learned and puts them together in a nice, flowing exercise. It says on the DVD case that recommended equipment is two yoga blocks, but they are not necessary. They just help with beginner modifications, but I found I was able to complete the workout easily without them.

This is just a wonderful beginner DVD that is very easy to accomplish, and you come out of this workout feeling very refreshed and relaxed.

My Rating: 5 Stars

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Review of Women's Health Train For Your Body Type

2010-01-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I was really impressed with this DVD! It has 3 pre-built workouts, according to your body type. You can select between Classic Curvy, Long and Lean, or Athletic Build. Each workout rotates throughout the days with different segments, depending on your body type. For example, if your body type is Classic Curvy, you are going to do more cardio workouts throughout the week. If it is Long and Lean (such as mine) you are doing to do more upper and lower body training. However, you also have the option of customizing your own workouts, by including which segments you desire and in what order. The segments that you can choose from are the warm up, cardio, upper body, lower body, abs and core, and cool down. Also, there are three 5 minute Amp It Up segments you can choose from for a greater challenge.

Another aspect that I really liked about these workouts is that the instructor, Jessica Smith, always had two other ladies doing the workout with her. You can follow Madison for beginner modifications on the workouts, or Anida for advanced options on the workouts.

I personally found these workouts challenging! The cardio really pushes you to the limits, using circuit training of going through exercises twice, the second time with more of an energy blast! It really had me beat and sweating by the end of it, but it was really good! The upper and lower body workouts both use weights and again are quite challenging. The abs and core routine uses pilates moves, but because they keep their sneakers on, the added weight makes these more challenging.

I enjoyed the bonus segments as well, which were on healthy eating. All in all, this is a great fully comprehensive workout that you can use all week!

Rating: 5 Stars

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Review of Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss (2001)

2009-12-31T05:17:00.000-08:00

Rating: 5 Stars

This was one of my first pilates DVDs that I have tried, and is one of my favorites! For beginners, this is one of the best that I have viewed. If you have never tried pilates before, the introduction on this DVD is a very detailed explanation of how to breathe properly while performing these exercises. Proper breathing techniques is really the bread and butter of pilates. You breathe through your movements, and you have to learn how to use your abs while you breathe so you can obtain the maximum effect from these exercises. This is a great introduction, because a lot of pilates DVDs that are available assume you already have mastered the breathing techniques, and therefore do not teach these in such detail as this DVD does.

Another great thing I love about this DVD is that you have the option of three different levels. Suzanne Deason is performing these exercises in a beautifully breathtaking tropical setting with two other women. One you follow if you are a beginner, she does a lot of modifications for the exercises, such as using a pillow for support in some of them. The second does the same exercises, but with less modifactions. Then, you can follow Suzanne herself, who is the most advanced level of these exercises.

Another great option on this DVD is the use of a little icon of a person in a pilates stance. If you are performing a particular exercise that you are unfamiliar with or unsure, you can click on this icon for further more detailed instruction.

A lot of times with DVDs, the instructor is talking while performing the exercises. In this DVD, Suzanne is quiet, what you are listening to is a voice over of the instructions. The instructions are very detailed and quite good, as well they give you breathing cues, so you know at what point in the exercise you know when to breathe in and out.

The exercises are traditional mat pilates, and it goes through the movements in a beautiful and flowing motion without pausing, which is how pilates is meant to be performed.

Wonderful DVD with great pacing for a relaxing and invigorating workout. I highly recommend it!

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Review of Denise Austin Power Zone: Mind, Body, Soul (2003)

2009-12-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

Rating: 5 Stars

I have to say that going into this DVD, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I have really enjoyed Denise Austin's other workout DVDs, and this one doesn't disappoint either!

This is simply a nice, relaxing but challenging workout DVD. I love how she incorporates the elements of Mind, Body and Soul into one workout, making it a more holistic approach to working out.

The first part of the workout, which is the mind, starts off with deep breathing exercises, and then Denise leads you through some yoga poses. These are great stretches for the spine, I love how she says "The spine is your lifeline!" She is very cheery and positive, giving good advice on breathing and proper stance. This part is rightly called the mind portion, because the deep breathing and stretches help to relax you and clear your mind of negative thoughts, so you can focus on your breathing and on what your body is doing. These stretches really help to open up your muscles and this is a wonderful way to start any workout.

Following the mind section, Denise goes into the body section, which involves standing pilates. Pilates is a great exercise for strengthening your core muscles, and you really use your leg muscles in standing pilates much more then you would use them in the traditional mat pilates. She leads you through a series of exercises that is challenging, you can really feel your abs and your leg muscles working! A few exercises, she uses a wall for balance and support, which really adds to what you are doing. This is a great series of exercises for working all parts of your leg muscles as well as your abs. Throughout, Denise constantly reminds you to zip up your abs, think of your posture, and as always, do the best that you can!

The final part of this workout is the soul, and Denise really encourages you to just enjoy it and have fun with it! She incorporates Latin dance steps, such as the salsa and the mambo, and uses a lot of loose and freely flowing movements. This is not meant as a cardio exercise that you would find on her other DVDs, but rather as a fun end to this workout. The soul part includes a lot of stretching movements as well, and just moving the body back and forth. This is a light and postive exercise meant to lift your spirits! Denise Austin really encourages a positive outlook on life. From reading her electronic newsletter, as well as this DVD, Denise really brings out the message that thinking positively about yourself is a vital and important step in changing your lifestyle and habits. Becoming healthier is not just about having a healthy physical body, its about being mentally healthy as well. Like I said, this is really a holistic approach to working out.

For the cooldown, Denise Austin guides you back again through the Warrior's Pose in Yoga, emphasizing a strong you!

While I would not rely entirely on this DVD, this is a great one to have in your rotation and use about once a week, there is a lot of positive energy flowing in this one!

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Review of Leslie Sansone: Walk Away the Pounds Express - 1 Mile Easy Walk/Brisk Walk, 2 Miles

2009-12-30T06:28:00.000-08:00

I loved this DVD by Leslie Sansone! On this DVD, you have two workouts, the first one is a 15 minute Easy Walk which is equivalent to 1 mile, and the second is a 30 minute brisk walk which is equivalent to 2 miles. She begins each workout by reviewing the four basic steps that her workouts are built upon. They are side steps, front kicks, basic walking and knee lifts. She starts off slowly, then builds up the pace for a good cardio workout. What I enjoy about these workouts is the use of the stretchie band, which she incorporates into both. This way, you are toning and firming your muscles while you are working out at the same time. The first workout at 15 minutes is good for beginners or for when you are pressed for time and can't get in a full workout. The second workout at 30 minutes raises it up a notch, but it is well worth it, and you feel so good about yourself for being able to complete 2 miles! What she also uses for both workouts is a little meter at the bottom of your screen, which marks the distance every 1/2 a mile. It takes about 7-8 minutes to go 1/2 a mile, so when the counter appears at the bottom and you realize that you've just walked for 1/2 a mile, it is very motivating and encouraging, especially since you realize how much the time just flies by!

In the 15 minute workout, she talks about some of the walkers who are with her. I love it when she introduces a 27 year old woman, and a 72 year old man, stating how wonderful it is that a 72 year old can move just as beautifully and as well as a 27 year old! I love how she interacts with those around her, and the real sense of fun that everyone is having. She calls them her walking buddies and calls you a walking buddy too, and I love the friendliness that she exudes on this DVD.

All in all, this is a great workout, and its a lot of fun!

Rating: 5 Stars

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Review of Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds Fat Burning Miles

2009-12-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

My Rating: 5 Stars

This is my favorite DVD for a good cardio workout! Leslie Sansone has put four complete workouts all in one DVD, the Power Mile, Walk Strong, Walk & Jog and Walk & Kick.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds program, what makes it so successful is its simplicity. The movements are not complicated, they are all walking, and as Leslie says on her DVD, anyone can walk so anyone can do the program, and if you ever come across a move that is too difficult, Leslie always says you can just go back to walking at any time. So this is a very encouraging workout!

She basically has four steps that she uses throughout her workouts, a walk, a side step, knee lifts and kicks. She interchanges these, but this is the basic of any of her programs.

The Power Mile is the shortest of the four workouts, this one is just 20 minutes, but don't let that fool you, as it still packs quite a punch! It's one mile, but she has you using weights the entire time that you are walking, either simply holding them at your side, or moving them around, such as in bicep curls, arm circles, and presses. Short and effective, I like this when I am pressed for time.

Walk Strong is 33 minutes, and its an interval workout, where she interchanges walking with using weights. Unlike the Power Mile, you are not holding the weights while walking, but she uses the weights while you are stationary, and then when you carry on with your walking, you put them down. I find that interval training is effective and I enjoy this workout. The women she is working out with are all using different sized weights, according to their skill level, from 1, 2 and 3 lb weights. Leslie herself is using 5 lb weights. There is even a woman who is not using weights, but rather is using the weight of her body, and you can do that as well. This is a great combination of cardio and strengthening exercises and is equal to a 2 mile walk.

Walk & Jog is my favorite, another interval training where she does a few minutes of walking, then a few minutes of jogging, then back to walking. This one is 33 minutes, and I love the short bursts of energy that come through with the jogging. Again, this workout is modified, where if you feel you can't job, you can follow along with Mary Kay, who does brisk walking instead, but still is staying at the same energy level as the women who are jogging. This is equivalent to a 2 1/2 mile walk.

The last workout is the Walk & Kick, another interval training program that incorporates kick boxing moves with walking. This is a fun workout and builds up a good sweat as well, but its my least favorite on the DVD. No particular reason really, I just found personally that the other workouts were more effective. This one is also 33 minutes.

Leslie Sansone has a delightful personality and I enjoy listening to her cheerful banter. I was surprised by how quickly these workouts went by, I enjoy working out with her and she has a way of making working out fun!

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Review of Denise Austin Blast Away the Pounds Indoor Walk

2009-12-17T05:20:00.000-08:00

If you are familiar with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds program, you will find a few similarities with this DVD, but I found that Denise had more variations of movements. There are three workouts on this DVD that you can complete, each one is 15 minutes in length and 1 mile. The Easy Walk is a lot of fun and not too taxing. It's advertised as "Tailored for those unaccustomed to regular exercise" so if you are just starting an exercise program, this is a great place to begin. Denise chatters the entire time, but her bubbly personality is very cheerful and encouraging, saying things like "Just do the best that you can" and "I'm proud of you!". This is a very motivational walk and I enjoy doing it too when I am short on time.

The next walk on this DVD is the Fat Blasting Interval Walk. This walk is more challenging, with short bursts of energy throughout to get your heart pumping. At 15 minutes, its still very doable, Denise has you picking up the pace more then in the first workout, and gets you to use more of your muscles during your workout.

The third walk is the one I find the most challenging. This is the Power Walk and Tone. You are carrying a set of hand weights the entire time that you are walking, and she alternates walking with just holding the weights at hip level, with doing various arm lifts with the weights, all the while still walking. She recommends using 1 to 3 lb weights, I have been using the 3 lb weights and I don't think I would want to go any heavier!

Last on the DVD is the 10 minute stretch, where Denise really stretches out all the leg muscles that you've been using, and she uses a chair, which I have never done before. This is a really good stretch!

I love the fact that this is a customizable DVD, which means that you can mix and match your workouts, or you can combine all three. Last night was the first time that I attempted to do all three, and after 45 minutes of cardio I was really feeling it in my legs, but very proud of my achievement!

If I were to compare this DVD with Leslie Sansone's DVDs, I would prefer Leslie Sansone. However, this is still a good DVD with good merit and it definitely gets the job done, which is to provide you with a good workout!

I know some people find Denise Austin has an annoying voice, it is a bit on the breathy side, but I don't mind it.

I recommend this DVD. Have fun and happy walking! If you want to see more reviews, click here

A. Bride

Review of 10 Minute Solution Rapid Results Pilates

2009-12-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

Let me just say that I absolutely love this DVD! I had borrowed it from my library and I loved it so much that I renewed it for an extra week! Your instructor is Lara Hudson and she goes through 5 wonderful 10 minute workouts for you. You have the option of customizing your own workout, or trying all 5 of them for an ultimate 50 minute pilates workout.

The Super Toned Buns and Thighs is the first workout, and she really works your legs and especially your inner thigh muscle. This is a great workout, but challenging and you can really feel it in your legs afterwards.

The Arm and Shoulder Shaper uses handweights throughout. She is using 2 lb weights in this workout herself, I have 3 lb handweights, so that's what I used. I wouldn't recommend using more then 3 lbs, and I wish that I had a lighter set myself. This really works your arm muscles, and again, its challenging, but doable.

The Waist Slimmer is my favorite on this DVD! This is the area of my body that I really want to improve upon the most, and this workout is a great way to do it! You really feel your abs burning through these series of exercises, and I think that if I had this DVD out a few more weeks, the results would be incredible! Its challenging, but doable, just don't give up. :)

The Total Body Blast was good, but not as good I thought as the other workouts. However, she does a swimming exercise in this segment where you are on your stomach and your arms and legs are pulsing up and down, that's very challenging, but I prefer the other exercises to this workout.

Finally, you have the Slim and Sleek Stretch, which is the cool down portion of the DVD. Nothing too challenging here, but some really good stretches.

This is a challenging DVD and I would not recommend it for beginners, you have to be familiar with pilates I feel in order to perform these exercises, they're not easy! However, her instruction is excellent and she gives you good breathing cues, which is very helpful.

I love the fact that it is broken into 10 minute segments. These past two weeks, I've been combining this DVD with my cardio DVDs, so doing 30 minutes of cardio and then ending with one of these 10 minute workouts. Also, I've combined 3 workouts together for a 30 minute pilates workout, and also I've tried all 5 in a row! It really leaves you sweating, but you feel great afterwards!

I would rate the difficulty of this DVD at intermediate. This is great DVD and I would highly recommend it!

You can read more reviews here

Thanks!

A. Bride

Review of Denise Austin Body Burn with Dance and Pilates (2008)

2009-12-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed this new DVD. I have tried other workout DVDs that had a cardio dance component to them, and quite honestly, this was the easiest one that I have found. Most often, the instructors for dance workouts seem to go too fast, and I become very lost and confused as to what I am supposed to be doing. Denise, however, gave very clear instructions, and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep up with the routine. The dance routine lasts 30 minutes and you go through 3 different routines, plus a warm up and a cool down. The moves are a lot of fun, and it looks like she is having fun with it too! In fact, she even says during the workout "Have fun with it!" The time just sped by so quickly with this DVD, it hardly seemed like 30 minutes were over by the time it was all completed.

The pilates components are both 10 minutes in length, which doesn't seem like a complete workout, although the DVD does state that there are 3 complete workouts. The standing pilates was challenging, as I am used to doing traditional mat pilates, but I enjoyed hte new deminsion that this workout offered. She focuses a lot on your upper body with this one, using handweights for a few of the exercises. Most of these moves you will recognize from traditional pilates, they are just performed standing rather then laying down.

The second pilates was more of a traditional mat pilates, but with more of a twist. Denise does go through these moves rather quickly and assumes that you already have the basics, so these exercises are not for beginners, because you may end up becoming frustrated. I was doing this DVD with a beginner who had never done pilates before, and they quit within the first minute, because it does move fast without explaining things in detail the way a beginner DVD would do. However, for those of us with some pilates already under our belts, these exercises are both fun and challenging.

I decided to combine my cardio with my pilates, and 10 minutes of pilates is just the perfect combination to accompany 30 minutes of cardio.

I recommend this DVD for anyone who is looking for something that's fun and challenging!

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Review of Bellydance for Beginners with Suhaila: Fitness Fusion Yoga (2005)

2009-12-01T04:28:00.000-08:00

I tried this DVD last night for the first time, and I have to say that I wasn't really all that impressed with it. Suhaila starts the class off with some yoga stretches. I am not familiar with yoga stretches, but I enjoyed this portion of the DVD, along with the deep breathing. It was very nice and relaxing, but its not really what I associate with in a workout. However, soon after that she starts working on your abs with cat and cow undulations. This is where it starts getting tricky. Then, she has you sitting and moving your abs in and out, doing your undulations, and it was nearly impossible! My Mom was doing this DVD right along with me and she agreed that she was having problems as well. There is not adequate enough instruction in what you are supposed to do and how to isolate your upper and lower ab muscles to perform the same movements. After, she has you stand and do traditional bellydance movents, with moving your abs in figure eights. Again, this is very challenging. Overall, I found that while this was an interesting change of pace for me, I found that I didn't really get good of a workout with. I much perfer my pilates and cardio DVDs that I have been working on. As far as abs go, I feel a better workout doing pilates then doing this DVD. By the end of the workout, I felt like although the stretches and breathing were nice, I could have gotten more out of it then I did. I was disappointed.

If you are interested in reading what other people had to say about this DVD, you can read their reviews here

Hopefully my next review will be more positive!

A. Bride

An Overview of Me

2009-11-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

I am 30 years old and getting married in June. I haven't worked out seriously in about 5 years. So I have a lot of work to do! I started in September by renting workout DVD's from my public library. From there, I bought some of my own and I now have a bit of a routine. I do Pilates on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, and Cardio on Tuesday, Thursday and Sundays. Starting tomorrow, I will begin by blogging about my workouts, the various DVD's that I use, and will try to use this blog to keep myself accountable for my own sake, as well as charting my progress. I hope you will join me on my journey!

A. Bride