The Thrill of the Hunt

So, how is it that someone comes to collect, er, own over 100+ exercise DVDs?  While contributing factors include needing variety, staying motivated, or staving off exercise plateaus, for me it is about the thrill of the hunt.

Few things can compare to the thrill of a great bargain.  Your adrenaline is pumping, palms sweating, hands trembling as they clutch a DVD, slashed to mere dollars, resistance is futile.  Saving five, ten, or sometimes twenty dollars on a purchase equates to five, ten or twenty dollars worth of future DVD purchases.  Patience, taking the initiative and knowing where to look are the traits of a good bargain hunter.

Most of my bargain finds come to me courtesy of the Bargain Watch at Video Fitness.  Other sources of great exercise bargains include various other fitness and weight loss forums.  The advent of social marketing has also contributed in the search of huge savings on excellent workouts.  I look forward to sharing great bargain finds with you as I hear about them.

Best Purchase:  Urban Rebounder, which usually retails for $89+, slashed down to $12.99 at Kohl’s this past January.

Zaniest Purchase:  The purchase itself wasn’t crazy, my actions, maybe a little.  Ross Dress for Less is known for having tremendous bargains, unfortunately there are none in the Chicago area.  I sent my sister, who was living in Colorado at the time, to purchase several 4-packs of DVDs priced at only $5.00 dollars that normally retail for $20.  She is now helping savvy moms save money at her blog http://blog.yourathomeassistant.com/

Worst Purchase:  There’s no such thing as a worst purchase.  Well, actually, there probably is.  I just have been lucky enough not to have purchased any…yet.

Fitness for the Rest of Us - Samba Party: Brazilian Rhythm Celebration

Once again Lindsey at Fitness for the Rest of Us is hosting a free DVD giveaway.  The workout is Samba Party: Brazilian Rhythm Celebration and was generously donated by Collage Video.  Please visit her blog for a review of the workout and details on how to enter the giveaway.  Good Luck!

Building My Arsenal, One Dumbbell at a Time

My very first piece of exercise equipment was a Denise Austin dumbbell tree with, what I believe was, sand-filled dumbbells (similar to photo above but the weights were green).  They have since seen their demise when one cracked and the sand came pouring out. My arsenal has grown leaps and bounds since then.  My dumbbells now consist of pairs of hex dumbbells ranging from 3-25 pounds.  I own a 60-lb barbell, tubing and resistance bands of different tensions, a 15lb body bar and 20lb kettlebell.  Ankle weights, wrist weights, a Fitness by Cathe 10-Pound X-Vestand weighted gloves; a yoga mat, an exercise mat, BOSU Balance Trainer, stability ball, medicine ball and balance board; a tall box, short box, club step, high step; a pull-up bar, a pull-up tower, a rebounder, Val-Slides, cross-trainers, running shoes.  And an iPod to view my Cathe downloads and listen to my Cardio Coach workouts.  Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing, a TV equipped with a VHS and DVD player.  I can’t do my exercise videos without one. 

When I stop to think about how much I have spent on my fitness habit, let’s see...add the…carry the one…less the…well, actually, I don’t.  I figure there are worse things I could be spending my money on.  Besides it is an investment in my future health and well-being and I can’t put a price tag on that.  Happy Exercising Everyone!

Well, what do you know, it looks like there is plenty of room on the bottom shelf for more DVDs.

No Fitness Journey Would be Complete without Beachbody

Most everyone, even those who aren't fitness enthusiasts, have probably heard of Beachbody.  If you think you haven't, I have one word for you.  Infomercial.

You know how it goes, you find yourself unable to sleep at night, so you get up, and turn on the TV.  The problem is, for the most part, the only thing on during the wee hours are infomercials.  So you start watching, maybe one, then two or three.  Well, if you have seen any fitness infomercials, you have most likely seen one from Beachbody.  Just to throw out a few:  P90X, Insanity, Chalean Extreme, Slim in 6.  And, yes, before you ask, I own each of these.

I know most of the stuff advertised on infomercials is perceived as garbage or ridiculous claims are made that sound too good to be true, and usually are.  But truth be told, Beachbody produces some of the best exercise videos on the market - and no - unfortunately, I am not getting paid to say that.  I am a self-admitted infomercial junkie.  Lucky for me, these programs work.

Currently, I am making my way through a P90X rotation.  P90X is a comprehensive program of 12 DVDs comprised of cardio, strength and flexibility led by Tony Horton.  Many celebrities are touting the brilliance of P90X, celebrities including Sheryl Crow, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Pink, Erin Andrews and many more.  If these celebrities, who can afford to spend enormous amounts of money on personal trainers, nutritionists and personal chefs, are raving about P90X, then you know it has to be good.   Stay tuned for updates on my progress, and should I be brave enough, maybe I will add some before and after photos at the end of my rotation.

Fitness for the Rest of Us – Amy Bento Abs and Stretch Giveaway

Recently, at Huff and Buff, I posted about the importance of stretching in a well-rounded fitness program. Lindsey Lu, at Fitness for the Rest of Us, has teamed up with Amy Bento of NRG Fitness to offer her latest giveaway:  Amy Bento Abs and Stretch DVD.  Please stop by Lindsey's blog for details about the giveaway and her review of the workout.

Then Came Cardio Coach

A few years into my fitness journey, a friend encouraged me to take up running.  I was resistant because I was so accustomed to my video workouts, I hadn't pursued many other avenues.  Well, one night, I decided to give it a try and went out for a run.  I barely made it fifteen minutes.  Granted, my body had not been conditioned for running, but more than anything I found the process boring and monotonous.

Enter, Cardio Coach.  Coach Sean O'Malley created audio cardio workouts that can be downloaded and synched to your iPod or other mp3 player.  It was just the motivation I needed to improve and enjoy my runs.

Now imagine clipping on your mp3 player, placing the earbuds in your ears, the sound of the music streaming in your ears, transporting you to a different place and time.  Then, Sean begins coaching you through your run, guiding you from the warm-up through the intervals to the cool-down and stretch; pushing you when you think you can't go any further,offering motivation at just the right times.

Whether it is a journey into a dream world high in the mountains in Volume 2 or outrunning a lion in the Serengeti in Volume 5, Coach Sean gives you the motivation to get the job done.  Cardio Coach workouts can be easily adaptable to the treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bike.  They are great to use for outdoor runs or challenging bike rides.  Now, I consistently schedule a run, with Sean talking in my ear and encouraging me every step of the way, it has become a workout I enjoy.

Have you met Cathe Friedrich?

After acquiring and doing several Firm workouts for years, I was ready to take it up a notch.  So off I went to Video Fitness to research some advanced workouts.  The consensus was that Cathe Friedrich was my girl.  Cathe began creating exercise videos over twenty years ago.  She has always been at the leading edge of fitness and the cutting edge of technology.

Now the next question was which workout.  Well, after doing extensive research it seemed I was hard pressed to find any negative reviews for Ms Friedrich.  So, my first ever purchase included 17 of her workouts.  Yes, you read that right...17.  I know, I know you're thinking I'm crazy.  What you have to understand is, at the time, Cathe was already producing her workouts on DVDs (and I am usually on the trailing edge of technology) and I was still using VHS and Cathe was offering mass quantity discounts on her VHS stock.  Lucky for me, Cathe lived to up to all the hype and I clicked with her teaching style and personality immediately.  I have since replaced many of those workouts with DVDs.

Cathe's extensive library consists of step workouts, Hi/Lo, Kickboxing, Strength Training, Circuit workouts, Core workouts and most recently MMA workouts.  Recently, she also began to introduce downloadable workouts.  These workouts can be downloaded to your computer and synched up to your iPod.  If you are looking for an advanced workout, I encourage you to give her a try.  She also has an array of workouts for intermediate and beginner exercisers.

Recently Cathe has partnered with Eggland's Best. This partnership has allowed her to take road trips across the U.S.  She kicked off her tour in New York, and has already been to Daytona, San Diego and will be having her annual road trip at her home gym in New Jersey at the end of July.  Other destinations, including Chicago, are on the list and you can be sure I will be there to meet one of the fitness icons who have had a profound effect on my fitness journey.