Body and fitness expert Natalie Carter shares her top tips on how to select the perfect fitness DVD to suit you. If you can’t decide between Tracey Anderson and Zumba, Nat’s got the perfect advice on how to tone up at home!
by Natalie Carter www.newoutlookfitness.com.au
Anything made pre 2005, ditch it. Fitness trends change and get updated regularly and I would recommend you stay with current, proven workouts that will give you great results
Don’t always go with the latest celebrity trainer DVD. Just because a trainer works with a celebrity doesn’t make them knowledge. Many of us “decent” trainers don’t train celebrities and have a greater knowledge background. Don’t fall for the celeb gimmick
Select a workout that will work multi muscle groups not just small groups
Aim for a workout that lasts between 30-45mins. Try to complete it 2-3 timers per week (if you are supplementing with other workouts) or 3-5, if it will be the bulk of your training.
Set yourself goals and targets so you don’t just jump around aimlessly in your living room.
Understand some form of “not eating crap “plan (aka healthy diet) will need to be followed if you want to see some decent results
Be careful when exercising in your lounge room! Safety first. Wear proper footwear and create a decent amount of space around you.
Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred
Jillian Michaels is straight talking and cuts most of the BS surrounding the fitness world in her DVD series. Her DVD’s come with a weight and cardio based section, involving quick, intense workouts that are very effective at burning body fat. If you don’t know by now, Jillian is the trainer from the popular Biggest Loser series US show. She combines body weight exercises with weight training & HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training); great for getting fit quick and blasting fat, which I love and recommend to my own clients. Devotees of the 30 day shred have reported dripping with sweat and getting a great workout following these DVDs. Again with any fitness program, a health check first will ensure there are no underlying issues as to why you can’t exercise and if you are a beginner take it slow and build up your fitness and strength levels. A trip to a sports store for some 3-4 kilo dumbbells will be a great investment to ramp up the intensity of the workout. Remember, we all have lean muscles “hiding” under our flabby bits; it’s just our job (and weights) to expose them. At least 3 times per week will set you up to reveal those in approximately 6-12 weeks (depending on your current body fat/leanness). Be consistent and add a few rest days into your workout. Go kick some butt!
Nat’s Opinion: Good buy!
Zumba
If any of you have read previous articles of mine, You’ll know I’m not the worlds biggest Zumba fan however I’m prepared to make a blanket statement that will cover anyone that wants to send me hate mail because I don’t DO dance workouts. “At the end of the day, as long as people are moving for a minimum of 30 mins per day, I’m happy for your workout to be whatever it is that makes you achieve your moving for the day. Zumba included. “
Zumba DVD’s are great for stay at home mums, students, those who may lack confidence in a big group or exposed in a dance studio. Also if you have zero interest in weight training or going to a gym this may be a better option for you. sure beats doing nothing in terms of exercise.
My suggestion: Grab a group of girlfriends 2-3 times per week and Zumba in someone’s lounge room till your hearts are content – or until your workout gear is sweaty!
Tracey Anderson: Metamorphosis
Unfortunately this DVD just doesn’t cut the mustard in my book. While she may be a great dancer she fails at having a comprehensive knowledge of weight training. Here advice for females is to exercise primarily cardiovascularly for 90 minutes at least 5 days per week. She also tells them this will create long, lean muscles. Her “strategic muscle engineering” jargon and concocted almost believable words such as “abcentric” & “hipcentric”- which may I remind everyone aren’t fitness vocabulary words that professionals in the industry use. My biggest pet hate of Tracey’s is her advocacy of super light weights. She has famously quoted this piece of advice for us girls “Never lift more than 3 lbs. of weight, running makes your legs bulky and don’t practice yoga or your rib cage will become square? I mean that’s just crazy talk! For the record your handbag would weigh more than that!
Personally, I think this DVD should have never it made it onto shelves.
While its great that ladies out there are exercising. I question the functionality of a lot of her “moves”. A food plan encompasses her plan and is a VERY low calorie-eating plan. Low calorie eating plans will encourage muscle loss and basically cause your muscle to eat itself! You do not want to lose muscle, you want to gain it-especially if fat burning it a priority for you. They are downright dangerous and not something I would ever recommend anyone follow
Nat’s opinion: Stay away!
Nat’s Other Suggestions:
Lauren Brooks: Great Kettle bell DVD series
Alwyn Cosgrove: An excellent for a weight training video to start you off and increase your education about weight training.
