Product Review: Fitness Blender

I may have been a little MIA on the blog these last few weeks, but I haven't been slacking off! I have gotten a bunch of new workout DVDs (and websites) and have been trying them out. I am so excited to review this one because it has quickly become my favorite source for a good workout!

It's called Fitness Blender and you can find them at fitnessblender.com. Fitness Blender is made up of a married couple, Kelli and Daniel, who create workouts that you do in your own home with little to no equipment. They don't have a fancy studio or a production team or anything, but their videos are very professionally put together in their home studio (garage). Typically, Kelli does the workout and Daniel narrates, but I've seen some videos with Daniel being the model too. I thought I would prefer Kelli describing the workout as she does it (similar to Lisa Marie in BodyRock), but it's much more organized and thorough with Daniel doing it behind the scenes. He's supportive and encourages you to give your all, but doesn't make you feel rushed. He also offers tips on proper form as you go along.

Daniel and Kelli

I like the format more than even some of the BeachBody or Jillian Michaels workouts because it shows a preview of each move that is coming up, so you have time to prepare and can jump right in when the timer starts instead of trying to catch up as you learn the move. It also has a scale on the side of the screen that tracks an average calories burned, for those of you who don't have a heart rate monitor. (I have found that my calories burned rides on the lower end of the scale each time, but I also take more breaks than they do!). On the other side of the screen is an indicator scale from 1 to 5 where they rate the difficulty of the full workout. So that's a good tool to utilize if you're trying to decide which workout you want that day.

Another great aspect of this website is that it has a search tool. So you can refine your search based on exercise type (functional, strength, toning, balance, flexibility, cardiovascular, plyometric, isometric) or by muscle group (you name it, they got it). You also have the ability to type in a keyword to search for something in particular, like their famous "Epic 1,000 calorie burn workout at home".

Did I say 1,000 calorie burn workout? Yes, I believe I did. They have two of these actually. Both are about 85 minutes long and include warm up, cardio/HIIT, strength training, stretch, abs, and cool down. I have to say that my curiosity won out over intimidation and I gave this workout a try and LOVED it! It is challenging, for sure, but I was able to keep up or modify so I still got in a great burn. You can modify to make most moves easier or harder, depending on your fitness level. And at the end, if you followed along, I can guarantee that you will feel completely drained but also amazing at the same time!

Not all of the workouts are over an hour though; some of the videos are even just ten minutes long, like some of the ab videos. It depends on what you are looking for. I really feel like they have taken a creative approach to the workouts too, as they don't incorporate just the same old boring moves that you see in many of the workout DVDs nowadays. Many, if not most, of the moves that they have in their workouts are ones that I've never seen before. They're variations of the old stand-by's, sure, but the little variations make them fun.

Each workout also comes with a description of what equipment you'll need and which exercises will be performed and you can even print this out to take with you or to use another time to record reps or weight or whatever you like. 

In addition to the full workouts, the website also includes videos on how to perform individual exercises properly. Again, it has the search tool so you can find whichever exercise you want easily. Then there are tabs for different articles on exercise, nutrition, health, weight loss, and even recipes. If you're looking to buy equipment, the website has a store tab. You can also learn more about the Fitness Blender duo and support them by making a donation. They even say that they are willing to create custom workouts for donations of certain denominations.

To sum up:

Pros - 

• You choose how long your workout is
• Tons of workouts to choose from
• Search tool to find the workout you want
• Organized and professionally made videos
• Calorie burn bar
• Degree of difficulty scale for choosing workouts
• FREE
• Printable worksheets
• Chart to show what equipment is needed
• Tips on proper form and encouragement throughout videos

Cons - 

• I wish they had a timer to show how much time is left in the total workout 
• Have to play the video on a computer or device with Internet access

It's easy to see why I love Fitness Blender. Since I do all my workouts at home anyway, having to do them on my computer is not a problem for me. It actually might even be easier because of how we have our living room arranged currently.

So those are my thoughts. I highly recommend you go out and try them. I am sure you will find at least one or two workouts that you just can't help but love! And if you like them and want to share the love, go ahead and donate or spread the word about the site so they can keep giving us these awesome workouts! 

Find Fitness Blender:

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Get More Out Of Your Walk!

getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com

I recently started listening to a new podcast. It's from the Get-Fit Guy at Quick and Dirty Tips. The Get-Fit Guy, also known as Ben Greenfield, is very knowledgeable about the topics he discusses. He's thorough, but the podcasts are still short (about 10 - 15 minutes) so it's easy to fit in on your drive to work or on the way to the gym.

The official description for the podcast is listed below:
Enhance your energy, lose weight, boost your performance, and look better than ever in your bathing suit with the Get-Fit Guy! If you want to begin an exercise routine and don't know where to start, or if you've been working out for a while and aren't getting the results you want, host Ben Greenfield will give you the tips you need to reach all of your fitness goals. Get expert information and advice on everything from toning your arms, butt, and abs, to blasting fat fast, to running a 5K and preparing for your first triathlon. With his easy-to-understand explanations, concrete examples, and sound reasoning backed by scientific research, Get-Fit Guy will provide you with the inspiration and knowledge you need to become fitter, faster, stronger, and ultimately happier and healthier.

To find this podcast on iTunes, click HERE!

www.beautyproblog.com

The latest episode that I listened to was talking about how to get the most out of your walk. As they say, walking alone does not burn as many calories as many other workouts have the potential to, but that doesn't mean it's not a good form of exercise or calorie burn. To achieve that maximum burn, Ben suggests adding in some strength training. How do you do that?

lifestyle.yahoo.co.nz

To add in strength training to your workout, here's what the Get-Fit Guy recommends. Start out your walk at a brisk pace. After about four minutes, stop and do 10 - 20 reps of strength training. Continue walking for another 4 - 5 minutes and do another strength training move. Continue this pattern until you reach the end of your walk. He recommends 80 minutes, but whatever length of time you walk will be up to you and your schedule.

What type of strength training do you do? You can do pretty much anything here. You can drop and do pushups or mountain climbers. You can stop and do some squats or jump lunges. He suggests ab/core work such as Russian Twists too. So you can pretty much work out your entire body along the way. Ben even recommends carrying a couple of light dumbbells to add more resistance.

I would recommend getting a pair of fitness gloves, as many outdoor surfaces may not be that great for bare handed pushups. And, of course, also keep an eye out for cars or other pedestrians before stopping abruptly and lying down in the street! But try this out and you'll see that your heart rate will go up, therefore burning more calories and you'll get a total body workout with your walk!

To check out the original post on a Fitness Walk, click the link HERE!