A few weeks ago, I asked you what you would like to see in future fitness-focused Move-it Monday posts. And there were various responses: post-natal routines, toning exercises, charts, etc.

But the most common request was for workouts that can be done at home. In the future, I’ll probably put together some more vlogs to show you my favorite moves. But for today, I’ll stick with recommending DVDs you can use at home.

Disclaimer #1: I have not personally tested any of these exact DVDs (although I have done/am certified in/or have at least limited experience with several of the programs), and my recommendations are based on Amazon’s user reviews and word-of-mouth from people I know. 

Disclaimer #2: I actually hesitated to include any of the product pics since they pretty much feature the teachers wearing very little clothing—which is not surprising considering their bodies are their brands, and they want to market their brands as successful. However, since a blog with a bunch of text and no visuals is a boring blog indeed, I grabbed the pictures that featured the least amount of the 3 B’s in each one and just left out the ones that were overboard.

Disclaimer #3: These are all my own recommendations, and while I am including links to Amazon, none of them are affiliate links.

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Since we’re all motivated by different things, I’ve broken the workouts down into the following categories:

STRENGTH TRAINING:

Les Mills Pump Workout

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This is the home version of BODYPUMP, which I teach at my gym. And while I haven’t personally done it, the reviews from people that have done both indicate that this is a comparable workout. It comes with a bar + weights, a nutrition guide, tape measure + measurements chart, and a variety of workouts with a program guide to help you put them together successfully).

Rating: 4.3/5 stars

Price: $194.80

KICK BOXING

Les Mill Combat

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This is the home version of my favorite workout format EVER. If you’ve been reading for a while, then you know that I love me some BODYCOMBAT! And while, again, I haven’t actually done the home version, the reviews indicate that it’s fun, engaging, and intense (although able to be modified to multiple fitness levels). There are various “tracks” to follow—all with cheesy names like “Supreme” and “Ultimate Warrior.” You can either do the workouts in your own order/pace or follow their program guide. Comes with: “7 different workouts, Fitness Guide, Nutrition guide, Tape measure and measurement tracker.”

And while I’ve included it in the “kick-boxing” category, it actually incorporates multiple martial arts formats such as taekwondo, karate, capoeira, and more.

Best yet (I think), the instructors are the BODYCOMBAT program directors, Dan Cohen and Rachael Newsham, and I pretty much think they both rock the house.

Rating: 4.1/5 Stars

Price: $74.80

TurboFire

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I used to be certified in Turbo Kick before I started BODYCOMBAT, and I really liked it. It’s a dance-infused kick-boxing workout that’s sweaty, good fun. I prefer the more grounded, hardcore feel to Combat, but if you like to dance and punch, this is the workout for you. The set includes 12 workouts on 11 DVDs

Rating: 4.3/5 stars

Price: $144.80

If you can’t/don’t want to spend the money on a complete workout series, Cathe Friedrich’s Body Blast: Kick, Punch & Crunch and Legs & Glutes DVD is also highly rated and gives you 2 hours worth of workouts.

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Contains two complete workouts: Kick, Punch, & Crunch and Legs & Glutes.

Rating: 4.9/5 Stars

Price: $41.95

GENERAL TONING/FITNESS

This includes such a wide range of DVDs that you might be better off just typing in “toning DVDs” and seeing what strikes your fancy, but Jillian Michael’s workouts consistently come in as some of the best reviewed (by the largest amounts of people), and they’re very reasonably priced.

By far, her most popular (with over 3,000 reviews) is her:

30 Day Shred

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Rating: 4.6/5 Stars

Price: $8.27

Her No More Trouble Zones DVD is also very highly rated at 4.8/5 Stars and costs only $7.99.

HIGH INTENSITY

Insanity

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“Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calendar to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs for a great workout.”

I’m actually considering ordering this since I’ve heard lots of good things, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart or lungs. Best for advanced exercisers. It’s also pretty easy to find a better deal on a barely used set on Ebay.

Rating: 4.4/5 Stars

Price: $144.80

PREGNANCY/POST PREGNANCY

Summer Sanders’ Prenatal Workout

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Rating: 4.3/5 Stars

Price: $11.96

Yoga Pregnancy: Pre and Post Natal Workouts

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Rating: 4.4/5 Stars

Price: $6.10

Tracy Anderson Post Pregnancy Workout

Rating: 4.3/5 Stars

Price; $9.69

DANCE

Hip Hop Abs Extreme DVD Workout—Extreme Cardio, Abs, and Dance

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I’ve actually done portions of this one, and it’s fun because of the dance-y aspects, but I don’t know that I’d call it “extreme.”  But you can definitely make it more or less difficult, depending on how enthusiastically you do the movements.

Rating: 4.3/5 Stars

Price: $22.90

*There is also a complete Hip Hop Abs series that costs about $80 and gives you a lot more variety.

Ballet Beautiful: Total Body Workout

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As the small print says, these are “ballet inspired workouts,” not actual dance routines. But if you have a classical dance background, you will probably appreciate the familiarity of the moves.

Rating: 4.1/5 Stars

Price: $12.73

Zumba Exhilarate Body Shaping System DVD Set

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Based on the extremely popular Latin dance group fitness program, this home version includes small dumbbells and various DVDs with dance workouts that incorporate merengue, salsa, reggaeton, calypso, cumbia, hip-hop, and belly dance.

Rating: 4.3/5 Stars

Price: $169.53

YOGA/PILATES

The Biggest Loser: The Workout – Weight Loss Yoga

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Rating: 4.6/5 Stars

Price: $7.29

Jillian Michael’s Yoga Meltdown

Rating: 4.1/5 Stars

Price: $7.99

Pilates for Beginners and Beyond

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This is a boxed set that includes:

Pilates for Inflexible People / Pilates Complete for Weight Loss / Pilates Complete Sculpt and Tone and is designed to ease you into the world of pilates, even if you are not already strong/flexible.

Rating: 4.2/5 Stars

Price: $20.99

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Obviously, this list is hardly comprehensive, but if you’re looking for programs that I can recommend personally or that are enjoyed and used by large amounts of people, these are at least a good start.

I’m hardly the fount of workout DVD wisdom, though, so if you’ve got a recommendation of something that worked great for you, I’d love it if you left it in the comments so everybody could benefit!

“Now get out there and move something!”

(You were supposed to be imagining my yelling that in my best Jillian MIchael’s inspirational voice).

 

0 Comments

  1. I use a lot of workout DVD’s. I am busy and need variety. My favorites have always been Jillian’s 30 Day Shred and her Yoga Meltdown. The yoga meltdown is fantastic! No weights required, and a perfect blend of cardio with yoga strength poses. Both DVD’s have progressive workouts that are short but intense, which for me is perfection. Plus, there’s just something about Jillian’s face that motivates me. I also love the biggest loser workouts, especially the first two or three. Seeing real people do the exercises you are doing is encouraging!

  2. Insanity is very much…insane…I definitely had to work up to doing a full workout (at first, I could barely make it through the warm-up…), but it’s pretty awesome if you can stick with it.

    Zumba is far my absolute favorite workout! It’s something that works you from head to toe without feeling anything like a workout. Love!

  3. wowsa! You did alot of research for this one! Thanks so much for the great run-down!

    I do alot of workout DVD’s since I live in the middle of nowhere and gym access is 75 miles away….ack! I also power walk w/ my neighbor 4 miles each AM. I enjoy the visiting & mild exercise, I feel like I need more….more toning, more cardio.

    So, I have off & on done Lindsay Brin’s exercise DVD’s since baby #2 (4 yrs ago). She is a mom to 3 little ones, so I feel like she understands. I also follow her blog. http://www.momsintofitness.com She just released a new DVD series: 60 Day Lean Out (for 10lbs or less to lose) or 60 day weight loss. I am 4 weeks into the Lean Out and I am really loving it. Well, it is so tough in some parts, so I don’t love that, but it gets the job done! I am down inches, but not so much lbs yet. Hoping I’m trading more muscle for fat! She is also just about to release a new Pregnancy workout series. I have her old one and really liked it. I also have the 30 Day Shred, but I’m just not a big Jillian fan…that’s just me. I prefer a more encouraging style vs a “move your fat butt” style….LOL 🙂

    I didn’t realize Les Mills had DVD’s this whole time you are always talking about it. How cool! I think I would really like the Body Combat one. Maybe I will get it in the future to spice up my routine. Thanks again for all the reviews 🙂 I am always overwhelmed by the options!

  4. Sweet!! I’ve been on the hunt for a good workout video. I’ve been a little too timid to try out Insanity… one of these days I’ll jump on that bandwagon. And I love anything Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. When I was younger I actually worked out to Cindy Crawford VHS’s my Mom had. Haha those videos were so fun.

  5. try collage video {https://www.collagevideo.com/} the site has regular sales & very decent prices. PLUS each & every dvd is done by REAL people who rate & give great insight on the routine. Hope This Helps

  6. What about a workout for an over 60 who has been somewhat of a “couch potato”. Need to get back in shape and lose some weight – thanks!

  7. I’ve been doing the Les Mills Pump at home for about a year. It’s fantastic! It’s definitely worth the money. It’s just like taking a class. The instructors are very motivating. It even has a setting where you can only hear the music and not the instructors talking, which is great for after you’ve learned the counts. I love the pump extreme, pump revolution, pump and shred, and 15 minute abs. I’ve recommend this program to tons of people!

I love hearing from you guys!