Pick Your Level: Weight Loss Pilates

Ellen Barrett is so sweet. She has an amazing body and an amazing way of motivating you to get through the workout.


There is advanced, which most moves are, intermediate and beginner. The beginner ones are a little too easy, but going from beginner to intermediate is a jump if you're new to fitness. Definitely try beginner the first time you do this DVD so you can familiarize yourself with the moves.


If you're new to pilates this is a good start. She talks about the fundamentals and the workout isn't too long so as you're struggling to get through.


I first watched this on Netflix's Watch Instantly, and I'm surprised it's on there, to be honest. It's almost too good for their Watch Instantly workout options. Most are dull, strange, or just don't do the job. This one is great!


At the end of the workout I felt energized, well stretched and just a little like a ballerina. Pilates makes you feel as if you're dancing, or warming up for ballet. This definitely satisfied me.


If you're interested in owning this, it's available on Amazon.com for a little less than $8. If you have Netflix, definitely try it out.

Jari Love's Get Extremely Ripped!

I do believe this DVD does exactly what the title says. Jari takes you through an hour long weight lifting workout that targets and tones your entire body.


This is sure to burn some major calories. There were times where I had to hurry and eat something in between because the burn was so great. I'd suggest drinking both water AND a protein shake during this, your muscles will need it.


The abs segment is my favorite, very extreme indeed. Only workout I've ever done where my abs actually hurt the next day. That's a rarity, folks, trust me. Especially when the tummies (and even more especially post-natal gals like me) are the hardest to rid. However doing a thousand crunches won't give you the six-pack. That comes with diet, diet and more diet. What you're putting in has the greatest effect on your midline. Biggest suggestion if you want the tummy but don't want to cut the carbs, eat your majority of carbs during the day, don't eat any after 7pm.


The music in this is especially good in this one. It's an industrial theme, so it really goes well with weight lifting. Some of her others have some weird techno music, or even tribal themes, but this is by far the best music I've heard from her yet.


She also talks a lot more in this one than she does in her others. Possibly because there are so many extras around her and so many reps that she has to fill the time somehow.


Definitely worthy of a five star review. Make sure to pick this up on Amazon.com for $9 new.

10 Mintue Solution: Target Toning

Cindy Whitmarsh, the trainer in this video, started me out with weight lifting. I saw how perfect her body was and I wanted it! So I started her workout every other day for a few weeks. I saw some minor results in my legs and biceps, but nothing significant to continue this workout.


She takes you through five segments, four workouts and one stretch. You really feel the workouts in each spot she's targeting, but not like a burn from other weight lifting workouts I've done.


The music is dumb, just basic workout music but some of it's catchy. She is pretty fake in her approach to this, I'm sure she's different in real life, but on here she just acts goofy and slurs some of her words.


Doesn't change the fact that this is a GREAT workout for people starting out weight training. It gets you familiar with basic lifting moves, terms, muscles and positions. She stresses good posture and pushing through the burn.


It's available on Amazon.com new for about $7 and available to Watch Instantly on Netflix. Really great overall, four out of five stars.

Inten-Sati: Intention & Power

Patricia Moreno seems a bit off-the-wall at first, but please... please bear with her. She is definitely onto something...


I have never done a workout quite like this one. It's very mind-based and spirit-oriented, tapping into one's inner self. She speaks to you with such passion, and has you repeat what you're saying during the workouts. Lots of eye-closing and focusing here.


It's not quite pilates, not quite kickboxing, not quite cardio... hard to explain. She combines everything all into an hour workout. I needed water, but not as much as usual and definitely didn't sweat enough to need a towel. It was amazing to see how sweaty everyone in this workout was, makes me wonder if I was doing something wrong?


At the end you stretch and end up in a pose where you're lying back on the floor, limbs spread, eyes closed and she just speaks to you- tells you to envision yourself in your new body. I admit it, I cried. It was powerful to just lay their and focus on yourself for once. She has a powerful speaking voice.


The cardio was good, definitely didn't feel like there was enough. It's also not the best workout to add to your regime if you're focused on strength training. She adds enough of it that if you did this in between lifting days that it wouldn't give your muscles enough of a rest. I always suggest lifting every other day and cardio every other day, stretching well after each cardio session. This is too much of "a little of everything" to be able to work into a routine without it being the entire routine itself.


Music and setting was very unique: candles and strange tiki-like statues. I think it would have been better suited if she had been outdoors, indoors with the candles and such while you're doing cardio and strength training is... weird. But this is based solely on my personal opinion. Less is more, for me.


This is the only workout I could find by Patricia like this. It's available on Amazon.com for about $11 new from a third-party seller. Add it to your Netflix or watch clips on Youtube. It's an experience.

10 Minute Solutions - Pilates Perfect Body

This DVD goes through five segments, as do all 10-Minute Solution DVDs, toning and sculpting through pilates. This was the very first workout DVD I ever bought, having no clue what Pilates was.


Pilates is based on dance moves, focusing on balance and precision. It can be done from basic-advanced learners, but does not have many variations, nor does she go into great detail about how to execute them.


The instructor, Suzanne Bowen, is very motivating and speaks very professionally. She talks just enough, not too much (as you all know I love.) She explains in detail how you need to breath during Pilates and how you need to keep balance and precision in your moves.


The music is basic, as in all the 10-Minute Solutions. Nothing too fancy, but not hard on the ears.


It's not a difficult workout, so if you're feeling as if you don't have enough energy to do a lot, but need to do something, this is perfect. You can do one exercise, all, or pick and choose depending on how much time you have or what part of the body you work out. She aims at arms, belly, buns & thighs, full-body and then a stretch. The stretch is particularly nice, but the whole down-dog with your leg in the air is pretty tough. Other than that it all feels good, and at the end you feel as if you've worked.


I give this four out of five stars. Amazon.com has this available for around $9 new.

Fat-Burning Kickboxing Workout for Dummies

First and foremost, this is definitelya five star rating. I have NOTHING bad to say about this DVD.


Fitnessmagazine.com gave this a raving review as well, claiming to burn up to 700 calories. It goes through Warm-Up, Fat Burning #1, Fat Burning #2, Fat Burning #3 and then the Cool-Down. Keli Roberts is great at explaining each detailed move in the Top Ten moves segment as well. She is not only in great shape and fun to work out with, her Australian accent is fun to listen to. She doesn't gab too much, just enough to explain what you're doing and about to do.


It takes a bit of concentration the first time you try this, especially if you're new to kickboxing like I was, but in no time you'll be fighting like a pro.


This DVD is also a GREAT stress-buster. Just think about someone you really want to punch in the face during this DVD and you'll have all the motivation you'll need to get through it. It's empowering! Kicking and punching in sequences really gives you the feeling of enlightenment.


The music is basic, but not bad. I like the music in the third segment the most, just because it's the longest and goes with the beat of the moves well.


This DVD is good for basic-advanced kickboxing enthusiasts. It burns fat, gets you sweaty and isn't too long that you feel you can't get through it. Amazing, amazing workout. Definitely spend the $9 to get a brand new copy off Amazon.com. It is well worth it!!

10 Minute Solutions - Quick Tummy Toners

Honestly, I have never seen any significant results with the 10 Minute Solutions collection, however they are fun to do! I love that they are broken down into five sections to do as a full workout or a couple if you're pressed for time.


This particular DVD goes through crunches, a bit of cardio, and some exercises that deal with balance more than anything. Most people don't have good balance, thus those are hard to do, but she gives variations. Yet the variations left me wanting a bit more; I didn't feel it as much as I did when I at least tried to do the balancing acts.


The cardio segment was my favorite, although it doesn't work the abs very well. I think it's more of a 10 Minute, all-over cardio workout than a segment specifying on abs. Which is a good way to get a flatter tummy, you just need more than 10 minutes of cardio. Something is better than nothing, I guess?


The instructor, Jessica Smith, is a sweetheart with a good attitude, but there is that "gabbing thing" I've mentioned in previous blogs. She tends to talk a lot, and some like that, but it's not a selling feature for me.


The music is pretty basic, a little boring. Nothing to write home about, but it gets the job done. It's available at Amazon.com for about $8 used.


Overall I give this DVD three out of five stars.

Jari Love Get Ripped!

I first found out about Jari's workouts on fitnessmagazine.com where they raved about her, and they very well should have. She delivers not only a wonderful, body sculpting workout, but a kind and polite attitude. Sometimes she answered my questions while I was thinking about a certain posture for a particular exercise.

She is the only one that I have seen immediate results with, as well. After the first workout my skin looked tighter and I had that "pumped" feeling all over.

In this particular workout she takes a few minutes to work each major section in the body: thighs, glutes, abs, abductors, arms, shoulders, etc. She doesn't talk too much during the exercises to help keep you focused (that was a major selling point for me because a lot of instructors seem to gab on and on.)

The music is my only complaint. It leaves something to be desired and just doesn't motivate well. The same style seems to carry on throughout all of her workouts. The beat is steady, which helps keep the pace with each pump, but it's not the type where you say "I just have to illegally download this!!"

Amazon.com has this DVD for around $6 used, which is what I went for. New is only a few dollars more, however. It's a great workout to have in your collection, and Jari is just a sweetheart. Overall, I give four and a half stars out of five.