Reviews of SparkPeople's 'Total Body Sculpting' DVD

I don't have kids yet, but I've heard (and mostly believe) that when you become a parent, you never love anything in the world more than your own child(ren). You will think they're smart and beautiful and amazing little creatures—because they're yours. And if you've ever worked on something with so much passion and time and energy that you thought of it as your "baby"—whether "it" is a thesis, a cause, or even a work project—you've probably felt something similar.
 
My latest "babies" have been the workout DVDs I've created for SparkPeople. The process of creating a workout DVD is no small feat. Like any project, it becomes a labor of love. It keeps you up at night. It stresses you out at times. It takes a lot of your energy and focus. It becomes a priority above all else and even an obsession. It makes you question yourself and your decisions. But if you're lucky, it grows into something that fills you with love and a sense of pride. After all, it's your baby!
 
I can say truthfully that I love my Total Body Sculpting DVD for all of these reasons. I'm proud of it and I was integral in every aspect of it, from its conception to its "birth" into the world. But like any parent who thinks their child is great, sure…maybe I'm a little biased. While I love the DVD and think it's relevant and amazing, I can't hold onto this little baby forever. Ultimately, I had to send it off into the world, hoping that everything I did to nurture it paid off—and that others received it with open arms and treat it well. Read More ›

DVD Review: Dr. Lisa's Yoga Blast

You may know Dr. Lisa Masterson from The Doctors TV show, and now she is coming to DVD with a fun and effective yoga-based workout DVD with her trainer, Elise Joan. This DVD is packed with three separate yoga workouts that are great for both beginner and intermediate exercisers. Both Dr. Lisa and Elise do an excellent job of providing a fun and entertaining way to work out!

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We Tried It: A Self-Defense DVD for Women

I previously blogged about the importance of self-defense and I still feel very strongly about it being something that every person should know. Because of this, I was very excited that I had the chance to review "Stilettos and Self Defense with Jennifer Cassetta." While this isn't a fitness DVD, which is what we typically review, this DVD does have a lot of valuable information and can help prepare you for possible attacks.
 
Jennifer Cassetta, a third-degree black belt in HapKiDo and certified personal trainer, is the instructor in this DVD. According to Jennifer's profile information, her HapKiDo experience helped her early on in her training when she was "grabbed on a NYC street, dressed in her highest heels and used her martial arts training to scare off her attacker." So Jennifer has not only been trained in self-defense, but she has also experienced the need for it and is passing along her knowledge to other women on how to defend themselves.
 
 
From the DVD cover:
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Double DVD Review: Core and Cardio with Amy Dixon

I try a lot of workout DVDs. But few really meet my standards for delivering a good workout with good cueing that's easy to follow and safe. But every workout DVD I've ever tried by Amy Dixon has been a winner.
 
I was SO excited to receive her newest titles ("Breathless Body Volume 2: The Edge" and "Give Me 10: Core Cuts"), but my busy schedule prevented me from trying them sooner—which is too bad. Because when I made the time, I adored these workouts just like I had previous her previous titles. What's more, I think YOU will love them, too. Here's a rundown on what to expect in each one. Read More ›

DVD Review: 'Canyon Ranch: Strong & Sculpted'

You may have heard of Canyon Ranch, the popular destination for weight-loss and fitness, but perhaps you haven’t been able to book a wellness vacation yet. That’s OK because Canyon Ranch is now bringing their workouts to you! Canyon Ranch offers a very effective total-body workout with their new "Strong & Sculpted" DVD that won’t disappoint. It includes a variety exercises that aren’t difficult for beginners, yet are still challenging for exercisers at an intermediate/advanced level. Learn more about what the DVD is like!
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Product Review: Zumba Fitness Exhilarate DVD Set

I remember the first Zumba class I ever set foot in at my university's recreation center. The instructor was so full of energy that it made me a little uncomfortable, and the room was jam-packed with girls (and a few guys!) shaking their hips and laughing over pulsing Latin and hip-hop beats. When the first song started, I anxiously wondered what I had gotten myself into and thought about planning an exit strategy. But when the class ended, I was drenched in sweat and grinning like an idiot, in disbelief that an hour had just flown by. After years of being a slave to the elliptical machine, I walked out of that class feeling like I had just had a major fitness revelation: Working out could be both productive and fun! Some people feel this way about running, or lifting weights, or yoga. For me, at that time, Zumba was my thing. It was the spark that made me start to view exercise as a hobby rather than a chore, and I credit it for helping me to see the fun in other forms of fitness over time.

Since that class five years ago, I've taken Zumba more times than I can count, with about a dozen different instructors. I've taken some amazing classes, some sub-par classes, and some downright miserable classes (FYI: if you try Zumba for the first time and hate it, take it again with another instructor. It makes all the difference!). I thought I had experienced all of the possible facets of Zumba—until Zumba sent us a free Zumba Fitness Exhilarate DVD set to review and Coach Nicole let me do the honors.

The Zumba DVD experience is definitely a different animal. I was a little hesitant at first, unsure of how a live class would translate into a home DVD format. So did Zumba's at-home DVDs deliver the same fun and intensity as my classes? Did I really burn 1,000 calories per hour like their commercials claimed I could?
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DVD Review: Amy Dixon's 'Breathless Body' Tabata DVD

I heart Amy Dixon. She's a veteran fitness instructor, master trainer and creator of many wonderful workouts you've probably seen in fitness magazines and DVDs alike. I had the pleasure of meeting her last year at the IDEA World Fitness Convention and she is a real treat: super sweet, super fit and down to earth. It makes it hard for me to hate her when she kicks my booty in her DVDs, which she always does (in a good way).
 
Amy's latest DVD "Breathless Body: The Ultimate Calorie Burn" ($14.99, amazon.com) capitalizes off the trendy "Tabata" style interval training, which involves 20 seconds of intense effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for four minutes. Tabata training is touted as one of the most efficient ways to boost aerobic endurance and fat burning, and although  I had read about it, but hadn't experienced it until I tried this DVD. I have to admit, I was a little scared. So how did I fare? And is this DVD right for you? Read More ›

Poll: Do You Still Use Fitness DVDs?

In this era of on-demand entertainment, where everything (our phones, our TVs and our laptops) is connected to the Internet to stream whatever we want to watch right when we want to watch it, what does it mean for the humble little fitness DVD?
 
The first exercise videos were introduced on VHS in the '80s, and they revolutionized fitness. Home workout videos made exercising in your living room a regular thing—cheap, accessible and private, compared to paying to take classes at a gym. I've never known a world without fitness videos (I'll be 30 this year). But could fitness DVDs soon be a thing of the past? Read More ›

DVD Review: Kathy Smith's 'Staying Strong'

The DVD Ageless with Kathy Smith: Staying Strong is Kathy's response to dealing with the physical issues that women begin to experience as they head into the menopausal and post-menopausal years.  The DVD targets strength-building to help women gain muscle and bone mass, and includes four 15-minute routines that are a quick and fun way to improve fitness.

The first 15-minute segment focuses on arm strength. Kathy hits all arm muscles with her exercises, and provides modifications as she goes through the routine.  Kathy is known for her great cueing and frequent coaching on maintaining proper form.  She's also a motivating instructor and projects lots of energy-something that can be helpful when you're struggling through those last few repetitions.
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Reviews of SparkPeople's '28 Day Boot Camp' Workout DVD

When SparkPeople approached me about creating the 28 Day Boot Camp DVD you’ve been hearing so much about lately, I was excited of course! I love creating workouts (with you in mind!) and shooting videos for the SparkPeople.com. It’s one of the highlights of my job and such and enjoyable experience. When you work so hard on a project like this, you fall in love with it and you hope that others will love it, too. How couldn’t they? Don’t they know how much time and effort was involved and that you think it’s great?
 
Well, unfortunately I’ve learned that not everyone will love what you do, and some can be really negative and hurtful in their comments. When we released one of SparkPeople’s first DVDs, some people went out of their way to criticize me (not my workouts, but my appearance). And then of course I’ve seen countless comments on our YouTube workouts doing the same over the years.
 
28 Day Boot Camp is our biggest DVD to date—professionally produced (I got the real star treatment!), widely distributed in stores nationwide, and sent out to countless writers, reporters and bloggers in hopes they’ll write about it for the masses. It’s reaching so many more people that I’ve been bracing myself for more harsh reviews since day one of this project. I would second guess everything during the process—the exercises, my cueing, what I wore—just thinking about all the things others could find “wrong” with it.  Two things really saved me from going crazy as I anticipated what others might think about the DVD (and me):
 

1. I reminded myself that my intentions were good and pure. I was trying to help people and spread a positive and healthy message. Some people may find fault in the way it was executed, but I shouldn’t let it get to me because I did the best I could. I suppose I’d rather get some backlash by putting myself out there and going for it than never try for fear of how I might be perceived.
2. I remembered the quote a member shared with me years ago that I still remember today: “If someone else has a problem with you, it’s their problem, not yours.” This is such great and comforting advice!

 
The reviews of 28 Day Boot Camp are starting to stream in from customers, reporters, independent bloggers and even SparkPeople members. Each time I see a new one I brace myself for the worst, but overall, they have been overwhelmingly positive. If you’re on the fence about checking out SparkPeople’s newest DVD, check out some of these honest and independent reviews first. Read More ›

DVD Review: PACE Express--The 12-minute Fitness Revolution

Short on time, but want an effective workout that will help you see results? The PACE Express 6-week workout may be just what you are looking for! The PACE Express workout will give you a full-body workout in just 12 minutes a day with no equipment needed. These high-intensity, short-duration workouts are very effective in working all of your muscles and because they are short, you don’t have to spend a lot of time in a gym doing exercises you don’t like. Learn more about what the DVDs are like!
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Making an Exercise DVD: The Good, the Bad and the Sweaty

The new SparkPeople: 28 Day Boot Camp DVD is on Target shelves nationwide right now. It's glossy and new and ready to whip your butt into shape if you're willing to let it. It's hard to imagine that the process of creating this DVD started almost a full year ago! Just last summer, I was on a set in New York City filming these boot camp workouts, a process that was fun, challenging and interesting to say the least.

Here are some of the good, the bad and the sweaty things I experienced during the two-day video shoot. Read More ›

SparkPeople's '28 Day Boot Camp' DVD is Here!

I am beyond thrilled to announce the nationwide release of SparkPeople's newest workout DVD 28 Day Boot Camp. This DVD is specially designed to get you better results in less time, which makes it perfect for anyone with a New Year's resolution to get fit or lose weight. These fat-burning workouts offer endless variety so you can keep your muscles guessing and avoid exercise burnout. These never-before-seen workouts are unlike any of the videos I have created for SparkPeople to date and feature 100% all-new exercises that you won't find in our existing video library! The DVD includes four full-body, fat-torching routines (from 12 to 30 minutes long) that each show three intensity levels for beginner, intermediate and advanced exercisers.
 
Want to learn more about the workout segments and where you'll find the best deal? Read More ›

DVD Review: Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Workout

If you are looking for a fun and effective yoga workout, then look no further! Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Workout will challenge you in just the right way. With this DVD, you will work your muscles in ways that you never knew you could. There is a mix of simple and difficult poses in this workout, but no matter what level you are at, you'll really feel your muscles working. The great thing about this workout though, is that you can modify as needed, and between Bethenny and Mike McArdle, the yoga teacher who leads the workout along with Bethenny, you'll see different variations for all the poses. Also, Bethenny reminds you throughout the DVD that you should go at your own pace and do what you can, but not to give up, which I found to be encouraging and genuine. Learn more about what the DVD is like!
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Stuff We Love: The 'Body Groove' Workout DVD

So you think you CAN'T dance?

Do you feel like most workouts don't work for your size or physical limitations?

Or maybe you simply don't like to follow structured workouts like classes or DVDs?

I promise you that this DVD will change that. It's the most innovative workout I have ever seen. Ever. I don't use those words lightly, and I've never used them before today.
 
Misty Tripoli's Body Groove: Delicious Dance DVD belongs in every exerciser's collection. Whether you love to dance or hate it. Whether you're super fit or just starting out. Whether you have mobility issues, physical limitations, or are the epitome of health. Every single person can enjoy and benefit from this DVD. Find out why everyone who has tried it at SparkPeople loved it so much—including one tester who (formerly) hated dancing and workout DVDs in general! Read More ›