Magic Bullets in Exercise

MzFury

So, lots of people on here try systems and programs like 30 Day Shred or P90X, and those who stick to them get results. However, I wanted to just post for some perspective - these programs are all touted as THE way to get results - stick to THIS and you'll SHRED, etc. etc. - but this is a half-truth, and language geared to sell. Yes, if you do these routines faithfully, you will get results - however, if you do OTHER routines faithfully, you'll get the same results. Indeed, if you mix up routines, you'll get results.

These programs are generally pretty challenging and based on great principles like circuit training and interval training, meaning you will work hard and maintain muscle. If you are working hard 4 - 6 days a week, for 20 - 60 minutes a workout, especially compared to not working out much before, you will get results, period, in inches lost and fitness payoff (you may gain a small amount of weight with tough workouts, and you need to know this).

For your own fitness profile, you also need to know that many of these workouts include movements that can be too hard or advanced for a beginner fitness level. It's good to push and feel sore, it's NOT good to throw your back out or bust up your knees. You need to understand how to modify while still working hard, sweating and pushing your muscles. not all of these programs give you that understanding. Doing 30 Day Shred, for example, could cause a beginner to throw up his hands in defeat after one effort, and think he'd failed the program. This is counter productive - you need to know more resources (easy if you're doing DVDs or Wii) and be happy to build up to doing more challenging things. Just because the program says you have to do it every day for 30 days to "get shredded" doesn't mean you have failed or cannot use it if you don't.

I strongly suggest, again, using the long preview option at www.collagevideo.com as well as the difficulty and impact ratings, detailed descriptions and user reviews, to get a feeling for programs that will be both fun and appropriate to your fitness level. It'll be more fun to then know how to advance than to start at too difficult a stage and feel you have to surrender or quit.

Espressocycle

Fitness regemins are like religions. Most of them work pretty well, even if some are kinda insane.