You know those people who genuinely love working out? Like, they spend every evening at the gym? Including Saturday and Sunday nights? 
I have never been one of those people.
Well, let me rephrase that: I have not been one of those people… until now.
Although I’ve been pretty active during my adult life and regularly work out, to be honest, most of the time I haven’t looked forward to my workouts.
And, believe me, I’ve tried my fair share of different ways to stay active over the years, including running, cycling, rock climbing, boxing, swimming, barre, Zumba, hip hop classes, walking, kettlebells, pilates, strength training, power yoga, and hot yoga.
For the last few years, I’ve had a monthly membership to a yoga studio and then done strength training classes (e.g. BodyPump) a couple of times a week.
Then December 2016 hit. Life was really, really crazy at the end of last year with working a full-time job, running this blog and my side business, planning a wedding in less than 4 weeks, and you know, the holidays… so, spending time driving to my usual fitness studio was simply out of the question. Instead, I decided to use fitness DVDs.
I’m a huge fan of Jillian Michaels so I started with two of her classics: Killer Body and Ripped in 30. Within the first week, I was hooked.
Note: This isn’t a sponsored post, but just know that now is the point where I’m going to start fangirling over Jillian and geeking out about how much I love her workouts. You’ve been warned.
Here’s what I love about them:
- The workouts are intense. Each of her DVDs is a little different, but they all combine strength training with bursts of cardio to keep your heart rate up and make the workout more effective.
- The workouts are intense, but more importantly, doable. Each workout gives you options to modify and since I have bad knees and can’t handle any jumping or impact exercises, it’s nice to have lots of options if I can’t do a particular move. (This has always been my main complaint with workouts like Insanity that rely on way too much jumping for my body.)
- The equipment needed is minimal. A simple yoga mat, set of 5-pound dumbells, and 10-pound dumbells work great. (If you’re just starting out you might want a lighter set of weights too.)
- They’re quick, but really effective. In the past, my workouts were usually an hour (sometimes more), so at first, 25 – 40 minutes seemed too short. However, at the end of it, I feel a difference in my body and it’s been incredible to see that I’m getting more results in a shorter amount of time (compared to my previous workouts). Plus, since I don’t have to travel anywhere, I’m now saving about an hour and a half each day!!
- The variety. My favorite DVD is Killer Body because it has three workouts broken down into different areas: core, lower body, and upper body. The intent is to do one workout every day and then take a day off each week. I love that I able to work a different area each day (which is especially helpful if I’m still sore) because it keeps the workout from feeling repetitive.
I’ve been using her DVDs since mid-December and here are the benefits I’ve already seen:
- I’m getting stronger. I’m not going to lie: I started the first upper body workout unable to do beyond 3 “real” pushups. Now I can do actually 8 in a set. Boom!
- My legs are getting toned. Let’s be real – a workout may be fun, but it’s always a little disappointing if you don’t see any results. That’s so not the case here. Somewhere around week 4, I started noticing how my quads and glutes were more defined. Definitely good motivation to keep going!
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- I’m saving money. My health is important to me and so I’ve always made fitness a priority. However, having a monthly yoga membership and separate membership for fitness classes in Seattle is expensive. So, when you add up the cost of a fitness DVD (about $10), plus a one-time investment in a few basic pieces of equipment, I’m now saving at least $100 a month by working out at home. Boo-yah!
- I’m actually excited to do them and I don’t miss a workout because of it! I have now become one of those people who looks forward to their workout each day and I don’t skip them. A couple of weeks ago I was really sick and had to take a week off from working out. Although I hate being sick, the most frustrating part was that I missed my workouts. This is when I knew I was definitely hooked.
At this point, I’ve tried almost all of her DVDs and here are my top three favorites that I’ve been rotating between:
- DVD #1: Killer Body
- DVD #2: Killer Arms and Back
- DVD #3: Killer Buns and Thighs
I’ve been having so much fun with these workouts that I wanted to share them with you. If you’ve been looking for a fun way to get in better shape or add more variety to your workouts, I highly recommend them!
P.S. Leave me a comment and tell me what your current favorite workout is!
Take care,
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