Comments on Cranky Fitness: Ask The Readers: Best Home Exercise DVDs and Gym A...

I will second the recommendations for Gilad... tho...

2009-06-07T21:15:22.173-04:00

I will second the recommendations for Gilad... though I've not done his cardio workouts yet, I've found his strength workouts are tough, but oddly fun. He is motivating and not bad to look at.

If you get FitTV, you can check him out for free.

Otherwise I've mostly done water aerobics and swimming for cardio and sometimes exercise bike and/or Nordic Track skiing. Walking if I want really mild cardio, as that does not get my heart rate up much.

You need to grab yourself a pair of resistance ban...

2009-06-07T16:38:53.601-04:00

You need to grab yourself a pair of resistance bands. TRUE resistance bands, ones where you can clip on a bunch of bands on the handle.

Now you can practically just replace the entire gym @ home! Huzzah!

Oh and they make GREAT sling shots... I egged an house like 100 feet down from across my back yard. Incredible.

Get a wheelbarrow, fill with rocks, push in hot su...

2009-06-04T15:59:42.410-04:00

Get a wheelbarrow, fill with rocks, push in hot sun for a couple of blocks. Empty, return to rock pile, repeat. Great cardio and weight training in one!

But seriously, I hurt myself! I thank your readers for the great suggestions.

Ohh..both the post and some of the comments have h...

2009-06-04T14:03:16.376-04:00

Ohh..both the post and some of the comments have had me cracking up over my Bran Flakes (yes, I usually get my CrankyFit Fix at the same time as getting my Bran Flakes Fix, no day is complete without them!).

I've never gone to a gym, I've gotten into shape working out at home. On the days I don't lift I usually get my cardio through 5m walks (though I'm thinking to start doing HIIT at home over the summer to change it up when the sun starts scortching me). On the days I lift I always start off with Leslie Sansone's 30min version of Walk Away the Pounds. The music is pretty crappy, and YES as a PP mentioned she is a little "crazypants", but it's the only DVD I do. What I love about this DVD is that it gets my heart rate up nicely but it's not overly long, as I do my 'real' workout afterward. I use this DVD before I lift primarily because of the arm movements- I find it's an excellent precursor to lifting because the arm movements basically simulate all the movements I use with free weights. When I start the DVD my arms always feel slow and little bit stiff, but by the end they feel fluid and warm, and afterward I just go right into my strength-training without any ado.

But in terms of using DVDs solely for cardio value, I'm sure that a lot of the suggestions above are better in terms of giving a better workout and better music.

The main point I wanted to make (yes I had a point..lol) is that in case you're not aware, I've heard that public libraries that have DVDs along with books to borrow will often have a selection of workout DVDs. If you have a local library in your area you might want to check it out...it can be a great way to 'test drive' different exercise DVDs to find one that's right for you.

Good luck! :)

... all my workouts involve muscle confusion... di...

2009-06-04T12:47:30.553-04:00

... all my workouts involve muscle confusion... didn't know that was supposed to be a /good/ thing ;)

I love the JM 30DS and any of the Tony Horton/Beac...

2009-06-04T12:42:00.384-04:00

I love the JM 30DS and any of the Tony Horton/Beach Body videos... they will eat you alive. 10-Minute Trainer's great for when I'm trying to come up with an excuse not to work out, and the P90X are great for really getting into shape for an occasion.

Kind of expensive, but a great investment because all his moves involve muscle confusion (unlike many other workout DVD's), so you can do them forever without hitting a plateau.

I am with Emily on this one. I love doing the 30 ...

2009-06-04T09:59:34.262-04:00

I am with Emily on this one. I love doing the 30 Day Shred on days I am not running. It is the best workout DVD I have found. I occasionally also use Kathy Smith's Kickboxing workout DVD.

I think I'm the only one still wondering what the ...

2009-06-04T00:26:20.125-04:00

I think I'm the only one still wondering what the pig was doing. Maybe a cardio pig DVD?

I am all about interval training... I lift weights...

2009-06-03T22:20:27.696-04:00

I am all about interval training... I lift weights, then jump on my elliptical and go as fast as I can for a minute or two, or I will do mountain climbers, jumping jacks, step-ups, what-have-you. It keeps the work-out from getting too boring and I have noticed a difference in my body composition, even if the scale is only budging a pound or so per week.

I am all about interval training... lifting weight...

2009-06-03T22:18:56.081-04:00

I am all about interval training... lifting weights, then jumping on my elliptical for two minutes pedaling as fast as I can, or doing mountain climbers, jumping jacks, step-ups, what-have-you... I have really noticed a difference in my body composition even if the scale only budges about a pound per week.

Wow!!!!!!!! I can see I definitely have a LOT of ...

2009-06-03T21:58:34.067-04:00

Wow!!!!!!!!

I can see I definitely have a LOT of options and I'm actually kind of eager to start experimenting.

And for me "eager" doesn't come easily. You all ROCK. Thank you so much!

Well, I love my gym and I also love the studio whe...

2009-06-03T21:35:07.100-04:00

Well, I love my gym and I also love the studio where I train 3x/week - but for those days when I want something different, I turn to the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD, which is a surprisingly kick-ass (and kid of fun!) workout that you can do in the comfort of your own living-room. I have no equipment at home except a yoga mat and a set of 10lb dumb bells and those are all I need for the Shred. I don't own any other workout DVDs, although I will sometimes turn on FitTV (Time Warner NYC cable, but pretty sure most cable companies have it, or a similar channel) and I'll Tivo a few of those workouts for future reserves if they look interesting enough.

i pop my headphones on and dance while i'm cleanin...

2009-06-03T19:31:17.399-04:00

i pop my headphones on and dance while i'm cleaning. no video suggestions, sorry.

Mindy Mylrea is ridiculously awesome for some toug...

2009-06-03T18:52:19.244-04:00

Mindy Mylrea is ridiculously awesome for some tough cardio. (search our site for a review) She's on Netflix too!

I'll second Martse's recommendation of Turbo Jam. ...

2009-06-03T18:30:31.064-04:00

I'll second Martse's recommendation of Turbo Jam. I can't stand over-perky instructors, but Chalene is quite genuine. Her weight training program ChaLean is also very effective and enjoyable.
But Turbo is the way to go!

(Oh, and I meant to mention that Jill's comment ju...

2009-06-03T18:20:43.050-04:00

(Oh, and I meant to mention that Jill's comment just about had me choking on a celery stick....)

Another Netflix + Roku box user here! On Netflix,...

2009-06-03T18:19:40.628-04:00

Another Netflix + Roku box user here! On Netflix, I really like the Keli Roberts "10 Minute Solutions Kickboxing Bootcamp". I also like the Dance Off the Inches "Fat Burning Jam" and "15 Minute Express"; these tended to have less complicated dance moves than some of the others, such as Crunch.

I've also had some good luck with rummage sales. I like the Prevention Fitness System's "Ultimate Walking Workout" (Chris Freytag) that I picked up, although I haven't done it in awhile.

And of course, the 30 Day Shred CD is quite intense.

Forgot to add - here's a site that is similar to n...

2009-06-03T17:01:57.858-04:00

Forgot to add - here's a site that is similar to netflix, but has a much larger selection, esp for more advanced titles - and even has some P90x workouts, too. I haven't used their services yet, though - but the selection looks awesome!
http://www.kineticflix.com/

Decent if not gym quality home elliptical (you can...

2009-06-03T16:54:03.029-04:00

Decent if not gym quality home elliptical (you can choose to ignore the swinging arms) + weight bench + free weights + Ipod (last is indispensible!)

Totally agree about Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shre...

2009-06-03T16:44:40.049-04:00

Totally agree about Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred. The workouts are only about 25 min, but they will KICK YOUR ASS. I think that this, plus her newer longer videos use the same principles as P90X? P90X is supposed to be awesome but really hard and also expensive, so if you don't want to spring for it, I think Jillian's are a good alternative. You can be pretty darn fit and still think Jillian's workouts are hard.

I don't love cardio, and tend to gravitate toward ...

2009-06-03T16:38:32.213-04:00

I don't love cardio, and tend to gravitate toward machines or outdoor stuff, but I do enjoy kickboxing. I'm choreography challenged, but kickboxing is pretty doable for me. I like walking videos as well, but they aren't very intense, usually. Better than the couch, I suppose. Some good kbox instructors include Cathe Friedrich, Amy Bento (but hers are more complicated), Jillian Michaels, Kathy Smith, Kimberly Spreen, Keli Roberts, and Patricia Moreno. They all have different flavors, but you can read more about individual workouts at videofitness.com, too. :)

I can't get myself into dvds.. i've got a couple y...

2009-06-03T16:22:01.214-04:00

I can't get myself into dvds.. i've got a couple yoga ones, but it's virtually impossible to do one and get into the groove with two dogs, a cat, and a now-mobile baby!

What has always gotten my heartrate up is rowing. if my math is right, i can burn 1200 cal an hr! ok, so I don't, at least not anymore... so i do 15-30 minutes when i can talk myself into it. I couldn't rationalise spending the 2-3 thousand dollars on a really good Concept II ergometer, so i went with a el'cheapo one from Walmart. not too bad! no programs on the monitor, and the pull chain isn't quite long enough for me, but for $200? it's perfect!

I highly recommend at least trying the erg at the gym (I assume your gym has a rowing machine.. most do)... and have someone who knows what they're doing show you - if done correctly, you can row with a bad back even :)

Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred (20 min.) and her B...

2009-06-03T16:21:56.177-04:00

Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred (20 min.) and her BFBM (Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism) (about 40 min.).

OK, I know it's cheesy, but I loveloveLOVE the Tur...

2009-06-03T14:39:59.261-04:00

OK, I know it's cheesy, but I loveloveLOVE the Turbo Jam DVDs. The leader (don't ask me her name, I can't remember right now) would be annoying except that she seems like she's GENUINELY having a fantastic time, which cracks me up. I can't stand anything where the leaders are fake-smiling their way through the whole thing. They're high-impact, but there's always a low-impact version, and surprisingly, it's still a REALLY good workout (not always the case with the low-impact stuff).

Love Gilad, too - he's not condescending, either.

And depending on my mood, I'm partial to the old-school Tamilee Webb cardio DVDs. Some days she annoys the crap out of me, but the workouts are generally pretty efficient. If you have access to FitTV, she used to do 20-minute cardio segments (can't remember the name - maybe Cardio Power? Something like that), no commercial breaks. I taped a bunch of them and used to do 2 at a time - that was a GREAT workout, and it was only 40 minutes!

AND Rodney Yee's Power Yoga is AWESOME. It's not fast, and I'm always surprised how much my heart rate does NOT go up, but after doing it daily for about 3 months, I felt better, had muscles starting to show AND my running time increased a LOT (which surprised me, since the workout itself wasn't THAT hard).

I really want to try the 30-Day Shred after reading all the comments, though. I can't wait to be living on the ground floor of a building again!

Clarification: by "our" gym, I mean the gym that ...

2009-06-03T14:33:15.321-04:00

Clarification: by "our" gym, I mean the gym that belongs to our apartment building. I don't personally have a gym unless you count my studio where I have some step stools and weights, and I do know exactly how much those cost.