Category: workout DVD’s

Must Not Be Doing It Right

“I worked out last night,” I announced to my husband this morning, “and I’m not thin yet.”

He laughed. “Well, maybe you didn’t do it right.”

Must not have.  Guess that means I have to do it again tonight.  Probably the night after that, too.  What a rip-off.

While out wandering around, exploring, and seeking grand adventures during my lunch break today, I came across a “The FIRM” workout DVD.  It has two dance workouts, a strength-training workout, and a bonus abs workout…all for $1!  And if I act now, I get a bonus set of razor-sharp steak knives, absolutely free!

Just kidding about the steak knives, but I did buy the workout DVD.  I figured, for a buck, why not try the damn thing out?

If nothing else, I will burn calories from laughing.  I have tried a few older “The FIRM” workout DVDs.  Some of them are great, and I own a really old one that my husband makes fun of, as he believes the music was stolen from 70s porn movies.  The older workout sets, wardrobes, and overall look and feel are pretty comical:

Time to break out my one-piece swimsuit, sheer hose, thick socks, fringed Oriental rug, and get to work!

Walk and Kick

Last week, I was browsing a used book store, because books are like crack to me, and I am always in the middle of at least 2 books, and needed to feed my habit.  Anyway, I saw a stash of DVD’s, and one stood out to me and begged “Buy me!”  So Leslie Sansone’s “Walk and Kick” became the newest addition to my workout DVD collection.

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This DVD sat on the desk for over a week before I even opened it.  Umm, yeah, let’s talk about something else, moving right along, not dwelling on how sad that is…ahem.

I finally cracked open that DVD case last night and gave the workout a try.  I really liked it.  Leslie Sansone’s workouts are great for when you want to fit in a workout but may not be in the mood for all-out, frenetic, heart-pounding moves.  (I pretty much am never in that mood.)  This workout is 30 minutes long, alternating basic walk sections (walk in place, knee lifts, kicks, etc.) with kickboxing segments featuring simple punches, back kicks, and other basic combinations.

This workout will not make you a cut-throat fighter, but it doesn’t pretend to.  The moves are toned down, and the combinations are simple.  I was lightly sweating by the end, but not drenched or gasping for breath.  It’s easy to follow and well-cued, and shifting from walking segments to kickboxing rounds helps the workout go by quickly.

Not bad for about a dollar.  If you don’t want to take my word for it and would like to read other reviews of this workout, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Sansone-Walk-Away-Pounds/dp/B0006213JE.

Hip Hop Abs Injury

I didn’t want to work out last night, but I knew that one more skipped workout would turn into two, then three, then a few months or more.  I’ve already done this to myself long enough.  Time to suck it up and exercise.

I haven’t done my Hip Hop Abs workout in so long, I nearly forgot I had the DVD.  I thought it would be fun, so I gave it a whirl.  It was actually almost fun here and there.(Almost.)

Later I noticed that my left shoulder felt sore.  It still hurts today.  All I can think is that I hurt it doing some of the dance moves in Hip Hop Abs, probably Press the Floor, since I got into that one.  Good lord, how crazy out of shape am I when I injure myself doing Hip Hop Abs?

Embarrassing injury aside, I am proud of myself for working out when I didn’t want to.  I know that for a while, I will have to force myself to exercise, and that I absolutely, positively won’t want to do it.  It will be a while before I am in better shape and have an easier time exercising. But that time will never come if I don’t make myself do the workouts now.

Power Step and Fifteen Years

My new DVD’s finally arrived yesterday!  The first one I tried was Kathy Smith’s Power Step Workout.  I was crazy excited to get this DVD, because as I mentioned, I had this on VHS tape back in the day.  This workout was released on VHS in 1998, so that tells you how long ago I used to own this workout!

When my VCR went the way of the dinosaur, I sadly had to say good-bye to this workout…until I found it on Collage Video, miraculously resurrected on DVD!  Yesssss!

I yanked out my trusty old Reebok step last night and popped in this DVD.  As I was remembering the moves and enjoying the trip down memory lane, I realized that it has to have been at least 15 years since the last time I did the workout.  I know I was still married to my ex-husband, and that was a looooong time ago.

At first I laughed, then I stopped so fast I nearly fell off the step.  Because then I realized that also meant that is how long I have been battling and fighting and struggling with my weight.  And fifteen years later, I still haven’t made it.  Fifteen years later, I am still “trying to lose weight”.

Wow, that was sobering.  Still is.  Is it worth fighting if I haven’t been successful yet?  Obviously I am losing the battle.

Well, screw that.  Yes, it is worth still fighting.  I still want to be at my goal weight and experience life at a healthy weight.  I want to be proud of myself.  I still want to look and feel good.

It’s mortifying and horrifying and depressing to realize just how long I have gaining and losing, gaining and losing.  Maybe I needed this slap in the face to get my act together, finally, and just get it done already!

Anyway…onto the workout review…

I love this workout!  It is 3 sections, so you really could make it a shorter workout if you like.  All together, it ran 53 minutes, even though she says on the DVD that all three sections are 45 minutes. She must not be counting the warm-up or something.  Either way, it’s a great workout, well cued, with options to make it easier or more intense.  For example, instead of stepping up and down, you can jog onto the step and then step down.

None of the moves are terribly complicated, which is a must for someone like me who can trip over her own shadow.  And did I mention that I love Kathy Smith?  I love her non-fussy, straight-forward, clear instruction, just encouraging enough to help through the harder parts, but not annoying (can anyone say “Denise Austin”)?

I nearly wore this workout out when I had it on tape, and I plan to do the same now that I have it on DVD.  I liked it just as much now as I did 15 years ago!

Collage Video

Part of my “get my act together” plan is getting some new workout DVD’s to get me excited about working out again and to give me something new to try.  If you also like workout DVD’s, go check out Collage Video’s big sale!  They’ve been my favorite workout DVD site for a long time, and shipping is free if you buy 2 or more DVD’s.

While cruising around, exploring workouts on their website, I came across some Kathy Smith workouts and smiled.  I used to own quite a few of her workouts on VHS tape.  Lord, remember those?  I was upset when I had to get rid of them, because my old-school TV with the VCR built-in finally rolled over and died, and I had no way to play the tapes anymore.

I nearly hyperventilated when I saw that Kathy Smith has re-released some of those old classics on DVD!  I hunted for my favorite:

I was in my early 20’s when I owned this on VHS!  That seems like a lifetime ago.  I remember it was a very good workout.  Collage Video has the DVD, and it’s on sale!  Score!  I threw that into my cart right away.

I also ordered an ab workout and a Jillian Michaels strength training workout.  I can’t wait to get them!  I will post reviews here after I get a chance to do the workouts a few times.  It’s going to be a trip down memory lane, doing that old step workout again!

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