OK, this is officially a Top Ten Post.
I started jotting down a list of ten workout DVDs I’ve purchased and tried. I thought I might have to think pretty hard to come up with ten.
Ummm, not so much.
I came up with more than ten and had to take a few out.
This might give another dimension of explanation to my personality. You know, not really a shocker that a slob keeps thinking that the perfect workout DVD will change her life. When, as I’ve learned in my quest for home order, it’s not the DVD/gadget that gets the work done, it’s me who gets the work done.
Or doesn’t get it done.
Anyway, when I work out consistently, I do it at home. I’ve had gym memberships, and NEVER used them. And once I had kids, it was not an option for me. In my small town, going to the only gym available meant that I would have had to pay for childcare each time. And leaving my family at night to go workout . . . I knew I’d never do that.
I’ve tried all of these DVDs, and some have worked very well for me. Some I truly didn’t like, and others I liked . . . but just quit doing.
1. Tae-Bo Basic 
I hate intensely dislike getting on the floor.
I’ve tried to get back into this one, but I did it so consistently that I still have it memorized. Somehow, that keeps me from enjoying it so much. Yes, that’s an excuse, but you might as well know that there will be plenty of excuses in this post.
I’m also putting these other tae-bo DVDs under #1.
Billy Blanks: Ultimate Bootcamp
This was harder than the basic, and required resistance bands (Billy Bands), which I didn’t have because I got the DVD at a garage sale. It also had you do an exercise where you go down in a push-up and then jump right back up and then go back down into another push up, etc.
Ummm. No.
I like this one, and do it when I’m feeling guilty about not working out, but really have no motivation. It’s quite intense for those 8 minutes, and might be okay for every once in a while if you were maintaining. Currently, I need to do a little more than maintain.
I’m not sure what possessed me to order the complete system of this. Of course, it’s way harder than it looks on the infomercial, requires excessive amounts of on-the-ground-getting, and honestly . . . I felt it was completely inappropriate to do with two little boys in the house. The angles that they show of the people working out is unlike any other workout video I’ve seen, and was a little much for this modest mama.
3. Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred
Hate this one with a passion. But it’s a solid workout and is only 20 minutes.
4. The Biggest Loser Workout, Vol. 1
I honestly don’t remember much about this one, except that there was quite a bit of side to side stuff . . . and it wasn’t fun. I did it once.
5. 10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix
This just wasn’t my style of dance. I liked that you could build your own workout with different 10 minute sections, but I felt like a dork doing the hip-hop.
6. Kathy Smith – March to Fitness [VHS]
Boring.
7. Marilu Henner’s Dancerobics
My roommate in college bought this one, and we did it quite a bit. It’s fun. Lots of on-the-floor stuff.
8. I Hate to Exercise, I Love to Tap
I’ve shared before that I absolutely looooovvvvve this one. It’s a blast, and she does a great job of teaching steps from the absolute basics. I feel like this would be a good thing to do for maintenance, but as I shared above, I’ve let myself get to the point where maintenance exercise isn’t enough. This one just doesn’t provide the huge heart-pumping, trouble area focused workout I need right now.
9. MaDonna Grimes Dance Street Workout Collection
10. Turbo Jam
But I did.
And not on the list, because I’ve only done it once (this morning) is Zumba Fitness for Wii
Disclosure: The links in this post are my Amazon affiliate links.
Zumba is my all time favorite. I had no idea they have it for the Wii. Thanks for the tip!
Tae-Bo Basic is the BEST Tae Bo out there. I still go back to that one and its just enough workout for me. Love it love it love it!
My husband and I are tackling the new year fitness resolution by walking briskly up to the top of the hill we live at the bottom of. Its about a mile there and back but most of its uphill.
Good luck!!!
I want to get zumba for the wii too. Please let us know if you like it and if it is worth it after a week or two. I cant get it in Canada it seems like it was the "it " gift to give.
I'll definitely let you know how it goes.
I was surprised to see that you hated the 30 day shred. I have never found an exercise that I actually enjoyed, other than hiking, but I really like doing the shred. Do I like it as much as I like lying on the couch watching American Pickers and eating Pringles? No, but I like it much more than I've ever liked anything of its kind. It's the variety that keeps me from hating it.
I know someone doing the 30 day Shred. The Jillian Micheals tag on it frightens me too much to try it, though, I will admit.
Hey! I wasn't done!
I like the Leslie Sansone _-mile walk-at-home series. They come in a variety of 1-2-3 mile "walks". You mostly just march in place, but it's very easy and it works for me. 🙂
I like the walk at home stuff, too. If it seems easy then you just pick your knees up a little higher and out comes the sweat!
Becky
I had thought about going to the library and "checking out" some exercise dvds to see if I find one I like before buying one. Only bummer is my library will only let you keep it one week so I will check it out for one week, then renew it for one week. If I really like it, I'll use another card(my daughters) and then renew it on her card. That way I will have it for four weeks and I can see if I like it. If I don't then I will just take it back and look for another one. This will also get us back into the library. We used to go once a week, but after some books got damaged(toddler found them and tore pages out) and we lost a dvd and had to pay a hefty fine, we quit going. But, hopefully, this time we will not check out paper books and the dvds will have a special place on top of the tv, away from the reach of small hands. Maybe this way, I can afford the library.
Oh my word…this just made me laugh out loud. I can't even tell you the exercise DVDs/gym memberships I've had in my life and haven't used. It's shameful, oh yes it is.
About The Shred – it was on Exercise on Demand this past week so I tried it. The exercises kicked my rear (as they should have for this out of shape girl), but the music?? It was awful! I can't stand that house-style music just to have it on the video. She doesn't even do the exercises to the beat of the music. It's bizarre to me.
I took Jazzercise for about a year and absolutely loved it. But like your gym, you have to pay for childcare by the class. So that is out for me.
But if they had Jazzercise on DVD (or I could find the equivalent), i might actually be a skinnier girl. It is the only exercise I've ever stuck with!
-Lauren
Oh, I'm a fitness-DVD buyer, too. I think I have about 10 prenatal ones I never did. *blush*
I really like Karen Voight. She is like the most muscular strong woman ever. She scares me. But she is amazing.
Oooh, I want to buy more workout dvds, so this is helpful!
We are so alike! 🙂 I checked out a workout video from the library a few weeks ago. It was called Latin Rhythms, and I was so excited to get it. I did it once, and I swear I have permanently injured my poor ankles! The teacher was good, but b/c I'm SUCH a beginner when it comes to dance, I wasn't able to do the moves right. Even though I sweated like a horse, my muscles weren't sore. That's when I knew I was in trouble – if my muscles didn't hurt after that, I had surely done it wrong. And…yep. My poor joints are still upset with me!
Anyway, I'm back to my Walk Away the Pounds video, which is easy but good for now. Although this post is making me consider pulling out my old TaeBo video. I love that thing and haven't done it since college! (It's literally a video, a VHS. I hope I still have it somewhere…)
Okay-live Zumba rocks, but which Wii version? The hubby ‘let’ the kids get it for me for Christmas, but it is not the brand new one that just came out… Am dying to try it but wondered if I should opt for the newer one?
I did the original version, and it is fun but from what I’ve heard from people who do live classes, many Zumba classes aren’t strictly Latin dancing, while the Wii game I had is.