Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)...and I have over 100 excercise dvds now... Some women buy shoes...I keep myself motivated by trying new dvds...
so I have some comparison. :-)
CALORIE BURN: I wear a bodybugg to measure my daily calorie burn. Because of this, I'm also able to monitor exactly how many calories I burn during a dvd workout, and know exactly how many calories it burns per minute. Because a strength training dvd will also continue to burn more calories after the workout, I can also monitor the increase if there is one. I say this only so you'll know what I rate is based upon scientific measurement rather than perceived exertion. DANG! If you had to only own two dvds to make a difference in your body I'd choose this one and Jillian Michael's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism to scorch the calories. The calorie burn was EXTREMELY boosted in this dvd.
CIRCUIT TRAINING: Studies have shown you'll actually burn more calories doing a circuit workout...meaning that you combine both cardio and strength training. Cardio will burn more calories during the workout, but strength training, although it burns less during the workout, will continue to burn calories long after the workout is over and will help build muscle--which also increases metabolism and utilizes more calories even while you are at rest. This dvd takes it to the highest level by doing heavy cardio and then allowing your heart rate to recover during strength, and then getting it back up again. Just like a car uses more gas when alternating slow and fast speeds rather than going fast all the time, it's been shown your body uses more calories doing the same thing. And keeping your heart rate elevated during strength provides that higher calorie burning benefit with toning which continues to burn more later. Very well done.
CUEING: I'm very picky about cueing. I want a workout rather than having to rewind my dvd and figure out what the instructor is trying to tell me what to do in a heavily choreographed but difficult-to-follow routine. There was no rewinding on this one. The steps and instructions were clear and it kept you moving fast without losing a step. A difficult thing to get right, but it was accomplished here.
SET: Boring. One of those studios made to look like a set...but that's fairly common in many dvds. No big thing. But nothing to make note of either.
MOVES: Impressive. Although the workout is combined into two circuit training sections of 30 minutes each (the first one works your legs, tush, and belly and the second your entire upper body and abs), you can combine the two if desired. I like that she added standing ab moves in that you are working your obliques (stomach muscles) while MOVING rather than on the floor so you get the cardio benefit as well. There were also some kickboxing moves which help speed up the calorie burn. Well thought out but nothing difficult to do or follow.
LEVEL: While the calorie burn is intense, a beginner could start here with very light weights and be able to do it at his or her pace and progress with heavier weights. Because you recover during the strength moves you won't wear out during the cardio. Too, a fitness buff will love it for the results.
TRAINER: There is only one, there are no backup people behind her as you'll see in many dvds. This means there is no "beginner level" person in the back if you are just starting out and want a lower impact trainer to follow until you progress upwards, but I think you can pull through even if you need to do less reps or slower movements. Both are possible. Her energy is good and her instructions are clear. I actually prefer to have more people behind the trainer simply for visual interest when staring at the same dvd for a half hour but no big deal.
SAFETY: The instructions are excellent so that you not only do the moves easily, but you do them so they are safe and effective. Out of all the dvds I have no instructor has ever told me to stare at a certain spot on the floor during balance moves in order to help you not wobble. I had previously done balance poorly and was wobbling again until she said this. BAM! For the first time, I mastered all balance moves in this dvd and my others. (Don't worry if you hate balance moves like me, there are few and you could do them with your foot on the floor til mastered, but it does help your core so I keep working at it.)
TIME CRUNCH: There are "10 Minute Solutions" dvds which are supposed to be used if you only have time to do a 10 minute workout. This burned twice as many calories in 10 minutes as those...so if you have a crunch on time, you might just use part of one of these workouts and do a cooldown on your own.
MUSIC: Upbeat and flowed with the moves.
EQUIPMENT: Although she recommends light and heavy weights, you can use the same weight the whole time if that's all you have...for example, sometimes I just use my 6 pound weights the whole time and if the reps get to hard to do I put em down and do the moves without em. If you have a light and heavy set, you are good to go, but will not be hindered if you do not.
ALSO INCLUDED: Inside the dvd case there is a booklet called "The better body meal plan" which is a 1200-1300 calorie per day diet by a nutritionist that also notes men need to add an additional 300-400 clories to the menu per day. It is 10 days of menus you can follow to lose weight with items that are easy to prepare and take a couple to just a few minutes of prep time, such as a chicken breast with salsa, brown rice, & broccoli for lunch, apple with peanut butter for a snack etc. As a weight loss coach myself I'd say it's a decent and protein and nutrient rich diet so, although I don't use her diet, I have no doubt it would work based upon its components ifyou want to take her challenge of a better body in 10 days.
NEGATIVES: As far as the workout and instruction goes, it was flawless and incredibly well thought-out for effectiveness and calorie burn. But I gotta say, one of the reasons I have so many dvds is because I hate being bored in working out. I think there were some additions they could have added to this dvd to make it less "sterile", like a class or back up trainers in the background, a less sterile set, etc but that's just if I had to add something...that's merely my own personal taste as someone else may find what I like "distracting".
CONCLUSION: This is one of my new favorites for when I need fast results. I'd suggest it as an addition to a fitness dvd collection no matter how large or small you want your dvd collection to be...it's a true result-maker.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should you look for others with the same great instruction, high calorie burn, cardio and strength training, you might try:
(in no particular order):
1.Body by Jake Total Body Workout
2.Jillian's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolim and her Last Chance Workout
3.Kathy Smith Build Muscle Shrink Fat
4.Crunch Total Resculpt
5.Star Trainers: Strength
6. Weight Loss Cardio Sculpt with Violet Zaki
Click Here to see more reviews about: Results Fitness: 10 Days to a Better Body (2008)
YES, YOU CAN SEE CHANGES IN YOUR BODY IN JUST 10 DAYS! This DVD and Meal Plan are your shortcut to a better body. The DVD features two 30-minute workouts that alternate short bursts of fat blasting cardio with intervals of muscle conditioning. The first workout will give you leaner legs, a tighter tush, and a flatter belly. The second workout will sculpt your entire upper body and tone your abs. These interval training workouts are the secret to changing your body in the shortest amount of time. Combine them with the Better Body Meal Plan and get ready to celebrate the new you: stronger, slimmer, and totally sexy.Better Body meal Plan: Get ready to eat to lose! Use this meal plan to lose weight and stay satisfied with 10 days of meals and snacks that fight fat.About the Trainer: Cindy Whitmarsh (www.cindywhitmarshfitness.com) is a NASN and ACE Certified, has a BA in Corporate & Community fitness/nutrition, and has over 18 years experience in fitness and nutrition. Her passion is helping others to make dramatic health and body changes for life! “For people who want to lose weight superfast, here’s a plan that works.” – Fitness Magazine
"Cindy Whitmarsh leads two complementary interval workouts: one upper-body and one lower-body. The workouts are fast-paced with lots of variety and no slowing down between segments. Each interval lasts just one minute. The cardio segments feature athletic-style moves at varying intensities, including higher-impact jogs, jacks and jumps. Toning sections use body-sculpting classics such as squats, lunges, push-ups and planks. Requires two sets of dumbbells." - USA Today
Click here for more information about Results Fitness: 10 Days to a Better Body (2008)
