I am recycling some of my fitness DVDs on SwapaDVD. Members post DVDs into the system. Other members can request the DVD. Once a DVD is requested, the member sends it to the requester. The sending member pays shipping. Once the requester receives the DVD, she marks it as received. The sender gets a credit, which can be used to request another DVD. I use this service to exchange workout videos, but I’ve also gotten TV series, Disney movies, and new releases. I love this service!

I’ll soon be posting The Biggest Loser: 30-Day Jump Start. I didn’t hate this video, but I really didn’t like it either. The workout features five ten minute workouts. Two focus on cardio, and the other three are target toning workouts for the core, legs, and upper body.

The workouts are led by former Biggest Loser contestants Ali Vincent, Sione Fa, and Tara Costa, and the trio are joined by other former contestants. Personally, I think the best Biggest Loser workouts are led by Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. Fa and Costa do all right as instructors, but Vincent is lacking. She doesn’t always offer cues, and she seems at a complete loss as to a proper way to say butt. Overall, the workout seems to need more polishing.

The DVD seems to be targeted to beginners looking to jump into fitness. The DVD has an option to follow a 30-Day workout plan that starts with one ten-minute workout a day and progresses to doing four a day. Yet, the cardio moves are high impact and the contestants can be hard to follow. The participants show poor form, which beginners may not realize.

So, in my workout DVD spring cleaning, this one gets the boot. It’s not terrible, but it’s not one I’ll want to do again.

Denise Austin’s Fit in a Flash: 7 Minute Solutions is a customizable workout for busy people. The workouts include two aerobic segments, two total body toning segments, and separate toning segments for the upper body, lower body, and the core. The DVD allows you to mix and match segments according to your preferences. This makes the workout very accessible for both days when you have an hour to workout and for days when you have time constraints. For example:

• warm up + seven segments + cooldown = 56 minutes
• warm up + two segments + cooldown = 21 minutes
• warm up + one segment + cooldown = 14 minutes

The video is targeted to beginner and intermediate exercisers. Level I toning, Level I aerobics, the leg toning segment, and the core segment are done without weights. Austin kicks things up a bit for Level II of aerobics and toning. These segments, along with the arms segment, require hand weights. A mat is also suggested for floor work.

As always, I’m skeptical of claims that you can get “fit in a flash.” Results depend upon a lot of factors, including diet. The DVD doesn’t offer much advice as to how to best use the program. On the back of the cover, it says simply:

Start with the Level 1 workouts, and when you’re ready, advance to Level 2. When you’re feeling good, combine the workouts for a total-body blast that will get you FIT IN A FLASH.

That’s kind of an ambiguous suggestion. But, after you’ve been doing at-home workouts for awhile, you get used to making your own fitness calendar.

I recently used the system while traveling–no weights required. I could alternate Level I toning, Level I aerobics, the legs segment, and core segment in a hotel room without weights. Perfect for a short workout on-the-go!

P.S. If Denise Austin isn’t your favorite instructor, there is an option to workout to music only.

Are you looking for a way to show your support for those affected by the bombings in Boston? RunJunkEes has set up an event on Facebook called Runners United to Remember and they’ve created the bib pictured here. You can download the bib in other colors at RunJunkEes.com.

The event description says:

This is a virtual run event, which means you can run (or walk) any distance, anywhere and at anytime. It is intended to both honor the victims as well as display an act of unity and solidarity in the running community. This was an event dreamed up by fellow Runners and you are welcome to invite anyone to join. THIS IS NOT A FUND RAISER. PLEASE be careful of scams (already) of people claiming to be raising money. A special thanks to TJ from VO2 the MAX for creating the “race” bib. Once you’ve completed your unity run you are welcome to post a picture to the RunJunkEes facebook page (please do not email pictures). Other runners are suggesting to wear a race shirt as well, so if you have one and you’d like to do so that would be great.

I’ve downloaded the bib and will wear it during a run this week. If you participate, I’d love for you to comment on this post.

Two explosions occurred near the Boston Marathon finish on Boylston Street several hours after the winners crossed the line. You can read the story to the AP at this link. According to the Boston Police Department’s Twitter account there are two dead and reports now say that over 100 people are injured.

In a statement made just after 6 p.m. ET, President Obama said:

“We still do not know who did this or why. And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts but make no mistake. we will get to the bottom of this … Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”

My Twitter timeline has been filled with words like “horrific” and “gruesome” to describe the injuries sustained by victims. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe Tweeted:

Talked to a volunteer in the lobby who said lanyards were being used by first responders as tourniquets. Good god.

NECN reporter Jackie Bruno (@JackieBrunoNECN) was at the scene and shared the photo that’s after the jump.

» Continue reading “Updated: 2 Explosions At Boston Marathon, Police Say 2 Dead”

Core work. No matter if you love it or loathe it, it’s an essential part of fitness. So, it’s good to have options. Personal Training with Jackie: Crunch-Free XTreme Abs offers two fifteen-minute workouts for those who could do without crunches. The two sections can be done separately or combined together into a tough 30-minute core workout.

Trainer Jackie Warner leads the two workouts. During the workout, Warner quips:

You want my abs? This is how to get them. This is the routine I do for myself because I cannot stand crunches.

And she’ll tell you that quite a few times during the workout that she doesn’t like crunches. Got it. This workout is about not doing crunches.

The first routine is a standing abs section. After a brief warm-up, Warner gets into a core workout that is done while standing up. Personally, I love incorporating standing ab work into my fitness regime. It seems to be more about functional fitness, mimicking moves done in real life (i.e. reaching, standing twists, balancing). Warner offers a challenging standing abs workout with moves like Figure 8s, Squat Swings (similar to a kettlebell swing), and torso twists.

The second section is a floor routine. No matter how much I like standing abs, floor core work is always way more difficult. There’s a brief warm-up, and then you get down to business. There are no traditional crunches, but there are some moves I would classify as modified crunches. The routine also includes moves like the Superman, variations on plank, and V-sits. This workout is more difficult than the standing abs series. Warner claims that she enjoys planks. How can anyone enjoy planks?!

The workout is intermediate level. Warner offers great modifications. She is joined in the workout by two women, who show levels of each move. One is doing the more advanced version of the moves, which includes a fuller range of motion and the use of weights. The other is doing the moves without weights, and this decreases the intensity tremendously.

A set of hand weights is recommended for the workout.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a Tabata-style workout on the The Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout. That particular workout fell a little flat for me. I don’t blame Tabata, though. Tabata is a form of interval training in which you give an all-out effort for 20 seconds, followed by ten seconds of rest, and then you repeat that series eight times. The concept is very good for a cardio workout; it’s all about the delivery.

Amy Dixon’s Breathless Body: The Ultimate Calorie Burn is a challenging, fun Tabata-inspired workout that delivers an awesome workout. In this DVD, Dixon leads a warm-up, interval workout, and cool down. The total workout is 55 minutes. The focus is cardio, and no equipment is required. Well, maybe a towel to mop off all the sweat. And water nearby!

The intervals include eight drills. Each drill is done eight times for 20 seconds. There is a ten second recovery between each 20-second drill. A longer recovery between each new drill allows for more recovery and time for Dixon to explain the next set of drills. The idea is to go breathless during the drills (hence, the name Breathless Body).

Three levels of intensity are demonstrated for each drill. Dixon is joined by two other women (Aimee and Sarah), who demonstrate the beginner and advanced version of the drill. Dixon herself does the intermediate version of the drill. If you’re feeling like Superwoman, you can do the advanced version throughout the workout. As Dixon says to Sarah, who is demonstrating the advanced workout, “Bless you.” It’s tough. I preferred to mix it up by trying each level.

The workout is easy to follow because it’s repetitive, and Amy Dixon is a motivating instructor.

Dixon has a follow-up to this DVD, Breathless Body 2: The Edge. I haven’t tried that yet, but I hope the sequel is as great as the original!

The popular television series The Biggest Loser is now airing its 14th season. Seriously, fourteen seasons. I don’t watch the show very often, but I do have some of The Biggest Loser workouts on DVD.

I rented The Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout from Netflix. Thank goodness I didn’t purchase this dud.

The workout features three trainers. The tried and true Bob Harper, alongside Anna

The three trainers

Kournikova and Dolvett Quince. I hadn’t seen any of the episodes without Jillian Michaels, who took a hiatus from the show for several seasons. Various trainers have appeared since, including Former tennis pro Anna Kournikova.

Calorie Knockout features a warm-up, three fifteen-minute workouts, and a cooldown. Both the warm-up and cooldown are led by Quince. Contestants from the show workout with the instructors. Hand weights are required.

Kournikova leads the first workout session, which actually clocks in at 12 minutes. This is the worst segment of the entire workout video. Kournikova does not cue. She moves from one exercise to another with no countdown and little instruction. Transitioning from one move to the next was a challenge because she did not count. At one point, she can be heard mumbling some tip on form to one of the contestants. That’s the sort of thing that viewers of the video could benefit from, but it’s barely audible.

I was relieved to see Harper was the instructor of the second session. This workout featured classic exercises like lunges, along with some cardio bursts. Harper is great at weaving his way among the contestants and speaking to both them and the camera.

The third session is a Tabata-style workout led by Quince. Tabata workouts include 20 seconds of intense cardio, followed by a 10-second recovery, and then repeated eight times. Quince was likable, and his instruction was good. Quince offers three intensity levels for each of the moves. Unfortunately, the contestants were a hot mess during this workout. They switched from one level to the another, sometimes displaying terrible form. During some of the workout, nobody was demonstrating the highest intensity option. It was like they had never practiced the workout, and Quince didn’t really push them.

Overall, this was a disappointing workout. I would suggest trying other Biggest Loser workouts. Two of my favorite Biggest Loser workouts are led by Bob Harper. The Biggest Loser: The Workout is easily modified for various fitness levels. The Biggest Loser: Power Walk is currently on sale for less than $6 on Amazon. You can see a review of Power Walk in my previous post about at-home walking workouts.

Yep. I’m reviewing a Jazzercise DVD.

Shouldn’t I be snickering? I pictured Jazzercise as a workout from the eighties, more of a punchline than an actual workout. I had formed an opinion without ever having done a Jazzercise workout (either in person or on tape). But, one of the wonderful things about working out at home is trying new things without having to go public about it.

The new crop of Jazzercise videos seemed interesting enough, so while shopping one day, I purchased up Burlesque by Jazzercise. (A sticker on the outside of the case indicated that the DVD came with a subscription to Fitness magazine or a refund offer for the value of the subscription. I went with the refund, so the DVD ended up costing less than $5. Bargain! I’ve seen offers like this at Wal-mart and Target.)

I’ve done other burlesque workouts, including The Goddess Workout: Cardio Burlesque-Striptease, and they’ve been disappointing. They just didn’t feel like much of a workout.

Burlesque by Jazzercise was actually a decent cardio workout. The program consists of a 45-minute workout that includes a warm-up, aerobic dance workout, toning for the legs and abs, and a cooldown.

The workout is led by Jazzercise President Shanna Missett Nelson. The workout was well-cued. The music was familiar, including tracks like “Lady Marmalade,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “On the Floor,” and “Don’t Cha.” (Be forewarned–Nelson likes to interject a random song lyric into her instruction.)

The dance workout was simple but fun. The burlesque-inspired moves included shimmies, “sexy walks,” and bending over, but there were also more traditional aerobic moves like step touches and ball changes. It’s fairly easy to learn the routine. After a couple of times using the DVD, I felt like I hit my stride. The dance-toning sections were focused on the abs and legs. They were fairly easy.

The DVD features an option to do a short 21-minute workout or a 10-minute Abs & Booty Blast. These workouts are shortened segments lifted from the 45-minute workout.

Overall, this workout was fun and a legitimate workout.

My three-year-old walked in on me while I was doing this workout one afternoon. He asked, “What are you doing, Mommy?”

I responded, “
Working out.”

He laughed and said, “No you’re not. You’re dancing.”

So that’s why it’s so much fun…

Mardi Gras! It is a good time to celebrate, even in my workouts. And I do have to workout. ‘Tis the season of King Cake.

Dance and Be Fit: Carnaval Workout is a festive dance workout led by Kimberly Miguel Mullen and is fitting for the season. Mardi Gras is part of the worldwide Carnival celebration, so this video seemed to fit the holiday. This DVD is a workout inspired by Brazilian Carnival.

The workout includes three short workout segments, and a warm-up and cool down:

• Warm It Up (5 minutes)
  

  ‘Vanity Arms’

• Wind It Up! (12 minutes)
• Step It Up! (12 minutes)
• Jump Up! (13 minutes)
• Cool It Down (5 minutes)

Of course, the segments can be done individually or combined for a longer workout. Each segment is different, and there is not a lot of repetition. As the segment titles suggest, the workouts increase in intensity. ‘Step It Up’ and ‘Jump Up!’ are more energetic than ‘Wind It Up.’

The dances are inspired by Brazilian rhythms and moves, meaning lots of hips and big arm movements. Within each segment, the moves are repeated many times to build a choreography. For those without dance experience, the footwork may seem complicated at first. Mullen does not show modifications, but with practice, the workout can be done at different intensity levels.

The cueing is done by voice-over. There is an option to do the workout with Caribbean music only. Mullen dances barefoot and no equipment is required.

Bonus features include a ‘Bonus Performance,’ which features Mullen in Carnival costume. It’s more like clips of Mullen dancing than a performance. Also, the DVD features previews of Bollywood and a belly dance DVDs available from Acacia.

Dancing at home is one way to burn off King Cake calories. If you are near a Mardi Gras celebration, here are some additional suggestions from Molly Kimball of The Times-Picayune:

One-inch slice (diameter of a quarter): 100 calories
- Burn it! 25 minutes of strolling along the parade route will burn off the calories in a one-inch slice of king cake.
2½-inch slice (width of iPhone or Blackberry): 250 calories
- Burn it! Catching beads for 78 minutes will negate the calories in this average-sized slice of king cake.
Six-inch slice (length of a dollar bill): 600 calories
- Burn it! To offset the calories in this slab-like piece of king cake, you would need to second line for two hours.

And two hours is a lot of second lining, to say the least. But it’s nothing compared to the additional five hours it would take if you washed your king cake down with a 1600-calorie 32-ounce daiquiri.

Happy Carnival!

Two of my favorite things are fitness and fashion.   And, essie® has done it! They have bundled these two things into one beautiful bottle of creme nail polish!

essie’s  fitness themed collection, Yogaga, features soft, muted tones with fitness-inspired names that will leave you feeling fit from head to toe!

• Boxer Shorts – a winning blue
• Spinning Again – a driven brick red
• Pilates Hottie – a zen light lilac
• Marathin – a fit rosy pink
• Gym Dandy – a motivated greige brown
• Yogaga – a peachful sandy beige

According to the nail polish blogger community (yes, this exists!), the Yogaga collection debuted in early August. I may be slightly behind on the trend, but because the colors are neutral shades, they easily make the transition into fall.

As a runner, I can’t wait to get my hands on Marathin!  The pink is perfect for October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and I think the name is hysterical… After completing 26.2 miles, I better be thin!

You work hard at the gym to stay in shape and feel good, so why not polish your look with beautiful nails.

Happy Painting!

Photo from essie.com