View Full Version : You favourite fitness DVDs
I used to own dozens of fitness videos back in the day when my VCR worked ;)
I stuck to my favourites for many years without getting bored, and now have had some converted to DVD or repurchased DVD versions.
They are :
- David Dorian Ross, AM Chi
- Ali McGraw Yoga video
- Yoga Zone Conditioning and stress release
- The old Jane Fonda videos from the 90's especially the weight training one.
- Cory Everson's Get Hard Arms and Shoulders (the best weight training video ever)
- The FIRM Lower Body
- Callanetics
I am trying to get fit again, and have purchased a couple of ballet barre videos as well as Lotte Berk Method ones to suplement the videos I already have.
Which are your favourites ?
I remember Cory Everson from back in the day. Was a fan of hers and Rachael McLish (two of the first female "natural" bodybuilders) as they were both about my age (Rachael was older though I believe). Never had any videos or DVD's but ex-DH and I had a subscription to "Muscle and Fitness" mag and followed many of Cory's techniques. Still do today!
Cory's video is the only one which helps my triceps and really gives a nice shape to my arms. I am really sorry she has retired from the business.
I remember the name Rachel McLish but don't remmeber doing her videos.
Cory's video is the only one which helps my triceps and really gives a nice shape to my arms. I am really sorry she has retired from the business.
I remember the name Rachel McLish but don't remmeber doing her videos.Yeah she did videos. I think she was a bit before Cory E. by a few years though. I wonder if either of them still competes? A friend of mine just won a "natural" body building contest for 45 and older females (she's 53 or 54 I believe) and the women in her category are amazing. Lots of work though and, unfortunately, too much cosmetic surgery (breasts) compared to in the past. Still inspirational though.
awakenedsoul
7-29-14, 4:08pm
I used to have a pilates video that was great. I think the teacher's name was Jennifer Krees. She was a leggy dancer. I can't remember the name of it, though. I think they called it The Method. (It was when that lawsuit was going on about the name...)
ToomuchStuff
7-29-14, 4:11pm
Not a big fitness dvd person. I prefer just to go out and ride a bicycle. I did find P90 at garage sale, and that got me started a few years back, until a bosses medical issues drove me to a lot of OT.
The trick is finding one tht motivates you.
http://shop.getbig.dk/images/Enter_the_kettlebell.jpg
I remember owning a couple of those "Method" videos, somehow my neck and back always hurt after doing them so I gave them away.
Toomuchstuff, being outside is really great for doing cardio (i walk all the time, at least an hour a day, it's a great way of visiting Paris and enjoying the architecture as well), but I get the weight training and yoga/stretching at home, instrad of a gym. Would love to do the qi ging outside but I feel too self conscious doing it alone in a city park.
frugal-one
7-30-14, 11:43am
Might be interesting to peruse for ideas.
http://www.collagevideo.com/
Thanks Frugal one, I still have an ancient paper catalogue of Collage and perhaps even a Collage t-shirt (if I haven't decluttered them;). They are a great company, but I am always tempted to buy when I check their stuff... I am more interested in finding out which are the two or three videos people have been doing for a long time, their tried and tested favourites.
I like Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Well, when I say I like it, it means that it gives quick results. I just don't like doing it. The routines aren't difficult, but it's twenty minutes of non-stop moving. Very intense, but immediate results.
Thanks pony mom, I will take a look at the DVD, I don't know the instructor but she sounds good!
Ditto on 30 day shred.
I also really like the 21 Day Fix. It's a system, two DVDs, 7 different workouts, all about 30 minutes. Yoga, weights, cardio, pilates. And I'm able to adjust them for my bad joints.
I love Joyce Vedral's series of videos! You can get them on Amazon second hand, or you can buy direct from her website, and she is always running some kind of really good package deal of some sort. 99% of her DVD's involve lifting weights in sets of three levels that you pick. For example, you might start with 2, 3, and 5 pound weights. Then as you get stronger, you do the same workout, but with 3, 5, and 8 pound weights, etc. She is no-nonsense, very easy to understand, and you just turn on the DVD and follow along until it's done. You get results slowly but surely, and you really feel the difference. She is very conservative and frequently gives you alternatives if you have old injuries--bad knees, for example.
Another fun but extremely effective and enjoyable workout is the classic "Kathy Smith's Fat-Burning Workout." Low impact aerobics for a long 45 minute workout, but man, it burns that fat and you don't ever hurt afterwards. Kathy Smith has great form, a very positive and professional presence, and always features other exercisers who are doing modified (i.e. easier or harder) versions of what she's doing, so you always have a choice. Joyce and Kathy are my all-time favorites, and I've been huffing along with these videos for more than 20 years! :)
I would really welcome suggestions for excellent BEGINNERS yoga DVD's, specifically designed for flexibility. I've got the strength part nailed down with all my Joyce Vedral videos, and Kathy Smith (and my bike and the four flights of stairs up to our apartment) cover the aerobics, but these days I am sitting so much for my job, that I'm as rusty as the Tin Man!
Hi Selah,
I really like Kathy Smith as well.
Joyce Vedral : I owned a few of her videos and books, but never did them much because I found she did the reps much too fast for me.
The two yoga videos I like are the Ali McGraw and the Yoga zone for Conditioning and Stress Relief and they can be done by beginners. I do like Rodney Yee as well if you can find one of his beginner DVDs.
I used to have an old video of Jane Fonda yoga which I enjoyed so I purchased her newest Yoga DVD : I will let you know what I think about it.
If you want to be more flexible, Karen Voight's Pure & Simple Stretch is a good one, as well as videos by Kari Anderson.
I've done 2 beachbody workouts and can't say enough about them (insanity and t25). My wife even joined in to do t25 with me...great way to mix up my normal routines for a few months and I always great results. I like Shaun T a lot, but I'm thinking about trying a Tony Horton program next. http://www.beachbody.com/product/about-trainer-tony-horton.do - anyone have experience with any of these?
Thanks, Marion! I agree, sometimes I have trouble with keeping up with Joyce. But she always says to just do a few reps at the beginning, and catch up when you can, over time. Some of the exercises I just don't do, period, but as long as I keep plugging away, I always manage to get a good workout in, even if I can't keep up or do as many reps as Joyce. It was hard to get used to that...I get a little anxious when I can't "follow teacher exactly,"! LOL! Thanks for the other recommendations--I will check them out.
I've done 2 beachbody workouts and can't say enough about them (insanity and t25). My wife even joined in to do t25 with me...great way to mix up my normal routines for a few months and I always great results. I like Shaun T a lot, but I'm thinking about trying a Tony Horton program next. http://www.beachbody.com/product/about-trainer-tony-horton.do - anyone have experience with any of these?
I have heard good things about Beachbody but they are a bit pricey so I haven't tried them yet. Did you buy the whole set ?
Thanks, Marion! I agree, sometimes I have trouble with keeping up with Joyce. But she always says to just do a few reps at the beginning, and catch up when you can, over time. Some of the exercises I just don't do, period, but as long as I keep plugging away, I always manage to get a good workout in, even if I can't keep up or do as many reps as Joyce. It was hard to get used to that...I get a little anxious when I can't "follow teacher exactly,"! LOL! Thanks for the other recommendations--I will check them out.
You are welcome Selah, good luck finding yoga dvds that suit you ... and please post about them when you, it's so motivating :)
Marion - I know you live in Europe but here in the States you can borrow workout DVD's at the library for free. There are hundreds at my local library and it's a good way to try them out before buying them - or just keep borrowing new ones. They have some of the newer ones too - Like PX90, Insanity, etc... so it's not just old school stuff.
Ooh you are so lucky Spartana, my library only has fiction film dvds. A lot of French people think it's weird to do fitness videos anyway, so they are very uncommon here.
Are there still people who are using fitness DVDs? :0! ;) I'm using YouTube for this for quite a while now. And there you have much more variety and instructors to choose from.
Are there still people who are using fitness DVDs? :0! ;) I'm using YouTube for this for quite a while now. And there you have much more variety and instructors to choose from.
I use YouTube videos because I can say "sure, I can do that for 10 minutes" and I can find something different every day. I was never good at using VHS or DVD exercise videos because it was always the same video every day.
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