Tank Top Arms!

I added Cindy Whitmarsh 20 min upper body workout from ExerciseTV.com to Turbo Fire's HIIT 15 Class.  Even though it is a beginner level workout it was still good.  I just used heavier weights.  I used my 10lbs and 8lbs.  I believe Cindy uses 5lbs throughout the workout.

HIIT 15 Class!

HIIT 15 Class is an 15 min High Intensity Interval Training workout.  There are 3 different combos that you do 3 times each.  Chalene first teaches the combo and then you do the combo 3 times high intensity.  Each one is 20 to 40 seconds long with breaks in between.  They are high impact but there is a modifier showing low impact modifications.
I liked this workout because the high impact is not very long.  Before you know it, it is over.  I did have to follow the modifier on an couple of moves but mostly kept up with Chalene.  I did notice that Chalene and crew were stomping on the floor as they jump, so be mindful to land softly when you do this workout.

15 Minute Fat Buster Kettlebell workout!

I found this great website last week.  It is full of good FREE Kettlebell and body weight workouts. Marianne is great and has some great ideas.  I combine her 15 minute Fat Buster Kettlebell workout with Turbo Fire's fire 30 min Class and felt like it was a great add on.  Here is the breakdown of the exercises:

Each exercise consists of 20 seconds maximum effort followed by 10 seconds rest.  When the 3 rounds have been completed, you’ll have done a very intense 15 minute workout.

1. Two-handed Kettlebell Swing
2. Kettlebell Front Squat
3. Kettlebell Dynamic Squat
4. Kettlebell Stiff-Leg Deadlift
5. Kettlebell Alternating Swing
6. Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift
7. Single-Handed Kettlebell Swing (Right)
8. Single-Handed Kettlebell Swing (Left)
9. Kettlebell Snatch-Lunge (Right)
10. Kettlebell Snatch-Lunge (Left) 

I will be doing this one again.  Here is the link:  www.myomytv.com/15-minute-fat-buster/

Turbo Fire: Fire 30 class!

This workout is only 30 mins long but it packs a lot into it.  This is a fast pace kickboxing workout with some high impact mixed in.  It has 2 "fire" or high impact sections that can be easily modified into low impact.  Some of the moves I did low impact but mostly kept up with Chelene.  The only thing I did not like about the workout is that the pace is so fast that even Chelene's form suffers especially her hook.  I have to look away from the screen in order not to not mess up.  I do like the workout which is good because it shows up quit a bit in the rotation.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Turbo Fire!

Yep, I bought Turbo Fire.  This series is basically described as Turbo Jam meets Insanity.  Because of this series is like Turbo Jam but better, I am in the process of getting rid of my Turbo Jams (except for Punch, Kick & Jam, love that one).  Since this is a Cardio base series I will be adding kettlebell and other circuits in to more strength.  The great thing about this series is that they made a CLX/Turbo Fire rotation that I might try.  The down side is that this is a 20 week long program. (We will see if I stick to it for that long.)

CIA 2903: Stepping Up!

CIA 2903: Stepping Up is an advanced cardio step plus ab workout Lead by Seasun Zieger.  As you can see on the right this is my second favorite cardio workout.  This one is so much fun and is the easier workout of hers to learn the choreography.  This one also has the best music out of all my workout DVD's.  I do have to warn you that if you have not done this one for a while you will have to relearn the choreography.  At the end of the workout she leads you through a tough plank section for the abs.  I give this one 5 out of 5 stars.

July's Rotation!

Here is July's Rotation.  I will be adding Kettlebell Circuits in when needed with the Turbo Fire workouts.

Click on the picture to make it bigger.

Pure Burn Super Strength!

Pure Burn Super Strength is a 66 min advanced workout lead by Bob Harper.  I have been wanting Bob to come out with some good tough workout DVDs for a while now and he did not disappoint with this workout.  I stayed away from his Biggest Loser ones because they looked too easy.  This DVD comes with 2 workouts on it, a 20 min beginner one and a 66 min advanced one.  I used my 10lbs, 8lbs and 5lbs. Here is the break down:
Warm-up:  Not really a warm-up. Bob's idea of a warm-up is stretches.  I don't like stretching for my warm-up.
Push-ups:
Squats: 10lbs
Push-ups:
Squat Thrusts: 10lbs
Bicep Curls into Over Head Press: 10lbs

Squats: 10lbs
Squat Thrusts with push ups: 10lbs
Bicep Curls into Over Head Press into Squat Thrusts with push ups: 10lbs
Over Head Press: 8lbs
Wide Bent Over Row: 10lbs need to use 8lbs next time.
Deadlifts: 10lbs
Bent Over Rows in a Lung: 8lbs
Shoulder Combo (front and side raises): 5lbs
Bent Over Rows in a Lung: 8lbs
Shoulder Combo (front and side raises): 5lbs
Water break
Lunges while crossing the weight under the legs: 10lb (in Kettlebell workouts this is called a tactical lung)
Bent over single arm fly: 10lbs
Lunges while crossing the weight under the legs: 10lb
Bent over single arm fly: 10lbs
Alternating Lunges: 10lbs
Bicep Curls: 10lbs need to drop to 8lbs
Bicep Curls in a squat: 8lbs
Triceps Extensions: 8lbs
Skull Crushers: 5lbs
Chest Presses with hands together: 5lbs
Abs
Hammer Curls standing on one leg: 10lbs
Supination Extensions: 5lbs
Weighted Chair Squats: 10lbs
Bicep Curls in a squat: 8lbs
Weighted Chair Squats with jumps : I used not weights
 Triceps Extensions: 5lbs
Skull Crushers: 5lbs
Chest Presses with hands together: 5lbs
Abs
Weight Plank Rows: 10lbs need to drop down to 7lbs
Weighted T-Stands: I did not use weights
Pushup T-Stands: I did not use weights
Matrix Lunges: 10lb  (here he reminds you that he is the nice trainer on the Biggest Loser.)
Standing weighted pullovers: 10lb
Matrix Lunges: 10lb
Standing weighted pullovers: 10lb
Iso Arms: 5lb
Water Break
Planks and a stretch

Even though I could not do all of the reps I like this workout very much. I how ever did not like when they froze the image when they and you were still supposed to be doing the exercise. I thought the guy in the background had the poorest form I have ever seen and he really slacked in the workout. It looked like he was using the same weights as the other 2 ladies but he only did half of the work. I started out with 10lbs but had my 8lbs and 5lbs close by and chose my weight according to what we were doing. I did find that he was having you move too fast in some moves and it looked like they were not using control so I slowed down some moves for control. I did like this workout and will do it again.  I give this workout 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Tonique 2 disc A!

Tonique 2 disc A is a 50 min advanced cardio/sculpt workout lead by Sylwia Wiesenberg.  Equipment needed is a pair of light hand weights.
The warm-up is very bizarre in this one.  You see Sylwia in a swimsuit doing stretchy flowy like movements with no cueing. I recommend skipping this section and warming up on your own with a treadmill or us a warm-up from another workout.  Sylwia wears normal workout cloths through the rest of the workout.  After the warm-up is a very high impact (Cathe like) cardio section that lasts 8 mins.  I had a hard time with this section as I am not of fan of constant High impact movements.  The rest of the workout you are doing high rep with low weight compound movements.  Again this bothered my back.  I don't know if it was the sequencing or what.  Right now I have it for sale but it is not selling as fast as the first one did.  Right now I give it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Tonique!

Tonique is a 62 min Intermediate to advanced sculpting workout lead by Sylwia Wiesenberg.  Equipment needed is a light pair of weights.  The majority of the workout is compound movements.


This workout contains 3 workouts that you can combine together:
Squats Section includes upper body - 15 Minutes
Lunges Section includes upper body - 19 Minutes
Mat Work Section - 17 Minutes

I did like this workout but it did bother my lower back because of the high rep.  a couple of things I did not like was the annoying voice over and they stretch at the end.  Sylwia wears a bathing suit to stretch in and the moment I saw that I tuned that DVD off and did my own stretches.  Because of these reasons and the fact that it hurt my lower back I ended up selling it.  I give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5.