One of the difficult things about being a mutant fitness warrior is that you find yourself always looking for the next challenge. Stop laughing at me!
Okay, so I'm not an Ironman athlete, but I have to work within my own limitations folks! Due to my lacking coordination, speed or gift for anything sport-related, not to mention my funny gait (I walk like a penguin, just like my dad - who, by the way, ended up needing a hip replacement by age 50), I can't do intense endurance activities like running, so I really have to rely on HIIT training or plyometrics to get my heart rate up. And while I may be a klutzy goof-ball, my heart really is highly conditioned...and it takes a lot to challenge me.
Of course, the other issue is that I get bored extremely quickly, and need to change up my workouts regularly. I've gone through Insanity (find it boring, and too repetitive), The Insane Asylum (requires too much coordination and more space than we have in our workout area), Tapout XT (awesome, but I'm tired of it), UFC Fit (fantastic, but most of the workouts are strength-based and I prefer to do heavy lifting on my own...I do the non-weight ones regularly and love them!). I also have a plethora of other workout programs I've collected. I adore Tae Bo, but I don't find the workouts to offer much in the way of cardio, I just enjoy them and love how they work the core and legs. So I am constantly looking for really high intensity workouts that will seriously kick my butt, but I am finding that quite difficult.
I decided to give Jillian Michaels another chance by going back in time and trying one of her holder DVDs (2009) from before she got really obnoxious. Her Banish Fat Boost Metabolism certainly promises a lot! Though anything that promises a loss of 5 lbs a week is sketchy. No one should even aim to lose more than 2 lbs a week if they want to do it safely and keep it off! But anyways, it sounded intense.
Unfortunately, while this is a solid workout, it wasn't the advanced workout I was hoping for. The DVD is about 55 minutes long, with the last 6 or so minutes devoted to stretching and cool down. Its circuit style, like most of Michael's workouts, so you do each exercise twice. Following the warm up you do a kick-box inspired circuit, followed by one of plyo and one of core exercises, then again another kick-box inspired circuit, then plyo, then core. I would say its more intermediate than advanced. But the good thing is that you can modify it up or down as needed. She gives variations for beginners, and I have found that by adding weights (the workout doesn't require any equipment), I am able to boost the intensity.
If you aren't a total powerhouse like myself (stop laughing!), then you may really find this a solid, challenging workout. I like that its functional exercises and easy to follow. For me, its all about functional and easy to follow, twirls and whirls that make me dizzy and confused, just frustrate me. So no, I am not interested in anything dance-y. When I taught fitness classes (high impact, low impact, step, etc.) back in the dark ages, my classes were always what you would call 'athletic' or closer to boot camp style than 'aerobics'. Remember, I am not a master of coordination. You have no idea how many times I have given myself a black eye or all sorts of other injuries because of my clumsiness!!
Anyhow, despite all this, I do recommend this DVD, especially because Michaels keeps her attitude in check and it can be adapted to most fitness levels.
Stay tuned as I continue to review DVDs on my quest to find the best butt kicker out there...
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