Physical Exercise Exersise DVDS

[veganchick]

I cannot afford gym membership neither is there one local to me so i am thinking of using Exersise dvd's do you know any good ones?

 

[hungryraccoon]

30 day shred! It's brilliant. Any Gillian Micheals workout DVD really. Depends how hard you want your workouts to be?

Also, there are hundreds of free workout vids on YouTube. FitnessBlender, blogilates etc...maybe give those a go

 

[Dedalus]

My wife loves the 'Insanity' program. It looks pretty #*$&% intense. The question is how comfortable are you with doing a workout that has already been labeled as insane?

 

[hungryraccoon]

My wife loves the 'Insanity' program. It looks pretty #*$&% intense. The question is how comfortable are you with doing a workout that has already been labeled as insane?

Your wife must be FIT.

Insanity looks terrifying, haha.

 

[yakherder]

I'd avoid gyms even if they paid me to take the membership. Not because there's anything wrong with gym workouts, I think they're great if you happen to like the environment. I don't

I've heard good things about most of the above mentioned DVD's. My issue with DVD's (in general) are that they provide cookie cutter workouts which will quickly become obsolete. The workout is not designed specifically for your needs and they don't account for the body's tendency to adapt. When you follow a cookie cutter program you will achieve results very quickly at first (known in weight training as newbie gains), then your body will adapt and you won't get as much out of it the second time through. The same movements won't put the same stress on your muscles, and you'll actually burn less calories than before doing the same workouts. This is why doing the same run on the same treadmill day after day tends to not produce the results which those worthless calorie counter displays would lead you to believe.

That said, I have two favorite books in regards to non-gym dependent fitness. They do provide sample routines for you to follow that are every bit as challenging as those in the DVD's, but explain the science behind those workouts so you can modify them as you progress and continue to achieve results.

The first is "Never Gymless" by Ross Enamait (boxing trainer and fitness guru). This is an excellent first book, providing everything you really need and being less than $20. (Skip the nutrition section of the book)
http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html

Never Gymless is dedicated to home-based workouts that negate the need for a fully equipped gym. If you've ever wanted to exercise at home, this book will provide you with a lifetime of challenges.

Learn about bodyweight exercise for strength, endurance, and speed. Supplemental exercises with resistance bands are also included, as well as a simplified nutritional strategy for lifelong health and athletic performance.

Sample training programs are also included in this 230 page manual.

The second book is "Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength" by Steven Low (freerunner, gymnast). This book is absolutely amazing. Don't let the "gymnastics" portion of the title throw you off. It contains a goldmine of information for anyone into non-gym dependent fitness. At $45 for the book, however, it might be a little overkill if you're not a complete fitness fanatic.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1467933120...UTF8&colid=1ESWGRGKE4NQY&coliid=IQD1RGWVYXTOM

Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength is a 542 page comprehensive guide to the most overlooked, yet most powerful elements of strength training.

In this book, Steven Low takes the reader on a journey through logically and systematically constructing a strength oriented bodyweight workout routine. With a highly systematic and scientific approach, Steven delves into the exercise physiology behind strength training and how to adequately prepare the body for the rigors of bodyweight training. Using the same rigor and attention to detail, Overcoming Gravity also includes recommendations for all bodyweight athletes concerning health and injury management. Unlike other books on this topic, it provides extremely comprehensive sample programming to assist in the design of a well-balanced routine, including information about the proper execution of the exercises and techniques.

If you prefer your books on fitness and health to include data, science and effective recommendations, then Overcoming Gravity is an ideal addition to your library.

Note: this book contains no bodyweight leg exercises, or primary gymnastics work (cartwheels, tumbling, swings, giants, etc.). It is devoted solely toward upper body strength and skill development with gymnastics exercises.

"I'll say it straight: Overcoming Gravity is the best book money can buy on gymnastics and bodyweight strength--period! This book reads like what it is--an absolute labor of love, an all-encompassing masterpiece written by a bona fide genius in the field. This book wasn't written to make a ton of money. There is so much advanced training information in this huge volume that it could have easily been watered-down and split into ten books...maybe more. Overcoming Gravity has the power to change the way you train--not just for a handful of workouts, but for an entire lifetime. Buy this book!"

 

[SummerRain]

I own a few, I really like the Davina ones, I like "Fit" and "My three 30 min work outs". I think they're quite well rounded, not too annoying.

I quite like exercise DVDs, especially if you have a few so that you can rotate them to stop it being boring. They give a more rounded work out than most people would do at the gym (especially if you just stick to the machines) with proper warming up and stretching exercises so that you don't hurt yourself. They're cheap and easy to fit into your day-to-day life. The davina ones tend to have three people, and one person does a lower-intensity version, and one a higher-intensity version, depending on your ability... which I think is helpful.

They're not perfect, but I think for your average person (i.e. someone who doesn't know lots about health/fitness/exercise), they are a safer and more structured way of exercising than most other options (running, swimming, going to the gym).