DVD Fitness Workout Programs
Having completed P90X myself and lost over 30 pounds in 90 days, I know how difficult these exercise routines can be. I was totally not a believer in these DVD programs before I started, but a co-worker of mine convinced me that I should try P90X after gaining about 40 pounds over a 3 year period while I worked full time and was a full time graduate student. I was definitely skeptical and though I would maybe lose 10 or 15 pounds, but I found how rewarding these DVD workout videos can be if you can make it all the way through. I definitely cannot say that these routines are easy, but you can see from my pictures on this website that these programs really do make a huge difference.
You can see from my pictures that this is really no joke in terms of results. I did make a few missteps along the way including a weekend binge where I ate far too much Easter candy, but I still got the results I was looking for. The first set of DVDs I started out with was P90X, but I have been slowly trying all the DVD exercise workouts that you see on this website. I have kept a video blog of each of the workout routines I try so you can see how my body changes over time.
If you have never tried any of these DVD programs yourself, I highly recommend that you try them like I did. If you are overweight like I was when I started P90X, instead of trying one of the extreme workouts where I did and getting a neck or knee injury like I did, try starting with Power 90 or Zumba as they are much easier and get you used to working out 5 or 6 times a week. I wish you the best of luck. This website can help you get started as you can see the results I get from various routines and learn more about each DVD set to find the right one for you.
Zumba
Everyone is talking about Zumba, the new body sculpting cardio program that mixes Latin dance moves with strength training to take fitness to a higher level of effectiveness. All of this is achieved while participants engage in a fun workout that is designed for any fitness level. At this time, there are more than 60,000 locations across 105 countries that offer Zumba classes. This does not take into account the millions of enthusiasts who engage in the home video aspect of the program. Zumba a serious fitness program that holds its own among some of the top contenders such as P90X, Insanity and the 10 Minute Trainer programs.
Like P90X, Zumba offers interval-training sessions that help sculpt and tone the body, as they burn fat. The differences between the two programs, however, are vast. For example, P90X is an at-home only program that lasts for 90 days. Zumba can be utilized either at home or in live classes for as long as one would care to participate. The concepts behind P90X are, "muscle confusion," a trio of rotations and a nutrition guide presented in a way that appeals most to advanced exercisers. Zumba has various levels of difficulty beginning with dances in the Zumbatomic program that a four year old can understand, yet that progress into complex, advanced ways in which a fit body can be achieved. Zumba uses both slow and fast rhythms and specialized types of resistance exercises that are combined to sculpt and tone and to burn fat.
The Insanity Program utilizes all maximum-intensity movements for long durations and only brief rest periods with the goal of burning up to 1000 calories in an hour. Zumba lets exercisers choose different levels of intensity according to their fitness levels and preferences. Depending on which level is chosen, participants can expect to burn from 500 up to 1000 calories in an hour. Zumba enthusiasts who wish to maximizes the regular Zumba workout for a half hour of circuit training can do so with a circuit course that consists of strength training during specific time intervals.
Compared to the P90x program, Zumba is an ongoing program that has much more variety. Zumba can be thought of as a way of life, rather than a 90-day extreme program, and Zumba is much more accommodating to all fitness levels. It can challenge the experienced exerciser and help beginners adapt to a healthy exercise routine. A new addition to the Zumba workout that is not included in P90X, P90X2, Insanity, or the Celebrity DVD workout programs is Aqua Zumba. This is an invigorating water workout that involves stretching, splashing, shouting, laughing, twisting and other fun activities that are blended together into a challenging and rewarding water based workout. It conditions the heart, tones the body and offers exhilarating relief in the form of something new and different for whole body workouts.
While Zumba's competition programs do offer strength training, Zumba has a specially designed toning program that combines the benefits of strength training with Latin-based dance. Zumba is accessible to everyone. There are even Zumba exercises that are designed to be performed sitting in a chair. Programs such as P90X isolate muscles and exercise specific parts of the body. Zumba exercises all of the body, all of the time.
10 Minute Trainer
The balance of work, family and social responsibilities is difficult enough, let alone trying to fit in work-outs. Those who try to cover these bases may be attracted to Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer program. The stacking principle that is central to this work-out allows the fitness enthusiast to perform several exercises simultaneously. As a result, strength training, aerobic capacity and flexibility are all improved within a short period of time. Ten minutes can be utilized for each segment of training.
Beginners might devote more than 10 minutes while learning and memorizing the component exercise routines. The lower body workout, for example, is a sequence of squats, lunges, kicks and pendulum balance moves. Resistance bands are incorporated into some of the exercises. The abs section consists of 20 different crunch and contraction exercises, meaning 30 seconds must be devoted to each. Meanwhile, the cardio workout is a series of runs, hops, jumps and simulated skating that works the limbs and torso, burning fat and improving lung capacity. A cardio belt - affixed to a door knob or post - is available to make the cardio portion more challenging.
The total body workout calls for resistance band exercising to strengthen arms, shoulders, deltoids, pectorals and back. For example, the corkscrew military press requires traditional arm and shoulder movements while balancing on one leg. This twist on a traditional exercise works many more muscles from hands to feet. Abdominal crunches in this routine take a variety of forms, each working the core from a different angle. The cyclone is move designed to strengthen abdominals by pelvic rotation. Moreover, the total body routine demonstrates stacking by combining shoulder press movement with a lunge position. All of these exercises develop muscle tone, which in turn accelerates metabolism.
Flexibility and stretching are vital to improving performance and avoiding injury. Typical yoga postures in the 10 Minute Trainer are Sun Salutation, Warrior 2 and Cat Stretch. These rudimentary poses enhance elasticity in the muscles and tendons while building endurance. Increasing the flexibility of tendons and muscle tissue is important for avoiding injuries that will hinder progress. Hamstring stretches and torso twists comprise this routine for just that reason.
The sections that make up the 10 Minute Trainer are each performed in about 10 minutes. The program includes a schedule for the workouts throughout the week. Here it differs from the Insanity program, which combines all the elements into one 20-minute session. Its sequel, Insanity: the Asylum, does incorporate the stacking principle, but each workout is considerably longer than the 10 Minute Trainer routines. While the P90X and P90X2 programs schedule different workouts over 90 days, the purpose here is to confuse the muscles so they will not become too efficient in performing the routines, thus making them work harder. 10 Minute Trainer routines are predictably consistent. TheP90X programs incorporate medicine balls, in addition to resistance bands.
Zumba Fitness contrasts with the 10 Minute Trainer in that it uses primarily dance routines to increase cardio fitness and build muscle. Its shortest workout lasts for 20 minutes. Ordinarily, no equipment is necessary with Zumba. Of course, each program has its strengths and drawbacks. The 10 Minute Trainer is geared toward people with heavy time commitments. Once learned, the routines are performed without diverting the consumer from a crowded schedule.
Insanity: The Asylum
Ordinary people are using the same routines as professional athletes to tone their bodies and stay in shape. The Insanity: The Asylum workout uses cross training exercises in an effort to transform users in a 30 day period. The Beachbody brand, and TV personality Shawn Thompson, launched The Asylum in 2009. Shawn T created several workout videos before introducing his most challenging product. The Asylum is known for being a strenuous workout routine that is comparable to drills athletes perform.
The Asylum is a six video set that progresses in intensity and difficulty. The first video features speed and agility exercises. This cardio workout focuses on increasing the agility of users as they jump and move fast to prepare themselves for future workouts. The second video, Vertical Plyo, targets the lower body with a jumping routine. The next video features a shorter program called Relief. This slower routine stretches the body with flexibility exercises. The Strength video picks up the pace by using cross training exercises. Users work with weights to build muscles and resistance. The Game Day video tests all the previous skills users have developed by challenging their cross training skills and endurance. The final video, Back to Core, tones specific areas of the body like the glutes and hamstrings.
The Asylum workout comes with tools to help users progress. The Agility Ladder helps users focus their routine, and the Speed Rope aids with the jump roping exercises. The videos also include a nutritional guideline to help users eat right while they exercise. The right nutrition gives users energy during exercises and helps to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. The calendar and workout plan also help users stay on track with their 30 day fitness goals.
The Asylum is only one fitness product in a huge market. Beginners who are not used to working out, or using cross training, should use other workouts before these intense routines. Zumba features fun routines and workouts based on Latin dances. Many beginners or occasional exercisers use this routine. The Ten Minute Trainer workout is similar to the Asylum but condescend into shorter routines. However, The 10 Minute trainer does not have the same intensity and is not based off athletic routines. P90X was created by the same person as 10 Minute Trainer to deliver a workout that is similar in speed and intensity to the Asylum. P90X also helps users stay on track with a calendar and nutrition plan. P90X focuses on changing routines so muscles do not plateau and become used to the exercises, while the Asylum focuses on the longer cross training routines practiced by athletes.
Those who enjoy cross training exercises and longer workouts will enjoy the Asylum system. The program offers a 30 day money back guarantee for those that wish to sample the material. The Asylum is one way to improve one's overall health. Individuals should consider their needs and ability before selecting the exercise program that will suit them best.
Insanity
What is the Insanity Workout Program?
Insanity is an exercise regimen developed by fitness guru Shaun T., and the program promises the user a complete body transformation in just 60 days. Along with P90X, P90X2, Power 90, Insanity: The Asylum and 10 Minute Trainer, Insanity is one of the most popular programs in the market today. Working out with Insanity is easy and convenient: This ultimate at-home fitness program comes in the form of DVDs, requires no additional fitness equipments and saves the users time and money from maintaining a gym membership. In order to achieve the best results, users of Insanity are advised to prepare themselves both mentally and physically, as Insanity just might as well be the most challenging fitness programs they have ever been a part of.
The secret behind the success of Insanity is its focus on interval training. Interval training prevents the body from adapting to the level of stress and reaching a plateau. In a nutshell, participants of an interval workout begin by performing a set at their maximum, followed by more sets of lower intensity. The creator of Insanity, Shaun T., coined his unique approach to interval training "MAX Interval Sports Training," which is essentially a reversal of traditional interval training. Generally speaking, "MAX Interval Sports Training" is a fitness regimen during which the participant exercises intensely between three to four minutes, followed by a 30-second rest period. Instead of using weights, Insanity aims to push the participants to their limits with a combination of explosive cardio, plyometric drills and non-stop intervals of strength, power and resistance. Participants of Insanity are encouraged to exercise at 85 percent of their maximum levels and hence are expected to burn as much as 1,000 calories per hour.
How does Insanity compare with the other programs in the market?
P90X/P90X2/Power 90: Developed by Tony Horton, another well-known fitness guru, these programs are all 90-day workout programs that are similar in nature, with P90X2 being the latest version. The P90 series emphasizes on the concept of "muscle confusion", a method of cross-training achieved through switching the order of exercises and constantly incorporating new movements. Compared to Insanity, the P90 series is a less demanding regimen that promises similar results through a longer period of time.
Insanity: The Asylum: Also being the brainchild of Shaun T., Insanity Asylum is a more extreme and shortened version of Insanity. In additional to the same fitness results, Insanity Asylum is designed to enhance the participants' sports skills over 30 days. This program might be more suitable for serious athletes who are looking for a performance boost before "Game Day."
10 Minute Trainer: Targeting busy professionals, Tony Horton, the creator of P90X, developed this training program. This program is loaded with many effective tools and it focuses on this new technique called Super Stacking, which works multiple muscle groups simultaneously. In comparison, Insanity can achieve better results in a shorter amount of time.
Zumba: Zumba is a popular Latin dance-inspired fitness program created during the 1990s. This program's focus is on the dance and aerobic elements and each session typically lasts for an hour. While Zumba might be a fun way to exercise, it does not produce the explosive results and improvements that Insanity is capable of achieving.
Power 90
The Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp workout program by Tony Horton is a fantastic introductory workout system that can help anyone dedicated enough to follow it lose weight and have a more shapely body within three months.
Power 90 concentrates sectional workouts which work different regions on your body in different ways. Each workout is between 30-45 minutes alternating between cardio exercises along with strengthening and toning exercises.
The Power 90 workouts can all be completed within an hour including stretching, working out and cooling down. Each segment has various exercises depending on which muscle groups you are working out that day. Exercises range from power yoga including planking, to cardio exercises like jumping jacks to numerous sculpting and strengthening exercises like declining push-ups and bicep curls.
Power 90 includes 3 workout programs that provide three months of workouts every day, along with repeated use until graduating to more advanced workout programs.
Purchasing a strong resistance exercise band or hand weights is required to get the most of the Power 90 workout program. Power 90 is perfect for anyone just getting into working out, the program is designed so each person can work out at their own rate.
This comes in handy for any couch-potatoes who may get overwhelmed by a powerful workout. Being able to customize your own pace makes sticking with the program that much easier.
Power 90 can become a bit repetitive as the entire program ranges three months, but staying disciplined with the workouts while challenging yourself to increase your pace is proven to shed pounds and shape up any figure.
Unfortunately the Power 90 workout program is a bit dated and other more advance programs such as the Power90X, Power 90X2 and Insanity: The Asylum workout programs are available for more advance athletes. Power90X and Power 90X2 programs are significantly more expensive, but offer much more advance workouts, tracking software, and nutrition guides.
Power 90 excels is in its simplicity and ability to personalize your pacing while combining a total workout within an hour in a great deal. Power 90 is perfect for beginners and people getting back to a daily fitness workout. The Power 90 program also helps to improve flexibility, stamina, and strength.
The Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp package includes three DVDs along with an exercise band, program guide, access to their online forums, a bonus fat-burning workout video, and meal plan to help you lose weight up to 10 pounds in just six days.
The Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp program will require an investment of $75-$150 depending on deals you can find online. This investment is well worth it, especially if you are serious about dedicating one hour every day to lose weight, build muscle mass, and have a more shapely body.
P90X2
As a sequel to exercise programs Power 90 and P90X, P90X2 builds on the foundation of the previous iterations while offering a degree of familiarity. It was largely designed with those who have completed P90X, or are already in good shape and would like to give a P90-style program a try. The main idea behind P90X2 and its precursors is muscle confusion, which is essentially changing up exercises to keep the body from growing too familiar with a routine and plateauing. In addition to the exercises, the program includes a nutrition guide designed to help maximize results.
Equipment requirements are limited to a pull-up bar, free weights or resistance bands, a stability ball and 2 8-lb. medicine balls. The program is broken into three phases of 3+ weeks each, with recovery weeks interspersed as needed. The first phase focuses on core and balance, and emphasizes various exercises with the stability ball, medicine balls, and foam roller, as well as a variety of crunches.
The second phase focuses on strength training, and will feel the most familiar to those who have completed P90X. There is, however, a much greater emphasis on form over the number of reps. Also, as many of the exercises introduce balancing elements into resistance exercises, it may be common to need to drop the amount of weight lifted until the new, foreign motions can be internalized. Instead of maximizing an increase in size for a specific muscle group, the exercises will often dynamically work several parts of the body at once, producing a more evenly muscled physique.
The third phase is about performance, and is all about "post-activation potentiation," or P.A.P exercises. These entail heavy lifting and power reps followed by usage of the same muscles in a different motion. This phase tests users with a lot of foreign motions done quickly to provide a cardio element, including side bridge leg lifts and jumping from side to side as quickly as possible. One of the touted benefits of the P.A.P. exercises is preparing muscles for strenuous work to help prevent injury.
The most obvious comparison to be drawn to P90X2 is Power 90 and P90X. Overall, users of the previous programs feel that it takes a higher degree of concentration on form for some of the exercises to make sense and maximize results. P90X2 is also considered more demanding by its creators, and accordingly requires more recovery. Instead of working out six days a week, this program is designed for five.
Another popular program to contrast with P90X2 is Insanity. Ultimately, it is a matter of preference between the two styles. Insanity is a very intense speed and cardiovascular program, but compared to P90X2, it lacks resistance training. Anyone looking to try either program would have to make a judgment call as to what their priorities are and must be very committed, as both programs are quite demanding.
P90X
P90X is an intense at home workout program that relies heavily on bodyweight exercises. The program comes with 12 different workout DVDs, each of which focus on a different type of workout. P90X also comes with three different workout schedules, P90X Classic, P90X Lean, and P90X Doubles. All of the schedules involve at least one hour of working out six days a week for about three months. The difference is that the P90X Lean replaces some of the strength workouts with cardio or stretching exercises, and the Doubles program adds an extra hour of cardio once you reach the second month. All of the programs will result in increased muscle tone and strength.
One of the most used exercises in the program are pull-ups, so it is suggested that you get an over the door pull up bar before beginning. However, all workouts are scaled and the instructor does demonstrate how to imitate a pull up using elastic bands or how to do one partially supported. Dumbbells are also frequently used workout tools, particularly for any of the workouts that focus on the upper body. Other common workout moves include squats, jumping exercises, sit-ups, leg raises, and push-ups. Many of the exercises are variations on well-known exercise moves to work different muscles. The focus of the program is on working the muscles to exhaustion and on reducing muscle memory, and so the same muscles are never worked out on sequential days. With 12 DVDs there is plenty of variety, so boredom is not likely with this program.
The P90X program also comes with a recommended nutrition plan that focuses on consuming whole, natural food with plenty of protein and few carbohydrates. No refined sugar is allowed. There are levels to the nutrition program based on a person's current weight and approximate basal metabolic rate. It is a balanced diet and many people have had good weight loss results when following both the exercise and diet plan. However, the focus of the P90X is not on losing weight, it is on increasing muscle strength and tone and that is where both the nutrition plan and the workouts focus.
P90X is not a low impact workout, so it is suggested that anybody with knee or other joint problems consult their doctor before beginning, and everybody should complete the Fit Test available on the Beachbody.com website before trying this program to insure that you have the basic level of fitness required. The P90X program is not recommended for anybody who is prone to injury from high impact exercise. Power 90 is a similar, but less intense workout that may be better suited for people who do not have the level of fitness required, while the Insanity or Insanity: Asylum may be good options for those who want an intense workout without using any equipment like dumbbells or pull up bars. Any of these programs will lead to wonderful results if they are followed faithfully with a good amount of effort.
