For some, as the cold weather approaches, it becomes increasingly difficult to be motivated enough to step outside the comfort of a warm apartment or dorm room to walk to the gym to get a workout in. For others, the problem isn’t going to the gym. The problem is what to do once you’re there. Some of us may be confused on how to actually work out or what to do at the gym. Either way, workout DVDs can be used to workout at home and still train properly to burn calories and tone muscles. We’ve all seen those commercials that advertise these wild claims about being able to lose fifteen pounds in a month because of their amazing workout plan. They seem pretty ridiculous and utterly impossible, but oftentimes if you choose the right DVD, they actually work.
It all comes down to the dedication and commitment you put in it. It is so easy to just go through the motions while watching a workout DVD because no one is physically present to encourage you to try your hardest. But if you follow through with the program without giving up or slacking off, most DVDs prove to effectively get you back into shape. Some DVDs have different levels of intensity, and the key to these programs is to move your way up to the highest level and stay there. This means you must challenge yourself to take that extra step when you feel you are ready.
When you do the same workout everyday, your body becomes immune to the exercise. The same exercises that had you sweating and panting a couple months ago will not give you the same effect anymore. Your body becomes used to the workout, no extra calories are lost, and your body composition will not change. Be sure to switch up the exercises periodically so that you continue to achieve results. Try a completely new DVD that focuses on other muscle groups every other day. If you work the same muscle group two days in a row, your body does not get a chance to recover and thus you may be hurting yourself instead of helping. You want to hit different muscle groups to avoid a plateau and continue to improve daily.
If you’re short on time and looking to shed fat in a minimal amount of time, try Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred or her Ripped in 30 DVD. Professional trainer on the TV show “The Biggest Loser”, Jillian Michaels is one of the toughest trainers out there. Her 30 day shred is designed as a twenty-minute workout for 30 days, at the end of which you will see significant weight loss and muscle toning. This twenty-minute workout is composed of three circuits of three minutes of strength, two minutes of cardio, and one minute of abs, complete with a warmup and cool down. I took this challenge over the summer and was surprised to see that it actually worked! Her Ripped in 30 DVD is similar to her 30 day shred, mixing cardio, strength, and abs with four 24-minute workouts in the DVD.
The INSANITY program has become very popular recently for both men and women. This is a 60-day total body conditioning program. Included in the set are 10 discs with different workouts, including plyometric cardio, core cardio and balance, max interval pylo, max recovery, and much more. Each workout is around 50 minutes long, the shortest being 30 and the longest 86. It is designed to have you working your hardest to lose up to 1,000 calories a day while increasing your strength, power, resistance, and core training all the while.
More flexible options include Zumba fitness and Hip Hop Abs. These programs combine dance moves with muscle conditioning to tone your body without even realizing it. If you’re looking for something more fun but with intense cardio, these programs are for you. There are many different options out there that focus on different parts of your body. Check out the Best New Workout DVDs of 2012 for a complete list on workouts that proved effective for many people. This site gives you a complete list of what equipment you may need, what the workout aims to achieve, how long each workout is, and it even includes the cost of the DVD.
Make sure to follow exactly what these trainers say. These trainers are professional, so if they are demonstrating a warm up or cool down, be sure to follow their advice. Strenuous exercise should be followed by stretching and preceded with a warm up. I know all you want to do after working out is plopping on your bed and taking a nap, but if you don’t start or finish your exercises properly as per their instructions, you can be seriously injured.
The results will be obvious after several weeks of exercise. If you are not sweating or if you feel as though you have made no improvement, try a different DVD. Experiment a little, and once you feel comfortable with one, continue to push yourself to the highest level to achieve the maximum results.