Quick Facts:
Run time: Approximately 17 minutes, wasting no time
Equipment needed: Water
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6 as of 5/3/11
Date completed: 5/4/11
Fitness Stats: Have only done brief amounts of HIIT (1 per 10 minutes in cardio vids)
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 237 in 17 minutes, 216 calories more than normal
Highest heart rate: 190
Lowest heart rate: 156
Difficulty+Intensity: 8/10
Good For:
Who: Anybody adventurous with a decent exercise base who wants results without spending too long each day
When: You're crunched on time but what a kick-butt calorie burner
Extended Review:
If you've never done a HIIT before, prepare to have your bum royally kicked. "Oh, 15 minutes? That's not so bad. I can do 15 minutes of just about anything!" Sure, you think that now ;) Chalene Johnson really knows how to work you to your max and how to motivate you to do your best. You feel like you're dying, and she basically celebrates that. She's smiling and always upbeat, so you're constantly like, "YAY, I'M WORKING SO HARD I WANT TO VOMIT!" Yes, she gets YOU excited to be feeling so bad. And the irony of it all is that after each interval, when you go to rest, you actually feel good. The only downfall when it comes to Chalene is that she doesn't spend a lot of time instructing on form. Of course, in 15 minutes when you're trying to keep your heart rate up, drop it down briefly, and then do it all over again, there's not a lot of time for explanation. She does a good enough job explaining during the resting intervals though
Trainer fun level: 9/10
Trainer explanation level: 7/10
As far as the actual workout goes, like I said, it's a killer. There are 3 different interval types, but each interval type is done 3 times for a total of 9 high-intensity intervals. In order to get your heart rate up so super high, you have to do a lot of jumping- explosive jumping. If you can't do one interval of plyometrics, don't expect to finish this HIIT following all the people in the "class." If you are having trouble with the intensity, you can follow the girl on the right as always for a lower-impact... but be aware, that does not mean "easy." You wanted an effect workout in 15 minutes, right? It has to be so painful. Those jump-squats, jump-lunges, high knee kicks, and the like are necessary, even if you can hardly lift off the ground now because you're so confused. Which, by the way, be prepared for as well. If doing this for the first time, you might feel like a preteen in a calculus class- struggling to even understand what she's saying let alone actually doing it. The good news is that overtime everything gets easier. You'll learn the routine and your body will adapt and let you go harder and higher so you feel like you're doing what you're supposed to.
Overall fun level: 8/10
Overall intensity level: 9/10
Overall difficulty level: 7/10
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
TurboFire: Fire 45
Quick Facts:
Run time: 45 minutes, about 40 minutes spent really "working out."
Equipment needed: Water preferred
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6 last time I checked
Fitness Stats: RHR of 54 (usually). Did Fire 30 and HIIT 15 a couple days before
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 510 total, about 456 extra/more than daily living
Highest heart rate: 187
Lowest heart rate: 143
Difficulty: 8/10
Good For:
Who: Anybody of not-terrible fitness desiring a fat burning, endorphin pumping, high energy workout
When: You have enough time and really want that small desert
Extended Review:
There isn't much difference between Fire 45 and Fire 30. Chalene is exactly the same super upbeat peppy instructor. Just as in Fire 30, Fire 45 has some pretty silly "dance" part where you just "wiggle it." Actually, in Fire 45, there is a song called "Wiggle It," and yes, during that song is when you have those brief periods of crunking and being spastic. Also just like in Fire 30, 45 has those fire drills. They're actually really nice, in my opinion. You work as hard you possibly can for a minute, and then you get to rest by moving slowly! What other cardio allows that? Exactly. The only difference with the fire drills is that there are 3 instead of 2, and they aren't evenly spaced out. Also be ready for some basic plyometrics. Fire 30 had them briefly, and Fire 45 does too. You will be jumping around a bit more, doing "air jacks." And oh, Chalene doesn't forget to squat-thrusts! Thankfully, you have the option of following the girl on the right- Allie. If at any moment you do not wish to continue to push yourself (or it is dangerous to do so), you can follow a more low-impact version by watching her. Comes in handy when you cannot do another squat thrust so quickly!
Perhaps it is because I had already done Fire 30 or perhaps it is because of the length, but Fire 45 seems to be easier to follow than it's shorter counterpart. Each little routine is done longer, there is more focus on the moves, and Chalene takes the time to somewhat explain a bit better what is being done for each move. I found myself actually understanding the punch sequences this time.
Trainer explanation level: 8/10
Trainer fun level: 8/10
Overall difficulty: 7/10
Overall intensity: 9/10
Run time: 45 minutes, about 40 minutes spent really "working out."
Equipment needed: Water preferred
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6 last time I checked
Fitness Stats: RHR of 54 (usually). Did Fire 30 and HIIT 15 a couple days before
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 510 total, about 456 extra/more than daily living
Highest heart rate: 187
Lowest heart rate: 143
Difficulty: 8/10
Good For:
Who: Anybody of not-terrible fitness desiring a fat burning, endorphin pumping, high energy workout
When: You have enough time and really want that small desert
Extended Review:
There isn't much difference between Fire 45 and Fire 30. Chalene is exactly the same super upbeat peppy instructor. Just as in Fire 30, Fire 45 has some pretty silly "dance" part where you just "wiggle it." Actually, in Fire 45, there is a song called "Wiggle It," and yes, during that song is when you have those brief periods of crunking and being spastic. Also just like in Fire 30, 45 has those fire drills. They're actually really nice, in my opinion. You work as hard you possibly can for a minute, and then you get to rest by moving slowly! What other cardio allows that? Exactly. The only difference with the fire drills is that there are 3 instead of 2, and they aren't evenly spaced out. Also be ready for some basic plyometrics. Fire 30 had them briefly, and Fire 45 does too. You will be jumping around a bit more, doing "air jacks." And oh, Chalene doesn't forget to squat-thrusts! Thankfully, you have the option of following the girl on the right- Allie. If at any moment you do not wish to continue to push yourself (or it is dangerous to do so), you can follow a more low-impact version by watching her. Comes in handy when you cannot do another squat thrust so quickly!
Perhaps it is because I had already done Fire 30 or perhaps it is because of the length, but Fire 45 seems to be easier to follow than it's shorter counterpart. Each little routine is done longer, there is more focus on the moves, and Chalene takes the time to somewhat explain a bit better what is being done for each move. I found myself actually understanding the punch sequences this time.
Trainer explanation level: 8/10
Trainer fun level: 8/10
Overall difficulty: 7/10
Overall intensity: 9/10
Thursday, May 5, 2011
TurboFire: Fire 30
Quick Facts:
Run time: 31 minutes, most of it like totally active.
Equipment needed: Mmm water.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6
Fitness Stats: RHR of 54 (usually). Finished with HIIT 15 three hours before doing this. Previous Tae Bo experience but not much. Still can't run, like, at all.
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 339 total, about 306 extra/more than daily living
Highest heart rate: 187
Lowest heart rate: 156
Difficulty: 8/10
Good For:
Who: Anybody trying to burn some fat and get drenched.
When: You aren't in the mood for too much interval training but still want a good cardio workout
Extended Review:
The first of many Chalene Johnson and TurboFire reviews! Chalene is a very upbeat instructor. She loves the camera, and the camera loves her. She doesn't look like you do when you work out, and that can be either discouraging or super encouraging. Honestly, I think she wears makeup, but you never know. Anyway, she is one of the most bubbly instructors I have seen on any fitness DVD. She does not intimidate you in the least, like Jillian Michaels. Well, that's a lie. Jillian's persona is very tough and harsh. Chalene is like, that soccer mom that lives down the road from you that all the other woman on the street hate because she is always so vivacious. Again, for some that can be really encouraging, and for others it can make you feel like poo. It encourages me, honestly. I choose to have a positive attitude around happy people (: Chalene is also really good at making you feel like you should work out harder. It's that positivity thing she has going for her. One major problem with her instructing, though, is that it's very hard to learn her routines. If you're doing this for the first time, expect to have difficulty keeping up. My friend, who is a dancer, became confused and even said, "I don't get what she's doing!" The camera angles change, and sometimes you don't see Chalene, which makes it ever harder to follow. The angling is supposed to make you "feel like you're part of the class," and it does in the beginning and end and after the two intervals, but during the workout, if you are confused (which you will be), you want to see what Chalene is doing because you WILL get lost. Sometimes even watching her hardly helps- hellooo, what's an uppercut and double jab? How do I perform such moves in succession? While I might know it, you might not. Another issue, as my dancer friend pointed out, is that the music isn't totally instep with the moves. Chalene does a pretty good job with mixing the music, but there are some times in which she goes off-beat. I hardly noticed it, however. The music is kind of cheesy ("Play that funky music!"), but it gets you going and has an appropriate BPM to keep you up and active.
Trainer fun level: 9/10
Trainer instruction level: 6/10
As far as intensity and difficulty, thank goodness I have some background in tae bo. Most of the moves are tae-bo inspired. Not a lot of kicking is involved, but you punch a lot and incorporate your lower body by continually moving your feet/shuffling. She also loves to have you do squats and variations of them. Often times when punching, she'll make you squat down and get lower. This adds intensity, but it is controlled by you, so you get to determine just how much intensity you want. You also will do squat-thrusts, which is basically like you squat, put hands on the floor, jump your legs out, and then jump back up. Those are the worst because she goes really fast. You will also do things such as "fire throws" which are just too odd to explain, and then what she calls "Fire Drills." Fire Drills are 1-minute long high-intensity intervals. There are only two during the video, and personally I really like them. You run in place as much as fast as you can, doing from "narrow" legs to "wide legs" (as if easing your way into a squat while you run), and then you do a lot of plyometric jumping. Afterward, you rest for a little bit, which gives you the perfect opportunity to get a drink of water without interrupting the workout. The advantage of any amount of HIIT, for reference, is that you continuously burn extra calories for up to 24 hours after the workout. This is known as "PEOC"- post-exercise oxygen consumption, or "afterburn." Traditional cardio does NOT get such an effect as HIIT does, so yes, the fire drills are very helpful!
Overall intensity level: 8/10
Overall difficulty level: 8/10
Run time: 31 minutes, most of it like totally active.
Equipment needed: Mmm water.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6
Fitness Stats: RHR of 54 (usually). Finished with HIIT 15 three hours before doing this. Previous Tae Bo experience but not much. Still can't run, like, at all.
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 339 total, about 306 extra/more than daily living
Highest heart rate: 187
Lowest heart rate: 156
Difficulty: 8/10
Good For:
Who: Anybody trying to burn some fat and get drenched.
When: You aren't in the mood for too much interval training but still want a good cardio workout
Extended Review:
The first of many Chalene Johnson and TurboFire reviews! Chalene is a very upbeat instructor. She loves the camera, and the camera loves her. She doesn't look like you do when you work out, and that can be either discouraging or super encouraging. Honestly, I think she wears makeup, but you never know. Anyway, she is one of the most bubbly instructors I have seen on any fitness DVD. She does not intimidate you in the least, like Jillian Michaels. Well, that's a lie. Jillian's persona is very tough and harsh. Chalene is like, that soccer mom that lives down the road from you that all the other woman on the street hate because she is always so vivacious. Again, for some that can be really encouraging, and for others it can make you feel like poo. It encourages me, honestly. I choose to have a positive attitude around happy people (: Chalene is also really good at making you feel like you should work out harder. It's that positivity thing she has going for her. One major problem with her instructing, though, is that it's very hard to learn her routines. If you're doing this for the first time, expect to have difficulty keeping up. My friend, who is a dancer, became confused and even said, "I don't get what she's doing!" The camera angles change, and sometimes you don't see Chalene, which makes it ever harder to follow. The angling is supposed to make you "feel like you're part of the class," and it does in the beginning and end and after the two intervals, but during the workout, if you are confused (which you will be), you want to see what Chalene is doing because you WILL get lost. Sometimes even watching her hardly helps- hellooo, what's an uppercut and double jab? How do I perform such moves in succession? While I might know it, you might not. Another issue, as my dancer friend pointed out, is that the music isn't totally instep with the moves. Chalene does a pretty good job with mixing the music, but there are some times in which she goes off-beat. I hardly noticed it, however. The music is kind of cheesy ("Play that funky music!"), but it gets you going and has an appropriate BPM to keep you up and active.
Trainer fun level: 9/10
Trainer instruction level: 6/10
As far as intensity and difficulty, thank goodness I have some background in tae bo. Most of the moves are tae-bo inspired. Not a lot of kicking is involved, but you punch a lot and incorporate your lower body by continually moving your feet/shuffling. She also loves to have you do squats and variations of them. Often times when punching, she'll make you squat down and get lower. This adds intensity, but it is controlled by you, so you get to determine just how much intensity you want. You also will do squat-thrusts, which is basically like you squat, put hands on the floor, jump your legs out, and then jump back up. Those are the worst because she goes really fast. You will also do things such as "fire throws" which are just too odd to explain, and then what she calls "Fire Drills." Fire Drills are 1-minute long high-intensity intervals. There are only two during the video, and personally I really like them. You run in place as much as fast as you can, doing from "narrow" legs to "wide legs" (as if easing your way into a squat while you run), and then you do a lot of plyometric jumping. Afterward, you rest for a little bit, which gives you the perfect opportunity to get a drink of water without interrupting the workout. The advantage of any amount of HIIT, for reference, is that you continuously burn extra calories for up to 24 hours after the workout. This is known as "PEOC"- post-exercise oxygen consumption, or "afterburn." Traditional cardio does NOT get such an effect as HIIT does, so yes, the fire drills are very helpful!
Overall intensity level: 8/10
Overall difficulty level: 8/10
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Pops, Locks, and Shimmies, Vol 1.
Quick Facts:
Run time: 155 minutes, about two hours and 20 minutes active
Equipment needed: None.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6
Fitness Stats: Only some Shimmy for belly dance background.
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 673 calories for active time, about 505 more than normal
Highest heart rate: 130
Lowest heart rate: 97
Difficulty: 3/10-7/10 (depending)
Good For:
Who: Anybody interested in belly dance.
When: Any day you're interested in improving your belly dance skills.
Extended Review:
Sadie and Kaya do a good job for most of it, honestly. They give some good tips for how to control your muscles. Some of them include looking at yourself in a mirror (feels a bit silly), looking at them (as there are two of them, they often show differences between two styles of movement or showing from different angles), imagining a "string," and others. As so much in belly dancing is learning to isolate movements to emphasize only one focal point, the tips can help anybody trying to improve their technique. Every motion is commentated by one or the other, and as already mentioned, they show you different angles and speeds to help with the technicality of the motions There are various "segments" to this DVD as well, and the DVD menu is set up so you can easily select something that you want to work on. You can play the whole DVD or start any any particular part in the DVD, basically. This is particularly helpful for those who want to work on just a few areas or if you don't have basically two hours to spend. Some of the segments feel really easy. You might be able to raise your chest very easily, for example. If you are not new to bellydance, you might seem like it's not for you. However, some of the segments get advanced. I, for one, can't shimmy well at all. I also have basically no coordination. I can pop and lock my pelvic isolations just fine, but the drills were so much more difficult, adding in footwork and having to really think of a routine. Even the basic Egyptian walk and the grapevine confused me when I added the arm work and isolations. When the shimmies were added, I started just making something up. I've never learned how to shimmy before, which was definitely the problem, but the point is, whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced at belly dancing, you will find something to do with the DVD. Start with where you are slightly challenged, and as you progress and get more skilled, you can do the harder segments and work your way into perfecting the drills.
The only downfalls to the DVD are that the music often seems too quiet (I'd rather hear the drums than Sadie's snapping) and it feels so long. I was pretty bored after 40 minutes. The DVD itself isn't boring- I just don't have that attention span. The length is partially remedied with the fact that you can select chapters and segments relatively easily. However, do not expect to pop in the video and do all of wit without wanting to hit yourself over the head out of boredom. I actually found myself wanting to *run* more than finishing that DVD.
The performance at the end was really quite beautiful, too. Not part of the workout, but it's enjoyable to watch real performances.
Trainer explanation level: 9/10
Overall fun level: 5/10
Overall intensity level: 5/10
Difficulty levels: 3/10-7/10
Run time: 155 minutes, about two hours and 20 minutes active
Equipment needed: None.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6
Fitness Stats: Only some Shimmy for belly dance background.
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 673 calories for active time, about 505 more than normal
Highest heart rate: 130
Lowest heart rate: 97
Difficulty: 3/10-7/10 (depending)
Good For:
Who: Anybody interested in belly dance.
When: Any day you're interested in improving your belly dance skills.
Extended Review:
Sadie and Kaya do a good job for most of it, honestly. They give some good tips for how to control your muscles. Some of them include looking at yourself in a mirror (feels a bit silly), looking at them (as there are two of them, they often show differences between two styles of movement or showing from different angles), imagining a "string," and others. As so much in belly dancing is learning to isolate movements to emphasize only one focal point, the tips can help anybody trying to improve their technique. Every motion is commentated by one or the other, and as already mentioned, they show you different angles and speeds to help with the technicality of the motions There are various "segments" to this DVD as well, and the DVD menu is set up so you can easily select something that you want to work on. You can play the whole DVD or start any any particular part in the DVD, basically. This is particularly helpful for those who want to work on just a few areas or if you don't have basically two hours to spend. Some of the segments feel really easy. You might be able to raise your chest very easily, for example. If you are not new to bellydance, you might seem like it's not for you. However, some of the segments get advanced. I, for one, can't shimmy well at all. I also have basically no coordination. I can pop and lock my pelvic isolations just fine, but the drills were so much more difficult, adding in footwork and having to really think of a routine. Even the basic Egyptian walk and the grapevine confused me when I added the arm work and isolations. When the shimmies were added, I started just making something up. I've never learned how to shimmy before, which was definitely the problem, but the point is, whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced at belly dancing, you will find something to do with the DVD. Start with where you are slightly challenged, and as you progress and get more skilled, you can do the harder segments and work your way into perfecting the drills.
The only downfalls to the DVD are that the music often seems too quiet (I'd rather hear the drums than Sadie's snapping) and it feels so long. I was pretty bored after 40 minutes. The DVD itself isn't boring- I just don't have that attention span. The length is partially remedied with the fact that you can select chapters and segments relatively easily. However, do not expect to pop in the video and do all of wit without wanting to hit yourself over the head out of boredom. I actually found myself wanting to *run* more than finishing that DVD.
The performance at the end was really quite beautiful, too. Not part of the workout, but it's enjoyable to watch real performances.
Trainer explanation level: 9/10
Overall fun level: 5/10
Overall intensity level: 5/10
Difficulty levels: 3/10-7/10
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Yoga Practice for Flexibility
Quick Facts:
Run time: Approximately 85 minutes, 75 minutes active
Equipment needed: Yoga mat, blocks optional
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: Under 130, unsure how much.
Fitness Stats: Took a yoga class during school for a quarter (like 11 weeks).
Quick Review:
Calories burned: Unknown, really. Around 55 extra calories per "session."
Highest heart rate: 97
Lowest heart rate: 60
Difficulty: 7/10
Good For:
Who: The flexible person new to yoga or the yogi with some decent previous instruction on modification.
When: Off days when you want to rejuvenate.
Extended Review:
Yoga Journal's two practices for flexibility are, in my opinion, nothing special. Patricia Walden is a good instructor; she's super flexible and shows the positions almost perfectly. Her voice is calming and doesn't interrupt from the yogi feel. If you're an experienced yogi, you'll find her voice annoying as you know how to do the many poses. If you're a beginner, the voice is well-received, as you may not have great body awareness and you don't want to look at the screen all the time. Overall, the poses were NOT beginner poses. She tells you to use a block if you are "not as flexible" and can't reach the floor, but she does not do a terrific job explaining to the beginner how to modify. If you take a class beforehand and your instructor is any good, s/he should tell you what to do if you can't reach. My own previous instructor told us to place our hands wherever on our body (legs) they could reach for stability and to keep everything "connected." This is not explained in the video, and it is expected, especially in the back bend (first) session, that you are already quite flexible, and quite strong as well.
Overall, I think it was okay. I wouldn't strongly suggest it to the brand new beginner to exercise, but whoever is already flexible but new to yoga would benefit. If you've taken some yoga classes and know how to modify poses to fit your own needs, then this is actually a very good DVD, too. If you're advanced and don't mind voices during your sessions, I also recommend it.
Run time: Approximately 85 minutes, 75 minutes active
Equipment needed: Yoga mat, blocks optional
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: Under 130, unsure how much.
Fitness Stats: Took a yoga class during school for a quarter (like 11 weeks).
Quick Review:
Calories burned: Unknown, really. Around 55 extra calories per "session."
Highest heart rate: 97
Lowest heart rate: 60
Difficulty: 7/10
Good For:
Who: The flexible person new to yoga or the yogi with some decent previous instruction on modification.
When: Off days when you want to rejuvenate.
Extended Review:
Yoga Journal's two practices for flexibility are, in my opinion, nothing special. Patricia Walden is a good instructor; she's super flexible and shows the positions almost perfectly. Her voice is calming and doesn't interrupt from the yogi feel. If you're an experienced yogi, you'll find her voice annoying as you know how to do the many poses. If you're a beginner, the voice is well-received, as you may not have great body awareness and you don't want to look at the screen all the time. Overall, the poses were NOT beginner poses. She tells you to use a block if you are "not as flexible" and can't reach the floor, but she does not do a terrific job explaining to the beginner how to modify. If you take a class beforehand and your instructor is any good, s/he should tell you what to do if you can't reach. My own previous instructor told us to place our hands wherever on our body (legs) they could reach for stability and to keep everything "connected." This is not explained in the video, and it is expected, especially in the back bend (first) session, that you are already quite flexible, and quite strong as well.
Overall, I think it was okay. I wouldn't strongly suggest it to the brand new beginner to exercise, but whoever is already flexible but new to yoga would benefit. If you've taken some yoga classes and know how to modify poses to fit your own needs, then this is actually a very good DVD, too. If you're advanced and don't mind voices during your sessions, I also recommend it.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Kathy Smith: March to Fitness
Quick Facts:
Run time: Approximately 30 minutes
Equipment needed: An open mind for cheese.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 130ish lbs
Fitness Stats: I suck at running. I doubt I can run 1 mile in under 10 minutes without feeling sick.
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 237 per 30 minutes, about 200 more than daily life.
Highest heart rate: 179
Lowest heart rate: 117
Difficulty: 6/10
Extended Review:
Publication date: too long ago. No, I'm serious. 1993, or like 18 years ago. This came out before I was even born. If you remember the early 90s and adored them, you might like this. Then again, I think it is good for anybody with a strange sense of humor. If you're like me, you'll love to laugh at it, from the clothes to the music.The music is picked from latin-esque "salsa" to cheesy 60s and "funk." It's honestly quite terrible- modern day gym music far surpasses it. I think I heard a song I remember from Barney, actually The two women who show you the moves (in addition to Kathy) are definitely NOT your typical fitness guru types. They have their stomachs covered and their thighs *gasp* TOUCH! Of course, if the abs arent shown, then obviously the shorts are super short, so you see almost everything.
As far as difficulty goes, I felt that it was kind of slow and lame, so naturally I added my own stuff to it, just to increase intensity. If you are doing what she has you do and you aren't at least slightly out of breath, then don't rely on my calorie stats. Roughly 5 calories per minute of activity is probably more than you would be burning. Where I burned most of my calories is during the "salsa" dancing part. I'm terribly uncoordinated with dance steps; my muscles just can't do it. That causes them to work harder, especially because I tend to just jump around and make it more high-impact.
Overall... Oh my goodness. Can you say super-cheese? Total 90s. Fun and energetic, but CHEEESSSSYYYY. The women aren't super small and they aren't all “here are my abs HAHAH!” and they look like real people, so that's good, but it does have the tendency to make you feel like you're a soccer mom from the 90s.
Fun level: 7/10
"This is Awful" humor level: 8/10
Intensity level: 5.5/10 going at her pace, 6/10 if you're laughing the entire time, 6.5/10 if you're adding in your own stuff.
Run time: Approximately 30 minutes
Equipment needed: An open mind for cheese.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 130ish lbs
Fitness Stats: I suck at running. I doubt I can run 1 mile in under 10 minutes without feeling sick.
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 237 per 30 minutes, about 200 more than daily life.
Highest heart rate: 179
Lowest heart rate: 117
Difficulty: 6/10
Extended Review:
Publication date: too long ago. No, I'm serious. 1993, or like 18 years ago. This came out before I was even born. If you remember the early 90s and adored them, you might like this. Then again, I think it is good for anybody with a strange sense of humor. If you're like me, you'll love to laugh at it, from the clothes to the music.The music is picked from latin-esque "salsa" to cheesy 60s and "funk." It's honestly quite terrible- modern day gym music far surpasses it. I think I heard a song I remember from Barney, actually The two women who show you the moves (in addition to Kathy) are definitely NOT your typical fitness guru types. They have their stomachs covered and their thighs *gasp* TOUCH! Of course, if the abs arent shown, then obviously the shorts are super short, so you see almost everything.
As far as difficulty goes, I felt that it was kind of slow and lame, so naturally I added my own stuff to it, just to increase intensity. If you are doing what she has you do and you aren't at least slightly out of breath, then don't rely on my calorie stats. Roughly 5 calories per minute of activity is probably more than you would be burning. Where I burned most of my calories is during the "salsa" dancing part. I'm terribly uncoordinated with dance steps; my muscles just can't do it. That causes them to work harder, especially because I tend to just jump around and make it more high-impact.
Overall... Oh my goodness. Can you say super-cheese? Total 90s. Fun and energetic, but CHEEESSSSYYYY. The women aren't super small and they aren't all “here are my abs HAHAH!” and they look like real people, so that's good, but it does have the tendency to make you feel like you're a soccer mom from the 90s.
Fun level: 7/10
"This is Awful" humor level: 8/10
Intensity level: 5.5/10 going at her pace, 6/10 if you're laughing the entire time, 6.5/10 if you're adding in your own stuff.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Kathy Smith: Starting Out
Quick Facts:
Run time: Approximately 40 minutes for aerobics and 20 minutes for strength
Equipment needed: Leg warmers and a leotard, optional.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 130ish lbs (binged day before, after last weigh-in).
Fitness Stats: Bench max = 50. Clean max = 45 (lbs, note weakness). Terrible runner, awesome biker, can't dance to save my life (: RHR of 54 :D
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 272 in 40 minutes, roughly 220 more than daily life. Strength section negligible
Highest heart rate: 160
Lowest heart rate: 65
Difficulty: 5/10
Extended Review:
Cheesy. 80s. Kathy Smith. Oh, my goodness. Hilarious actually; couldn't stop laughing at the one guy. No, seroiusly, there is a guy in lycra, and he is of questionable sexuality. Not that there's anything wrong with that; it's just... entertaining ;D. Very fun and energetic, and at the very least, the pastel colored aerobics gear is joyously awful. The base for Starting Out is that you have almost no experience with exercise. This is really good for those of you who absolutely dread getting off your bum and thus haven't done it. Kathy explains proper form- she stresses that most- and for the trickier footwork, she shows you an up-close shot of the feet for greater ease. The aerobics section is broken down into different parts, so you don't feel like it's taking 40 minutes of your life. I found it was easier to keep it up and not get so bored.
Fun and humor level: 8/10
Trainer explanation level: 9/10
As far as the aerobic/cardio part, Kathy does a good job at a low-impact workout to really start you off. It takes you through 4 aerobic routines typical in the 80s (as far as I know; this video is nearly 25 years old). The first one is a warm up and very easy. All of the steps are actually super easy to learn- and that is saying something from me, a girl who can't dance to save her life. In one of the aerobic sections. Like I mentioned, Kathy breaks the steps down. While sometimes if you're very uncoordinated you might be slightly confused as to the steps, most of it is simple
Aerobic intensity level: 5/10
The strength segment focuses most on just getting you to do exercises. Kathy aims to teach you "body awareness," so you have a better understanding of your muscles. It is very slow- too slow for my heart rate monitor to calculate any calories burned- but if you're very out of shape, then the calories might not be so negligible. Even still, consider them a bonus, for this part isn't designed for much more than getting you in the habit of strength training.
Strength intensity level: 4/10
Run time: Approximately 40 minutes for aerobics and 20 minutes for strength
Equipment needed: Leg warmers and a leotard, optional.
My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 130ish lbs (binged day before, after last weigh-in).
Fitness Stats: Bench max = 50. Clean max = 45 (lbs, note weakness). Terrible runner, awesome biker, can't dance to save my life (: RHR of 54 :D
Quick Review:
Calories burned: 272 in 40 minutes, roughly 220 more than daily life. Strength section negligible
Highest heart rate: 160
Lowest heart rate: 65
Difficulty: 5/10
Extended Review:
Cheesy. 80s. Kathy Smith. Oh, my goodness. Hilarious actually; couldn't stop laughing at the one guy. No, seroiusly, there is a guy in lycra, and he is of questionable sexuality. Not that there's anything wrong with that; it's just... entertaining ;D. Very fun and energetic, and at the very least, the pastel colored aerobics gear is joyously awful. The base for Starting Out is that you have almost no experience with exercise. This is really good for those of you who absolutely dread getting off your bum and thus haven't done it. Kathy explains proper form- she stresses that most- and for the trickier footwork, she shows you an up-close shot of the feet for greater ease. The aerobics section is broken down into different parts, so you don't feel like it's taking 40 minutes of your life. I found it was easier to keep it up and not get so bored.
Fun and humor level: 8/10
Trainer explanation level: 9/10
As far as the aerobic/cardio part, Kathy does a good job at a low-impact workout to really start you off. It takes you through 4 aerobic routines typical in the 80s (as far as I know; this video is nearly 25 years old). The first one is a warm up and very easy. All of the steps are actually super easy to learn- and that is saying something from me, a girl who can't dance to save her life. In one of the aerobic sections. Like I mentioned, Kathy breaks the steps down. While sometimes if you're very uncoordinated you might be slightly confused as to the steps, most of it is simple
Aerobic intensity level: 5/10
The strength segment focuses most on just getting you to do exercises. Kathy aims to teach you "body awareness," so you have a better understanding of your muscles. It is very slow- too slow for my heart rate monitor to calculate any calories burned- but if you're very out of shape, then the calories might not be so negligible. Even still, consider them a bonus, for this part isn't designed for much more than getting you in the habit of strength training.
Strength intensity level: 4/10
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